Having It All & Chiquita Banana Apple Sammies

Chiquita Banana & Apple Sammies Recipe

Here’s my take on Chiquita’s easy banana sammies recipe, the same recipe that Miss Chiquita showed Niki Taylor how to make on the new show “Having It All”. Speaking of “Having It All”, the show got me thinking about what exactly “Having It All” means to me as a mother. I think that can mean different things to different moms, as we’re all so different. For me, I don’t think it has anything to do with material things. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all about a good retail therapy session, but money can’t buy happiness. “Having It All”, to me, means being able to do what I love and still being able to be at home with Logan. It means being happy and healthy.

I’m grateful that I’m able to stay at home and blog for a living and be a stay at home mom at the same time. My schedule looks a little crazy at times and I may be running on 3 hours of sleep at night, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything. I’m able to be my own person, outside of motherhood, for a few hours a day and that in turn makes me a much better mother. I learned the hard way that “me time” is a necessity. I feel complete and fulfilled when I give myself a break, whether that means running a 5k or hosting a craft party for my girlfriends.

I also like Katie’s definition of “Having It All“, not needing for anything. Pre-motherhood, I spent a few years working in the foster care and adoption field. My job was to find adoptive families for hard to place children. My caseload was full of children that most adoptive parents didn’t want – older children, sibling groups and children with mental and physical disabilities. These were the smartest, funniest and most resilient children I had ever met and their one wish was for a family to call their own – even at 17 years old. To them, “Having It All” would mean having something that most people take for granted – a loving family. It’s hard to complain about life after having worked in that field and I feel very lucky and non-deserving to “Have It All”.

What does “Having It All” mean to you?

Check out my Chiquita banana & apple sammies recipe (a yummy low carb snack) and then check out Katie’s version, her’s includes chocolate and sprinkles! If you are interested in learning more about adoption through the foster care system, I recommend contacting the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption.