In my time of being a mom, I have had three strollers. One was given to me by my mom for my first son and it lasted all the way until my daughter was in preschool (so for 5+ years). We were walking to school, I ran across the street and ran RIGHT INTO the crib and the wheel broke off. I was so sad, because this stroller was great, I love it! It was a Graco.

I got a double stroller when my daughter was born, and it didn’t last long…and my third was a second hand one we got because my good one broke lol. It’s sitting in our shed not being used because it sucks like my double stroller did he he.

So this weeks MOM MUST HAVE is a GOOD stroller. I seriously used a stroller so much and it was so nice to not have to run after my kids! I’ve asked a lot of moms and the two most popular strollers are the Phil & Ted and BOB.

Love my Phil n Ted’s too! I I love that it’s a double now but a single when I will want just a single later. Since you probably don’t need a double, I’d go with any good quality jogging stroller.
~ Kirsten, Utah

Phil & Ted’s Double Sport….Love it!
~ Kerry, Utah

I do love my Phil and Ted’s double stroller with the detachable sling back!
~ Jennifer, TN

Love my Bob. Both single and double. Hold my water while I jog, has a great rain guard, my running gps fits perfectly on it, the free spinning front wheel function makes it easy for shopping, and it can go anywhere a wheelchair can go.
~ Corinna, UT

I love that it holds my diaper bag right there on the back of the handle. The handle is high and comfy. I like the storage space on the bottom too. Plus, you can change the wheels to walking mode or jogging.
Mindy, Utah

So there you have it! If you are looking for a FAB stroller, you have two awesome brands to choose from! And I’ve got to say about the BOB stroller…My sister has one and that thing is AWESOME! I thought I liked my GRACO…the BOB is so smooth and SO easy to maneuver.

If you have a stroller YOU love, let us know! Leave me a comment!

Location: Anchorage, AK

Kids: Ryan almost 5, Kara 2, Brooklyn 1

Why do you choose to stay at home?
Sometimes I wonder this question while the kids are driving me up the wall. But I love being at home with my children knowing what is influencing them. Teaching them preschool and getting to play with them too.

What are your favorite things about being at home?
Love to cook especially get Ryan involved in it also. Lots of fun playing with the kids and taking them to different parks and playground all around the city.

What do you find the most difficult?
Not focusing on the bad times but realizing that the good times outweigh them so much.

Your (just yours, not what with your kids) favorite things to do?
Finding the time once a year for watching movies, reading a good book, getting pampered at a spa.

One mom MUST have you can’t live with out?
my double stroller is a lifesaver with girls only 14 months apart.

If you were on a deserted island, name three things you’d have with you:
drinking water, working iphone, sunscreen

If you weren’t staying at home, what job would you have?
Probably still an insurance agent, but I would rather be a student trying to get an accounting degree.

One thing you wish you could do but don’t have time during the day?
Doing my hair and makeup.

Advice for moms:
We all break down once in a while, it’s okay. Just remember all the hugs and kisses make it all better and you won’t remember what was so frustrating in the first place.

If you could do anything different with your life what would that be?
I wish I would finish college and become an accountant.

Add one question for the next stay at home mom being spotlighted!
What is the best and worst day of your stay at home mom “hood”?

For any mom who has kids who are JUST getting to the school age, you know how exciting this is! Right?! You finally have some time by yourself to do things you’ve always wanted to do!

My baby girl started kindergarten today! She is my little sass monkey and she melts my heart. I’ve got to be honest, I was the girl who always wanted kids, but some how when it finally happened, it was hard and I didn’t really enjoy it. Maybe it’s because I watch to many movies with “nothing is ever wrong, we all love each other” story lines and I am not the “I love spending time with my kids every single second” kind of mom. It’s a struggle for me. Alissa has been my challenging one (out of two challenging kids lol). She is trouble wrapped up in this CUTE little girl. If you came to my (messy) house today, you’d see her name written on almost every wall in the house. She breaks things, she gets into trouble, but I tell you what I can’t resist those big blue eyes! She could be starting a fire in the house, turn to me with those things and I’d say “Oh, go ahead and burn it down sweetie”. HA HA HA! NOT REALLY!! but she FOR SURE gets off easier then her big brother.

It’s surreal to think that my kids are both in school and in one more year, they will be both in school full time. What will I do with my time? Will I get a job? Will I try and not be lazy enough to stay at home and work more on my photography and templates? Who knows! When your kids are little, it’s fun to think of all the time we’ll have when they are in school, but now that’s it’s so close, I’d better start thinking about it more!!

what will YOU do with your time?!!

One thing to know about me: I like to cook, but I hate spending hours doing it. I mean, if my kitchen were bigger and I had room to spread out, then MAYBE…but I don’t. So I decided to send a text out asking for quick and easy meals and I have the best friends and family in the world! With in minutes I had a list! Some are pretty basic and things you’ve most likely done before. Some were things I hadn’t ever done and really like!  I have 22 meals I’m going to share with you…so get ready!

1. Sloppy Joes

2. Smothered burritos
Throw some cheep frozen burritos layered on the bottom of a baking dish, pour your fave enchilada sauce on top, top with cheese and bake! Good to go and they are yum!

3. Chili with Fritos
Throw some chili in a bowl and top it with yummy crunchy Fritos

4. Navajo tacos

5. Fettuccine
Home made sauce: melt 1 Tbsp of butter in frying pan, add a quart of heavy whipping cream and let it boil, throw in a cup of Romano cheese, mix and YUM! (salt and pepper to taste)

6. Grilled cheese

7. Hawaiian haystack
Throw some rice in a bowl, then a cream of chicken soup mixed with chicken chunks. Top with cheese, tomatoes, olives, onions, celery, bells peppers, pineapple and coconut

8. Pulled pork
Oh so quick and easy! Throw a boneless pork roast in the crock pot with your fave bbq sauce. Let it sit all day, shred at dinner time and eat on yummy rolls

9. Shepard’s pie

10. Pot roast

11. Chicken salad sandwiches

12. Spaghetti

13. Pizza

14. Chicken Divan
layer rice, broccoli, chicken and sauce (sauce: 2 cans cream of chicken, 1 cup mayo, 1 tsp curry powder). I didn’t think I’d like this…but um yeah, It was GOOD and I got it two weeks in a row to eat for dinner!

15. Chicken quesadillas

16. Egg roles

17. Hamburgers

18. Lasagna

19. Chicken wraps
Cook and dice chicken, mix with cream cheese, scoop a little into a crescent roll and bake

20. Pigs in a blanket
We like the mini cheese sausages and then just wrap them up in crescent rolls and bake

21. Pan cakes

22. Breakfast burritos

So there you have it! 22 quick and easy meals. We always add a fruit or veggie in with dinners, so the ones that aren’t as healthy, at least the kids get something in there with nutrition he he he…

Okay! I’ve decided to add something new! YAY FOR NEW! If you are like me and really have NO fashion sense, these posts are for you! Well, okay, I lied…I do have fashion sense. I can look and see something I like in a magazine or online, but when I actually go to get something, I fall apart and nothing goes right. It doesn’t look good on me (or so I think) and I end up chickening out of something cute and trendy. Does that happen to you? or is it just me?

My first Trendy Tuesday post is all about DownEast Basics!

I love this place! They have the cutest dresses. Even though I NEVER wear dresses, they are so cute, I actually bought one a few months ago and wore it to a mom event. Yep, that’s how much I love their dresses. Their clothes are just so comfy and honestly priced really well! Go check them out if you haven’t heard of them!

DownEast Basics

Today is my first MOM MUST HAVE MONDAY…are you excited?! Just one more new thing here at the Project stay at home mom blog! I’ve asked moms all over the country what their MUST HAVES are and the #1 response was a good carrier or sling.

What mom’s are saying:

MAYA WRAP:  http://www.mayawrap.com

“…It is very user friendly and It’s great for nursing moms.
The Maya Wrap made it incredibly easy to position my baby/toddler
into whatever position I needed for a particular activity. I highly recommend it!”
~ Kesha, Oregon

ERGObaby:  http://www.ergobabycarrier.com/

Daddy friendly, easy to use,
can be utilized from head control to toddler, can be used on front and back as well!

~ Heather, Kentucky

MOD MUM:  http://www.modmum.com

Mod Mum is a company that I take pictures for ran by two pretty awesome moms and they are so so cute!
If you are one of those moms, like me, who want comfort and style,
this is a really great sling!

~ Melissa [me], Utah

If you have a “MOM MUST HAVE” that you want everyone to know about, let me know at missa425@gmail.com

I am SO excited to be doing the first spot light here on the Project stay at home mom blog! Heather was my very first surprise after the fun changes I have made here [her story along with a video will be posted some time this weekend or early next week]. I would like you all to meet Heather!

Location:
Woods Cross, Utah

Kids:
One little girl 2 1/2 years old.

Why do you choose to stay at home?
I enjoy the freedom of being able to stay home with my little girl. I like having the time to teach her things, show her places, and to  watch her grow. They grow up so fast, it would be very hard to to work a full-time job and not get that time with your child. For that I’ve very lucky that I’m able to do so.

What are your favorite things about being at home?
Freedom of waking up and deciding what we want to do that day. Going to the park, Zoo, talking a bike ride, reading a book, ect. It’s nice to have time.

What do you find the most difficult?
No mommy time. Having one child she relies on me for here entertainment around the clock. I rarely get to check my emails before she coming running in wanting me to come play with her.

Your (just yours, not what with your kids) favorite things to do?
Horseback riding is my all time favorite!! I enjoy hiking, singing, shopping,hanging out with family.

One mom MUST have you can’t live with out:
This may sound cheezy, but its my Wonderful Husband!

If you were on a deserted island, name three things you’d have with you:
Chocolate, soda, laptop. I think that would get me through a day or two. :>

If you weren’t staying at home, what job would you have?
I hoping it’s Medical Coding/billing. I’m working on a certificate program as we speak!

One thing you wish you could do but don’t have time during the day?
To have more time just for me. Whether that’s to read a book, watch tv, getting online.

Advice for moms:
There are days when  you think ,” why did I have kids”!! In realization it’s the greatest reward. It is difficult at times but when your two year old tell you that she/he loves you, that makes it all worth while!

Add one question for the next stay at home mom being spotlighted!
If you could do anything different with your life what would that be?

OF CUTE BAGS!!

So I was at Target today to find a big calendar. My lovely husband (he tried) brought me home a calendar from his work and when I looked inside it was full of their pay periods. Nice try…but how am I supposed to use that?! I thought Target would be over flowing with cute calendars, but nope…only one big one and it was pretty boring and plain. I’m a girl…I need cute! One of my ideas for surprises was to get a cute tote, stuff it with fun goodies for mom and surprise them with that. My intention at Target today was not to get totes, but I walked by and saw 70% off! Now how could I resist that?! Was sure that even with 70%, they might be too much, but they were only $3 something. So I grabbed the last four!! What could I do? THEY WHERE CUTE and there were only four left!

Just a little peak at cute designs on the totes! I’m so excited! My plan (if all works out) is to have enough goodies by next week and do a surprise. I’ve emailed friends and family asking for fun donations, and if you happen to see this and would like to help, you can email me [Melissa] at missa425@gmail.com

Okay, so over the next week or so you may see this blog change a few times as far as appearances go! I am changing up the layout, colors, etc.

As I said before, I’m really wanting to make this blog a bit more fun. More surprises, more posts, more pictures, more every day life kind of things all revolving around stay at home moms!! I think people lose interest waiting weeks or months between surprises and then they don’t remember to come back and check up. I don’t want that to happen!

I have a few ideas…I’d LOVE to hear yours! A few of mine:

* Spotlighting stay at home moms from all over the world

* Contacting local stores to donate fun things for stay at home moms

* Adding pictures and stories of my own family and kids

* Videos of the surprises!

A few things I do want to keep the same and that is:

* The focus is on stay at home moms. So all products are for moms, not kids. As moms, we’ll all get our kids the things they want/need before we’ll get ourselves stuff, so I just want it to remain on mom.

* I want to keep surprising in person. To me, that’s what makes it fun!

SOO I would LOVE to hear any of your ideas! My kids start school here in the next few weeks and my focus will really go into making this blog take off! Hope to see you here!

For a little bit, I am going to be changing the look of things! So don’t mind the mess!