Happy Mother's Day

 

So obviously every social media status and phrase from every mouth is going to say Happy Mother's Day to you the Best mom ever. Well, everyone in the world may not have a mom, and maybe as a single father you are both! Well this Mother's Day think out side of the box. This Mother's Day lets give thanks to our child(ren)  for making us feel like the best mom ever (even dad's too!). For the single father's who have stood up to the challenge of being both, and single mother's who work twice as hard. Plus to our parents because we wouldn't be who we are without them. As a gift, what better way to celebrate Mother's Day than a spa? Please visit a list of locations of Spa & Wellnesses to make you feel better and just to celebrate you! Thank you.

Please visit Rosalyn Ross's Blogsite to learn how to reguvenate yourself!
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Also find a Spa near you!
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Happy Dinner

With a schedule of school, work, and family all in one day, dinner seems hard to get on the kitchen table with no energy left. Trying to stay healthy with quick and easy meals seems impossible to do, but let me reassure you it can be done. Plus it is yummy too!

Ingredients

• 1 pound spaghetti
• Salt, for pasta water

Meatballs:

• 1 1/4 pounds ground sirloin
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce, eyeball it
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs, a couple of handfuls
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• Salt and pepper

Sauce:

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed or chopped
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 cup beef stock, available on soup aisle in market in small paper boxes
• 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• A handful chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 10 leaves fresh basil leaves, torn or thinly sliced
• Grated cheese, such as Romano, for passing at table
• Crusty bread or garlic bread, for passing at the table

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Place a large pot of water on to boil for spaghetti. When it boils, add salt and pasta and cook to al dente.

Mix beef and Worcestershire, egg, bread crumbs, cheese, garlic, salt and pepper. Roll meat into 1 1/2 inch medium-sized meatballs and place on nonstick cookie sheet or a cookie sheet greased with extra-virgin olive oil. Bake balls 10 to 12 minutes, until no longer pink.

Heat a deep skillet or medium pot over moderate heat. Add oil, crushed pepper, garlic and finely chopped onion. Saute 5 to 7 minutes, until onion bits are soft. Add beef stock, crushed tomatoes, and herbs. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes.

Toss hot, drained pasta with a few ladles of the sauce and grated cheese. Turn meatballs in remaining sauce. Place pasta on dinner plates and top with meatballs and sauce and extra grated cheese. Serve with bread or garlic bread (and some good Chianti!)

For more quick and easy recipes like this one please visit: FoodNetwork

Happy Vacation

Everyone looks forward to going on a vacation. Just as anyone who wants to go on a vacation, planning and budgeting is key. You can do it as a single parent, and here is how!

1. Schedule around your child(ren)'s schedule.
As a single parent everything is about flexibility and priority. When trying to schedule a vacation plan around your child(ren)'s schedule. Summer and Winter months are best because kids don't have school during those times. If you are wanting a Summer vacation think about traveling to northern states. The weather is usually more comfortable for vacations, unless you are wanting a beach vacation and plan on swimming the whole time. As the other way around, if Winter season is best look into traveling South.

2. Budget
Single parents are constantly budgeting. You have to ask yourself how much can I afford? If you do not have much time or money a short weekend vacation close to home may be best. The DruryInn hotel offers a great breakfast and dinner free of charge with your stay. Also included with your stay is three free drinks and all you can drink and eat soda and popcorn. For longer stays sign up for e-mail discounts and look for special offers through out the year on the way that you want to travel. If you are looking into flying, driving, plane or bus, many websites offer special vacation package discounts.

3. Destination
A  happy single family isn't very happy if it is focused on only what your child(ren) or you want to do or go. Everyone has to compromise and come up with a destination together. How often do you have to go to the grocery store and your child(ren) complain the whole time about how they don't what to be there? It is no different going on a vacation.

For more information and tips on your happy single family vacation please visit: Travelmuse single parent travel

Happy Time Management

Everyone knows taking care of a family with two parents have a hard time finding time for everything life throws their way. As an adult you have many responsibilities, work, family, and yourself. That responsibility and stress doubles for a single parent. It seems impossible that one can't get it all done in 24 hours, seven days a week. Time management is key to make those seven days a week feel like a vacation, and stresses and responsibilities feel as a spa. Here are a few tips to help you feel happy, single, and organized, while still taking care of a family.

1. Assess your time. Look closely at how you spend your time. Experts say that most people spend up to an hour a day on tasks that could be put on hold or completely eliminated from their schedule.

2. Prioritize. The key to organization is knowing what's a priority and what can wait. Experts suggest that you divide your to-do list into three sections: those things that need to be taken care of immediately, those that can get done anytime during the week, and those that are long-term or ongoing projects.

3. Think ahead. Look for ways to delete steps from a task or cut the amount of time you spend getting ready. For instance, prepare as much as you can for morning the night before. Or set the table for the next meal with the dishes you unload from the dishwasher.

4. Organize, organize, organize. Get a file cabinet and keep a copy of everything. Keep a folder for each child so you know exactly where to find all of their information (school, doctors, etc.). Make copies of things such as phone numbers and class lists, and keep one at home and one at work.

5. Pick your battles. Decide what you can live with and what really gets under your skin. Maybe you can't stand a dirty floor, but you can live without the bed made just right.

For all the tips and other articles on time management please visit: Parent's Magazine Time Management