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Ramadan Mosque
Every year I do my best to make Ramadan a special month in our household. My goal is to help my kids understand the importance of the holy month. Growing up in a large family, Ramadan was always special. It was a time that my siblings and I really bonded, at least now I see it that way. We struggled together, competed on who could fast without cheating and looked forward to the feast my mother prepared for us. Looking back it brings me so…
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Stuffing or Dressing
Is it Stuffing or Dressing? Depends on where you are from. To me this is Dressing. If it was inside my Turkey, I would call it stuffing. This recipe was given to me years ago, too many for me to say without making myself feel old. But it’s my favorite, always has been. The secret is to use fresh baked cornbread in the mix. It’s honestly a complete meal in itself and can be made any day of the week. Start off by baking your…
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Muddies
I asked two separate people in NY if they knew what Muddies are, and both said no. So it got me thinking, what else do we do in the mid-west that the East Coast doesn’t. Well I learned very early in my relationship that my husband had no idea what Sweetest Day is. Which actually works out in my favor seeing that Sweetest Day is actually intended on celebrating the guy in your life. Cool, no gift for you New Yorker. Our slang is different,…
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Marshmallows
Halal and Vegan Marshmallows!!!!Most of you have at least tried Halal and vegan option Marshmallows, and know that the store bought kind is pretty nasty. Well at least in my opinion. Luckily, the home made versions are really good. Fresh is best!!! Depending on your needs and texture preference, both beef gelatin and agar agar are good substitutes for other gelatin options. It’s a two day process so sit tight!!! This recipe is the Halal version so I will be using the beef gelatin. You…
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Purpose
2020 is finally coming to an end and the new year is almost here. I’m usually excited for the start of a new year but I’m not expecting much from 2021. Yes it’s sad, because I don’t think I’m alone in this feeling. Everything is slowly shutting back down again, schools are opening up and not opening, it’s all just blah. Lately, I have been diving into project after project, just trying to give my days some sort of purpose. I find myself devoting each…
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Autism is My Life
Do you remember when autism really showed its true face in your life? I think part of the reason I was in denial of how much autism affected my life was because I stayed at home. I really had no choice during early intervention, it was really hard to actually leave the house. I remember when they first opened a sensory gym in my area. I was super excited because I thought this would be a safe space for my kids. I had already been…
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Road Trips with Kids
Do you take road trips or day trips with your kids? Over the weekend we decided to take a trip to my in-laws house in Pennsylvania. The trip usually takes a little less than two hours from where we live. It doesn’t seem like much but with four kids who have to go to the potty whenever they feel like, it’s harder than you think. We don’t make this trip often mainly because my husband is a very hard-working man. This guy works six days…
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What do You Love to do?
Its easy to loose yourself once you have had children. You can get completely consumed by their wants and needs, that you can forget who you are and what makes you happy. I actually have gone through quite a few phases to really pin point what I like. There was the sewing phase. Turns out it’s not easy and I can only sew straight lines and a zipper successfully. So I know how to make pillows and that’s about it. Don’t get me wrong I’m…
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Playhouse Bunk Beds
My kids are unlike most kids I know. They each have their own rooms and yet they still choose to sleep next to each other. They generally will rotate from room to room, depending on who goes to bed first. I am sure one day this will change but for now, I think its adorable. I started looking at bunk beds so that they would be more comfortable all in the same room. It was hard. Had to rule out a lot of beds because…
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Ramadan Mosque
Every year I do my best to make Ramadan a special month in our household. My goal is to help my kids understand the importance of the holy month. Growing up in a large family, Ramadan was always special. It was a time that my siblings and I really bonded, at least now I see it that way. We struggled together, competed on who could fast without cheating and looked forward to the feast my mother prepared for us. Looking back it brings me so…
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Home School Bus Fail
Homeschooling has always been something I have thought about, but never wanted to do completely. I have already done early intervention for my son, with therapists in out, five days a week. It was draining…But taught me so much. I have a basic communication board in place, with a schedule and chores to be done. My home is set up for in home learning but I always had help. With two kids in school and two too young for school, I was able to keep…
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Indoor Swings
Sensory, sensory, sensory needs. Living in NY, there are so many different obstacles you have to go through to keep your kids entertained. The weather, the traffic, parking and lack of local indoor playgrounds. Of course there are some. My sons favorite is We Rock the Spectrum. https://www.werockthespectrumstatenisland.com Which is absolutely amazing. But with four kids and a busy schedule, getting there was pretty hard to do. And my little man needed sensory all the time. So a sensory area in my home was the…
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The Beginning
I started loosing it. I spent all day trying to comfort my son and balance mom life. I would spend my nights, researching autism. I hate to say that up until then, I didn't and its something I truly regret. Information is power!
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Fig Jam
Fig Jam recipe:Place ripe figs in bowl and sprinkle two tablespoons of sugar on them, cover and keep in refrigerator over night. On low heat pour figs into pot with 1/2 cup of water, cinnamon and juice of one lemon and simmer for 30 minutes make sure to stir. Use an immersion blender and purée figs.Simmer for another 15 minutes stirring periodically. Place in jars, let cool to room temperature and refrigerate. I absolutely love fig jam with Brie, in between bread and toasted in…
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Pineapple Salsa
Ingredients: 3 Beef Steak Tomatoes 1/2 Pineapple 1 pepper salt, parsley, sage, basil, thyme, garlic Rough chop 2 tomatoes, 1/4 pineapple and pepper. Place in skillet with a splash of olive oil. Add salt, garlic and herbs and simmer for 20 minutes. Use an immersion blender and take care of any chunks of pineapple that didn’t break down in the simmer process. Continue to simmer but stir frequently. Chop up third tomato and 1/4 of a pineapple into small square bites. Toss into skillet and…
