It’s Friday, and time for another mom to step into the spotlight. Today’s mom is someone I truly love and respect (and miss like crazy!) Brandi is not only an AWESOME mother to four adorable kids, but is a huge blessing to so many young girls and women. She certainly had a big impact on my life, and has ministered to me in so many ways. I am so excited for all of you to get to know Brandi today, and to learn from her. As we share even simple things, we get ideas….we see the way other people do things…we gain insights, tips, balance…Sometimes we find glimpse of our self, and sometimes we see the other side of the spectrum. Either way, we have a chance to learn and grow. Sit back, relax, grab your favorite tea, and get to know Brandi.
The Basics:
Name: Brandi Etlick
Age:34
Kids: Eithen 8, Evvi 6, Elijah 2 and Ellouise (Elli) 5 months
Hometown: Bend, Oregon
Kid Stuff:
Children’s TV show I actually LIKE: Mickey Mouse Club, Chugginton, and Olivia,
My children are NOT allowed to watch: Sponge Bob, Phineas and Ferb and Many More, to many to list.
One kids’ movie I really love is: Chestnut
My favorite book(s) to read to my kids are: Fancy Nancy, Dr. Suess, Nate the great and Narnia books
My kids go to bed at: 7pm
My favorite rainy day activity is: Baking with my kids. We watch a cooking show (usually Paula Deen or Giada) and choose something from one of the shows to bake or cook. Then they all help and we enjoy sharing our creation with daddy and he REALLY enjoys! LOL
When it’s warm out: We play out side A LOT! We love to going to one of the Many lakes that surround us and packing a picnic and playing all day we also love to go to the local parks and have a family soccer game or relay race on the different park equipment.
My favorite kid friendly restaurants are: Red Robin and Olive Garden, but really is any restaurant kid friendly??? It is always a lot of work taking them all out, sometimes it’s worth it and sometimes it’s not. I know you know what I mean
Let’s Eat:
The pantry item I absolutely cannot live without is: Cream of Mushroom soup, rice, and pasta noodles
My go-to weeknight dinner is: Stuffed bisquits (see below), lasagna, or chicken and rice casserole
My go-to company meal is: Lasagna
The food I pretend to buy for the kids that is really for me is: bagels
My food weakness is: Anything sweet
I am not myself in the morning until I’ve had my cup of: Iced Coffee. Love coffee but it has to be iced, not a hot java girl
ME:
Aside from my kids, I am PASSIONATE about: Womens Ministry, I love talking to mommies and helping them through this journey of mothering
If I had a whole day all to myself, I would: WOW, to dream……. I would get an ICED coffee, a pedi, a massage, go out for a girly lunch with my girlfriends, then shop to my hearts content. OH WAIT that’s in dream land…. Reality: I would probably get an iced coffee or make one at home, go to target and look around maybe go to a few other stores and by then I would be going crazy because I am a people person so if I didn’t have a girl friend or my hubby with me, I would head home to spend time with my hubby and kids.
My absolute most favorite movie of all time is:I have a few, Pride and Prejudice, sleepless in seattle, girls just wanna have fun, and Anne of Green Gables
My favorite TV show is: Amazing race, Bachelor, 19 kids and counting (I’m a sucker for reality shows), private pracitce and parenthood
My celebrity crush is: Don’t really have one I think my hubby is HOT!!!! really I do!!! but if I had to choose I think Mathew Mcconaughey is cute.
If you were to put my ipod on shuffle, you’d likely hear: Don’t have one, but I love most all music other than rap. But my car radio is always playing the Christian station or kids music though because my kids are sponges and I learned the hard way when they were singing songs that I didn’t really want them to. 🙂
The best book I ever read was: The Bible (duh) LOL
My spouse (partner) and I keep romance alive by: Making eachother laugh. We love joking with eachother but we also love love love to be together doing anything. He is amazing and makes just about anything fun. Our favorite thing is just to go on a simple date to dinner and look at eachother for an hour with out interuption and talk and laugh together. The other key is putting the kids to bed at 7pm!!!!!
My favorite place to shop is: Target
I am sent to my breaking point when: 7pm hits and my kids are having melt downs, or if I let my house get out of control and it looks like a tornado hit.
When I’m stressed out I: Usually cry (LOL), I have been known to put myself in time out and lock the bedroom door so that I can breath, but I have also been known to just lose it and then have to apology to my kids. I hate it when that happens.
My favorite (most tolerated) way to exercise is : playing with my kids, riding bikes or going for walks while they ride bikes, The wii is also a fun way.
The best piece of advice I ever received was: to read Babywise before having my kids, to put them to bed by 7, and when I am mad at my hubby to start praying for him immediately (hard to be mad at someone when your praying for them).
(Okay, ladies, how much do I LOVE that Brandi blessed us with a recipe!! It sounds GREAT too!! Told ya’ll she was awesome!)
Stuffed Biscuits : So easy, buy the canned bisquits and then roll them out flat and in the middle put anything you want, my kids favorite is chicken (pre-cooked) and cheese. But we have put ground beef, green peppers, feta, tomatoes, spinach, mushrooms, etc.. you get the idea. Then fold the edges into the middle and place on a cookie sheet with folded edges down and bake at 350 until golden brown. Super easy, you can make them healthy, or not so healthy, or with breakfast items. Yumo easy weekend meal that kids love to help make and love to eat even more.
