Normal Life Mom

Three Things Thursday: Cookbook Edition 📚✨

These three cookbooks basically live on my counter and are packed with the recipes I reach for again and again. I’m also sharing my Too THREE go-to recipes from each:

Defined Dish: Healthy and Wholesome Weeknight Recipes
•Turkey Taco Skillet Bake
•Greek-Style Meatloaf
•Hamburger Salad w/ Jalapeño Dressing

Taste of Home: Slow Cooker
•Caribbean Chipotle Sliders
•Shredded Beef Burrito Filling
•Chipotle Pulled Chicken

Skinnytaste One & Done
•Giant Turkey Meatball
•Spicy Chicken Sandwiches
•American-Style Cheesy Goulash

These are the cookbooks that have stood the test of time in my kitchen, and I know you’ll love them too. If I could only pick one for the rest of my life to use it would be One and Done! I’ve never made a bad meal from that book.

What cookbook do YOU reach for the most? Let me know so I can add it to my list!

🛝 BLO-NO PLAYGROUND CHECKLIST

There are so many different parks scattered throughout Bloomington and Normal so it’s easy to forget where you’ve been and where you still want to go. That’s why I created a Blono Playground checklist for anyone looking to explore all the parks Bloomington/Normal has to offer.

This checklist includes only the parks in Bloomington-Normal that have playgrounds, organized alphabetically for easy use. I also made a second version that separates the parks by city, one for Bloomington and one for Normal so you can explore however works best for your family. You can grab it from my link or comment PLAYGROUND and I’ll send it right to you.

Which playground in Bloomington/Normal is your favorite? Is there a hidden gem out there we should know about?

Clearing out my winter break digital junk drawer ✨

Winter break gave me time to slow down and reflect and reevaluate what I really want to share here on Normal Life Mom. Instead of overthinking what’s Instagram-worthy I’m starting the year by sharing 10 random snapshots from my camera roll of imperfect everyday moments, each picture representing a theme I want to take into 2025.

In 2025, I’m focusing on and you can plan on seeing more ⬇️

👋🏻- Hey that’s me, and I hope you’ll see more of me this year as I hope to get in front of the camera again.
🥑- Grocery Hauls/Meal Planning/Recipe ideas/Meal Prep
🏡 Real Life- Messy, beautiful, & 100% unapologetic for my unaesthetic photos.
♻️Using What I already have- less waste, more intentional
✨ Cool Blono finds- hidden gems and all the quirky charm of our amazing community.
📚 Books- taking you on my reading journey again this year, healing from last years spree of bad books.
🧖‍♀️ Self Care & Wellness- simple products, recipes that bring me joy (and health!) to each of my days.

So here is to embracing what I have, loving where I am, and sharing what matters to me ❤️ Which photo from my junk drawer speaks to you most?

This weeks lunch meal prep was too good not to share 👉 Sweet potato + Brussels sprouts skillet.

Deets ⬇️

BEEF
1 lb lean ground beef, Can use ground turkey if preferred.
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp dried basil
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic, minced

VEGGIES
2 tbsp oavocado oil
2 cups shredded carrots
2 cups sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
1 tsp salt
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
1 cup beef stock
1 lb brussels sprouts, diced

—Brown the meat and add the beef seasonings. Once cooked set aside.
— Add avocado oil to pan and diced sweet potatoes, and carrots. Add seasonings listed under veggies. Cook about 8-10 minutes until brown. Add the ground beef back in, Brussels, and beef stock. Cook covered for another 8-10 minutes.

Enjoy!

My kids both want to “decorate” the house for the holidays and I’ve found decorating their bedroom door is the best place for that to happen. I cut out these trees and white circles (ornaments) and let the kids decorate them however they wanted. We taped them to their door and everyone feels Merry and Bright! Easy Peasy. Do you do a special Christmas/Holiday craft!?