A Secret to Success as a Working Mom: Turn Burn Out Into Bliss and Embrace Joy

Last weekend my youngest was committed to going to the "Water Steps" a man-made water fall in Pittsburgh by the rivers. (Fun Fact: Three rivers converge in Pittsburgh--The Ohio River, The Monongahela River, and the Allegheny River.)  He kept asking. I knew he was serious when he said, "If you won't take me, I'll ask  daddy!" Given that it was highly unlikely that would happen on an unscheduled day, I relented. So, we went. It wasn’t planned in the way most things in my life are. No calendar block. No checklist. No “productive” purpose attached. And, so in some respects it was uncomfortable. And yet, it seemed necessary. It was the idea of my 8-year-old—offered with the kind of urgency only children possess when something is profoundly important to them.

Wordless Wednesday (not really): How frozen rice saved dinner...

Dinner made in an electric skillet with Trader Joe's Organic Jasmine Rice
As you can see from the photo below, our kitchen is in disarray because of home renovations. We have been remodeling for going on two years and the kitchen remains unfinished. I have heard a rumor that my life will change this weekend. However, I've been enduring this hardship for so long that I am afraid to hope...

The end product

Coping Without Having a Stove


That said, I have managed to provide my family with healthful meals through planning, ingenuity, and the array of options that are at Trader Joe's. I have to tell you that the frozen Organic Rice pictured below might be one of the best inventions ever. The only ingredient is "organic jasmine rice", you microwave it and it is perfect every single time. It is a time saver and life saver if you have no stove. I might continue to buy it for emergencies after the kitchen is done.

Let me know if you try it!


Trader Joe's Organic Jasmine Rice



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