Tribe of Five

Here I've combined a list of some awesome Cyber Monday Deals.  Happy shopping folks! The 6qt instant pot is on sale again for Cyber Monday, it sold out very early on during Black Friday.   INSTANT POT ACCESSORIES - Tempered glass lid (for yogurt making and slow cooking) - Stainless Steel inner pot - Silicone lid - Essential for when the yogurt is chilling! - Genuine Sealing Rings (Extras are a MUST for sweet dishes and savory dishes) KIDS AND TOYS -Do you have a star wars fan in the house?  Check out this Star wars droid inventor kit. -A kids craft sewing kit for those sewing fans!  I think this is something Cassie would absolutely love!  - Sit and spin Playskool toy, the boys LOVE theirs and this might be an ideal time for us to get a second because ALL. THE. FIGHTING.  -Any Paw Patrol fans in the house?  They will get a kick out of this Amazon Exclusive Air Patroller! - Spinners make great stocking stuffers.  I c...

Word on the street is that if you missed the Instant Pot Sale on Black Friday, there WILL be another sale on Cyber Monday, so check back in then for some *hopefully* amazing deals on Amazon! In the meantime, if you intend to purchase an Instant Pot , it might be helpful to watch one of these videos I've made to see how this pressure cooker works!  Mine sat in the box for months because I was intimated by it, and I quite honestly didn't understand the directions.  I'm a visual learner and I needed someone to SHOW me how to use it.  Thankfully, I had a good friend who brought her pot over and we cooked together, so I got a hands on lesson. Here's a quick video of some macaroni and cheese I made the other day. It's a hit! Great "first timer" recipe to try AFTER you do the water test! The macaroni and cheese is from the Instant Pot App. I also highly recommend the chili lime chicken as well. Not too complicated as you learn how to navigate...

I've decided I'm going to try and video at least one meal a week made with the Instant Pot , and post it here on the blog. Why?  Because I think this wonderful ol pot can be really intimating the first few times you use it. Mine sat in the box for 6 months. SIX. MONTHS.  So, no judgment here about that.  I only took it out because my friend Karisa came over and cooked with me- taught me the ins and outs.  After that, Once I got the hang of it, I was using it 2-4 times a week and went on to buy an 8qt instant pot (started with the 6qt).  It's really nice to have both, one because we're a family of 7.  But also because I can complete an entire meal (meat, veggies, potatoes of some sort) at one time and it's all done and ready to serve at once. This recipe I used is from the Instant Pot App (which is FREE by the way!!!) One thing I'm going to do differently next time is use the saute feature to melt the butter, then add the chicken broth and the noodl...

Amazon is having some GREAT Black Friday Deals that you don't want to miss.  Sign up here for a f ree 30-day trial of Amazon Prime! Here are a few categories I highly recommend! Infants: If you have a baby, or a friend with a baby on the way- now is a great time to stock up on some MAJORLY DISCOUNTED necessities!  Like these adorable Carters Pajamas!  Kids: Toys and games for all ages!  In particular, check out these Melissa and Doug toys on sale!!! Electronic Devices: Everything from the Amazon Firestick to that dang Kindle Fire 8 kids edition  (it's $40 off right now!!!) your kid has been begging you for! (Did you know you can access dozens upon dozens of EDUCATIONAL apps on the kindle?  Yeah- you really can!  Math and reading are two favorites in our household!  This comes with a Kid proof case (its Kaleo proof, so that speaks volumes!).  If you have 2 kids, check out this bundle of 2 Kindle Fire 8 Kids editions! Health and ...

If you plan on doing some Black Friday Shopping at Target , check this out:  1. As of today (Thursday, 11/23) Over 150 Black Friday deals are available NOW to all REDCard holders!  (If you don't have a Target REDCard , now is a great time to sign up and get 5% off your ENTIRE order!!) 2. Stores will open at 6:00 PM Today, 11/23, close at midnight and reopen at 6:00 AM on "Black Friday" 11/24 (local time). 3. Target.com is offering Free Shipping & Free Return s through 12/23! *Restrictions may apply.  HERE ARE JUST SOME OF THE DEALS: COUPON:   Spend $50 on Black Friday, get a 20% of Coupon to use 11/28-12/10 50% off Video Games   40% off Home Items PLUS an additional 15% off furniture and area rugs! Select Toys: Buy one, get one 50% off   

I meant to get this video up yesterday, but kids have this incredible way of thwarting your best laid plans.  So, it gets posted today.  On Turkey day.  Which isn't exactly fitting- but that's real life for ya folks.   That being said, many people are cooking their turkeys in the Instant Pot this year- although I'm not (sorry folks). If you're already an instant Pot owner, check out these BLACK FRIDAY DEALS!  And if you don't own one yet, now's the PERFECT time to purchase.  Keep checking back on the Black Friday Link as Amazon adds more products! Kaleo was bright eyed and bushy tailed, with a full on NAP REFUSAL the moment I started to set out my ingredients for this cooking project.  So, today's video features Kaleo- that's right, we'll be cooking with Kaleo.  Maybe he'll become a famous chef someday (or morph into a steamroller that just plows into and rolls over everything!)  Either way, both the 2 littlest kids end up in this v...

Prior to my instant pot days, I made applesauce a few times in the crockpot.  While it always turned out well with that method, it was a long cooking process.  Thanks to my sister from another mister Karisa, I've been cooking applesauce in the instant pot for my kids for months and months now. Most importantly (duh) Makoa approves: Squooshi Reusable Pouch The cooking process takes about 30 minutes maximum, and that includes 15-20 minutes to come to pressure and the varying 5-8 minute cook time I use, depending on how many apples I'm cooking. Honestly, the longest process is peeling and coring the apples, but its been much faster lately with my Johnny Apple Peeler !!! and it's on sale!  I read reviews on 6 different peelers before I decided on this one. If you want to know why: 1. Other customer reviews with photos, feedback on ease of use (I always read these before I move on to investigating a product further) 2. A 5 year warranty 3. Stainless steel blade...

Heyyyy, so in years past, by now, I've been 99% done with my Christmas shopping, I've got the kids coordinated "lets go see Santa" Christmas outfits picked out, washed and hung and I have a Turkey in the freezer waiting to be brined for Thanksgiving. This year...NOT SO MUCH!  We're doing the 4 things for Christmas wish list (see below) this year, and I haven't even had my big kids fill it out (insert huge GASP).  So, that's the first thing we'll be doing this weekend.  What better timing do so, because Target (both online and in the store) is having a HUGE SALE this weekend with 25% off all toys on Saturday 11/18/2017.  ALL TOYS folks.  ALL. THE. TOYS!  ALLLLLLL OF THEM, 20% OFF!!  But it's one day only. Then, for all of us grown ups, who still love Christmas presents, Target is offering 15% off all TV's on Sunday 11/19/2017. Now would also be a GREAT time to sign up for a Target REDcard and save an ADDITIONAL 5% off of your entire pu...

I had a good friend ask me to write a blog about parenting, dealing with toddlers, addressing some typical age appropriate behavior struggles, what we do for discipline with our younger kids and the typical struggles that ALLLLLLLLLLLL parents experience at various points in this parenting gig.   First, I have to say that I’m honored that someone would be so kind, and to think “so much” of my parenting, to ask these things of me.   I’m blown away and I’m feeling ALL. THE. FEELS. about it!!!! So, I’ve pondered this, and spent time trying to brainstorm on this topic, and the more I do that, the more I realize – I HAVE NO FREAKING IDEA WHAT I’M DOING.   Honestly, a lot of what I do as a parent with respect to discipline and teaching my kids is mostly trial and error.   There are some basic things that I can spell out, which I follow.    But honest to god, there’s a lot of “well, that didn’t fucking work” running through my mind.   Also, I re...

I've had a number of people ask me to make a video of a meal in the Instant Pot , so here it is!!! Chili Lime Chicken - Shredded and great for Tacos or those summer salads! This is a GREAT recipe for a new/newer/still slightly intimidated instant pot user (I know they can be intimidating, mine sat in the box for 6 months until a friend came over and showed me how to use it by bringing hers and cooking with me!). The video is about 6 minutes long, but I hope it provides some use to the VISUAL LEARNERS out there. You can access a higher quality video here on youtube : If you have any questions, please leave me a comment!  And I'd love to have you hit that "FOLLOW" button! (scroll down to the bottom of the page) OTHER INFO YOU MIGHT FIND USEFUL! Click here for Recommended Accessories: INSTANT POT ACCESSORIES Instant Pot Step By Step Videos Landing Page: Homemade instruction videos with recipes  Is Pressure Cooking uncharted territory for you?  Gre...

Had an eye on a kitchen item that you just HAVE TO HAVE?  Today is your lucky day!!!  11/11 and 11/12, Target is offering a mobile coupon that is good in stores and online for 25% off, and it INCLUDES sale items! Text KITCHEN to 827438 to get your coupon, this could be a great time to pick up some of those Christmas gifts you've been eying at Target. I've been eying another instant pot (my husband is gonna kill me!!!) and the Foodsaver FM3600 series!  Drop a comment below and let me know what you've had your eye on for Christmas, I'll see if I can find any deals on it!

I've been a long time Nestcam user, back when it was a dropcam acutally!  Our first purchase was made before Makoa was born as we intended to use it as a baby monitor.  It has worked wonderfully for that purpose, and we discovered many more uses these cameras can have around our house.   We are/were so pleased with the product and its functionality (recording clips from your phone app, 2 way microphone, clarity of videos, high quality night vision, zoom function, just to name a few) that over the last 2.5 years we've added 7 more Nest products to our home.  We now have a total of six Nest indoor cameras, two Nest outdoor cameras and the Nest Thermostat.  Two of the indoor cameras are used as baby monitors, and the other ones are used throughout the house for several purposes, including security and to communicate with our kids (or to catch them, well... being kids and pushing the limits).  You know that EASY button on those staples commercials?  T...

These are my FAVORITE Egg Bite  molds and they are quite useful and make many delicious things in my instant pot!!  I have utilized these to make egg bites, and mini brownies (I have serious lack of self control when it comes to sweets, so these molds are PERFECT!!!).  These molds fit in both the 6qt and the 8qt .  8qt instant pot 6qt instant pot Egg bites CAN be frozen and re-heated!   I usually make 4 molds worth of egg bites and freeze 2 of the 4.  If I remember (ha!!!) I try and pull them out the night before to defrost a bit in the fridge.  If I don't, 2-3 minutes on defrost is all I need to warm them up.  If they are completely defrosted, I usually do 45 seconds in the microwave. HOW DO YOU MAKE THESE DELICIOUS EGG BITES YOU ASK?? Ingredients:  12 eggs beaten 1 package bacon, cut and cooked on stove Green onion Shredded Cheese Directions: 1. Add 1-2 cups of water to your Instant pot 2. Fill mold...

While I don't encourage any of my children to use profanity, you have to be a real hard ass to NOT find this pretty dang funny. Makoa hit the nail on the head... "WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON" is precisely how I feel the day of, and the few days following the "fall back" of Daylight savings time.  Who invented this BS anyways?  Surely not a parent with young children.  Little children are fussy, everyone is all out of whack...they're tired, overly tired.  Confused.  It's darker earlier. Meal times are adjusted. Nap times are adjusted.  PURE CHAOS.  So yeah, I hear you loud and clear Makoa.  I'm right there with ya kiddo.

THE 8qt IS ON SALE!!!!!!!!!!!   THE 8qt IS ON SALE!!!!!!!!!!! Might want to snatch up one of these sale priced 8qt Instant Pots! First things first- I'll sheepishly admit that Instant Pot sat in the box, in my garage (although I glanced it's way thousands of times!) for the first 6 months that I owed it.  I was intimidated, I had NO idea how to truly use it and I was really confused about what I should make in it first.  So let me help you out, here is an AMAZING " first timer recipe " that is delicious and KID APPROVED!  (If you're a parent, that last part is pretty important). We use this chicken in our homemade tacos and in the summer, on those really hot days, it's an amazing protein addition to a summer salad. This Taco meat is baby approved!!!

Bought this little number the other day [ Hiccapop ] to use as we work on transitioning Makoa into his "big boy" bed.  I am very happy with this product and it was really easy to put into place, even with our thick mattress. I was having a really hard time finding some sort of product that worked well with bunk beds.  Every bed rail I purchased and tried out was a huge failure for various reasons (bunk beds don't have box springs, the bed rail "base" was falling through the slats under the mattress, there is a lip on the side of the bottom bunk that was interfering with the rail functionality). This product eliminates all of those issues, while still providing a safety lip to keep my little guy ON the bed. I was a little bit worried about how the product would stay in place and not slip/slide around. I have no need to worry though, because the entire base of the bumper has "grippers" on it, and then there are strips with these grippers on the top o...

This is a long one, but I think the outcome is worth the lengthy stories. If we're facebook friends, you might remember a post from earlier this year in February about my experience at the Tacoma Dome with respect to pumping.  You can read about it in detail here , including the comments where I posted some screen shots of communication with the Tacoma Dome staff, and my communication with local breastfeeding advocates.  I posted a follow up on facebook a few days later. The down and dirty of my experience that night is as follows: - I was allowed to enter the Tacoma Dome with my breast pump, after a special medical screening of my bag.  I was pleased with the ease of this process! -When I went to find a location to pump, I was passed from one staff member to the other, where they finally offered me a dirty bathroom.  I declined, nobody wants to prepare food for their infant (or feed their infant) in a bathroom.  The reasons why are many, but have you seen...