in no particular order....
watching the look on Ainslee's face when she is trying to figure something out, it is so darn cute! Im not trying to brag or anything, but EVERYONE stops me to comment on her (and Kaylee), I seriously cant go anywhere without being approached. It is kinda nice but kinda annoying too, I have a teeny tiny taste of what it feels like to know a famous person. heeheehee
Putting Ainslee to sleep; I swear she is the easiest baby when it comes to going to bed. Typically she is DIVING to get into her crib (probably because she feels safe from you know who in there). I could just throw her into the crib, but i like to read books, rock, and snuggle her before bed. It is one of my most favorite times of the day!
But what is just as awesome as those few special moments, is coming out of her room and finding the kitchen completely cleaned up after dinner!
Picking up Kaylee from school, hearing about her day, and listening to the songs she sings.
My new slippers
The fact that I only paid $7.20 for 100 Christmas photo cards from Shutterfly! Now If I could only find some discounts for postage.....the 17 cards that get mailed overseas cost almost $1 each! (thanks Shutterfly for your awesome deals for bloggers, and Nicole for telling me about them!)
Getting things checked off the "to do" list. We got more dry wall hung this weekend, Christmas lights put up inside and out, Christmas boxes down, attic shop vac'd, tub leak fixed, crepe myrtles trimmed (we usually dont do this, but since we are digging them out of the flower bed this winter, and they were totally in the way of hanging Christmas lights.....Marcus trimmed them up), flower bed border fixed, garage floor cleaned out (now if we could only get it organized!), Im sure there are more things we've been able to check off the list, but cant remember them now, I just know we have gotten LOTS done lately.
Having a working hot water heater again. I have been able to take nice long HOT baths for the first time in a couple weeks.
Kaylee's bedtime issues are almost resolved! She stays in her bed almost all night and does it willingly.
Pioneer Woman's recipes! I swear she is a genius! I havent made all my remaining recipes yet, but when I do expect a post about them.
Christmas shopping....not the actual going to 12 different stores and NOT finding what you want part. But the figuring out what I'm getting everyone and then finding deals/sales/coupons! I LOVE LOVE online shopping, it is one of my favorite pasttimes. Cant wait for this Christmas......its going to be a good one!
The fact that Walmart now prints their receipts double sided! I have gone into other stores and bought 1 or 2 things and my receipt is a foot long, what a waste of paper! I was shocked today when I went in to pick up about 14 things and got the tiniest receipt, soooo AWESOME and Eco-friendly! Its the little things that make me happy......now if only more people would recycle!
Seeing Ainslee's cute little hiney in some big girl panties. AND (knock on wood).....she has yet to have an accident in them!
And the the thing that has NOT made me happy...... spending $1500 on car repairs last week!
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Friday, November 26, 2010
Our Interesting Turkey Day
We couldnt just have a "regular" Thanksgiving this year, our had to be different! It sort of started with the surprise visit from my baby brother (who is away at college, but is still my baby brother). He wasnt originally going to come home for Thanksgiving, but then decided to come. I suggested he keep it a surprise from my parents. He got into town late Wednesday night, as in midnight, and my parents were already sleeping. I suggested he sneak in the house (my parents dont always lock their doors) and go to sleep. He agreed and surprised the heck out of my mom the next morning. And her response when she saw him was "what the heck are you doing here?" HAHAHA! What a greeting?
So before all that happened, we had this little setback called...........a BROKEN OVEN! How in the world is one supposed to cook a Thanksgiving meal without an oven? That is a rhetorical question.....I know it can be done, but oooohhhh how much easier the oven makes it! So once the oven/fire hazard was removed from the house, it was picked up off the curb in less than 1 hour. We continued to rack our brains trying to figure out how we were going to cook our dinner. Mom had a couple friends offer their ovens to us, but the idea of transporting food across town just didnt seem "doable". Finally my mom thought about a neighbor who lives a couple doors up who have moved away and have their house on the market. They are really closer family friends, so mom called the neighbor who lives across the street, and has the key to their house. THAT neighbor ended up offering HER oven to us. So we took her up on it. I hurriedly prepped the pumpkin cheesecake (substituted GF graham crust for gingersnap crust), and ran it up there to put it in the oven. Oh forgot to mention that the neighbors were in their pjs about to get ready to leave and go eat their own Thanksgiving meal, and were going to leave their front door open for us! After the hour was up we go get our cheesecake, and turn the oven off. A few hours later after prepping all the other dishes, my mom and I DROVE 4 houses up the street, with the 5 dishes. I even put my seat belt on out of habit, and my mom laughed at me! In our defense, our reason for driving was that we couldnt possibly carry all that food IN THE SLEET!!! Yes ladies, the temperature went from 75* to like 30* in a matter of a couple of hours.......it was crazy! So we brought the food up and decided to head back down to our house, because, who wants to sit in someone elses house while they are not home and your entire family is back at your own house? Not us! We drove back down the street after my mom nearly gave herself a concussion trying to get back into the car. We set our timer to return when we had to swap out the dishes in the oven. When we opened the front door we were greeted with a very nice fog of smoke. My mom trys to get in the house, after taking her shoes off, and the door closes too fast behind her and takes a chunk out of the back of her ankle. I make my way to the kitchen I learn that the source of the smoke was the drippings in the bottom of the oven from the 4 pies the homeowner had made that morning. I opened the door to the oven and I was knocked back by the smoke, and immediately after that the smoke alarm started going off. All I could think about was NOT burning down the neighbors house on Thanksgiving! We fanned the alarm, to make it stop, so that we could gather our thoughts. I opened the front and back door to circulate the air and turned the ceiling fans on in the house. I did a quick switch-a-roo of the dishes in the oven, and we decided to sit our little booties right there and wait until everything was cooked. As the timer got closer and closer to beeping, I started thinking about transporting these smokin' hot dishes home. We called my baby bro up to bring some "supplies" and ideas. He came with 2 beach towels. (thanks John!) We sent him home with one dish and told him we needed more to bring home the remaining items. Just as he left we heard the door open, and turn around to see the homeowners! They had already finished their meal and were HOME! We havent even finished cooking ours! I had to explain the whole story of the smoke, and they laughed. And we devised a plan to get the rest of the food home
After 2 injuries to my mom, a house that could have burned down, being drenched by sleet, and an hour after scheduled dinner time, we all finally sat around the table. It was good......REALLY good! I wouldve made a few tweeks to the menu, but didnt really think about it in enough time. And the best part was the dessert, the pumpkin cheesecake ROCKED!!! PW you did it again!
We ended the night attempting to burn the calories we just packed into our waistline playing the Wii. Marcus had to leave for work, my big brother went home, my sister and her boyfriend stayed for a little bit, I didnt make it very much longer, and hit the pillow pretty early. It was nice actually getting a decent nights sleep, and it was even better getting to sleep in a little. When Kaylee woke up she went straight to Amma and Abba, I trained her well! Actually it was probably because she gets ice cream and chocolate for breakfast from them, or maybe it was because she had NO IDEA I had spent the night too. Either way, I got a few extra precious minutes of sleep. THANKS MOM AND DAD!!!
This year I am most thankful for family, not burning a house down, and for all under-appreciated household appliances!
and as I type this post I realize that I didnt get one single solitary picture of the day! I wonder why?
So before all that happened, we had this little setback called...........a BROKEN OVEN! How in the world is one supposed to cook a Thanksgiving meal without an oven? That is a rhetorical question.....I know it can be done, but oooohhhh how much easier the oven makes it! So once the oven/fire hazard was removed from the house, it was picked up off the curb in less than 1 hour. We continued to rack our brains trying to figure out how we were going to cook our dinner. Mom had a couple friends offer their ovens to us, but the idea of transporting food across town just didnt seem "doable". Finally my mom thought about a neighbor who lives a couple doors up who have moved away and have their house on the market. They are really closer family friends, so mom called the neighbor who lives across the street, and has the key to their house. THAT neighbor ended up offering HER oven to us. So we took her up on it. I hurriedly prepped the pumpkin cheesecake (substituted GF graham crust for gingersnap crust), and ran it up there to put it in the oven. Oh forgot to mention that the neighbors were in their pjs about to get ready to leave and go eat their own Thanksgiving meal, and were going to leave their front door open for us! After the hour was up we go get our cheesecake, and turn the oven off. A few hours later after prepping all the other dishes, my mom and I DROVE 4 houses up the street, with the 5 dishes. I even put my seat belt on out of habit, and my mom laughed at me! In our defense, our reason for driving was that we couldnt possibly carry all that food IN THE SLEET!!! Yes ladies, the temperature went from 75* to like 30* in a matter of a couple of hours.......it was crazy! So we brought the food up and decided to head back down to our house, because, who wants to sit in someone elses house while they are not home and your entire family is back at your own house? Not us! We drove back down the street after my mom nearly gave herself a concussion trying to get back into the car. We set our timer to return when we had to swap out the dishes in the oven. When we opened the front door we were greeted with a very nice fog of smoke. My mom trys to get in the house, after taking her shoes off, and the door closes too fast behind her and takes a chunk out of the back of her ankle. I make my way to the kitchen I learn that the source of the smoke was the drippings in the bottom of the oven from the 4 pies the homeowner had made that morning. I opened the door to the oven and I was knocked back by the smoke, and immediately after that the smoke alarm started going off. All I could think about was NOT burning down the neighbors house on Thanksgiving! We fanned the alarm, to make it stop, so that we could gather our thoughts. I opened the front and back door to circulate the air and turned the ceiling fans on in the house. I did a quick switch-a-roo of the dishes in the oven, and we decided to sit our little booties right there and wait until everything was cooked. As the timer got closer and closer to beeping, I started thinking about transporting these smokin' hot dishes home. We called my baby bro up to bring some "supplies" and ideas. He came with 2 beach towels. (thanks John!) We sent him home with one dish and told him we needed more to bring home the remaining items. Just as he left we heard the door open, and turn around to see the homeowners! They had already finished their meal and were HOME! We havent even finished cooking ours! I had to explain the whole story of the smoke, and they laughed. And we devised a plan to get the rest of the food home
After 2 injuries to my mom, a house that could have burned down, being drenched by sleet, and an hour after scheduled dinner time, we all finally sat around the table. It was good......REALLY good! I wouldve made a few tweeks to the menu, but didnt really think about it in enough time. And the best part was the dessert, the pumpkin cheesecake ROCKED!!! PW you did it again!
We ended the night attempting to burn the calories we just packed into our waistline playing the Wii. Marcus had to leave for work, my big brother went home, my sister and her boyfriend stayed for a little bit, I didnt make it very much longer, and hit the pillow pretty early. It was nice actually getting a decent nights sleep, and it was even better getting to sleep in a little. When Kaylee woke up she went straight to Amma and Abba, I trained her well! Actually it was probably because she gets ice cream and chocolate for breakfast from them, or maybe it was because she had NO IDEA I had spent the night too. Either way, I got a few extra precious minutes of sleep. THANKS MOM AND DAD!!!
This year I am most thankful for family, not burning a house down, and for all under-appreciated household appliances!
and as I type this post I realize that I didnt get one single solitary picture of the day! I wonder why?
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
This is supposed to be my Wordless Wednesday post. It does have pictures, but it is a bit WORDY...........sorry
I recently scanned and posted tons of old pictures. Most of them were from our trips to Ireland to visit Marcus' family, his mom was born and raised in Ireland, the rest of the family still lives there. So any of you FBers out there know that when you post pictures your friends can comment on them. And I have gotten SO many comments on these old pictures. It has been like a bunch of little "happys" all day, when the comments hit my phone. I LOVE the Irish! I love their sense of humor and quick wit! Whenever we are around the Irish crowd it never fails, my stomach aches from laughter. SO FUN!
so I posted this picture....
...It is Marcus' cousin Niall, best man in our wedding, in the red shorts. And another one of his cousins, Mark, in the blue pants on the left. We are in the backyard of another one of his cousins house, and they rented a blow up gladiator thing. Basically it was a huge rectangle with "platforms" and hitting stick thingys. (sorry for the horrible description). The point of the game is to hit your opponent until they fall off their platform, last man/woman standing wins.
here is a rundown of the comments from this photo so far, I hope they are as funny to you as they are to me, and not one of those "guess you had to be there things"
we went on a bus tour of Dublin city....Niall joined us, even though he has lived there his whole life
I recently scanned and posted tons of old pictures. Most of them were from our trips to Ireland to visit Marcus' family, his mom was born and raised in Ireland, the rest of the family still lives there. So any of you FBers out there know that when you post pictures your friends can comment on them. And I have gotten SO many comments on these old pictures. It has been like a bunch of little "happys" all day, when the comments hit my phone. I LOVE the Irish! I love their sense of humor and quick wit! Whenever we are around the Irish crowd it never fails, my stomach aches from laughter. SO FUN!
so I posted this picture....
...It is Marcus' cousin Niall, best man in our wedding, in the red shorts. And another one of his cousins, Mark, in the blue pants on the left. We are in the backyard of another one of his cousins house, and they rented a blow up gladiator thing. Basically it was a huge rectangle with "platforms" and hitting stick thingys. (sorry for the horrible description). The point of the game is to hit your opponent until they fall off their platform, last man/woman standing wins.here is a rundown of the comments from this photo so far, I hope they are as funny to you as they are to me, and not one of those "guess you had to be there things"
Marcus: Niall beat Marcus....then I whipped Niall
Me: thats because you have 50+ pounds on him!
Marcus: I think it was more my ninja like reflexes!!
Niall: Ninja like? Good times!!
Pam (another cousin): I remember that day....it was good craic (which is slang for fun)
Mark: I let him win.....he would have cried otherwise
Niall: That's not true Mark. I'm telling on you!
----------------------------------
here is the next picture...
Marcus: Mark...you are seriously running out of excuses!!
Aundrea (another cousin in the pic): Was Niall trying to be taller than Lorcan ???? (Niall is the one at the top with his head cut off, Lorcan is by far the tallest in the family)
Niall: I would go to town on Mark but my head is missing so I'm out!!
Marcus: I'm not even in the picture and I didn't miss the chance!!
Pam: Well the colour of the day was definitely yellow! Niall was decapitated..Marks legs were foil wrapped..the Mammies were in their flowers....Paul wanted to be John Travolta & I was pissed...I lost count of how many West Coast Coolers I drank that night, I didn't think they were sho shtrong :-0
Paul (another cousin in the pic): The hair cut wasnt that bad Niall. Pamala was just back from her Fame audition
Pam: And might I add ...Mr Travolta....I got it :-D Hope all's well with you & yours :-) Px
Marcus: All is good here...Mr Travolta!!
Crista: Who hung Niall from the rafters?
Aundrea: The more I look at this pic the more I see. It's a Classic ! Fair play Pammie
Marcus: I think I was on Niall's shoulders!!
Marcus: Im skinny, Niall has hair...and a god awful shirt!!
Audrey (a family friend who is also from Ireland): Niall's shirt is smokin'!!!
Marcus: Say nothin!!
Audrey: c'mon Marcus, can't you come up with a joke (what kind of supposed Irish man are ye???)
Marcus: no jokes here...just illusions, nothin but smoke and mirrors!!
Audrey: well, that was close, but no cigar! ahahahaha
Marcus: Burnie, Burnie...sorry Auds, you won't get it!!
Audrey: hmmm, teaching the kids not to touch anything hot?
Michelle (Niall's girlfriend, notice the 2 l's): Niall still has that shirt.... It's... Well .... It's different I suppose....
Niall: The hassle that shirt caused over the yrs!!
Marcus: And years to come...cyber space is forever!!
Niall: I really dont care. Its my fav of all time!!
Michelle: The fashionista has spoken......
Marcus: Do you hang that shirt up or keep it in a humidor?
Michelle: Upon further Investigation it seems that the cigar shirt in question was put in the skip! Pity about that! (oh and I might add it wasn't me)
Marcus: Moment of silence!!
Niall: :-(
Michelle: : (
Crista: Get a room!
Marcus: Can't keep HIM off me!!
Michele: I know right! They are a little close in this one!
we went on a bus tour of Dublin city....Niall joined us, even though he has lived there his whole life
Marcus: double decker bus in Dublin...who looks like the tourist!!
Michelle: There's always someone trying to get in on the pics heh?
Niall: I wasn't even with them!!
Michelle: The cool looking couple with the shades and then we have the token dork at the back!!! Ha ha!!! Niall I'm joking ........ You know I love you!!!! xxx
Marcus: We had to bring someone to carry our bags...best we could find!!
Crista: I think he escaped from my treatment facility...looks familiar.
Niall: Ah Crista did you have to go there?
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Tuesday, November 23, 2010
FOUR HUNDRED!
400
I cant believe I have 400 posts on my blog!
I was meaning for THIS post to be #400, but I missed it by one, this is actually #401.
I am amazed that I have stuck with it this long, and actually enjoy it! I have grown to LOVE my blog! I love sharing with you what goes on around here. I love the memories that are being preserved by the stories and pictures I share. I look forward to the day, the girls can read about their childhood. And I love reading your blogs too! I am looking forward to the next 400+ posts. Hope you all have enjoyed the ride as much as I have, and stick with me for the upcoming posts.
Monday, November 22, 2010
Crazy Car Switch-a-roo
If you can follow this post and actually understand what is going on with us this week, you deserve a cookie! This post is mainly for me (and Marcus), so that we know what is going on all week.
Both of our cars are in desperate need of some shop time. My car has some issues that should be covered under warranty, but the problem is I only have like 70 more miles until the warranty is up. Soooo I haven't been able to drive my car since Saturday. When I noticed how close I was to 50K miles, i switched both car seats to the Jetta, and we have been driving that ever since. I called Mercedes today to get an appointment, and the first available is not until FRIDAY. So now we are down to 1 car until Friday. But it doesn't end there!
The Jetta now has a slow leak in one of its tires (which we bought like 6 months ago), and has needed an oil change for the past like 3, maybe 4 weeks. It also has an air bag sensor light on that needs to be checked out. So today when we went into Cville for errands, Marcus picked up one of my parents' cars and drove it back out here. He will take that car to work tonight, i will take the girls in to Cville tomorrow. Kaylee has her Thanksgiving Feast at school tomorrow which means it is a 1/2 day. So after I drop her off at school, Ainslee and I will meet my mom at the VW dealership where we will drop the Jetta. I will have to move only Ainslee's car seat, because my mom has a seat in her car for Kaylee. Then we will head back to moms for nap and lunch. While Ainslee is sleeping I will go pick Kaylee up and bring her back to moms for her nap. After both naps mom will will drive us back out to our house. And I will uninstall both car seats and install them into the Mercedes. In the meantime Marcus will go to the DMV to get his license renewed (that expired last week on his birthday). Then after he sleeps, he will drive my parents car back in to pick up either my mom or dad from their house. They will go to the VW dealership to pick up the Jetta, and Marcus will head to work in the Jetta. UNLESS.....the Jetta is not ready, then he will just take my parents car to work, and go get the Jetta Wednesday morning.
So then Thursday, when we head in to my parents for Thanksgiving, I will drive my car and Marcus will drive the Jetta. We will have our Thanksgiving meal, and put the girls to bed. I am spending the night at my parents, because I cant drive home (due to the mileage restrictions on my car) and because I want to stay and play games with my family (our family tradition). So then Marcus will go to work, and we will play games and go to sleep. He will drive the Jetta home after work, and i will wake up Black Friday morning and head out. NOT to shop, like most people, but to the Mercedes dealership to drop my car and pick up a rental. I will transfer BOTH seats into the rental car and drive back to my moms to pick up the girls. I will drive the rental car all weekend, and then return it on Monday and switch the car seats back one last time.
whew......did you follow all that? I'm tired just typing that.....hope it all goes well and we can get it all fixed
Both of our cars are in desperate need of some shop time. My car has some issues that should be covered under warranty, but the problem is I only have like 70 more miles until the warranty is up. Soooo I haven't been able to drive my car since Saturday. When I noticed how close I was to 50K miles, i switched both car seats to the Jetta, and we have been driving that ever since. I called Mercedes today to get an appointment, and the first available is not until FRIDAY. So now we are down to 1 car until Friday. But it doesn't end there!
The Jetta now has a slow leak in one of its tires (which we bought like 6 months ago), and has needed an oil change for the past like 3, maybe 4 weeks. It also has an air bag sensor light on that needs to be checked out. So today when we went into Cville for errands, Marcus picked up one of my parents' cars and drove it back out here. He will take that car to work tonight, i will take the girls in to Cville tomorrow. Kaylee has her Thanksgiving Feast at school tomorrow which means it is a 1/2 day. So after I drop her off at school, Ainslee and I will meet my mom at the VW dealership where we will drop the Jetta. I will have to move only Ainslee's car seat, because my mom has a seat in her car for Kaylee. Then we will head back to moms for nap and lunch. While Ainslee is sleeping I will go pick Kaylee up and bring her back to moms for her nap. After both naps mom will will drive us back out to our house. And I will uninstall both car seats and install them into the Mercedes. In the meantime Marcus will go to the DMV to get his license renewed (that expired last week on his birthday). Then after he sleeps, he will drive my parents car back in to pick up either my mom or dad from their house. They will go to the VW dealership to pick up the Jetta, and Marcus will head to work in the Jetta. UNLESS.....the Jetta is not ready, then he will just take my parents car to work, and go get the Jetta Wednesday morning.
So then Thursday, when we head in to my parents for Thanksgiving, I will drive my car and Marcus will drive the Jetta. We will have our Thanksgiving meal, and put the girls to bed. I am spending the night at my parents, because I cant drive home (due to the mileage restrictions on my car) and because I want to stay and play games with my family (our family tradition). So then Marcus will go to work, and we will play games and go to sleep. He will drive the Jetta home after work, and i will wake up Black Friday morning and head out. NOT to shop, like most people, but to the Mercedes dealership to drop my car and pick up a rental. I will transfer BOTH seats into the rental car and drive back to my moms to pick up the girls. I will drive the rental car all weekend, and then return it on Monday and switch the car seats back one last time.
whew......did you follow all that? I'm tired just typing that.....hope it all goes well and we can get it all fixed
Comando
Any of you remember THIS post?
Well she did it again! Last Friday, a friend of mine asked if we wanted to transfer her car seat and run a couple of errands in one car. Considering every time we go somewhere with friends it is always in separate cars, so it was nice to all be in one for a change. Anyways that's not the point of the story.....when we got to the store we decided it was best if we got 2 separate carts as I put Kaylee into the basket part of the cart, she sits (like she always does) cross-cross applesauce. But she had a dress on, and she doesnt quite know yet how to tuck her dress between her legs when she sits like that, nor does she CARE to put her dress down to hide her panties. But the thing about this time was SHE HAD NO PANTIES ON! I have no idea what happened with her panties that morning or if she consciously choose not to put them on, but it seems to me that this is happening quite too often.
So here we are stuck out running errands ALL day, with my little "Tom-girl" in a dress with NO panties. I cant even tell you how many times I had to tell her to cover up! Then I thought it would be better if I let her walk around the stores instead of riding in the carts, but that was even worse, she was running around the place, and I could get nothing accomplished. I swear I always said I would never put my child on a leash (you know the kind where the kid wears a backpack with a leash attached to it), but that day I sure wanted a leash!*
Now I let my girls run around the house naked, or 1/2 naked all the time. They actually prefer it that way, but i guess i need to have the talk with Kaylee about how we must be dressed when we leave the house.
*I would still NEVER put my child on a leash, I would rather leave the store and go home before I do that, but it doesnt mean the thought doesnt cross my mind.
Well she did it again! Last Friday, a friend of mine asked if we wanted to transfer her car seat and run a couple of errands in one car. Considering every time we go somewhere with friends it is always in separate cars, so it was nice to all be in one for a change. Anyways that's not the point of the story.....when we got to the store we decided it was best if we got 2 separate carts as I put Kaylee into the basket part of the cart, she sits (like she always does) cross-cross applesauce. But she had a dress on, and she doesnt quite know yet how to tuck her dress between her legs when she sits like that, nor does she CARE to put her dress down to hide her panties. But the thing about this time was SHE HAD NO PANTIES ON! I have no idea what happened with her panties that morning or if she consciously choose not to put them on, but it seems to me that this is happening quite too often.
So here we are stuck out running errands ALL day, with my little "Tom-girl" in a dress with NO panties. I cant even tell you how many times I had to tell her to cover up! Then I thought it would be better if I let her walk around the stores instead of riding in the carts, but that was even worse, she was running around the place, and I could get nothing accomplished. I swear I always said I would never put my child on a leash (you know the kind where the kid wears a backpack with a leash attached to it), but that day I sure wanted a leash!*
Now I let my girls run around the house naked, or 1/2 naked all the time. They actually prefer it that way, but i guess i need to have the talk with Kaylee about how we must be dressed when we leave the house.
*I would still NEVER put my child on a leash, I would rather leave the store and go home before I do that, but it doesnt mean the thought doesnt cross my mind.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Project Playroom - part 2
Preliminary pictures as promised.....
This is the new "reading area". Still looking for some comfy seating, I was thinking some bean bags covered in some cozy fabric (any ideas from you sewers out there?). I have a cute little green lamp sitting on the shelf, that I forgot to take a picture of. I wonder how long it will take the girls to break it?
this is a HORRIBLE picture of the inspiration
The attic access door after 1 coat, notice the white board with Kaylee's "drawings", that is about to be replaced with something WAY better!
The back of the bookshelf is going to get a makeover too! Here is the before.....
Oh and here is the door after the second coat (doesnt look much different than the first picture)
After the coat of primer
and the curtain rod, hung from the ceiling........i bet you are wondering what that is for? and where on the ceiling it is......
That's all Im giving you for now......more later
This is the new "reading area". Still looking for some comfy seating, I was thinking some bean bags covered in some cozy fabric (any ideas from you sewers out there?). I have a cute little green lamp sitting on the shelf, that I forgot to take a picture of. I wonder how long it will take the girls to break it?
this is a HORRIBLE picture of the inspiration
The attic access door after 1 coat, notice the white board with Kaylee's "drawings", that is about to be replaced with something WAY better!
The back of the bookshelf is going to get a makeover too! Here is the before.....
Oh and here is the door after the second coat (doesnt look much different than the first picture)
After the coat of primer
and the curtain rod, hung from the ceiling........i bet you are wondering what that is for? and where on the ceiling it is......
That's all Im giving you for now......more later
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Check out what's been cooking....
All I have to say is OH MY GOSH!!! I love LOVE LOVE Pioneer Woman! Like I am trying to justify planning a trip to her home so I can meet her. She is AWESOME! And i am in love with her blog, Im actually not sure if it is technically a "blog" but anyways her website is ridiculous amazing! Check it out for yourself, but beware you might just spend hours and hours reading everything, and stay up WAY past your bedtime (like me), so be ready to exert LOTS of self control (I cant)
So I am always on the hunt for new menu items. For a couple reasons, I want to expose the girls to as many different kinds of foods as I possibly can, and I get super sick of the "same ole same ole". So a couple weeks ago I compiled a menu for 3 weeks and tried to stick with ingredients that went together so that when I bought something I could use it ALL. Do you follow me? Like if I was using 1/2 an onion in 1 recipe I would find another recipe that I could use the other half. Oh and I try and only plan 3-4 meals per week, cause we like left overs here, and honestly with our schedule I cant cook every night!
So here is what I came up with.....
last week was
Pasta with Pancetta and Leeks with grilled chicken
Holy Moly this dish is ridiculously tasty. Best part is it is SUPER easy to make, and only has a couple ingredients (other than ones that you would typically have on hand anyways). This dish is going to be a staple in our diets from now on! Thanks to an awesome friend for giving me the idea to try this recipe.
Vietnamese salad rolls and fried rice
I have to admit, I can make some mean fried rice, but I cheated on this one and made the frozen store bought kind. I couldnt resist getting the Contessa meal that is usually like 10 or 12 bucks for $3 after coupons, sales, and in store deals! Oh and the Vietnamese rolls were a bit too much work for me. I wouldnt really recommend this recipe (unless you have, say.....1.5 hours to spare cutting stuff up!). I am in search for a different recipe, so if any of you have one up your sleeve send it my way. But they were MIGHTY tasty!
Steaks served with turnip gratin and brown sugar carrots
My husband did a fabulous job grilling those puppies, they were cooked to perfection......hes good for some things. The turnip gratin, now here's a story (or 2).......my mom and dad went up to the St Louis area to visit family, and apparently my aunts/uncles/cousins grow turnips and had a bunch extra so they sent home a couple bags with my parents. My mom called me on the way home, when I happened to be in the middle of menu planning, and asked if I wanted any turnips. So I began the search for a recipe, since I had never eaten them before. After finding the recipe i mentioned it to my SIL and did not get the greatest response. Basically she said that turnips were second to last on her "worst foods" list, as in she HATES them! So I got a bit worried, but pressed on with my recipe, trusting in PW (the woman Ive never even met), and I have to say she did NOT disappoint! Oh and the brown sugar carrots, are my "fail safe" side dish, basically just steamed baby carrots then saute them in butter and brown sugar (it is a favorite when we have company).
Halibut with avocado sauce served with risotto
Ok now this was not only my first time cooking halibut, it was my first time to ever eat it too! I wast too much of a fan of the recipe, but I definitely want to try halibut again in a different recipe. The risotto was really good too. I make A LOT of risotto around here, but this one had a different twist than my typical, so it was nice!
This week's plan is.....
Burgers served with stuffed jalapenos, onion strings, and corn/avocado salsa
I made this for Marcus' birthday dinner tonight, we both are now in love with all these recipes! Since I am being honest here, my burgers SUCK! I have never made a decent burger in my life, so I totally need burger lessons! But the other items where fabulous, as usual with PW's recipes. I prepped everything during nap today (except the jalapenos, since I ran out of time, when BOTH girls decided not to take good naps). The onion strings barely made it to our plates before we devoured them, and surprisingly I really liked the "bacon-wrapped jalapeno thingys", I swear I love how PW writes, who else wouldve named them that? And the salsa it was delish too. All those items just really seemed to work well together! And again the best part is minimal ingredients, and reasonable work involved. The best part about the jalapenos were you could make a bunch and freeze the extras (before cooking) for another meal.
Salmon served with risotto and salads
I cheated with this one......it was really just a way to get a fish meal into this weeks menu. I cheated with the salmon and used some my dad picked up for me that were already marinated. Threw some salad stuff in a bowl, and had the left over risotto from the halibut meal.
Chicken Picatta served with peas (or any veggie that feels right to me)
I am going to make this probably Friday night, wait it might have to wait til Saturday night, not exactly sure. But I havent tried it yet, so i cant really vouch for it, but I will let you know when I do and how it is.
Since Thanksgiving is next week I guess my menu plans will have to be postponed until the following week, cause I will be eating me some FRIED turkey Thursday through (at least) Sunday. My dad makes the best fried turkey ever! I wont reveal next weeks (actually 2 weeks away) menu until after we have eaten all the meals. But let me just tell you there are some good sounding meals to be made and eaten!
so who wants to join us for dinner?
So I am always on the hunt for new menu items. For a couple reasons, I want to expose the girls to as many different kinds of foods as I possibly can, and I get super sick of the "same ole same ole". So a couple weeks ago I compiled a menu for 3 weeks and tried to stick with ingredients that went together so that when I bought something I could use it ALL. Do you follow me? Like if I was using 1/2 an onion in 1 recipe I would find another recipe that I could use the other half. Oh and I try and only plan 3-4 meals per week, cause we like left overs here, and honestly with our schedule I cant cook every night!
So here is what I came up with.....
last week was
Pasta with Pancetta and Leeks with grilled chicken
Holy Moly this dish is ridiculously tasty. Best part is it is SUPER easy to make, and only has a couple ingredients (other than ones that you would typically have on hand anyways). This dish is going to be a staple in our diets from now on! Thanks to an awesome friend for giving me the idea to try this recipe.
Vietnamese salad rolls and fried rice
I have to admit, I can make some mean fried rice, but I cheated on this one and made the frozen store bought kind. I couldnt resist getting the Contessa meal that is usually like 10 or 12 bucks for $3 after coupons, sales, and in store deals! Oh and the Vietnamese rolls were a bit too much work for me. I wouldnt really recommend this recipe (unless you have, say.....1.5 hours to spare cutting stuff up!). I am in search for a different recipe, so if any of you have one up your sleeve send it my way. But they were MIGHTY tasty!
Steaks served with turnip gratin and brown sugar carrots
My husband did a fabulous job grilling those puppies, they were cooked to perfection......hes good for some things. The turnip gratin, now here's a story (or 2).......my mom and dad went up to the St Louis area to visit family, and apparently my aunts/uncles/cousins grow turnips and had a bunch extra so they sent home a couple bags with my parents. My mom called me on the way home, when I happened to be in the middle of menu planning, and asked if I wanted any turnips. So I began the search for a recipe, since I had never eaten them before. After finding the recipe i mentioned it to my SIL and did not get the greatest response. Basically she said that turnips were second to last on her "worst foods" list, as in she HATES them! So I got a bit worried, but pressed on with my recipe, trusting in PW (the woman Ive never even met), and I have to say she did NOT disappoint! Oh and the brown sugar carrots, are my "fail safe" side dish, basically just steamed baby carrots then saute them in butter and brown sugar (it is a favorite when we have company).
Halibut with avocado sauce served with risotto
Ok now this was not only my first time cooking halibut, it was my first time to ever eat it too! I wast too much of a fan of the recipe, but I definitely want to try halibut again in a different recipe. The risotto was really good too. I make A LOT of risotto around here, but this one had a different twist than my typical, so it was nice!
This week's plan is.....
Burgers served with stuffed jalapenos, onion strings, and corn/avocado salsa
I made this for Marcus' birthday dinner tonight, we both are now in love with all these recipes! Since I am being honest here, my burgers SUCK! I have never made a decent burger in my life, so I totally need burger lessons! But the other items where fabulous, as usual with PW's recipes. I prepped everything during nap today (except the jalapenos, since I ran out of time, when BOTH girls decided not to take good naps). The onion strings barely made it to our plates before we devoured them, and surprisingly I really liked the "bacon-wrapped jalapeno thingys", I swear I love how PW writes, who else wouldve named them that? And the salsa it was delish too. All those items just really seemed to work well together! And again the best part is minimal ingredients, and reasonable work involved. The best part about the jalapenos were you could make a bunch and freeze the extras (before cooking) for another meal.
Salmon served with risotto and salads
I cheated with this one......it was really just a way to get a fish meal into this weeks menu. I cheated with the salmon and used some my dad picked up for me that were already marinated. Threw some salad stuff in a bowl, and had the left over risotto from the halibut meal.
Chicken Picatta served with peas (or any veggie that feels right to me)
I am going to make this probably Friday night, wait it might have to wait til Saturday night, not exactly sure. But I havent tried it yet, so i cant really vouch for it, but I will let you know when I do and how it is.
Since Thanksgiving is next week I guess my menu plans will have to be postponed until the following week, cause I will be eating me some FRIED turkey Thursday through (at least) Sunday. My dad makes the best fried turkey ever! I wont reveal next weeks (actually 2 weeks away) menu until after we have eaten all the meals. But let me just tell you there are some good sounding meals to be made and eaten!
so who wants to join us for dinner?
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Project Playroom - part 1
It has been nearly 2 years since we finished the upstairs, 2 YEARS (nearly)! That means we would have been in Hawaii nearly 2 years already, and now that the new Hawaii 5-0 is on, every time I watch it I am really REALLY sad we didn't move, but then I am quickly snapped back into reality when I realize how lucky I am to have family nearby to help me out with the girls. And not only that, it was the financial part of it.......Hawaii is EXPENSIVE! Anyways, back to the real reason for this post (somehow my mind always wonders, must be from getting old)
The girls (and I) have LOVED having the playroom upstairs. It gives us them a place to go crazy, keep all their toys, and get out of my hair for 10 minutes most days. But I have not been happy with the playroom design and functionality, I have thrown around ideas in my head for the past couple of years, and recently been measuring and moving furniture around to try and find what works best in the space we have. And now I'm finally taking action to do what it takes to get it finished. This weekend was the start to all the mini-projects I have on my list. So basically this post is just to entice you to stay tuned, cause I don't even have pics to show you yet. And I really don't want to reveal the list of all I am planning, so you will just have to be patient. But let me tell you this room is going to ROCK when I'm done with it. I was going to try and have this as part of the girls Christmas gift, but I doubt I will be able to keep them out of there for 5 weeks.
Oh and besides the projects in the playroom I tackled this weekend, I was also able to hang some dry wall too! Yep that's right, my 1st ever drywalling experience. I measured, cut, and hung 3 boards in our attic spaces. I basically just hung them because we had the extra pieces anyways, and I was sick of the exposed insulation every time I had to visit the attic. Which has been a lot these days: getting out winter clothes, putting away summer clothes, and messing with the wonky water heater that wont give me enough hot water to relax in a FULL tub. So the 3 pieces of drywall I hung was enough to let me know that I don't ever want to be a "drywall hanger upper person"! It was nice and fun and productive and all, but it is just not my thing. But it had to be done, and since I have been asking my husband to do it for the past 18 (or so) months, I figured I better just save my breath and do it myself, sorta like this project. Now I just have to get the rest of these extra drywall pieces out of the attic and then, shop vac all the dust.......YIPPEE that's exciting stuff! (NOT!!!)
The girls (and I) have LOVED having the playroom upstairs. It gives us them a place to go crazy, keep all their toys, and get out of my hair for 10 minutes most days. But I have not been happy with the playroom design and functionality, I have thrown around ideas in my head for the past couple of years, and recently been measuring and moving furniture around to try and find what works best in the space we have. And now I'm finally taking action to do what it takes to get it finished. This weekend was the start to all the mini-projects I have on my list. So basically this post is just to entice you to stay tuned, cause I don't even have pics to show you yet. And I really don't want to reveal the list of all I am planning, so you will just have to be patient. But let me tell you this room is going to ROCK when I'm done with it. I was going to try and have this as part of the girls Christmas gift, but I doubt I will be able to keep them out of there for 5 weeks.
Oh and besides the projects in the playroom I tackled this weekend, I was also able to hang some dry wall too! Yep that's right, my 1st ever drywalling experience. I measured, cut, and hung 3 boards in our attic spaces. I basically just hung them because we had the extra pieces anyways, and I was sick of the exposed insulation every time I had to visit the attic. Which has been a lot these days: getting out winter clothes, putting away summer clothes, and messing with the wonky water heater that wont give me enough hot water to relax in a FULL tub. So the 3 pieces of drywall I hung was enough to let me know that I don't ever want to be a "drywall hanger upper person"! It was nice and fun and productive and all, but it is just not my thing. But it had to be done, and since I have been asking my husband to do it for the past 18 (or so) months, I figured I better just save my breath and do it myself, sorta like this project. Now I just have to get the rest of these extra drywall pieces out of the attic and then, shop vac all the dust.......YIPPEE that's exciting stuff! (NOT!!!)
Monday, November 15, 2010
Christmas Card Time!
Can anyone believe that it is time to send out Christmas cards? I usually cant get mine out BEFORE Christmas.....but this year is going to be different! I have almost completed compiling the addresses, and I am planning on mailing them shortly after Thanksgiving (hopefully, wink wink)
Shutterfly is offering this fantabulous deal for bloggers.....bloggers get 50 free photo cards if you follow this link http://bit.ly/sfly2010
So if you want a sneak peak at the cards I will be sending out this year, check them out...
well i havent COMPLETELY made up my mind, but these 2 are pretty high up on the list! There are just too many to choose from!
Then one year for Christmas, Kaylee gave her godmother a photo mug, which Im sure she uses EVERYDAY! HA! check out how to make a photo mug for your loved ones
So fellow blogger buddies/readers/followers please check out how you can get 50 free
Shutterfly is offering this fantabulous deal for bloggers.....bloggers get 50 free photo cards if you follow this link http://bit.ly/sfly2010
So if you want a sneak peak at the cards I will be sending out this year, check them out...
well i havent COMPLETELY made up my mind, but these 2 are pretty high up on the list! There are just too many to choose from!
Head on over here to check out all the awesome designs Shutterfly has this year http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/photo-christmas-cards
Oh and what I really like about photo cards and kids, is now that i have children I dont have to put my picture on the cards anymore (YAY)!
Shutterfly is the BEST photo site, their products are second to none! For Kaylee's 1st Christmas, her gift to everyone was a photo calendar that I made on Shutterfly, go here to check them out if you want to give one this Christmas http://www.shutterfly.com/calendars/wall-calendars. You wont be disappointed!Then one year for Christmas, Kaylee gave her godmother a photo mug, which Im sure she uses EVERYDAY! HA! check out how to make a photo mug for your loved ones
http://www.shutterfly.com/photo-gifts/photo-mugs
So fellow blogger buddies/readers/followers please check out how you can get 50 free
photo cards this year and dont forget to send me one!
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Ainslee update
If any of you ever wonder what life is like with Ainslee here is a little idea of what goes on around here EVERYDAY, ALL DAY!!!
I know it drives me crazy most of the time, and Im sure I will miss it when she stops. When I sit back and think about it I cant help but laugh. I seriously think she uses some form of the word mommy about 65296 times a day!
She still isnt talking too much. She has some words, most of which I am the only one who understands. I have thought about getting her hearing checked for multiple reasons, but have decided to wait a bit longer for that. Despite her ability to vocalize her thoughts/needs/wants she sure is able to get her message across.
She is still loves her sleep. With the time change tonight, Im sure we will have some sort of "adjustment" period, but other than that she is still a champion sleeper.
Has become the most independent eater! As in she would rather starve to death than have you feed her!
She has become my little dare devil, climbing on things and standing on things she shouldnt. Her new favorite jungle gym is the couch.
I believe tooth #13 will make its way through tonight.
Her hair is still mostly curly, but she has some oddly straight sections too.
She knows how darn cute she is when she smiles, and uses that to her advantage whenever possible.
Despite comments from people, she still is sitting rear facing in the car. And doesnt have a problem with it at all!
She thinks that everything is funny, and trys to get you to laugh with her.
Wishes she could go to school with Kaylee, every time we drop Kaylee off she walks in the room and expects me to let her stay! I am doing Kindermusik with her, she is still a little shy in class. I expected her to open up by now, but she still decides when she is going to participate and when she is not.
Just a bit OCD, wants things to be just right.
Is completely potty trained during the day, hasnt had an accident in probably 2 months. She even wakes up from nap to pee and poo. But then she wont go back down, which really stinks! I am even able to leave her out of a diaper when we go out now, and she has demonstrated the ability to hold it too, the other day she was able to do so for nearly 30 minutes!
STILL a huge momma's girl! But has really started wanting Marcus more.
Loves her big sister more than ANYTHING! But will still tell me when Kaylee needs to go to timeout.
I know it drives me crazy most of the time, and Im sure I will miss it when she stops. When I sit back and think about it I cant help but laugh. I seriously think she uses some form of the word mommy about 65296 times a day!
She still isnt talking too much. She has some words, most of which I am the only one who understands. I have thought about getting her hearing checked for multiple reasons, but have decided to wait a bit longer for that. Despite her ability to vocalize her thoughts/needs/wants she sure is able to get her message across.
She is still loves her sleep. With the time change tonight, Im sure we will have some sort of "adjustment" period, but other than that she is still a champion sleeper.
Has become the most independent eater! As in she would rather starve to death than have you feed her!
She has become my little dare devil, climbing on things and standing on things she shouldnt. Her new favorite jungle gym is the couch.
I believe tooth #13 will make its way through tonight.
Her hair is still mostly curly, but she has some oddly straight sections too.
She knows how darn cute she is when she smiles, and uses that to her advantage whenever possible.
Despite comments from people, she still is sitting rear facing in the car. And doesnt have a problem with it at all!
She thinks that everything is funny, and trys to get you to laugh with her.
Wishes she could go to school with Kaylee, every time we drop Kaylee off she walks in the room and expects me to let her stay! I am doing Kindermusik with her, she is still a little shy in class. I expected her to open up by now, but she still decides when she is going to participate and when she is not.
Just a bit OCD, wants things to be just right.
Is completely potty trained during the day, hasnt had an accident in probably 2 months. She even wakes up from nap to pee and poo. But then she wont go back down, which really stinks! I am even able to leave her out of a diaper when we go out now, and she has demonstrated the ability to hold it too, the other day she was able to do so for nearly 30 minutes!
STILL a huge momma's girl! But has really started wanting Marcus more.
Loves her big sister more than ANYTHING! But will still tell me when Kaylee needs to go to timeout.
Monday, November 1, 2010
Halloween Funnys
I have to share with you some of the funny things that happened this Halloween "season". I have to call it a "season" because when you celebrate something for like 4 days straight it deserves that term.
When trick or treating here are some of the things that came out of Kaylee's mouth.....
After EVERY house she would come running back to the mommy's and daddy's (who waited by the curb) screaming "I got some candy!" At EVERY house she screamed it, did she think that certain houses wouldnt give her candy?
At this one house all the adults were sitting out in the driveway around a fit pit, talking and handing out candy. Instead of walking up and saying the usual "trick or treat", Kaylee walked up and said "where's MY hot dog". She thought they were grilling hot dogs in the fire pit.
Then there was the house where we knew the owners, Marcus and I were talking with them for about a minute when Kaylee piped up and said "can i have my candy now?"
Then there was the house that let her pick out her own candy from the bowl, and she thought it was appropriate to fill her entire bucket.......and they LET her! She came running back to me saying that she needed a new bucket. I walked her back up to the house and tried to return the extra candy, but the lady refused and told her to keep it.
Oh yeah, and there was a string of houses that she would ask the owners what kind of candy he/she was putting in her bucket, and what was in said candy. Some of the people were quite shocked at her lack of knowledge of candy. When I explained that she doesnt get candy very often, they were even more shocked.
She kept asking if she could have a piece of her candy, and in the same sentence she would ask "will this kind make me throw up tonight?"
The last thing she said was when we were on our way home, Marcus was driving and he either glanced over at me (like he ALWAYS does, and I beg him to keep his eyes on the road) or he was looking back at the girls, I cant remember. Anyways when his eyes returned to the road, he had to apply the brake, not slam on the brakes, but break quickly, because the car in front of us was turning. Kaylee said "daddy watch where you are going, you almost hit that car, and we could have died."
Oh did I mention that we had to ask 5 seperate houses if the girls could use the bathroom, thankfully we knew the people at 4 of those houses, so it wasnt too bad.
SOOOO after 4 days of celebrations and staying up WAY past our bedtimes, we have about 7 pounds of candy, and thats after we picked out all the good candy. All that candy will be dropped off tomorrow at the girls' dentist office, and exchanged for money. That's right ladies, their dentist office is offering $1 for each pound of candy that gets turned in. I think it is a combination effort to keep the kids from eating it and effort to put a smile on some soliders faces. All the candy will be sent overseas to the troops. How awesome is that?!? Hope you all had a fun, happy, and SAFE Halloween!
When trick or treating here are some of the things that came out of Kaylee's mouth.....
After EVERY house she would come running back to the mommy's and daddy's (who waited by the curb) screaming "I got some candy!" At EVERY house she screamed it, did she think that certain houses wouldnt give her candy?
At this one house all the adults were sitting out in the driveway around a fit pit, talking and handing out candy. Instead of walking up and saying the usual "trick or treat", Kaylee walked up and said "where's MY hot dog". She thought they were grilling hot dogs in the fire pit.
Then there was the house where we knew the owners, Marcus and I were talking with them for about a minute when Kaylee piped up and said "can i have my candy now?"
Then there was the house that let her pick out her own candy from the bowl, and she thought it was appropriate to fill her entire bucket.......and they LET her! She came running back to me saying that she needed a new bucket. I walked her back up to the house and tried to return the extra candy, but the lady refused and told her to keep it.
Oh yeah, and there was a string of houses that she would ask the owners what kind of candy he/she was putting in her bucket, and what was in said candy. Some of the people were quite shocked at her lack of knowledge of candy. When I explained that she doesnt get candy very often, they were even more shocked.
She kept asking if she could have a piece of her candy, and in the same sentence she would ask "will this kind make me throw up tonight?"
The last thing she said was when we were on our way home, Marcus was driving and he either glanced over at me (like he ALWAYS does, and I beg him to keep his eyes on the road) or he was looking back at the girls, I cant remember. Anyways when his eyes returned to the road, he had to apply the brake, not slam on the brakes, but break quickly, because the car in front of us was turning. Kaylee said "daddy watch where you are going, you almost hit that car, and we could have died."
Oh did I mention that we had to ask 5 seperate houses if the girls could use the bathroom, thankfully we knew the people at 4 of those houses, so it wasnt too bad.
SOOOO after 4 days of celebrations and staying up WAY past our bedtimes, we have about 7 pounds of candy, and thats after we picked out all the good candy. All that candy will be dropped off tomorrow at the girls' dentist office, and exchanged for money. That's right ladies, their dentist office is offering $1 for each pound of candy that gets turned in. I think it is a combination effort to keep the kids from eating it and effort to put a smile on some soliders faces. All the candy will be sent overseas to the troops. How awesome is that?!? Hope you all had a fun, happy, and SAFE Halloween!
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