Here’s an easy dinner idea – it’s not original but sometimes it’s nice to have a new idea for dinner!
Mini Pizzas!
I love this option because I just set out the ingredients and my kids MAKE THE DINNER themselves. They are less likely to complain about it because THEY MADE IT!!
Plus, they have so much fun creating their own pizza.
Luke loves LOTS of pepperoni.
Clark likes LOTS of cheese.
George is very precise and careful.
Paul can eat his weight in pizza.
Only 3 Ingredients required:
Individual Naan Bread (or pita bread or bagels)
Pizza sauce
Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
Other optional ingredients:
Pepperoni slices,
Sliced Mushrooms,
Chopped peppers
Olives
Pesto
Jalapeños
Ingredients
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Bake for 5-6 minutes
Set whatever ingredients your family enjoys onto the table. Allow everyone to create their masterpiece and bake for 5-6 minutes at 350 degrees.
Here’s a fun game to get your kids talking! My boys love this game and ask me to play when we are having dinner together or driving.
Because this game needs NO SUPPLIES, you can play during dinner, on a walk, or anytime you want to engage with your kids.
Would you rather….
Be Superman or Batman?
Eat Pizza or Hotdogs?
Ride a roller coaster or a water slide?
Go to Target or Walmart?
Laugh or cry?
Jump high or run fast?
Have summer all year or winter all year?
Be really smart or really funny?
Drive a truck or a sports car?
Go back in time or go to the future?
Be able to fly or be invisible?
Have ONE great friend or 20 pretty good friends?
Be in the Mountains or at the Beach?
Take a ride in a speed boat or helicopter?
Go Skydiving or Swim with Sharks?
Build a Sand Castle or Play in the Waves?
Go Skiing or Ride a bike?
Watch a Movie or Read a Book?
Go Rock climbing or Swimming?
Own a Cat or a Dog?
Write a Story or a Draw picture?
Clean the Bathroom or Vacuum the carpet?
Ice Skate or Roller Skate?
Drink Pop or Water?
Play Inside or Outside?
Take a Shower or Bath?
Take a trip to Australia or Italy?
Go Fishing or Make slime?
Play a Video game or Board game?
Have more time or more money?
VOTE WITH YOUR FEET:
If you’d like to play this game with more than one child, call it: VOTE WITH YOUR FEET! Kids have to vote for which one they’d rather do by WALKING to one side of the room! This gets kids moving and allows them to see that they have something in common with another person.
The winter of 2019 was so cold we didn’t get to spend a lot of time outside. 2020 has started much more MILD and we’re all happy about that. “Mild” in Minnesota means the temperature is a “warm” 30 degrees.
Here are some fun things we’ve been doing this winter:
Skiing
Luke learned to ski! I signed him up for a 90 minute class, and 6 hours later…he still didn’t want to stop skiing!
George and Clark joined the Ski Club at school. Once a week they go directly from school to the ski hill with their classmates.
Luke learning to ski and LOVING it!
Clark and Paul about to begin
George and Clark
I was just there for the hot chocolate! 🙂
Sledding
We found a huge sledding hill near our home!
Clark’s “homemade” sled…it didn’t work that well
George’s new sled – Christmas gift from his Grandma and Papa Chris
Luke
Shoveling
George and Clark are earning extra money by shoveling for neighbors.
Christmas
Christmas was a fun family day with just the 6 of us. We made pancakes and played lots of games.
The boys playing Hungry Hippo
Clark got a new jersey and signed card from Don Beebe
RataTat Cat – fun family game!
Luke, Paul and Ted playing Yeti in my Spaghetti
A Visit from Family
My sister and her family came to visit from Indiana. We got to go out to dinner, swimming, sledding, and visited Mall of America. This is their second annual trip to Minnesota. They come up and spend the New Year with us – and we spend 4th of July with them in Indiana.
Fun Day at MOA
Date night at Colita
Basketball
George, Clark and Paul are finishing their first season of basketball and they’ve loved it. We were all surprised how much fun this sport it. They’ve enjoyed playing, and the rest of us have enjoyed watching them play
Winter is for watching Movies:
Little Women – A friend invited me to go see this with her. It’s nominated for a bunch of Oscars and now I know why – it’s an INCREDIBLE movie! Watch it!
Where’d you Go, Bernadette? I really enjoyed the book and thought the movie was fantastic! (Get it from Redbox or the library)
Something we have NOT enjoyed this winter: The FLU 🙁
It started with Paul, jumped to Luke, and then to Ted. Thankfully, I only had one rough night! We are all better now!
He had the flu, so I probably shouldn’t be this close…but look at him. You’d hold him too, wouldn’t you?
Last night I was laying in bed with a high fever. I was waiting for my mom to come and check on me and bring me a cool cloth for my forehead.
And then I remembered…
I AM THE MOM!
I heard little footsteps running around. One of my sons was up past his bedtime. This is one time I was HAPPY about that.
“Come here,” I weakly called to him, “please bring a cool rag for my head.”
A minute later, my son gently laid a wet hand towel across my forehead.
“I love you” he said as he walked out of the room.
He then tripped over a nerf gun.
I smiled as I realized we had switched roles. He was taking care of me, offering a cool rag and “I love you” …and even tripping over a toy in the hallway!
I felt so loved!
I grabbed my phone from the nightstand beside me to take this picture to remember the moment.
My son does these little acts of love for me because I’ve done little acts of love for him. And I learned those things from my mom – who did the same for me. And even if you didn’t have one of those moms that did that for you, it’s never to late to be one!
Keep doing little acts of love, moms!
The care you give, and values you live, will develop in your children as they watch and learn.
They may soon surprise you with their own acts of love!
By the way – My husband has been down with the Flu, but still got out of bed to give me water and Tylenol. Thank you Ted!
I prayed that night and asked God to heal me. I woke up this morning feeling SO much better! Thank you God!
I’ve been ordering from Hello Fresh for several years. I’ve tried other subscription meal services, but keep coming back to this one. I usually order 1 box every 4-8 weeks.
You can choose from an assortment of meals each week. There’s a vegetarian option, seafood, pork, chicken and/or steak.
The 3 that I chose for this week were:
Chimichurri Steak with a Sweet Potato, Poblano, and Tomato Jumble
Balsamic Fig Chicken with Sweet Potatoes and Mixed Greens
Shrimp Pasta with a Kick with Garlic Herb Butter and Zucchini
Here’s how it works:
Hello Fresh sends me a box of colorful recipe cards and perfectly portioned ingredients, allowing me to prepare a balanced, delicious meal for my family without having to spend the time planning and shopping as much as I normally would.
I love that someone else takes care of all the parts of dinner that I don’t enjoy – especially the DECIDING what to eat! With Hello Fresh, we make and try things we would have never made or tried before.
Here are some reasons why we like Hello Fresh:
#1 :
We get to cook together – spending time side-by-side!
The recipe guide has pictures and instructions that are step-by-step and easy enough for a child to follow. My sons feel great about being able to prepare a delicious meal for the entire family.
#2:
It’s an ADVENTURE!
A cooking adventure of trying and preparing something new and discussing what we like about each meal, and what we want to cook again. We discover foods and recipes we would have never tried if it weren’t for Hello Fresh.
#3:
We all sit down to eat together!!
This is my favorite part of ordering from Hello Fresh. It’s a well-balanced meal that really encourages sitting down and eating together. Hot dogs and chicken nuggets don’t do that – I warm those up and hand them out.
Cooking these delicious Hello Fresh meals has us sitting down and enjoying a meal TOGETHER!!
Many of us know that everyone benefits when we sit down and eat meals as a family.
Here’s the rundown about how we felt about each meal:
Chimichurri steak – My boys LOVE steak so this was a hit. I didn’t put the chimichurri sauce on their steak, but I loved it on mine. We all enjoyed the sweet potato medley too!
Balsamic Fig Chicken – Chicken is something we eat on a regular basis, so trying this new recipe was fun and it tasted great!
Shrimp Pasta with a Kick was DE-LICOUS! Clark and I loved the meal, just as shown in the picture – pasta mixed with shrimp and zucchini. The other boys liked all their items separate, not touching. Ted, not much of a pasta eater – just ate the shrimp and zucchini.
My version – not as pretty as the picture, but definitely tasty!
I order from Hello Fresh to add some variety. To save money, I order the smallest meal size and just add my own ingredients to make enough for 6.
If you’d like to try Hello Fresh, I have a $40 discount for you.
Summer is for making memories! Here’s the highlights:
A visit from Mom
Grandma came for her first summer visit in Minnesota! We got to spend a few awesome days together, which included knocking an item off the Minnesota Bucket List – a visit to Mill City Museum (click here to read about it). Then she graciously watched ALL FOUR boys so I could go to Florida for my second favorite memory of the summer…
My Cousin’s wedding in Florida
I spent four wonderful days with family in Sarasota, Florida to celebrate the wedding of my cousin (who’s like a little sister to me). My uncle rented a big house that used to belong to Flavor Flav and I spent 3 nights with family there – and one night with my sister on Long Boat Key. It’s the first time I’ve been back to Florida in SO long and forgot how much I love it there.
Me and my sister, Krista
View from Flavor Flav’s former house
There’s something soul-healing about walking on the beach, soaking in some sun, and playing in the waves.
My cousin’s wedding was absolutely BEAUTIFUL and I’m grateful I could be there!
A Unique Birthday
Dropping off diapers and wipes at a Pregnancy Center
Hiding Dollars at the Dollar Tree
Ended my birthday with burgers at B-52
I learned how not to dread turning a year older – make it about OTHERS! This year my boys and I researched ways to give back to our community. On my birthday, we spent the day making a difference!
My baby sister’s wedding in Oklahoma
Another whirlwind weekend with family in another part of the country. I loved spending time with family, celebrating Brooke and her new husband, Jeff!
She had the sweetest wedding, surrounded by big trees, on a beautiful lake.
My sister, her new husband, and new step-daughter
Fueling up for wedding prep
Presenting…the bride!
Fourth of July in Indiana
Shipshewana
Rise and Roll Donuts
An annual tradition – me and my sister with all of our kids
We spent several days with our Indiana family – boating, tubing, fishing on the Lake. We also explored Amish country in Shipshewana, Indiana.
On our way home from Indiana, we stopped for an…
Adventures in Illinois
We visited two places I love… Bien Trucha for the world’s best tacos and…
Blackberry Farm – A fun spot we’ve been visiting since the boys were babies!
We came back home to spend the rest of the summer at home. Some of the highlights for July and August are…
Exploring the Twin Cities
We went fishing, explored parks and beautiful spots around the Twin Cities.
Como Zoo and Conservatory
Egly Burger Challenge
BURGER CHALLENGE STOP #5
We are on the hunt for the best burgers in the Twin Cities. This summer we tried FIVE different burgers places. When we finish, I’ll blog about what we discovered!
Mall of America
Co-producers
Apple Camp
Lego store fun
Log Ride
We love having Mall of America just a few minutes away. George and Clark did a free video editing camp at the Apple Store and all four boys tried their first roller coaster.
Back-to-School Ice cream party
We texted our neighbors, set out ice cream and toppings and 30+ people showed up in our front yard for a back-to-school ice cream party. Super easy and fun for everybody! I wish I would have snapped a picture of the crowd gathered in our front yard – but I didn’t, and it is one of the sweetest memories of the summer.
The Minnesota State Fair
THE GIANT SLIDE
I was going to skip the fair this year, but a friend gave me four free tickets so I took Clark, his friend Sam, and Luke.
We tried some new foods, rode the Giant Slide, enjoyed the Fair from up above on a ski-lift type ride called the Sky Glider and played some games. It was the last thing we did before school started and Clark called it his “favorite thing” all summer…well, “and cousins.”
The Difference a Year Makes
Sisterhood
One year ago, I attended a ladies night (Sisterhood) at our church alone. I sat by myself and chatted with complete strangers. This year I came with this group of phenomenal women.
I’m shocked at what a difference a year can make. Last summer we did some grieving and moving – this summer was filled with friends and happy memories.
It’s been fun to go back and reflect on the summer and see the generosity of friendship, the beauty of nature, and the Goodness of God in all of it.
Thanks for joining me on the summer road trip down memory lane.
Subscribe to follow along on our adventures through Fall!
Today I had father-son time with my oldest, George, who is going into middle school next week. I used our time together not only to have fun at the Mall of America, but also started a tradition with my boys who are going into middle school (and in a few years, high school). I was able to capitalize on this transition as an opportunity to invest in him, and talk about leadership and many other topics.
During lunch I shared (or re-shared) with him:
* Picking quality friends. We become like those we surround ourselves with, for better or for worse
* The power of a growth mindset (Instead of “I can’t”… “I can’t, YET”)
* The value of integrity
* The importance of kindness
* Going first (e.g. saying hi…first; smiling first; encouraging first)
* That his mom and I are always here for him (during good and bad times)
* The power of courage and taking action when you are afraid. Action cures fear.
At one point I teared up during our time (I know…I know…a little sappy), realizing I have the wonderful privilege to father him and his brothers.
Cheers to a great year, George!
Ted Egly is my awesome husband and father to our four cowboys. He loves good books and adventure races. He does Executive Development for Target.
Each summer, the Minnesota Vikings invite the public to come and watch them practice. The tickets are FREE. Parking is $10 (if you purchase the parking pass online) and $20 at the door.
They open up the Vikings Practice Field several hours before practice and fill the grounds with games and fun activities for all ages.
Things to do at Training Camp:
Take your kids to play in the Kids Area. This is open before, during, and after practice!
No kids? Find Games for all ages throughout the training camp
Like to show your moves? Have a Dance party with a live DJ!
Take pictures with cool photo ops all over the place
Get autographs from players. A few players come out each day for autographs.
Eat at one of the many concession stands or food trucks
We started at the ‘Kid’s Area’ – it was filled football related games. All kids are invited to participate in a “combine.” They get their picture taken, then are tested in their high jump, their throwing skills, and their speed. They can get a printout at the end showing how they did in each area.
There’s also a space for flag football, corn hole, and other games.
There are also lots of fun spots for pictures.
You can’t bring food in, but the price for food is actually reasonable. (We DID bring in water and Gatorade)
$3 for hotdogs,
$5 burgers,
$1 for a bottle of water.
If you didn’t bring kids, there are other games throughout the arena (for all ages) where you can win prizes and Vikings tickets.
Once practice begins, you can find a spot in the grass or on the bleachers to watch. There is no assigned seating except for those who payed for a ticket or are season ticket holders.
We were super excited to watch #12 – our friend Chad Beebe.
I think he earned the most cheers that day. We were impressed with his speed and ability to catch every ball that came his way!
The last practice for the 2019 season is on Friday, August 16th – so if you can’t make it this summer, plan to attend next year. Click here to get your tickets.
I’ve been so busy ENJOYING summer that I haven’t stopped long enough write about it.
If we are friends on Instagram or facebook – you get a glimpse into our lives…but this week I took a break from social media, so I suddenly had the urge to write down what we’ve been up to!
Sunday Funday:
We went to church in the morning. In the evening, Ted and I went to the adorable town of Wayzata. We had an amazing dinner at Gianni’s Steakhouse. We looked at each other in disbelief that we’ve lived here over a YEAR and haven’t yet explored this delightful little town – right on Lake Minnetonka!
The water is my #happyplace
Our family is doing a Twin Cities Burger Challenge. We are trying top ten Burger joints (according to the Minnesota Monthly Magazine) to determine which restaurant in the Twin Cities has the best burger. We decided to visit Gianni’s by ourselves because it’s a little fancy and better for date night. You can follow me on instagram for updates on “finding the best burger #eglychallenge.”
I’ll also write our thoughts on the best burgers when we finish the challenge, as well as how we thought they ranked in the following categories:
Kid-Friendly,
Price,
Ambiance, and of course,
TASTE!
Burger Challenge
Gianni’s Steakhouse was stop #3 on our Burger Challenge. It was DELICIOUS, with a fabulous patio right on Lake Minnetonka.
Monday at the Mall
#georgewilliam and #clarkwayne discussing their movie
I signed George and Clark up for Apple Camp on Movie Creating and Editing. If you have an Apple store in your area, click on this link – the camps are FREE and lots of fun! Here’s a short movie the boys created (no sound):
We met some friends at the movie theater to watch The Lion King. We loved it. It’s almost identical to the original cartoon, but the real animals make it better!
PS – Tuesdays at our theater is DISCOUNT day. Tickets are reduced and popcorn is FREE. Check your local theater to see if you have a “Discount Day.”
Wandering Wednesday…
We were back at Mall of America for Day 2 of Apple Camp. The boys created another movie. Here is George’s short film:
After camp, I let the boys choose a ride at Nickelodeon Universe. Clark, Paul, and Luke wanted to go on their first BIG KID roller coaster. Luke was an inch too short and CRIED that he couldn’t ride with his brothers. Clark and Paul LOVED it though!
Thoughts on Thursday …
Thursday we went to our local library. It’s been closed for renovations and we were so happy to have it re-opened.
The big boys also have Sports Camp every Thursday. They’ve had an awesome coach and really enjoyed it.
TGI Friday…
The boys went to their final class at The Apple Store. Then we spent some time fishing and playing at the lake with friends.
Orchard Lake
Saturday Adventures…
We went back to Wayzata to let the kids play at the beach on Lake Minnetonka.
#lukewashington cheerfully posing for a picture for me
#paulwalter searching for beach treasures
Ted tossing a football with the boys
We are kind of spoiled with all the pool swimming we do, so the kids and I don’t love swimming with all the rocks and muck at the bottom of the lake. We left after a couple of hours and went to the pool to swim.
First, though, we picked up burgers at Lions Tap Family Restaurant to try their “Famous Burgers” in our #eglychallenge. (Stop #4 of 10) Lions Tap is a hole in the wall place, but the boys and Ted LOVED their simple burgers.
That’s a peek into our week!
Leave me a comment to tell me about your week.
PS – you now may have to “sign in” to leave a comment. I was getting a TON of spam and had to change the way comments are made. Sorry for the inconvenience!
Getting things done around the house is a dilemma for EVERY parent. It’s especially challenging for those of us who are (ahem)…messy.
From the time my oldest son George could walk and hold a broom, I started having him help around the house. He was DELIGHTED to help me when he was a toddler. However, the DELIGHT soon wore off and he’s no longer excited about holding a broom.
Sometimes, I’ve wondered if it’s really worth giving my kids chores because of the CHALLENGES that come with asking my kids to help.
Challenges with kids doing chores:
It can leave me with a a bigger mess,
It takes more time than if I just did it myself,
It usually involves some whining, crying, and complaining about how HARD life is because of ALL.THE.WORK.
However, when I step back and re-evaluate, I know that the benefits FAR outweigh the challenges.
Benefits for kids doing chores:
Children learn how to contribute to the family,
They learn how to keep things tidy
Their future spouse will THANK YOU,
They learn that they can do HARD things – which builds their self-esteem,
Chores help them mature,
Doing something with their hands releases feel-good chemicals in their brain that protect against depression.
Many studies show that kids who help at home are more confident, compassionate, resilient, and grow up to be more successful!
Chores are one of the best mediums we have for teaching kids about being part of a family, and about belonging, significance, and teamwork.
Lynn Lott
You aren’t just giving your kids CHORES, you are teaching them LIFE SKILLS – things they benefit from the rest of their lives!
How you keep track of chores is up to you. There are chore charts of every size and every price available online … and I’ve tried several of them!
Here’s a simple chore system that’s working for us this summer.
Find one container for every child in your family.
Write your child’s name on the container.
Take several clothes pins and write 1 chore on each one.
Clip the chores your children need to do on their cup
When your child has completed the chore, they can put their pin in the cup.
I didn’t come up with this system, it’s just one I found on Pinterest!
My sister started this simple system, and then sent me this picture of her girls (ages 4 and 7) cleaning their bathroom!
She said, “My girls love this visual and tactile system.” They see what they need to do, then get to put their clips in the cup when they are done!
When my boys ask to do something, I can just look to see if there are clips on their cups, and I say: “As soon as your chores are done, sure!”
Here are some ideas of chores your kids can do:
Do you have a system that’s worked for you? Leave a comment and share it with us.
And to everyone reading – Best wishes for you getting things done in YOUR house!
