The Perfectly Imperfect Mama

PUMPKIN PATCH 2020

by Whitney Pegram - Monday, November 02, 2020

Happy November!!

So basically Merry Christmas!

Our tree went up yesterday & while I could easily blame it on 2020, it's just me & I decorate every November 1st! And I'm not even mad about it!

While we may be decking the halls over here, it's never too late to share all the FALL fun we have been having! A couple weekends ago, Dan & I took our kiddos to the pumpkin patch & had so much fun. We tried a new one this year & will definitely be going back!

There was so much stuff to do ...

We had our fair share of time on the swings ...

We did a apple launch. And Millie Jo hit the truck & won a free slushy!

#mygirl

We played on the gigantic bouncy balls ...

Some of us waited for our kiddos to do all the things because, "just one more time" or as Ellie Joy says "two more minutes, mom."

We got to slide ... over & over again ...

We rode the animal train ...

And we jumped ... A LOT!

One wanted their picture made on a bail of hay ...

Another one was more interested in sticks.

#chooseyourbattles

I did end up getting a picture of all three looking & smiling & I call that a mom win!

And we took a hayride to pick our pumpkins!

It was such a sweet day with my little fam!

I hope y'all have the best Monday!

Tomorrow is a big day for our country. I will be fasting & praying all day on Tuesday if you would like to join me! God is still on the throne, friends, & my prayer is that He will be glorified in all things!

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6 EASY KID FRIENDLY DINNER RECIPES!

by Whitney Pegram - Friday, October 16, 2020

Happy Friday, friends!

I hope y'all are having such a great week!

Last Sunday, after I got home from the grocery store, I asked over on MY INSTA-STORIES if anyone would be interested in some easy kid friendly dinner ideas & y'all were all about that!

And so here we are!

Before I get started, I want to let you know that I try to stick to a strict grocery budget of $60-$80 A WEEK. Thank goodness for WALMART GROCERY PICK-UP because without it, I would go WAY over budget each week! Our grocery budget is on the lower side, but it works for us & I'm also a store brand kinda girl so that helps, too. And now ya know ... I'm not JUST a bargain clothes shopper .. I'm a bargain grocery shopper as well!

Everything you see here cost me $80 & that's including SIX dinners!

I don't know about your family, but my family of five can go out to eat and easily spend $40+ on ONE meal. It's insane & that money adds up! Eating in at home is a huge money saver for us.

These six meals that I am sharing today are super easy & are fan favorites in our house! I mean to tell you that my oldest is my pickiest eater & he eats all these meals, too!

*I buy a large roll of hamburger meat, a bag of carrots, a bag of potatoes, & a bag of frozen chicken breast to use for different meals!

First up ...

BEEF STEW

What you'll need:

Beef stew

1 -10.5oz can Cream of Mushroom soup

3-4 Potatoes (cut)

4-5 Carrots (chopped)

How to cook:

Place meat into crock pot

Peel/Cut potatoes & add in with meat

Cut carrots (I've also bought a bag of baby carrots before) & add in with meat

Add can of cream of mushroom soup & half a can of water

Stir all together

Cook on high for 4-5 hours - Stir occasionally

We put ours on top of rice, have mac & cheese & biscuits as our sides!

This entire meal cost less than $15!

A perk for this meal .. it's a 2 in 1!

I save the leftover beef stew & make vegetable soup out of it the next night! It's incredible!

BBQ CHICKEN

What you'll need:

3-4 Chicken breast

1 - 18oz Honey BBQ Sauce

How to cook:

Add chicken breast in crock pot

Add entire bottle of BBQ sauce

Add 1/4 cup water to empty BBQ sauce bottle & shake then add that into crock pot

Cook on high for 4-5 hours

Around 4 hours shred chicken & continue to cook

This recipe is THE easiest & my kiddos favorite!

I usually add (but not always) sides like mashed potatoes, mac & cheese, & corn. Sometimes, I will buy sweet rolls & we will just do BBQ sliders!

This meal cost less than $12!

CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP

What you'll need:

3-4 Chicken breast

1 - 32oz Chicken Broth

4-5 Carrots (chopped)

1 bag - 16oz Egg Noodles

1 - Cup water

Salt

Pepper

How to cook:

Cook chicken (Stovetop or Crockpot - I prefer crock pot & will cook it earlier that day)

Steam chopped carrots for 8-10 minutes (until they begin to soften)

In large pot bring shredded chicken, chicken broth, carrots, a dash of salt, a dash of pepper, & water to a boil

Lower heat to medium & add noodles

Cook for about 10-12 minutes or until noodles are soft

Add a grilled cheese sandwich on the side & enjoy!

Yes, the celery is missing from this recipe, but remember ... it's kid friendly!

This meal cost less than $10!

HAMBURGER HELPER

What you'll need:

1 lb Hamburger meat

1 - box Hamburger Helper (We like the Double Cheeseburger Macaroni)

How to cook:

Brown/drain the meat

And follow the instructions on the back of the Hamburger Helper box

EASY PEASY!

We have mashed potatoes, sweet peas & biscuits with ours!

This meal cost less than $9!

HOTDOGS

I know what you're thinking ... they are FANCY! HA!

What you'll need:

Pack of hotdogs

Hotdog Buns

1 - 28oz can of Baked Beans

How to cook:

Fry, boil, or grill your hotdogs

Heat up your baked beans via microwave or stove top

Top with your favorite condiments

ENJOY!

We either do french fries, tator tots or chips with ours!

This meal cost less than $7!

SLOPPY JOE'S

What you'll need:

1 lb Hamburger meat

1 - 15oz can Manwich/Sloppy Joe Sauce

Hamburger Buns

How to cook:

Brown/drain hamburger meat

Add sauce

Add desired amount onto bun

You have yourself "a big gooey messy burger" ... And if you can name that movie, you're my kind of person!

We like to add sliced cheese on ours & have french fries as our side!

This meal cost less than $7!

There you have it! Six kid friendly dinner ideas that couldn't get any easier!

I am always looking for yummy recipes that the whole family will like, so if you have one you'd like to share, please do!

I hope y'all have a wonderful weekend! We have a fun Fall one planned & we are all pretty excited about it!

4 comments

THE COUNTY ... AIRPORT???

by Whitney Pegram - Friday, October 09, 2020

HAPPY FRIDAY, FRIENDS!

If you know me or have been around here for a while, then you know that I love a good tradition. Especially one we have in the Fall ... THE COUNTY FAIR! Unfortunately though, like most things in 2020, it was cancelled this year. I may have cried a little when I found out in late summer. If you don't know, the county fair was the very first place Dan & I ever went together ... he was 16 years old & I was only 14! Babies! We haven't missed a year up until now & this would have been year 17 of going together!! Crazy, right!?!

WELL, we weren't going to let our tradition be ruined that easily. It just so happened that several food trucks arrived locally last weekend & y'all, THEY HAD FUNNEL CAKES & FRIED OREOS! Our two must haves every year when we go to the fair!

Some may think it was coincidence ... I call it fate. 😉

So, we did what any sane people would do ... we loaded up the kiddos, stopped by the food trucks, & then headed to the Charlotte airport to watch airplanes at the overlook.

And it was SO much stinkin' fun!

This girl LOVES airplanes .. or "PEAR-PANES" as she calls them.

Babe!

Look at us making lemonade out of lemons. Missing the fair this year just means we may have to go twice next year & I am perfectly fine with that!

So tell me, what's a Fall tradition that your family has!?!

Have the best weekend!

Linking up with ANDREA & ERIKA for Friday Favorites! Thanks for hosting girls!

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A LITTLE BIT OF THIS & THAT

by Whitney Pegram - Thursday, October 01, 2020

Oh October, you will always hold a special place in my heart.

If you are new around here, then you may not know that in May 2016, my hubby & I lost our baby girl when I was 15 weeks pregnant. Her due date was October 29th and every year since, we have celebrated her life. It has become a sweet tradition that we call RUTHIE BELLE DAY & it means so much to us! You can read our story HERE & our journey through late miscarriage HERE!

October also happens to be Pregnancy & Infant Loss Awareness month. I am 1 in 4 & I know that many of you are, too. I see you, I know it hurts, and I am praying for you, sweet girl.

➼➼➼➼➼➼➼➼➼➼➼➼➼➼➼➼➼➼➼➼➼

Today, I am playing catch up & speaking of pregnancy loss ...

This girl is our rainbow after the storm.

I am forever grateful that God knew my heart needed her!

A few weeks ago, Millie Jo decided she wanted to cut her hair ...

Oh my heart, it was a big chop, too!

And she immediately looked like a tiny teenager!

Later that evening, she had a date with Dan! Y'all, she was so cute. She came home from getting her hair cut, asked me to curl it, picked out her dress, put on lip gloss & waited for him to get home so he could take her out.

He sure is setting the bar high for my girls' boyfriends/husbands one day! 😉

And later, I get this text.

If ya know, ya know.

While they were out on their date, these two & I stayed home, had dinner & watched movies!

Back to hair cuts ... Cooper wanted all his hair cut off in the early summer & honestly, I just needed to document this beautiful head of hair he had! HA! No, he never wore it in a bun, but he did let me do it the day before he cut it! And why do I feel like this is what Itty Bitty's hair will look like in a couple years!?!

#twins