The Poor Man's Keurig

For 3 years now I have bugged  nicely asked my husband for a Keurig coffee brewer. Being the frugal man he is, he reminds me of my old school Black & Decker Cup-at-a-Time coffee maker. He's like why spend $80-$100 when you already have the original version? You know what? He is so right. I bought this gadget about 12 years ago for about $15 at Walmart. I have even purchased additional ones as gifts.

Strangely enough it has hung in there after numerous uses, and even traveling on road trips, being used in the office at work and of course at home. It still makes a steaming hot cup of strong coffee. I can use any ground coffee I want and don't have to purchase the little pods and I can brew to my desired strength. I don't think one little K-cup would work for a gal like me. I am used to drinking coffee as strong as motor oil!  I guess it really makes sense after all to stick with my old school machine. I haven't seen these brewers around in some time but if I do, I might need to purchase it as back-up! 

Braces update

Brie has been in braces for about a year and 5 months now. Last year in December, she had oral surgery to have a baby tooth removed and to expose the adult tooth that has been growing in the roof of her mouth. It's hard to believe that she still had a baby tooth in the front at the age of 15! Not only that, it would not budge!! She got the tooth extracted at the dentist and went to a specialist for the other part. She had to be asleep for the procedure. It was a rough recovery at first, but luckily she was back to normal within a few days. Now her adult tooth has joined in with the rest of her teeth and is coming along well. We have seen a dramatic change so far and it looks like we will stay on schedule and she will have them on about another year and a half. She recently had some raised fillings put on a couple of her back teeth to help control her chewing. She was devastated and thought she would not be able to eat normally. Well that was short lived.  To say that you are required to watch a video on all the things to avoid with braces apparently meant nothing for Brie! She finds a way to enjoy all of her favorite foods with the exception of crunchy granola.

Thankfully her journey with braces has not been too bad. It has been really neat watching the transformation. The expense is enormous, but well worth every dime we are putting into it :)

Wordless Wednesday {Art}

I just had to share Brie's work that she created in her art class at school. Brie says that this is a girl who is depressed because her secrets got out. This is a really big piece so I might have to end up getting it custom framed. We love it!

Those are locks and keys in the tree. Cool huh?

Things that are making me so happy right now.

Today I laughed HYSTERICALLY in the car on the way home from picking the girls up from school. I am talking full abdominal pain, tears from my eyes and coughing from laughing so hard. My sunglasses even fogged up. Man, that was some good laughter! 

Today William was complaining about "those meddling kids". He loves old school Scooby Doo. As a matter of fact, he loves all the old cartoons like Tom & Jerry, Yogi Bear, The Snorks, The Smurfs and more. Sure beats Sponge Bob any day! 

This salad is made from baby organic greens (kale, spinach, arugula and others) dried cranberries, sliced almonds, feta cheese and balsamic vinaigrette. It is outstanding. It is my new favorite salad. 

If you haven't tried Mr. Clean with Gain scent, you are missing out on the happiest scent ever. It is as if you accidentally spilled Gain freshness into the air. It really makes me excited to clean. Yeah, I have issues :)

Dwayne and I tried Red Moscato for the first time and really enjoyed it. I think we need to explore some other brands. I am going to make a date night reservation to try out a wine bar in our area in the very near future. 

I love Coca-Cola from the 1.25 liter bottle. There is something so special about the taste from that specific size bottle. It's not the same out of the can or the 2 liter bottle. 

Dwayne and I have been thoroughly enjoying watching the NBA play-offs and even the pre-game, half-time and post-game footage. This has been the most enjoyable basketball season ever! We will be so sad when it's over. 

The thing that has been making me over-the-top happy lately has been the new windows we had installed over the course of the last year. We have noticed a huge difference in the consistency of  the overall temperature as well as the air conditioning unit does not run 24/7. I know our light bill should be looking a lot better too. That will be the icing on the cake! 

So what has been making you happy recently? Please share, I wanna know! :)

The life of the SAHM

We have less than 2 weeks of the school year left. Time has flown by. The girls have been immersed in studying, exams, SAT's and volleyball conditioning. Of course I am in overdrive as a mom making sure they have all the necessities to make their days go smoothly. I have been spending a lot less time online and a lot more time on the floor playing dinosaurs, camping, blocks and flashcards. I am really working hard at giving little Will the same head start that the girls were given. You really do get to see the big differences between boys and girls! It does seem a little more challenging getting the boy to sit down long enough to learn something new. I think he does better absorbing information as long as he is moving. This sometimes means practicing numbers while doing jumping jacks! Needless to say, I am in great physical shape!

I still go through those days feeling mommy guilt wondering if I am doing enough for the boy. At the end of the day, he displays a lot of what he has learned through his actions. He is listening and paying attention. You better believe if anyone does something they shouldn't be, William will be the first one to let you know that you are not making a good choice. Those are the times that I think he is listening a little too well :)

I already have the Summer calendar prepared and it looks like the kids will be very occupied. I have some family trips I am planning as well. This Summer, we will take day trips or very short trips to close-by cities. No big vacations for us. I just hope that gas prices will continue to decline. I am also getting back into couponing so that we can maximize our cash.

Have you started getting your Summer family calendar set up? Do you have any fun plans?

Remedies for the Spring Cold

A lot of people assume the common cold is an illness people catch during the fall and winter months. The truth is a cold is a virus that is prevalent during every season, year round. Below are some great Cold Remedies to help the entire family with the Spring Cold.

1) Make sure you drink a lot of Vitamin C. Try drinking cold drinks such as orange juice or grapefruit juice

 2) Keep Cold-EEZE Oral Spray or lozenges in your purse. It’s clinically proven to shorten the duration of a cold by nearly half.

 3) Try using a humidifier. These are great in the summer time because they do not add any additional heat to the room and it cleanses the air.

 4) Honey is one of the best remedies if you’re having a sore throat along with a cold. Try adding honey to every day meals such as pancakes or to your ice tea.

 5) Get plenty of rest. Whether you are sick or not, a good night’s sleep will always improve a person’s overall health.

Honey Bunches of Oats [Review & Giveaway]

I don't know about your family, but my family loves Honey Bunches of Oats. Who can resist those yummy little Honey Roasted Granola Bunches? We have tried most of the varieties and love them all. As a mom, I especially love the fact that this cereal is not your typical sugar covered cereal. The great part is there is just enough sweetness and only has 6 grams of sugar (*per serving). Honey Bunches of Oats Honey Roasted contains 10 grams of whole grain per serving, provides *9 essential vitamins and minerals, and contains 0g Trans Fat, 0g Saturated Fat and 0mg Cholesterol. My teenage daughters love this cereal so much that they have asked to to purchase the "Just Bunches" variety to put in snack bags for them to stash into their gym bags for volleyball season. Sounds like a smart snack to me!

How would you like to win a coupon for a FREE box of any variety of Honey Bunches of Oats? I have 5 coupons to give away to 5 lucky Momfiles readers. Enter in the Rafflecopter widget below:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Contest is open to US Residents only and will end on May 28, 2012. Please leave your email address in your comment if you do not have a Blogger Profile. 5 winners will be chosen at random and will be contacted via email. If you do not follow the rules by completing the mandatory entry first, all of your entries will not count. Momfiles is not responsible for any lost or stolen prizes. Good luck!

Post provided a free sample of their Honey Bunches of Oats-Honey Roasted so I could review them. However all opinions expressed here are my own.

What motherhood has taught me

My life changed forever when I became a mom. From the moment I heard the cries of my firstborn child, I felt differently inside. I instantly became very protective. I felt fear, anxiety, happiness, sadness and so many other emotions all at once. I knew from that day that my life was never going to be the same. Of course this feeling repeated itself 2 more times. I went through days that I wondered what to do about certain changes my kids were going through. Am I doing enough? So many times I just had to figure it out, even try different techniques. I have made many mistakes along the way. At the same time I have made many strides in my mommy role. I have gained a great bond with each child. My children show me daily how much love, respect and appreciation they have for me.  They have shown me how much my hard work as a mom has paid off through their actions, personalities and more importantly through their hearts. I have learned how important unconditional love is and showing my children how important they are. I embrace how different each child is and praise them for it. I want to make sure my kids all have a memorable childhood. It took me almost the duration of my years as a mom to know that I am doing enough. I am more than enough.

The best advice I ever got about being a mother came from one of the greatest and most inspirational women that ever walked the earth, the late Mrs. Emma Stevenson. She told me that the most important thing you can ever do as a mother is to talk to you kids. Even if you are not sure they are mature enough to understand, you still talk to them. You give them all the knowledge you can about every subject. Teach them before their peers or others get to them. To this day, those words carry on in my actions as a mother. It is truly the most valuable thing I have ever learned.

I want to wish all my mom friends and family a very Happy Mother's Day. Celebrate your great contribution to the world... being a GREAT Mom! xoxo

JĀSÖN® Pure Natural Shampoo Review

I recently received a Klout Perk from the JĀSÖN® Naturals. If you are not signed up for Klout, I suggest you check it out. I have received many great 'perks' from them. I have used a couple products by this brand in the past and was very pleased. This time around I tried out the Restorative Biotin Shampoo. It is supposed to strengthen and repair damaged hair. I have been going through a phase of bad hair days since the weather warmed up. I really want to grow my hair out a bit for the Summer but it has been looking so rough.

I figured I have nothing to lose so let's see what happens after using this shampoo. First off, I am glad I opted not to use a conditioner. I found that the shampoo gave me all the moisture my hair needed. I did blow dry and was so pleased with how luxurious my hair felt. For some reason it felt fuller than normal. My hair was so shiny and smooth. I am so happy with the results. I think I will look into getting the matching conditioner so my daughters can try it on their biracial locks. I have found that using natural shampoo and conditioner products makes a big difference in how my hair comes out. I highly recommend this product!

Eggland's Best "Your Best Recipe" Contest

EGGLAND’S BEST EGGS ANNOUNCES INAUGURAL RECIPE CONTEST Eggland’s Best “Your Best Recipe” Contest Provides At-home Chefs A Chance to Win $10,000

No longer relegated to only breakfast fare, eggs are taking center stage in dishes across the country, being featured in inventive ways that showcase its versatility and ability to bring new tastes and textures to everything from soups and salads, to pastas and burger toppings.

Eggland’s Best (EB), the No. 1 brand of eggs in the country known for its superior nutritional profile, freshness and quality, wants to recognize the culinary talents of at-home chefs with the announcement of the brand’s first-ever national recipe contest.

Call for entries to the Eggland’s Best “Your Best Recipe” Contest is open now through August 12, 2012 and at-home chefs can submit their best original recipe featuring at least two EB eggs online at www.egglandsbest.com/yourbestrecipe. A $1,000 prize will be awarded in each of the following four categories: Breakfast, Appetizer, Main Course, and Dessert and one at-home chef whose dish best showcases the use of Eggland’s Best eggs will be awarded a $10,000 grand prize.

 Helping to judge recipe entries are chef and cookbook author Candice Kumai, who also serves as a judge on Food Network’s Iron Chef America, as well as Elizabeth Ward, a nationally recognized registered dietitian. Both experts will be evaluating recipes based on the criteria of taste, presentation, availability of ingredients and creativity.

“The test of a true chef is in knowing how to cook eggs properly, and selecting the best ingredients to cook with,” says Chef Candice Kumai. “I personally use Eggland’s Best eggs because not only are they more nutritious than ordinary eggs, but the yolks are also plumper, creamier and brighter in color. Their freshness and quality ensure my egg dishes turn out consistently every time.”

For official contest rules and to submit your original recipe, visit Eggland's Best or Eggland's Best on Facebook.

Wordfull Wednesday

Hey guys! I just wanted to let you all know (since so many people have asked about it) that my COOL WHIP ad is officially in magazines! I picked up a copy of Every Day with Rachael Ray [June issue] yesterday. I am still in shock that the lady in the photo is ME!

I have received several text messages, email and FB messages from those who have seen it already. Looking forward to buying a few copies for my kids to have to show their future kids! Just thought I would share. Have a great second half of the week :)

Best Banana Muffins ever!

I had a couple overripe bananas and decided to make banana muffins. I looked up several recipes online but ended up changing things up and making my own version. I am so glad I did. They came out amazingly moist and not too sweet. Check out the recipe below. Chances are you should have most of the ingredients in your kitchen already.

Banana Muffins

What you need:

6 tablespoons of butter, softened

1 egg

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 brown sugar

2 very large or 3-4 small very ripe bananas, mashed

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

pinch of nutmeg (optional) 

1/2 tsp fine, Kosher or sea salt

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 1/4 all purpose flour

How to make them:

Blend together butter, sugar and brown sugar. Add the egg and vanilla extract. Add bananas and then mix in the remaining dry ingredients. Fill muffin cups.  I used the foil baking cups that don't require any special pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Cool and enjoy! This recipe makes a dozen muffins. You could also add nuts or even ice with a cream cheese frosting or add a powdered sugar glaze. 

Let me know if you try this recipe! 

The Oprah Magazine only $10 for 12 issues!

How would you like to get a full year of The Oprah Magazine for only $10? Well Purex has teamed up with The Oprah Magazine and is offering this great deal for a limited time. You can order your 12 issues here. Hurry before time runs out!

Note: I will receive a tiny fee if you sign up through my exclusive link. 

Sisters in print | High School memories

It is that time of year again... end of the school year and yearbooks! Both girls got their high school yearbook yesterday and I asked them if they were in it besides the class photo. They told me there was a shot of the two of them together and casually showed it to me.

I screamed out loud like whaaaat??!!! Those are my babies!! I was so thrilled to see that they were a part of a feature they did on students that share the same house and school. They thought I was crazy with how excited I was seeing them together in the yearbook. I think it is neat that they can look back at this many years from now and remember those times. I still glance through my high school yearbooks from time to time.

Just seeing how happy and vibrant they are when they are hanging out warms my mommy heart. It is such a wonderful thing when siblings, especially teenagers get along so well. I tell them all the time that they have a best friend for life! I love my girls so much! I just had to share this with you all.

Have a great weekend! :)

It's always the little things

Time flies when you have children. They truly do grow up fast. As a mom, I try to do my best to make sure they feel special every day. With my daughters being teenagers it seems like quite a challenge sometimes. The good thing is they appreciate the littlest things. I love doing something unexpected for them when they get home from a long day at school. Many times I have purchased their favorite candy and left it on their bed so it is the first thing they see when they walk into their room. I stand at the top of the staircase to listen to their reaction. It's amazing how excited a teenage girl can get over some candy that cost me 2 bucks! Then having them run up the stairs to grab a big hug and thank me is the best feeling in the world. It makes my heart full to know that they are so grateful for the small gestures done out of love.

The other day I made this Creamy Oreo Pie for the girls. It was intended to be the dessert for a mom party I hosted in our home. I realized that all the moms might not want this sort of dessert and I asked the girls for other suggestions. You should have seen the look of sadness in their faces. Well obviously I still made the pie and I also made an additional dessert as well. I only had a few Oreos left to garnish the finished pie with and I plopped a few dollops of COOL WHIP on as well. I looked at it and thought that it looked a bit sloppy. You see, dolloping is not my talent. I just get it on there the best way I can! Of course the girls thought it was absolute perfection. My guests felt the same way too. It just goes to show that it does not take a whole lot to make your loved ones feel special. 

Be sure to visit the COOL WHIP Facebook page to share your own ways on the little things you do to make your family feel extra special. While you are there, be sure to check out all the great recipes and download a coupon (while supplies last). 

I am working in partnership with the COOL WHIP brand and I am receiving compensation for my participation in this campaign. All thoughts/opinions are 100% my own.  

My favorite girls | Friends for life

I was looking at an old photo of my daughters along with their friend, Haley.  Chardie and Haley met in kindergarten and became best friends from day one. Although Haley and Chardie are in the same grade, Brie took a liking to Haley and joined in on the friendship. After all these years they still get together for sleepovers, outings and parties. Haley is referred to as being my third daughter. I love her as if she was my own! When Haley comes to the house, I enjoy making them my "world famous" grilled cheese sandwiches and baking cookies. It has been a tradition for many years and all three girls look forward to it.

Chardie and Haley were in kindergarten and Brie was still at home with me! This was taken at their end of kindergarten school trip to a local park. How adorable are those sweet faces?! 

Here are the girls are all grown up. Chardie and Haley are finishing off Junior year and will become Seniors next school year. Brie will be a Sophomore next school year. *sniff*

All three girls have made us so proud. They are all very high academic achievers and have such outstanding manners and a love for the community. We couldn't ask for better daughters! It has been a joy watching the three of them grow up together. It is wonderful to have lifelong friends that become a part of your family. 

Do you or your children have any of the same friends since early childhood? 

My thoughts on Instagram

I remember when everyone was getting the iPhone and started using Instagram. I wanted to upgrade just to have the fun photo filters as well as my own page to share them. The thing is that I love my DROID 3 and would be too nervous to go all touchscreen. My phone has the best of both worlds with a huge touchscreen and a 5 row pull-out keyboard. I'm old school and as my friend Tanyetta would say, I love buttons! When Instagram became available on Android phones I was so excited! Finally, I could use the cool features and not have to change phones. I honestly did not understand how to use it at first and I think it was causing my phone to malfunction. I believe I have it under control now and have figured out how to use to for the most part. Knowing me, I am still doing something wrong :)

Fun at the playground. 

I don't have thousands of photos like some people do but I expect my Instagram photo account will grow. If you care to follow me you can find me under the name momfiles. I would love to follow you back! I am really enjoying looking at my friends both in real life and online share fun parts of their day through photos.

A typical Guyanese breakfast

I often times get a lot of questions about my Guyanese heritage. So many want to know what language is spoken in Guyana, what types of food is eaten and what some customs might be. Although I was born in Guyana, I left when I was 3. My parents did bring me and my siblings up with a lot of Guyanese culture. I wanted to show you what a typical breakfast in a Guyanese household might looks like.

This dish is what we would call "Channa and boiled egg". It is very simple and is nothing more than heavily seasoned chick peas/garbanzo beans and a boiled egg. I make it by starting off with some sliced onion, scallion and tomato. I saute my veggies in a splash of oil for a few and add one can of chick peas with the liquid. I season with Spanish style seasonings, Creole seasoning, black pepper, garlic powder, cumin and hot pepper sauce. I cook it until it gets tender. I serve it with fresh, sliced scallion on top and a boiled egg cut in half. Simple, filling and flavorful. I made this dish today because I had a taste for it. 

I will periodically share recipes and interesting facts from my culture. If there is anything you are curious about please leave me a comment or you can always email me. Have a great weekend! :)

Old school JELL-O treat

I wanted to share one of my most favorite desserts that is so easy to make and only requires 3 ingredients. Some of you might remember this classic JELL-O treat from back in the day...

What you need:
3 cups of boiling water
1 6 ounce box of JELL-O (any flavor)
1 small container of COOL WHIP

How to make it:
Add boiling water to JELL-O and stir until dissolved. Stir in COOL WHIP until completely mixed in. Pour into glasses or cups (I like using little "crystal cut" plastic cups) I recommend using a measuring cup with a spout to pour even amounts in your glasses/cups. Chill until firm at least 4 hours.

Enjoy!

Have you ever tried this recipe before? My favorites are the raspberry and pineapple flavors. These are so good during the warm weather months! Let me know if you try it.

Looking back

I came across this photo today and it made me smile. This was taken before Will turned 2.

I See Me! Contest

I wanted to share this with you guys...

I See Me! is having a contest. They will choose TWO (2) GRAND PRIZE Winners! (open to US residents only) Winner 1 will receive a girls wooden bookcase and 10 I See Me! personalized storybooks and Winner 2 a boys wooden bookcase and 10 I See Me! personalized storybooks. Each grand prize is valued at approximately $500 retail value. 10 runners up will receive an I See Me! gift certificate valued at $32.95 plus standard shipping (good for 1 storybook). The Promotion begins on April 17, 2012 at 12:00 a.m. Eastern Time (“ET”) and ends on May 17, 2012 at 11:59 p.m. ET

Go enter here

Can you lose weight without trying?

Last year around this time, I was going through something I never imagined I would have to deal with... my weight. For most of my life I have been very underweight. As a child I was so underweight that I was teased and ridiculed about it. It was very hard and I spent many nights crying myself to sleep feeling a lot of shame and pain.  Nobody knows how much I longed to gain weight. Fast forward to after having William... I weighed what would be called a healthy weight. I was the average for my height and weight for the first time in my life (without being pregnant). Then it came to a point that I was at the top of that average weight. It started to freak me out because my wedding rings no longer fit and all of my clothes were too small. I figured that maybe it was my time. I finally gained the weight I desired my entire life.

I think I came to a point when I started to break down after trying on swimwear and finding that I was no longer in Junior's sizes. Last year at this time, I became very interested in reading about health and nutrition. Although I have heard it before, I read an article about drinking diet sodas and my favorite Crystal Light. I found out how they trick your body and make you crave bad foods. I have always been a sweets freak and junk food addict since childhood.  Could this be true? I used to drink about 2-3 packets of Crystal Light everyday especially during the Summer months and exclusively purchased diet soft drinks. I figured zero calories made sense. I couldn't have been more WRONG! I stopped all of the diet beverages and replaced them with water and indulged in the occasional soda. As a matter of fact, I switched from using margarine and butter spreads to real butter. I noticed almost right away that I slowed down tremendously on eating sweets and junk food. I wasn't having as many cravings to eat bad stuff.  It's as if I was changing my naughty ways. I started to find that my pants were fitting less snug. I had to start wearing a belt with my jeans and even had to tighten it on occasion. So one year later I am finally able to put on my wedding rings and I can wear things that were too small very easily. As a matter of fact, I can't wear most of the clothing I have since they are too big. I need to buy all new stuff. I stepped on the scale at the gym last week and could not believe it. I don't weigh much more than my teenagers!  My advice to you if you are trying to lose weight is to kick the diet drinks!

8th Continent Soymilk Review & Giveaway

**Contest Closed** Winners are kimmiesb, Krystel S, Kimberly, Maryann D and Dealsfan32. Congratulations to you all!

Hey guys! I wanted to share my review of 8th Continent Soymilk. I have always heard about the great health benefits of soy and thought I would check it out for myself. The girl in me just loves the fun prints on the cartons. Who wouldn't want to drink something that came in such a happy container? I was really amazed by the very long shelf-life, refrigerated of course. I picked up the Original variety to try out. I confess, I am not a big milk drinker so I have to drink mine out of a wine glass :) You know what? It was very delicious! I prefer the taste over traditional cow's milk. 8th Continent Soymilk comes in 8 varieties ~Original, Light and Fat-free versions including Chocolate and Vanilla. My husband wants me to buy the Light Vanilla so he can use them for his protein shakes.

I was checking out the website and I did not realize you can substitute 8th Continent Soymilk in almost all your recipes. They have some really nice recipes from all different categories. It's a great choice for those that are lactose-intolerant or live a gluten-free lifestyle. You can learn more about the health benefits of 8th Continent Soymilk here. Be sure to stay connected with 8th Continent Soymilk on Facebook and Twitter.

The great folks from 8th Continent have provided me with coupons for FREE product to give away to you guys! 5 winners will get 2 coupons each. Enter in the Rafflecopter widget below. Make sure to do the mandatory entry first in order for your extra entries to count.