As our holiday gatherings are just days away, are you stressing over all the things left on the To-Do List? Especially if you have overnight guests coming, it’s easy to let the fear of “what will they eat, what if they don’t like it, how will I do it all” steal our joy.
Don’t let that happen!! Savor these days and embrace this most magical time of the year, even if that means letting go of some of your “Most Wonderful Life” expectations you’ve set. It’s Ok to realize they might not happen and your time together will still be magical. 🙂 It’s taken me years to soak that in, but it makes all the difference.
When our two eldest got home from college this week, I thought my heart might burst. I can’t even tell you how much I miss them when they’re gone and all feels right again when they come through those doors safe and sound.
I’ve spent weeks thinking of how I’d spoil them with my homemade cooking, baked treats and all the bells and whistles that come with being home on break, but….
Life and schedules got in the way!!
I started off so strong.
Right off, we had a hot breakfast and dinner as a family. Candles lit (because you know that’s a priority in this home), Conversation Starters Jar ready to go, laughing throughout the evening and soft Christmas jazz playing in the back ground.
It was just like my favorite Hallmark movie.
But the truth mimics something more like our real life picture below.
I couldn’t stop chuckling at their antics, so I quickly grabbed my camera because sometimes the truth encourages.
I had such high hopes for evening dinners together while they were home. What was I thinking?
They had plans one night. I had obligations the next, and then my husband had to work late. The whole time our frozen ground beef and chicken for my favorite Taco Casserole and Easy Freezer Friendly Chicken Tetrazzini sat unmade in the fridge. My idyllic dinner dreams for December had been thwarted, so I switched to zone defense and came up with a great plan to make everyone happy, which meant actually showing myself grace.
The kids announced they were going out to eat after church since we didn’t have anything made at home and I screamed lovingly replied, “NO, we are eating as a family.”
My defensive strategy consisted of stocking my freezer with some fast and fun, protein-packed fuel to power even my biggest of football players.
We can never get enough Mexican inspired food in our home and Salsa, Guac, Taco dip, Taco Salad are continuous staples, so I combined the best of both worlds by heating up José Olé Chicken & Cheese Taquitos as well as their Beef & Cheese Mini Tacos. I melted some extra cheese on top, added side of guac and dolloped our favorite salsa and sour cream for a perfect quick lunch.
The reason I chuckle at these pictures is because I made up this nice platter, put the plates out and by the time I was ready, more than half of the food was gone. So much for best intentions when you’re feeding my crew.
Moms, that’s what happens if you turn your back on the food for a minute in this house. These kids eat like crazy.
Yes, the “feeding this gang post” with my Top 10 Tips will have to wait until after Christmas (it will come because so many ask how to feed growing teens). I decided to share the outtakes of real life because that’s what I’m all about and this quick Jose Ole meal saved my sanity on a day I had to be three places at once.
I’m having thirty people over this week and these Taquitas and Mini Tacos are going to be making an appearance once again because they were so good.
Here are just a few more outtakes.
I just love our family. They are so much fun, but a little note to the moms of young boys. If you’re waiting for them to outgrow their rough housing and wrestling phase, I urge you to throw that expectation aside.
Now they get even more excited because they can take dad. 🙂
P.S. You’d think they never learned any table manners, but just to assure you, they do have these 10 Most Important Table Manners every kid should know down pat. 🙂
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of JOSÉ OLÉ®. The opinions and text are all mine.
I have subscribed to your blog for years and enjoy it very much.
Today when I clicked from my inbox to finish reading your post, a large ad covered it, then smaller ones were popping up so fast it was hard to read, then a video ad came up to use my data, I did not click on it to play but it did. Is this the normal thing now? It makes it very hard to concentrate.I understand one or two ads but this is too much.
Linda
Thanks for letting me know. It’s NOT ok and I’ve made requests that any of those pop up ads are blocked. Since I’m not in charge of putting any ads on there, sometimes they get through and then I just have to report it. I tried to mimic what happened to you, and it didn’t happen to me, so I do think it’s a hit or miss thing, but ugh, I HATE those ads so much. Hopefully, it won’t happen to you again.
Thanks for checking Jen. I did not have that problem today .
Guess my pop up blocker didn’t work either.
Linda
It is amazing how I can look in the refrigerator and see the components of several meals that can be put together within just a few minutes and yet my family looks into the same refrigerator and see, “nothing to eat.” However, I must confess I can walk through a grocery store and be inspired by fresh produce or fruit and dream up delicious meals, but when confronted by baskets full of produce from our (and my neighbors) garden not think of a thing to cook. In my defense, we have only begun gardening in the last few years, having moved to a rural area. and I am learning to take advantage of the bounty and embrace the growing seasons.
Kathryn – you are spot on!! That is so true. I’ve gotten the “nothing to eat” for days and yet when you open our fridge, food is falling out of it. haha
Looks like your house is full of life.
Enjoy the holidays and having everyone home together!
@Jackie, Thank you so much. 🙂
I enjoyed this post, Jen! We’re just about to enter the teenage years, but my boys are already eating me out of house & home!
They’ll be excited to hear there’s a possibility they’ll be able to take Dad in the future – rough housing & wrestling are constant & beating Dad is a major goal! 😉
The ads were a major distraction to me. covering the pictures as I scrolled. ughhhh
But, nevertheless, I enjoyed your real life pictures..
Love, Mona
Yes, so frustrating. Trying to get to the bottom of it since specifically want less ads and definitely not covering things. Can I ask, are you on a mobile phone or was this on a PC?
@Jen, this was on a pc…..