Our summer garden is coming to an end, but the okra is still holding on. It has been so hot here, I just don't want to go pick the okra some days, so, when I finally make it out there, there are a few pieces that are overgrown and hard. I had been throwing some …
Confession time. When I was a kindergarten teacher, before having my own children, I often wondered why it was so hard on some parents to drop their kids off at school. Some parents happily dropped their child off in the car line and went on their way. Some kids were anxious about school, so their …
Contains affiliate links. Our summer garden did remarkably well, especially for being organic. I knew, being pregnant, I didn't want to mess with any kinds of chemicals or pesticides that weren't natural. Our okra is taking off in this extreme Texas heat, but everything else is definitely end-of-season quality. It was a very satisfying experience …
Coconut Chicken Strips with Honey Mustard I have been looking for different ways to use my coconut chips. It's delicious in homemade granola, but I wanted to branch out and see if I could incorporate it into something with meat. Here is a super satisfying Coconut Chicken Strips recipe that I know is good because hubby …
I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Heinz Apple Cider Vinegar. I received a product sample to facilitate my review and as a thank you for participating. I had never really heard of anyone using apple cider vinegar until recently. Well, I take that back. My dad drizzles it on …
Two years ago, when we first moved to the house we are in now, the boys were sick all of the time. It was either allergies, a cold, ear infections, or strep. Oh man, a 2 ½ year old with strep is NOT fun. Nor is a hubby with strep fun, by the way! I …
This turtle with shell craft is one of my favorite crafts from my kindergarten teaching days! I have been waiting to do this craft with the Captain, and figured he was old enough and had enough attention span to complete it, and I was right. He loved it! I let D make a Turtle, too, …
I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for L'il Critters. I received a product sample and promotional item as a thank you for participating. We are extremely lucky that D loves his fruits and veggies and has the ability to eat a well balanced meal. Does he always? Well, no, but he does a …
It's hot (if you haven't noticed!) Cookies and oven baked treats are yummy, but I want nothing to do with the oven this time of year. Yet, somehow, the kids are still hungry, as am I. So, I rounded up a few no bake snacks that are delicious and won't heat up your kitchen! There are …
It has really been a busy summer for our family! Some days move slowly, and some are gone before we even realized it was a new day! Some days are filled with apparent blessings and some days are just so rotten that you have to find the humor in them! 🙂 We just got back …
Baby D has potty trained, so I sadly had to put away the cloth diapers until the New Baby comes....but here are my top 3 cloth diaper choices! 1. Poopsie Doodles AI2 2. BumGenius one size pockets 3. Mommy Loves Maddy pockets (this post was deleted so be patient while I work it up again...sorry!)
Do you have those awesome memories from your childhood that involve food? I have a few, but this one snack is definitely my favorite. Yes, even better than eating fresh Pizza Inn pizza in the car on the way home from a long shopping trip! My mom would make this peanut butter banana with crushed graham …
The Captain has been singing "Keep your eye on the grand old flag!!!" for a week or two now and loves this flag his Grampy gave him! Happy Fourth of July!
This family playdates post was brought to you by Merck Consumer Care and SheSpeaks. All opinions are mine. I'm admittedly not a huge fan of summer, but this summer has been different. The boys are both at an age (four and two) where getting outdoors with them is enjoyable, even though I am pregnant! We …
This may be too much information for some readers, but something has been bothering me for a long time. Why is it that medical professionals and informative websites that claim to help women conceive a child miss out on vital information? For instance, the OB/GYN on "The Doctors" said in a show a year or …
I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Pure Leaf teas. It's H-O-T here in Texas. Our family loves to spend time outdoors, too. Whether we are working in the garden, taking walks, playing in the pool, grilling, or the Captain is learning to ride his bike, we need to stay …
This sound sleep machine post was brought to you by sound + sleep. All opinions are mine. Summer is the time for traveling, vacations, visiting family.....and sleeping in new places with strange noises during the night. Our family has seen it's share of hotel rooms and sleeping quarters, even this summer. We took a family …
This post about wisdom from mothers was brought to you by Nestlé® Pure Life®. All opinions are mine. I have been so blessed with older women in my life to guide me along the way. My mother, two grandmothers, lovely ladies from church, as well as women in my husband's family. I think it's essential …
After having three babies, I was always curious if my different pregnancy cravings meant anything....as in...was it a girl this time? (it never was!) Thinking back to my pregnancy with our first son, I don't remember much except that I loved Whataburger hamburgers (yes, I know, unhealthy!) and stocked up on every kind of beverage …
This hanging baskets post was written by me and brought to you by Avant Garden. All opinions are mine. I have always loved hanging baskets because they add beauty and color where ever you need them, without much work! I have a hard time with watering though...I either water too much or not enough. I …
Daddy, Captain Fussybuckets, D, and I are happy to announce that Baby #3 is due in November! The boys are excited, as are we, to add to our family. Stay tuned for more info on Baby #3! (And if you have any brilliant suggestions as what we should call Baby D now, let me know! …
A friend recently shared a great post from I am totally *that* mom. blog on Facebook. The writer talks to parents who take their young children to church, and tells them (us) how she understands that it's hard, but it's so worth it. That prompted me to come here and write my own feelings on the subject. …
When Spring came and we started working outdoors more, Hubby and I became frustrated with having to crawl over garden boots and rain boots every time we went out the back door. And the boys could never find their boots and then sometimes, they'd find them filled with rain water in the middle of the …
During the hot Summer months, we love to grill outside as much as we can. But, if you're like me, I was having to work equally hard inside to cook the side items for hamburgers, steak, etc. That's when I started getting smart and preparing everything to cook on the grill! And with our garden …
Oh, age four. What a fun age! The Captain is four and a half now and his imagination is running wild every single day. It actually started long before age four, but he is more imaginative now than ever before. Every morning he wakes up and goes directly to his room (because he sleeps on …
Do you ever wish your kids would just stick with what works? It seems like as soon as we find the perfect schedule, get the routine down to a science and everyone is well-rested, they suddenly stop napping or begin catapulting themselves from the crib. What is a tired and bleary-eyed parent to do? Whether this brings to mind …
Baby D is two. He has become very independent in the past few months and while it is a natural, good part of his development, but it sure is tiring on his mommy! I remember when the Captain went through this phase, his favorite phrase was "My do it!" and D is no different. Everything …
This morning I read a post at Tales From The Nursery - Foods Of My Childhood. It's surprising how giddy I became. Maybe that means I enjoy food too much, or that I enjoyed it too much as a child....or possibly both. Either way, it was a nice walk down memory lane thinking about my …
Shopping with kids is always tricky. It is always interesting to me to see other moms (or dads) shopping with their kids. There are those with the "perfect" kids who sit nicely in the cart and are amused just by watching the food items pass by. Then there is the frazzled mom with the child(ren) …
I am participating in a book review campaign with One2One Network. I received this book from Harper Collins for the purposes of reviewing it. I have not received compensation. All opinions stated are my own. As a mother of two, there's something I'm addicted to that I don't get enough.....good sleep. If you've read my …
This isn't your traditional Southern Chicken and Dumplings, but it's yummy and easy, perfect for a cold day. The whole family loves this recipe, which my mother-in-law shared with me! The tortillas make the "dumplings," and you can hardly tell they're tortillas after they cook. I have added carrots and cream of celery soup, but they're …
I began writing this blog two years ago, this Friday. Happy birthday, Life With Captain Fussybuckets! It was a simple blog back then, and it has grown into something a little bit bigger. I want to THANK YOU for reading this and any other post I've written. Readers are really what makes this blog work. So …
The Hubby and I have been married almost 8 years, and have known each other for about 12. Looking back, time has just flown. We are definitely two very different people than when we met so long ago, but we have grown together and not only do I love him more, I actually like the …
Sometimes I remember back to what it was like....our life with no kids. We had one computer, one TV, two dogs, and that was pretty much it. What on earth did I do before I had kids? Hubby and I got married 2 weeks after he graduated from college and 6 months after I had, we quickly …
Yesterday was Easter. We don't do the Easter Bunny at our house although I see nothing wrong with him. I just was a bit obsessed with Santa and the Easter Bunny as a child and would rather my kids not be greedy little boogers like I was. I have two older brothers that were not …
We have been so blessed to be able to take our kids to various shows like The Wiggles, Yo Gabba Gabba, and The Fresh Beat Band. The boys love dancing and singing and we have a lot of fun, too! When I first attended a kids' show, I think it was Yo Gabba Gabba in …
I know, I'm being obnoxious writing this post, but I need to get something out and provide a Public Service Announcement because all kinds of professionals using Facebook are making silly errors this morning. The store is called "Walmart," not "Walmarts." Nor is it called "Walmart's" because well, it's just not. There are some stores …
We really enjoy trying new recipes on a regular basis. Some are "okay", enjoyed for the evening but not tried again. Others get added to the "second try with edits" pile, where we think about what tweaks would make it even better. There have even been a couple of attempts where we looked at each …
It is easy to keep your toddlers and younger kids involved on Easter with all those interesting activities and fun filled games. But, what about the older children? How do you keep them involved in the spirit of Easter and spend some quality time together? You will likely need to put in more efforts …
I have always loved having a garden, but we have not always had much space or time to get a bigger garden accomplished. We have had success with a few small flowerbed veggie gardens, where we have grown carrots, okra, onions, snow peas, radishes, squash, and zucchini. This year, with the boys being a little …