Wordless Wednesday-Dear Kids,

Source: joelfelix.com via Kelley on Pinterest

Cooking, Marriage, and Simplicity

After cooking dinner a couple of weeks ago, I turned to hubby and blurted out, "I don't like cooking and I never will." At first, he didn't respond verbally. He just stood in the kitchen staring at me, as if I had just told him his dog died. He was obviously hurt by my words.

In contrast, I felt like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. I was finally free. I had finally lived up to the fact that I don't like cooking. I don't have to feel guilty anymore. I don't like it, and that's that. I don't have to try to live up to any unrealistic expectations in that department. Whew...glad that's over!

What's really great is that I don't have to feel bad when the holidays come around, because hubby loves to cook (I guess opposites really do attract)! And since I have made my feelings toward cooking very clear to him, he decided that this year he would just do as he pleased in terms of Thanksgiving. Now, let me tell you what that led to...

Turkey, dressing, turnips greens, mustard greens, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, spaghetti squash, sweet peas, rolls, 2 sweet potato pies, butter cookies, and homemade ice cream. Basically: my husband has turned into Paula Deen.

What's really weird is that Paula hubby did it all so quickly that I didn't even realize to what extent he had gone! What's even more weird was the fact that he loved every minute of it. He was happy that he was cooking and I was happy that I wasn't. See, everyone is happy. It's a win win situation. Maybe after 7 years, we've finally figured this marriage thing out! You do what you want to do and I'll do what I want to do. Everything else; we'll flip a coin. It's simple.

Happy Thanksgiving from my family to yours!

Thanksgiving Decor ~ Pinterest Favs

Not already wasting enough time on blogs, facebook, and twitter? Well, you can expand your social media addictions by joining Pinterest! The site provides a wealth of design ideas that many are indulging in!

Here are a few of my favorite Thanksgiving decor ideas from Pinterest:

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Are going to put out any special Thanksgiving decor this year?

More Than Just A Wishlist - 20% Sale Ends Today!

With so much emphasis being put on toys, electronics, and other material possessions, do you ever wonder how you can keep your children focused on the fact that Christmas is a time to celebrate Jesus?

In More Than Just a Wishlist mom of 14 and blogger, Marilyn Boyer, shares Christ-centered Christmas traditions that her family has enjoyed for years!

Here is a description of the book:

Christmas can and should be at time that draws families toward Jesus and one another, and impresses upon them the importance of reaching out and sharing God`s love with others. Establishing God-honoring traditions for your kids and grandkids is what it`s all about! As a Mom, let your enthusiasm spill over into the lives of those little ones you influence. With your arm around your children, lead them to touch the lives around them in a positive way for the Lord Jesus during this magnificent season. Join us for a tour of the traditions that have made Christmas special for the Boyer clan for years!!!

You can purchase for this book and other Christmas products for 20%! The sale ends today!

Spaghetti Squash

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I enjoyed Spaghetti Squash for the first time a couple of weeks ago. The squash I tried had been boiled and then seasoned with a little salt and butter for taste. It was surprisingly tasty!

Below is a recipe I found at Steamy Kitchen for baked spaghetti squash with garlic and butter. I am thinking of trying it for Thanksgiving!

1 small spaghetti squash (about 3-4 pounds)

2 tablespoons butter

2 cloves garlic, finely minced

1/4 cup finely minced parsley (or basil)

1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)

1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese

1. Preheat oven to 375F. Pierce squash a few times with sharp paring knife (to let steam escape). Bake spaghetti squash for 60 minutes, or until a paring knife pierces easily through skin with little resistance. Let squash cool for 10 minutes.

2. Cut squash in half, lengthwise. Use a fork to remove and discard the seeds. Continue using fork to scrape the squash to get long, lovely strands. If the squash seem difficult to scrape, return the squash to bake for an additional 10 minutes.

3. Heat a large saute pan with the butter and the garlic over medium-low heat. When garlic becomes fragrant, add parsley, salt and spaghetti squash strands. Toss well, sprinkle in the parmesan cheese and taste to see if you need additional salt. The spaghetti squash should have a slight crunch (i.e. not mushy) - but if you like it softer, cover the pan and cook 2 more minutes.

On Success

*Note: My intention with this video is not to promote Hip Hop or (God forbid) lack of sleep of any kind. I am simply motivated by this gentleman's promotion of relentless hard work!

Online Jobs = Scams?

I have spent more and more time over the past few months looking into work at home opportunities. Making a decent amount of money from your living room sounds ideal, right? Nevertheless, it is quite disheartening to find out that many "online jobs" are really just scams!

I started thinking, "I would like to work from home. Are there any legitimate opportunities for such work, or what?!" Today I came across a site called: Money Making Mommy.

The creator of the site, Kelly writes;

Online jobs are becoming more and more popular. With the economy causing more and more of us to be without a job, it’s no surprise people are looking for ways to earn from home, including online jobs, freelance work and more. I understand this all too well after losing my on air radio gig in 2002. The radio station I worked for closed it’s doors and there I was with two kids, a mortgage and no paycheck. Sure, my husband had his job – but we were barely making it with BOTH our paychecks, let alone go down to just ONE!

I wondered, could there be real online jobs out there – could I work at home? Or am I going to get scammed over and over in my search for online jobs? What do I even want to do from home and what exactly are online jobs? Do I have the skills to be able to snag the job I want when and if I find it? There are so many questions that cross your mind when you’re faced with the monumental search of finding a work at home job or way to make money from home. I KNOW this. And online jobs resources on the internet today come and go – A LOT. I’ve been around since 1999 – quietly working away at researching online jobs.

So the creation of Money Making Mommy and the hundreds of pages here on the topic of making money, working at home and online jobs. I’ve invested all my heart and soul into this very website (and still do every day!) that you’re looking over – while searching for online jobs for myself, that search become my job! It has become a labor of love. It has seen many designs, many changes – but one thing always stays the same. The online jobs resources I personally provide are free. I try to provide genuine work at home resources. My goal is to help you in some small way, reach your goal of researching work at home and ultimately finding a career from home that fits you! So get pen a paper out – “My Online Jobs Research” – and start hunting. Start by checking Today’s Online Jobs.

My family and I don’t live a life of extravagance. We don’t have a fleet of fancy cars or a great big house. Money still gets tight at times. The goal of this work at home site was never to get rich. It was to help people. People just like me find online jobs with tools for research, info and suggestions that help them ultimately make money. There are online jobs out there for us all.

I am not endorsing the site just yet because I have not looked into it fully. However, if you are interested, you can find out more about Money Making Mom here! Please come back and leave a comment here if you decide to use the site and have a good experience with it?

Are there other legitimate online jobs out there that you have experience with? Do tell!

Happy Birthday Alyssa!

Today is my nieces 11th birthday! It seems like just yesterday she was born, (which makes me feel really old)!

A is for Awesome!

L is for Lovely!

Y is for Youthful!

S is for Savvy!

S is for Sharp!

A is for Absolutely wonderful!

Have a Happy Birthday Alyssa!

Knock, Knock...

Hello. My name is LaSandra.  I am the owner of this blog. How do you do?

I do apologize for my absence. Life has a way of getting in the way of my commitment to blog. Nevertheless, if you were wondering, I do intend to get back to more regular posts. My wheels are still a turnin' folks!

As for updates, I will have you to know...

• My 9-month old, Halle has been trying to walk! She seems to have just the right amount of muscle strength, balance, and determination to push herself to keep up with her older siblings!

• College application/admissions season + hubby is a college counselor = LaSandra is becoming a borderline single parent.

• October 1st was our 1-year anniversary of home ownership!

• I've realized, it was foolish of me to think I was going to furnish and decorate my entire house in a year. At this rate, it might take me more like 10!

• I've also realized that Halle cannot be trusted near the stairs, which explains her bumps and bruises. Furthermore, Noah cannot be trusted with a pencil, which explains the time I spent erasing unsolicited "wall art" this morning. Lucky for him...he got away with no bumps and bruises;)