How to Juggle

One question I get asked a lot is how I balance being a mom, wife, student, and working. I must be honest, it is not as easy as it looks! But these are some tips that I can give to maybe help some one else find balance in their life.

First, I am a mother and a wife. My son, Levi, and my honey, Gerson, are my top priority. They are everything to me! So I make sure that they are taken care of first off. Being a wife was something I felt I had to learn to do. And I'm still learning. Gerson and I didn't live together before we got married so there were still things I had to learn about him and him me. I think I will be learning to be a wife for the rest of our lives together. Gerson is growing and changing just like I am, and me as his wife, I have to learn those changes. Being a mother to Levi was an adjustment. But it is my greatest role. It was something I didn't really have time to "learn." I read books and surfed blogs while I was pregnant and all of that information was great. However, I have to adapt to Levi's personality and his is a character! I'm pretty sure I would do anything for this little guy, that probably doesn't even know my name... Mama is good enough though.

Secondly comes my schooling. It is very important for both Gerson and I to finish college. Being that we have so much other stuff going on, it is hard to find time to study. I scheduled all of my classes on two days so that the rest of the week I can have Levi with me. I do homework between classes or when Levi naps or goes to bed. Sometimes I can sneak and do some while he's playing with some toys and is fine without attention.

Although work is an important aspect of my life, it is certainly not the most important. I really like my job. On the days I have class, I scheduled myself "unavailable" on those days. That way I don't have to stretch myself thin running all over Houston. At one point, I only worked on the weekends, which was fine, my checks weren't very much though, and if you're like me and like to shop... that wouldn't work for you either.

Through it all I have to keep myself sane. I do that by going for worship service, blogging, reading for leisure, even just taking a long shower! I have to have time for myself. Even though I wear a lot of different hats, I will always be Londyn. I never want to lose myself in all the other things that I have going on in my life.

So that's how I do it! I pray that you find a routine that works for you and your family.

Parmesan Ranch Chicken

I got this recipe from the back of a ranch bottle believe it or not! It has become a staple recipe in my household. My Honey loves it and Levi loves anything so its a win win! I also like this recipe because I almost always have all of the ingredients in my pantry so if I haven't meal planned or anything I can always whip this up.

First I season the boneless, skinless chicken with salt, pepper, onion powder and garlic powder. I've used chicken breasts, chicken thighs and this time I used chicken tenderloin. I think the tenderloin is my favorite so far.

Take 1/2 cup of ranch dressing and 1 tbsp of flour and combine them in a bowl. 

 Coat each piece of chicken in the mixture.

Sprinkle cheese on mixture. I like to add some bread crumbs for a little crunch. 

Bake for 25 minutes at 375.

I paired the chicken with some pasta and corn.

Enjoy! 

Parmesan Ranch Chicken

4 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts

1/2 Cup Ranch Dressing

1 Tbsp Flour

1/4 Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese

1/4 Cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese (Optional)

PreHeat Oven to 375

Mix Dressing and Flour

Coat Chicken with Mixture

Sprinkle Cheeses onto Coated Chicken

Bake 25 Minutes or Chicken is Thoroughly Cooked  

Party Planning: Levi's Seuss-tastic 1st Birthday

I am proud to say that I planned Levi's birthday from top to bottom and it went off with out a hitch. I decided to do a Dr. Seuss theme because it was the theme of my baby shower and the theme of his room. Dr. Seuss reminds me off all the good, silly things of being a child while managing to get some lessons in there. Levi loves to be read too, although his attention does wonder away at times. My sister in law found a bunch of Dr. Seuss books at a garage sale and Levi loves them. Thus, his party theme was born!

I created a Facebook event and invited all our family and friends very early. I found an online website and created this little picture and I thought it was soooo cheesy that it was adorable!

In the event description, I had this little poem that I found while blog surfing. I don't remember where exactly though.

Twelve Months Have Passed, My How They've Flown.
You Won't Believe Your Eyes, How Much Levi Has Grown! 
So Join Us To Celebrate With Dr. Seuss, It'll Be Great!
December Is The Month, The 1st Is The Day;
From 2 Until 5 is When We Will Play!
You Will Have A Good Time, You Will Not Want To Miss,
A Cat In The Hat Party Like This!

I began shopping around early on, buying little things here and there. I've learned that when making a party look its best, its the little things that count. Around August, Target had a lot of back-to-school Dr. Seuss items in their dollar section. I bought invitations and some reusable bags, but I ended up not even using them!

I came across Really Good Stuff while blog surfing for ideas and I hit the JACKPOT! So much Dr. Seuss items and for low prices. All the decor below was bought there!

Also on Really Good Stuff, I came across these cute little hats. (We couldn't get Levi to keep his on.) This is my coworkers son, Junior, with the 5 foot tall Dr Seuss. 

Gerson painted these wooden letters. I think he did a really good job! (And on short notice, too!)

The Menu was BBQ Meatballs, (Green) Deviled Eggs, Ham Sandwiches, Hop-On-Popcorn Balls, and goldfish. And of course cake for dessert!

I got the recipes for the ham sandwiches and the popcorn balls from Annie's Eats. Both of the recipes were easy to follow and came out great! People are STILL asking me how I made the sandwiches!

 The recipe to the deviled eggs and meatballs I will post later on. I didn't even get to eat the meatballs, they went FAST! We put the colorful goldfish into an old fish bowl that my mom had. (This pic was taken before I was able to put the deviled eggs into the dish.)

I ordered these cookies and gave them out as souvenirs at the end of the night. I got them from Brandi over at Joyful Cookies. They came out FANTASTIC! She is an amazing cookie artist. 

Last but not least, THE CAKE! Which was done with love and care by one of my favorite Target coworkers, Micheala  She is beyond amazing and she knew what I wanted and delivered a gorgeous cake! 

For games and entertainment, I had my little cousin draw a Cat without his Hat for "Pin the Hat on the Cat." She didn't think it looked like him but she's crazy! It was almost EXACT! 

We blindfolded the kids and they pinned Hats (that by the way I also bought from Really Good Stuff) on to the poster board. It was a big hit! 

What would a party be without a pinata? Gerson found this pinata (the day of the party, btw) and it worked great! The colors were perfect! 

After the kids broke it open, it was time to go home. Both Levi and I were worn out! But we had a great time! Thank you to everyone that attended! Now time to start planning next year!

The Garcia's

I just wanted to take a post to introduce my family. I'm so blessed to have them. A lot of the posts on this blog are going to feature them. So I figured it'd be a good idea to show who I'm talking about! :)

 This is my Honey, Gerson, and I last September. We went on our Honeymoon (finally!), a cruise to Mexico. It is one of my fondest memories and I will cherish it forever. Gerson and I started dating my junior year in high school, and we've been inseparable ever since. My Honey is so supportive and he does whatever he can to make sure Levi and I are well taken care of. I love me some him!  

Our son Levi Brayden was born on December 1, 2011. He is my own personal ray of sunshine. Watching him grow, learn, and discover is AMAZING! I wouldn't trade it for anything in this world. I think he is a genius, sometimes he looks like he is in such deep thought... I always wonder what he's thinking about. Levi is the funniest little guy! Crazy how he can make me crack up and he can't even talk! He is my biggest blessing. 

 This is US. My little family. I love my boys. 

New Year's Resolutions

Every year I'm apart of the large group of people that sticks to their new year's resolutions for a month or two, only to wind up giving it up. This year however, I have came up with some resolutions that are so important to me that I have no choice but to continue with them throughout 2013 and beyond.

The first one is to become more involved at church. I attended a Christmas service at Grace and I recommitted my life to Christ. When I look at my past life I see how completely lost I was, wondering around like a wounded puppy. But Jesus took me into His arms, wrapped me in His love, and healed my aching wounds. But my new life is here and it feels so wonderful to be walking with Him beside me everyday (even though He was always there with me, I just ignored Him). Thank You Lord for showing me that You are the Way, the Truth, and the Light.

My second resolution is to become a better wife to my husband and a better mother to my son. The are the two most important people in my life and I want to be the best "Londyn" I can be to them.

Thirdly, I want to adopt a more healthy lifestyle. I know I'm not about to go run a 5k or stop eating burgers at Sonic. But I want to feel better! I'm tired of being out of breath walking up the stairs to my apartment! I need to drink more water, eat LESS burgers, and go for a walk. It starts with little changes.

Last but not least, I want to stop renting and finally buy our house! I'm claiming it, 2013 is The Year of The Garcias!

With God's help, your prayers, and some determination on my part, these resolutions can be accomplished. Fingers crossed!