Sequins and Granola

Most mornings we are running around like 3 crazy headless chickens (Translation: "chickens with their heads cut off" means running in every direction crazily). Most mornings I'm barking orders at the boys while stuffing their lunch boxes & trying to at least wash my face & brush my teeth before hopping in the car to take them to school. Most mornings I do lots of things wrong, but every morning there's one thing that I feel like I'm doing right. If the morning falls apart, if soggy cereal & sugar laden milk is spilled all over the floor, & shoelaces wouldn't stay tied with super glue I STILL get one part of our morning right. Every morning on our way to school while the boys are strapped in, without the radio on, while I have their undivided attention I speak over them. I say "you are men of integrity, character, & honor. You are first & not last, you are the head & not the tail, you are above & not beneath. Your feet are b...

I'm a runner...& by runner I mean I like to run 3-4 miles 5ish days a week. I'm a this is my me time runner, a this is when I talk to God runner, a I quit once it's uncomfortable runner, a y'all are crazy to run marathons runner. I love to run my few miles right after I drop my boys off at school- it's part of my routine, I pull back into the garage & hit the pavement without even going back into the house. My body knows what's happening, my mind is aware of what comes next. It's comfortable. This morning I decided that since I felt so good at the halfway point that I should just keep going! Some runs are easier than others, not sure why but your body just cooperates- this morning's run was one of those runs. I thought, "hey, I'll run 6 miles today!" Crazy. So as I approach the 3 mile mark I turn around & start back on the same path I have traveled, headed back home. Three miles there, three miles back. And can I tell ya, those ...

I'm not kidding when I say I could feed my kids this little recipe for every meal & they'd never complain. They love it- & my hubby too! It's a healthy, feel good about feeding it to your kids, recipe. I typically make it with either whole wheat or quinoa elbow pasta to pump up the fiber & protein. If you follow my blog much you know that I'm really into sweet potatoes, they're my go to- so it's no surprise that this recipe calls for a puréed sweet potato. This sauce is measured for a 13-16 ounce box of dry pasta. If you're doing less (like the box of quinoa pasta pictured) use half the recipe for the sauce. Here's what ya need : - 1 box cooked pasta (make sure to salt your boiling water to season pasta & put a chug of olive oil to prevent pasta from sticking together. Cook to pkg directions, don't over cook. No one likes soggy pasta😜)  - 2 Tbsp butter (I'm a realist, so I use the real thing- but if all you've got is some...

Around my neck of the woods fall means one thing: Football! And that means gameday attire of course! My husband is an Arkansan, born & raised so I'm sure it's no shock that around my house we are Razorback fans. For this post I'll be repping the Hogs showing you fun ways to wear clothes that are already hanging in your closet! Just pretend it's your team's colors instead of red- & some of you are fortunate enough to have two colors to choose from!  Here are some great tips to get you on the right track: - An awesome black & white stripe or geometrical print will pop against all your game day duds! - Leopard print is a neutral- it's true! It goes with everything! - You don't have to wear a school t shirt or a shirt with your school mascot anymore, just wear your school colors ! - Sequins , glitter , & bling are always acceptable when it comes to gameday apparel.  - A little leather , fur, or suede will make you look super jazzy! - Mix p...

Yep- you read that right- zucchini in your pancakes! And they're so easy it feels like you're cheating! Think of a warm, sweet, soft blueberry muffin in pancake form- mind blowing, right?! Plus it's healthy! Score! If you're opposed to a little store bought help feel free to just add zucchini to your favorite whole wheat pancake recipe, but for convenience sake (bc my 9 &7 year old keep me crazy busy) I've taken a little help from Ms White! Get it: -1 package Martha White whole wheat blueberry muffin mix (told ya- easy!) - 1 egg - 1/2 medium zucchini  - 1/2 cup milk (I used buttermilk because that's what I had but you can use soy or almond or good ole cow milk) Do it: - mix all above mentioned ingredients in a bowl (grate your half zucchini right in there using your favorite grater- I use a hand held cheese grater) - whisk it all together until kinda smooth ( I mean a little lumpage never hurt nobody) - cook over medium- high heat until bubbly then flip-aroo...

Latest article that I wrote for Women's Inc Magazine. Check it out!  www.womensinc.net/node/1718 Guilt Be Gone By Brooke Allen 3:00 in the afternoon - that was always the hardest. My boys were 6 months & 3 years. We had moved to a new town, no family, few friends. By 7:30 every morning my hubby left the house headed to Clinton or Marshall, AR for work. I stayed home in Conway with those precious babies...all day...by myself. 3:00 was the reckoning hour for me, when we were in the thick of it. My energy was usually depleted by that time of day & the clock was ticking in warp speed toward 5:30 when the hubs would be home. Of course I would’ve gotten “nothing” accomplished. Or so I thought. Looking back now I see that what happened at 3:00 was guilt. That was the time that I looked up from playing with my toddler, nursing the baby, cooking them meals and snacks, & panicked! It was almost time for the hubby to get home & what would he think of this mess? He would probab...

I was a cheerleader, blonde hair, blue eyes, small frame, style lover, daughter of a hairstylist, small town East Texas girl. I fit the stereotype so well, or so it seemed. I was such a happy child. I had a great family with all the love in the world, spiritual guidance, Jesus Christ, & a mom that I wanted to be just like. She is trendy, stylish, everyone loves her, she lights up every single room she enters & I wanted to be just like her. Until about 12 I was very shy. It was hard for me to talk to strangers, but I watched my mom move in & out of conversations so easily & soon picked up her mannerisms & her gift of gab. I started loving our weekend shopping trips to Dallas, all things Dooney & Burke, Guess, Pepe,  & Girbaud (I'm a 90's girl of course). I LOVED shopping with my mom & to this day if she says it looks fab, I buy it because she is a fashionista extraordinaire. Shopping, hair, jewelry, & style was our hobby. I knew what Louis Vui...

Fall Fashion time is here! One of my favorite trends is the denim shirt . It's been around for a while but it's even bigger this year! Whether your shirt is dark or light, short or long doesn't matter. You probably have one hanging in your closet right now!  You can style this staple so many different ways! Here are a few ways for you ladies to wear your blue jean duds!! *disclaimer- these pictures are a work in progress! Maybe next time they'll be better- but at least for now you can get the gist!*  Tuck that puppy in ! Wear your jean shirt tucked into a skirt (short or maxi) or high waisted shorts or pants for a cutsie look! You can also do the "fraternity front tuck"- this is especially cute with colored skinny jeans! As a jacket : Wear your denim top over dresses, rompers, or a tee- you can't go wrong. If you have a button up that doesn't quite button properly thus showing the gals off a bit too much this is the way to wear it! Leave that baby unbu...

Mommies these days...we know too much. We've heard the horror stories! We've seen the news of the unthinkable. Every other Facebook post is another appalling statistic. I swear we are more focused on the 0.1% chance that something bad can happen than we are the other 99.9%. I jump to the worst case scenario every time. A bee sting is only 3 seconds from anaphylactic shock. A jammed finger is certainly a broken finger that could potentially turn into surgery that could turn into infection & antibiotics, oh my what if he loses his finger? I definitely go to extremes at times, but guess what? I'm not the only mama that does this. I applaud you girls that are cool as a cucumber when it comes to your kiddos- don't know many of you- but we should meet sometime so you can rub off on me. Mine is usually medical related (allergies, infections, fevers, deformities) that I worry about. But some moms jump to other conclusions bc they are so knowledgable. There are worries over ...

Attention mommas of boys: your sons can look good too! Here are 10 simple tips!  Tip #1: Please don't let that boy wear shorts that are too small! This is the most common thing I notice. Just because they're cute shorts for someone doesn't mean they're cute for your lil man. Run to Walmart & grab him a $4 pair of starter brand shorts before you let him walk out looking like a 1970's basketball player!  He will get beat up. Just don't. Tip #2: Hang his clothes together on hangers (shirt & shorts on one hanger) then put them in his closet. That way you can just let him think he's picking out his own clothes- nevermind the fact that you've already matched those puppies in appropriate pairs.  In all seriousness- best idea ever. Tip #3: Pajamas are not to be worn in public. No really, lady at Walmart, I saw you and your whole clan yesterday...house shoes and all. My 7 year old doesn't get this concept- he thinks it's ok to wear his Mario Bros ...

I cried at the drop of a hat. What would they think of my poor baby? He was 3 and it was getting worse! His eye was so crossed that he couldn't look me in the eyes. He looked past me, almost thru me. The same baby that would look in my eyes with such excitement and wonderment was looking inches to the left of where he should be looking. The doctors were calling it Esotropia. We were given glasses by our local optometrist, then eye patches, then bifocals to no avail. We were finally sent to a specialist at Arkansas Children's Hospital for a surgical consultation. Surgery! Surgery? I was freaked! They were wanting to cut my baby's eyes? Strabismus surgery. Ugh! I hated it! I couldn't sleep the night before our first visit to Children's. I had pleaded & begged to God that we would wake up & he would be healed. As we woke up it was clear that baby's eye was still definitely crossed. At 5 it hadn't corrected itself nor had God decided to heal him. So I pu...

This is my first Brooke's Bites post! I'm super excited about rethinking my blog a little. Of course I'll do the usual posts, but I'm going to add fashion & hair tips too! Wenesday's will be all things food- from fun cooking tips, nutrition, grocery shopping tips, recipes, & just plain ole good food.  Today I am passing on a secret weapon for when you're in a time crunch. This little nugget will help you fly thru dinner on school nights in a flash- & it's economical too! It has helped me this summer when we stay at the pool all day & are starving by the time we get home- no one wants to wait 2 hours to eat! The secret?: Rotisserie chicken from your local grocery store- $5-$6. It's not organic...but be honest, there's at least one night a week that you feed your family fast food or frozen pizza, it's better than that!  Pick up this puppy & deconstruct it that day. If you put it in the fridge before disassembling it will be fine...

This is an article I wrote for Women's Inc magazine. It's Back to School time & I pray for all you mommies to feel empowered & confident! Here's to another fabulous school year! http://www.womensinc.net/node/1707

Today I went to a water park with my boys. A friend snapped a pic of us in our swimsuits. I then uploaded it to Instagram like always- then to FB. An innocent enough share right? Or so it seems at the moment. Problem is, I started feeling guilty & deleted it a few hours later. This is not my first offense in the "forget that everyone doesn't see things like you" moment! In May we went to the beach (Josh, the boys, & I) & I posted a pic then too- & deleted it not even 12 hours later. I posted the pics out of the same mindset that I post any pictures- just an "oh let's capture the moment" mindset- not a "bikini pic" mindset. You see, as a teenager I struggled with deep body image issues. I would go days with so few calories I'm surprised I didn't faint. I would guzzle gallons of water & suck on a blow pop at lunch so I wouldn't be tempted to eat. I overcame all of those issues, thank The Lord! I see myself differently ...

3 hours down: we are somewhere but I'm not sure where because I haven't seen signs of life for a bit. We were thinking we could stop at some cool, interesting, filled to the brim with culture, spots along the road to Florida. Alas, we are encompassed by farm lands & rows of...some sort of farmy things...maybe rice, beans, grain? I dunno...and back to Facebook. 6 hours down: somewhere in Mississippi. I've already eaten a bag of potato chips & McDonald's fries. The effects of that  body wrap I got yesterday are long gone. Those fried taters are going to make for some beautiful skin on the ole tummy. And I've decided that I should've come prepared- you know like that girl that gets on your last nerve when you're all out to eat & she pulls out her container of dried out, white, boiled chicken & VOSS water insisting she can't eat the junk at the restaurant? Oh yes, I'm wishing I was that girl! Should've packed a cooler! But on the up s...

With Lima beans & carrots- why not?!?! These are super yummy! When I make these all the kids in the neighborhood come running! My kids eat the heck out of them and are none the wiser- they have no clue I've slipped them some veggies with their chocolate chips! I change this recipe up all the time depending on what I have on hand that day. You could personalize it easy- add raisins, or nuts, dried cranberries, flavorless or vanilla protein powder, etc.  Ingredients: - 1 can Lima beans (drained & rinsed)  - 1 cup brown sugar - 3/4 cup unsweetened apple sauce - 1 large carrot (shaved & grated super fine) - 1 egg white - 2 tsp vanilla extract - 1/2 cup oats - 2 cups all purpose flour  - 1 Tbsp baking powder - pinch of salt - 1 1/2- 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips Directions: In a food processor or blender add Lima beans, brown sugar, & apple sauce. Blend until completely smooth. It's a gross color but trust the process. ;) Then add carrots, egg white, vanilla...

Dear Brooke, Remember that feeling when you're 18? Your life is before you & you're ready to conquer the World?! No fear, no hesitation. Jumping in with both feet was literally what you did. There were moments of poor decisions & moments of true idiocy- but there were also moments of bliss & complete,100%, uninterrupted, uncompromised enjoyment. Remember that? How you didn't look at the mountain and name the 300 possible ways to die but you looked at it and didn't even think before your feet left the ground to climb it? Remember never asking how or why- but asking when can I try that?!?! Zip lining through the forest without freaking bc a branch scraped you & now you're convinced you've got a flesh eating bacteria? Or scuba diving off the coast of Maui and actually enjoying it when you swam along side a huge turtle? And trying to do tricks on a black diamond run in Colorado without envisioning crashing your skull or ending up in a full body cast....