Jessica Azar's Blog, page 3

Parenting is Like Dealing with Jeff Spicoli

Jeff Spicoli is the quintessential depiction of a slow-talking surfer dude, and if people remember anything from Fast Times at Ridgemont High, it usually has something to do with him. As the mom of four kids who are perpetually in some state of undress and clueless as to the whereabouts their clothing when asked, it finally dawned on me that kids are a lot like him and his friends. Dazed, confused, and inappropriately dressed are just the tip of the iceberg of similarities they share.

Keep Going

The post Parenting is Like Dealing with Jeff Spicoli appeared first on Herd Management.

Flamingo Fandango

Tweet In case you haven’t noticed, the flamingo trend is showing up all over the place, and I don’t just mean the occasional garden ornament! In case you haven’t noticed, flamingos are showing up all over the place, and I don’t just mean the occasional garden ornament. Go clothes shopping and you will likely see tons of flamingo accessories and patterns on various articles of clothing. The presentation can be preppy, whimsical, or ironic, but regardless of tone, flamingos are definitely the “in” animal right now. Think of them as the new owl; remember how owl everything blew up a few years ago? You couldn’t walk through Target without seeing owls all over everything from bathroom linens to salt shakers to women’s clothing. I see the exact same thin happening with our pink feathered friends, and although I’m sure we will hit the level of overload at some point, I’m going to enjoy it for now. 1) Mud Pie Flamingo Little Girls Swimwear-Okay my girls went BERSERK when they saw this swimsuit! I love how the flamingo’s neck goes around the child’s neck. 2) Flamingo Shower Curtain- I mean, who wouldn’t smile when they walked into their bathroom and saw…

Keep Going

The post Flamingo Fandango appeared first on Herd Management.

5 Reasons Why You Need to Buy I Just Want to Be Perfect

Tweet Wondering if you should buy I Just Want to Be Perfect? First of all, YES, and secondly, HECK YES. The pressure is endless. Everyone from the media to the judgy cashier at the grocery store, makes today’s woman feel like she needs to change something (or even everything) about herself to conform to an overly-idealized mold of perfection. Newsflash: Perfection is a myth and striving to please the eyes and sensibilities of the public can never make you happy. I Just Want to Be Perfect, the 4th installment of the New York Times Bestselling I Just Want To Pee Alone series, contains hilarious essays by parenting and humor bloggers you’ll adore! They, I mean WE, confess the hilarious, the bad, and the ugly details of their attempts to join the Cult of Perfection. My essay is about my hilarious and embarrassing foray into the world of MLM (multi-level marketing)companies and the havoc it unleashed on my life. If you’re currently working for an MLM and are happy, please don’t come after me with pitchforks, y’all. I’m glad you’re doing well…. but the majority of us that go “all-in” just don’t benefit in the long run, so we have to…

Keep Going

The post 5 Reasons Why You Need to Buy I Just Want to Be Perfect appeared first on Herd Management.

Ways to Keep a Car Cool in the Summer

Tweet I still have hideous memories of getting into an oven-like car as a child and not being able to breathe over the extreme waves of heat surrounding me. Although the burning hot metal of the seatbelt on my fingers left no lasting marks on my hands, it is branded into my mind. In an attempt to prevent my kids from having to endure the same dreadful conditions I have been picking the brains of everyone around me to compile a list of ways to keep a car cool in the summer. These tips are legit and you’ll undoubtedly find a way to put a few into practice in the sweltering summer of your own lives. Go readHow to Keep Your Car Cool in the Heat and see what will work best for you. These ways to keep your car cool will save you sanity and prevent scorched skin if you make a point of doing them! Tweet

Keep Going

The post Ways to Keep a Car Cool in the Summer appeared first on Herd Management.

Enjoy Gardening With Family for Lifelong Benefits

Tweet Gardening is one of those things I’ve always WANTED to do, and appreciated the time others in my life put into it, but it wasn’t until we moved out into the country that I decided we would be down right sorry if we didn’t take advantage of everything around us. We’ve thrown ourselves into it, and while it hasn’t been perfect the benefits of gardening with family are worth their weight in gold. My father has cultivated an amazing garden for the past few years at our family farm (which is a fascinating place in its own right). The kids and I thoroughly enjoyed helping him pick the bounty and weed those long rows last summer, as long as it wasn’t too late in the day, because that’s never enjoyable in the Southern heat. We decided that the kids should be part of the gardening experience from the very beginning with soil preparation to the end where the spent plants will be plowed under. They’ve also been a part of creating our very own family garden on our land so they can do the daily tending and reap the benefits of watching it grow. I’m realizing more and more,…

Keep Going

The post Enjoy Gardening With Family for Lifelong Benefits appeared first on Herd Management.

6 Reasons to Choose Car Travel Over Flying

Tweet Unless you’re a bird, choosing car travel over flying to your destination in an airplane holds many benefits. I’ll admit that the luxury of soaring through the air, being served soft drinks in tiny cups, and arriving faster at my destination does hold appeal for me, but I’ve found that there are many upsides to enjoy a car road trip over flying. Unless the distance is more than about 10 hours, my family chooses car travel for a myriad of reasons. There are certain things that traveling by plane eliminates from the experience of traveling, and those important parts of a journey should be enjoyed. If you’re debating on flying or sticking with traveling by car read 6 Reasons to Choose Car Travel Over Flying ! Tweet

Keep Going

The post 6 Reasons to Choose Car Travel Over Flying appeared first on Herd Management.

Gluten Free Slow Cooker Scottish Meatloaf Recipe

Tweet What? Scottish Meatloaf? Why in the world would I want to make SCOTTISH meatloaf?!, you say. Well, it’s AMAZING. It’s easy to make, and it’s Gluten Free, which means I can have it! It may sound odd now, but Gluten Free Slow Cooker Scottish Meatloaf may just change your life, and it will certainly be one of your go-to crockpot favorites. As you well know, I love anything tied to my beloved Scottish heritage or Scotland. In celebrating Robert Burns’ Birthday (aka Burns’ Night) I was looking for a dish idea to substitute for the all-important haggis.The haggis plays a huge part in a Burns’ Night dinner; since a REAL Haggis is hard to come by in America, and I wasn’t sure how well my kids would react to offal, I was looking for a dish that was authentic in Scottish flavor but wouldn’t involve me procuring and preparing sheep innards. Several versions of Scottish Meatloaf surfaced during my search and I formed my personal recipe through experimenting and combining elements of the recipes I liked the best. This spicy, flavorful recipe has become a staple in our home! Begin by placing two pounds of ground beef (we also…

Keep Going

The post Gluten Free Slow Cooker Scottish Meatloaf Recipe appeared first on Herd Management.

iPhone Apps for Road Travel You Need Now

Tweet Having an iPhone allows you to manage most of your life from the palm of your hand, and it can also guide you wherever you may go. If you haven’t researched the best iPhone apps for road travel let me help you out with some suggestions! Several things are important to know for any journey you might take in your car: where to eat, where to find a clean restroom, cool places to see along the way, and how to get where you’re trying to go, as cheaply as possible. This collection of iPhone apps will give you the tools to meet all of those needs, and more! Check them out, and let me know on the Herd Management Facebook page what you think, or if you have any other great app suggestions. Looking for fun items to take along with you on the road? Sure you are… you need these cute finds and didn’t even know it. Follow my Travel Board on Pinterest for even more fantastic posts and pins about seeing the world and saving money while you do it! Tweet

Keep Going

The post iPhone Apps for Road Travel You Need Now appeared first on Herd Management.

Answering the Call to End the Teen Suicide Epidemic

Tweet After writing my reaction to a local teen suicide that hit close to home for me last week, I began to pray that God would use me in some way to help bring attention to Mental Health Awareness. I’ve prayed this prayer before, but this time I asked for a door to be opened so that I could help with the teen suicide epidemic, and He opened a door, so I forced myself to walk through it. Admitting that I am far from perfect isn’t difficult for me, as you know if you’ve read much of my writing, and I hate that Christianity has become synonymous in some circles with judgmental hypocrisy. We’re all imperfect, and I’m very aware of my imperfections, and I want people to know that He doesn’t care what you’ve done, He stills loves you and will always BE when everything and everyone else ceases to be. Let me begin by saying I HATE DOING INTERVIEWS. No joke, I will talk to just about anyone, anywhere, and I can drone on about mental health stuff ad nauseum, but don’t put the pressure of a camera on me. Well I got a phone call and email…

Keep Going

The post Answering the Call to End the Teen Suicide Epidemic appeared first on Herd Management.

Counter Top Makeover on Farmhouse Kitchen 911

Tweet Are you ready to see my Farmhouse Kitchen Counter Top Makeover? Come on! When we found this house, the farmhouse we had been looking for forever, I initially kind of ignored the light blue counter top and back splash in the kitchen. The entire package was what we wanted: lots of acreage, room for our family of six, an old house with character, and fairly easy DIY projects to make it “ours”. Since I’m a mom of four kids who are ALWAYS HUNGRY, which leaves me preparing food constantly and doing my best to keep them OUT of the kitchen so there will actually be food left to cook for another meal, I am ALWAYS in the kitchen. My scenery doesn’t change a lot during the day while they’re at school either, because I work from home. I finally hit a point where I couldn’t deal with the light blue vinyl in my kitchen anymore. Knowing that I didn’t have a lot of money to invest right now, and that my construction know-how is lacking (okay, minimal at-best), tearing off the counter tops to replace them with something else simply wasn’t an option. Also, being that I DO have…

Keep Going

The post Counter Top Makeover on Farmhouse Kitchen 911 appeared first on Herd Management.