Please continue to pray for our country!Monday, September 11, 2006
Saturday, September 09, 2006
Photo of the Day 9-09
Look What Arrived Today!
Each of the kids had their prints done at 10 months and now I have the complete set.
Each of the kids had their prints done at 10 months and now I have the complete set.I LOVE my Coupons!
You may be thinking to yourself...coupons are for dorky stay-at-home-mom types who have "nothing better to do." If you are thinking that, then I am the biggest dork around!
This morning my friend asked me "Do you really think you can get by spending only $50 a week on groceries?" I responded with an unsure "I'm gonna try."
Well let me just tell you, YES you can!
I just got $116.59 worth of groceries for $40.18!!!!! That is over 60% Savings. With my coupons, I saved $76.41...I actually saved more than I spent! I purchased a total of 40 items, making each item about $1.
Here is what I got:
2 gallons of milk, 2 loaves of whole wheat bread, 2 containers of yogurt, 1 carton of soy milk, 1 carton of juice, baking soda, spray n' wash, 2 pkgs of egg noodles, 2 puffed wheat cereal, 3 boxes of Cheereos, muffin mix, 2 boxes of granola bars, 2 dozen eggs, 2 containers of laundry detergent, 2 (4 packs) of toilet paper, body wash, 2 deoderants, baby wipes, 2 all-natural whole chickens, 2 garlic cloves, 1 head of lettuce and 2 bags of baby carrots.
I still have a balance of $10 which I will spend tomorrow getting the rest of my produce at the local farmer's market.
This morning my friend asked me "Do you really think you can get by spending only $50 a week on groceries?" I responded with an unsure "I'm gonna try."
Well let me just tell you, YES you can!
I just got $116.59 worth of groceries for $40.18!!!!! That is over 60% Savings. With my coupons, I saved $76.41...I actually saved more than I spent! I purchased a total of 40 items, making each item about $1.
Here is what I got:2 gallons of milk, 2 loaves of whole wheat bread, 2 containers of yogurt, 1 carton of soy milk, 1 carton of juice, baking soda, spray n' wash, 2 pkgs of egg noodles, 2 puffed wheat cereal, 3 boxes of Cheereos, muffin mix, 2 boxes of granola bars, 2 dozen eggs, 2 containers of laundry detergent, 2 (4 packs) of toilet paper, body wash, 2 deoderants, baby wipes, 2 all-natural whole chickens, 2 garlic cloves, 1 head of lettuce and 2 bags of baby carrots.
I still have a balance of $10 which I will spend tomorrow getting the rest of my produce at the local farmer's market.
Veggie Tales Correction
I just learned that the Veggie Tales cartoons are airing at 8 am instead of 10 am as was listed in the press release. Sorry for the error and I hope you tune in next Saturday!
Friday, September 08, 2006
Fabulous Food Friday
A few nights ago, after reading my dad's blog, I was inspired to go on a walk. So I set Hayden in the stroller and off we went down the road. I noticed that a lot of the wild black berries were all dried up from the summer heat, but then I came across one section that just looked like it was waiting for me to come and pick. So the following day I brought a bowl with me and look how many berries I got!I thought all these berries would go perfect with the cupcakes I pulled out of the freezer. (I made extra for Hayden's birthday and froze them, then just pulled them out the other day when I cleaned it out.) I took about half the berries and mashed them up with a fork. Then added about a tablespoon of fructose and stirred. I cut each cupcake in half and spread the berry filling on top, then I "whipped" up some heavy whipping cream and to it I added almond extract instead of sugar. Once I dolloped the whip cream on top, the kids were drooling...I garnished with berries and soon kids and hubby were singing my praises!
Since I am watching what I eat (or don't eat!) I decided to try this without the cupcake. It was just as good as with the cake, without the guilt! So go get yourselves some blackberries before they are gone...
Last night, Natalie was up crying with leg pains. This happens quite a lot, so I have been trying to encourage her to eat more bananas for the potassium. Here is a spin on just a plain banana that she thought was pretty yummy. You can't go wrong with chocolate and peanuts!
Picture of the Day 9-08
Look at my Loot!
Here is some of the cool stuff I found while antique shopping in Nampa, ID. Zander wanted a cowboy theme for his (and Hayden's) bedroom, so I think this will fit in nicely. I plan to hang the horse shoes up above each of their closets and the star hooks will be hung by the door (I think). I plan to mount the lasso on the wall somehow, then I would like to make a couple shelves out of barn wood (anybody know where I can get some old barn wood?)...then the lanterns will go up on the shelf along with some old model trains and some of Zander's Toy Story Woody stuff.
Here is some of the cool stuff I found while antique shopping in Nampa, ID. Zander wanted a cowboy theme for his (and Hayden's) bedroom, so I think this will fit in nicely. I plan to hang the horse shoes up above each of their closets and the star hooks will be hung by the door (I think). I plan to mount the lasso on the wall somehow, then I would like to make a couple shelves out of barn wood (anybody know where I can get some old barn wood?)...then the lanterns will go up on the shelf along with some old model trains and some of Zander's Toy Story Woody stuff.Thursday, September 07, 2006
Attention Veggie Tales Fans...
I just thought I would let you know there will finally be something good for your kiddos to watch on Saturday morning! NBC will be airing Veggie Tales begining this Saturday in the 10 am time slot. If your kids are as crazy about Veggie Tales as ours are, then this is going to be a hit. Just today, completely out of the blue, Natalie made this placemat for Zander out of a scrap of cardboard. (I swear, I didn't even suggest it, she thought of it all on her own!) I think it even looks like Bob the Tomato, don't you?
Here is the press release: Get ready VeggieTales fans -- have we got a TV show for you! After 13 years, VeggieTales will make its debut in living rooms all across America thanks to the wonderful world of broadcast television. Beginning September 9, Big Idea will introduce their host of animated veggies to the viewers of NBC, i Network and to the Spanish-speaking audience of the Telemundo Network.
The Saturday morning block will begin on September 9 on NBC, beginning at 10:00 a.m. EST followed by a 3-2-1 Penguins! or LarryBoy Adventures show at 11:00 a.m. Telemundo will carry the same blocks in Spanish beginning on September 9 at 8:00 a.m., while the i Network will air the blocks beginning on Friday, September 15 at 3:00 p.m. EST.
Big Idea has an amazing opportunity to bring "Sunday Morning Values, Saturday Morning Fun" to television and reach a huge audience which may have never heard of Bob, Larry, Silly-Songs or The Pirates who Don't do Anything. Along with the ever-adorable VeggieTales crew, 3-2-1 Penguins! and the LarryBoy Adventures 2-D series will also be featured in the Saturday morning and Friday afternoon time-block.
Wednesday, September 06, 2006
Tightening my Belt, Financially Speaking!
This post is mainly me rambling, so bear with me!
I'm usually quite a frugal person, but after Dan and I had our budget talk yesterday, I think I need to find a way to tighten the belt even more. In order to accommodate our need to spend less, we are probably going to get rid of our cable tv, eliminate eating out for the remainder of the year and I am going to somehow avoid the scrapbook store like the plague. I told him I could cut the grocery bill a bit, but I am going to challenge myself to see if we can get by on $50 of groceries a week. (That's more than half of the normal bill)
Now I'm not talking about going on the top ramen diet that was familiar to us in college, but rather shopping smarter and using the food more efficiently. It is also important to me not to fall into the trap of buying processed foods that seem to always be on sale. That being said, I went grocery shopping yesterday and spent about $45 on milk, yogurt, cheddar cheese, cottage cheese, 2 whole chickens, applesauce, 4 boxes of cereal, bread, baby Tylenol, teething gel, and marshmallows (to make rice crispy treats, yum!). I think we will be able to make it this week, but I will be itchin' to go to the store on Monday.
The only way that I could imagine spending only $50 on groceries per week is that when I look at my pantry, I still have a pretty good "stockpile" of goods from the spring when I did the Grocery Game regularly. I've not been as good about using coupons lately...well, since the big move. When I used the list from the Grocery Game, I would save about 40-50% on my groceries by just clipping coupons. Now, mind you, I bought a bit of processed stuff that may have saved me $$ in my pocket, but it added pounds to my waistline. This time I am only going to clip coupons for things I feel good about feeding my family.
If you haven't tried the Grocery Game, go to www. Grocerygame.com. (If you try it, let them know you heard about it from me as I would be grateful for the referral credit.) Basically, the site gathers info about what's on sale in your local area, and combines them with the coupons from the current cycle to give you the best savings. You will get the rock bottom price this way because they have researched when the sales cycles offer the greatest amount of savings. This allows you to avoid phantom sales.
Thinking about ways to cut costs must have been weighing on my mind, because I woke up this morning at about 4:30 and couldn't get back to sleep. Finally when Dan left for his accountability group just before 6 am, I got up and cleaned out the refrigerator.
I found some interesting things in there. See the picture of the day for proof. After tossing out a couple containers of leftovers gone bad, I tried to think of ways to prevent this from happening again. I looked in at the leftover tuna-noodle casserole and tried to figure out how to recycle this dish. As a child I had my fair share of tuna-noodle casserole, so I didn't want to burn my kids out on it, so what to do? Then I thought of an idea I had seen hundreds of times in magazines:
Simply take a flour tortilla and cut about three smaller circles with a large round cookie cutter. Place the circles into muffin tins and bake for about 8 minutes. When they are done, fill with whatever. Even leftover tuna-noodle casserole looks good with this new twist. To my surprize, the kids gobbled them up and even asked for more. We have a winner!
I took the leftover tortilla scraps (from cutting the circles) and cut out little hearts with a cookie cutter. Then I sprinkled them with sugar (I used fructose) and cinnamon. They look burnt, but I used whole wheat tortillas, so they are a bit brown to start with. I gave them to the kids when they finished their lunch and they loved them.
I'm usually quite a frugal person, but after Dan and I had our budget talk yesterday, I think I need to find a way to tighten the belt even more. In order to accommodate our need to spend less, we are probably going to get rid of our cable tv, eliminate eating out for the remainder of the year and I am going to somehow avoid the scrapbook store like the plague. I told him I could cut the grocery bill a bit, but I am going to challenge myself to see if we can get by on $50 of groceries a week. (That's more than half of the normal bill)
Now I'm not talking about going on the top ramen diet that was familiar to us in college, but rather shopping smarter and using the food more efficiently. It is also important to me not to fall into the trap of buying processed foods that seem to always be on sale. That being said, I went grocery shopping yesterday and spent about $45 on milk, yogurt, cheddar cheese, cottage cheese, 2 whole chickens, applesauce, 4 boxes of cereal, bread, baby Tylenol, teething gel, and marshmallows (to make rice crispy treats, yum!). I think we will be able to make it this week, but I will be itchin' to go to the store on Monday.
The only way that I could imagine spending only $50 on groceries per week is that when I look at my pantry, I still have a pretty good "stockpile" of goods from the spring when I did the Grocery Game regularly. I've not been as good about using coupons lately...well, since the big move. When I used the list from the Grocery Game, I would save about 40-50% on my groceries by just clipping coupons. Now, mind you, I bought a bit of processed stuff that may have saved me $$ in my pocket, but it added pounds to my waistline. This time I am only going to clip coupons for things I feel good about feeding my family.
If you haven't tried the Grocery Game, go to www. Grocerygame.com. (If you try it, let them know you heard about it from me as I would be grateful for the referral credit.) Basically, the site gathers info about what's on sale in your local area, and combines them with the coupons from the current cycle to give you the best savings. You will get the rock bottom price this way because they have researched when the sales cycles offer the greatest amount of savings. This allows you to avoid phantom sales.
Thinking about ways to cut costs must have been weighing on my mind, because I woke up this morning at about 4:30 and couldn't get back to sleep. Finally when Dan left for his accountability group just before 6 am, I got up and cleaned out the refrigerator.
I found some interesting things in there. See the picture of the day for proof. After tossing out a couple containers of leftovers gone bad, I tried to think of ways to prevent this from happening again. I looked in at the leftover tuna-noodle casserole and tried to figure out how to recycle this dish. As a child I had my fair share of tuna-noodle casserole, so I didn't want to burn my kids out on it, so what to do? Then I thought of an idea I had seen hundreds of times in magazines:Simply take a flour tortilla and cut about three smaller circles with a large round cookie cutter. Place the circles into muffin tins and bake for about 8 minutes. When they are done, fill with whatever. Even leftover tuna-noodle casserole looks good with this new twist. To my surprize, the kids gobbled them up and even asked for more. We have a winner!
I took the leftover tortilla scraps (from cutting the circles) and cut out little hearts with a cookie cutter. Then I sprinkled them with sugar (I used fructose) and cinnamon. They look burnt, but I used whole wheat tortillas, so they are a bit brown to start with. I gave them to the kids when they finished their lunch and they loved them.
Picture of the Day 9-06
Furry CurrySorry for the gross photo, but I couldn't resist, with the funny title and all. This is what I found when I was cleaning out the fridge this morning. Leftovers anyone?
Tuesday, September 05, 2006
Our time at the Geiser Grand Hotel
Geiser Grand Tour
(Click on pictures to enlarge)
Our room was on the second floor in the
Cupola Suite
This is the view from outside our room.
You can see the beautiful stained glass
window as well as the restaurant below.
The kids wanted a ride on the luggage cart.
Here is our bed and the view of the cupola.
The couch on the left pulled out for the kids
to sleep on.
Dinner at the Geiser Grand
After a five hour drive, we were all happy
to sit down for dinner...well, all of us but
Hayden that is!
Breakfast at the Geiser Grand
Yummy. This breakfast looks good
enough to be dessert! There was
even a fancy high chair for Hayden.
The Geiser Grand IS Fancy...
But not TOO FANCY!
My Three "Chair-ished"
Children
We have stayed here about five
times and each time I take a
picture in this chair. Natalie was
abouot 15 months old when I took
the first picture. This was Hayden's
first time in the chair!
Taking a break in the Afternoon
The kids enjoying a snack. Later, I went
down to take their picture from outside
the hotel looking into our room.
PASTA Night!
Whenever we are going to stay at the
Geiser Grand, we always try to work it
around pasta night! I wish there was a
way to capture the aroma that wafted up
from the restaurant and share it with you.
Garlic and pesto and parmesan, oh my!
You can totally customize your meal by
adding smoked salmon, bacon, shrimp,
chicken, sausage, steak, as well as a huge
variety of veggies.You can choose from up
to 3 sauces and 3 kinds of pasta. If you
enlarge the over-view picture, you can see
the chefs are right there in the dining room,
cooking up your food. It is sooo good.
Breakfast in our Suite
Before we hit the road for another couple
hours, we all had a big bowl of Snoqualmie
Falls oatmeal.
(Click on pictures to enlarge)
Our room was on the second floor in the
Cupola Suite
This is the view from outside our room.
You can see the beautiful stained glass
window as well as the restaurant below.
The kids wanted a ride on the luggage cart.
Here is our bed and the view of the cupola.
The couch on the left pulled out for the kids
to sleep on.
Dinner at the Geiser Grand
After a five hour drive, we were all happy
to sit down for dinner...well, all of us but
Hayden that is!
Breakfast at the Geiser Grand
Yummy. This breakfast looks good
enough to be dessert! There was
even a fancy high chair for Hayden.
The Geiser Grand IS Fancy...
But not TOO FANCY!
My Three "Chair-ished"
Children
We have stayed here about five
times and each time I take a
picture in this chair. Natalie was
abouot 15 months old when I took
the first picture. This was Hayden's
first time in the chair!
Taking a break in the Afternoon
The kids enjoying a snack. Later, I went
down to take their picture from outside
the hotel looking into our room.
PASTA Night!
Whenever we are going to stay at the
Geiser Grand, we always try to work it
around pasta night! I wish there was a
way to capture the aroma that wafted up
from the restaurant and share it with you.
Garlic and pesto and parmesan, oh my!
You can totally customize your meal by
adding smoked salmon, bacon, shrimp,
chicken, sausage, steak, as well as a huge
variety of veggies.You can choose from up
to 3 sauces and 3 kinds of pasta. If you
enlarge the over-view picture, you can see
the chefs are right there in the dining room,
cooking up your food. It is sooo good.
Breakfast in our Suite
Before we hit the road for another couple
hours, we all had a big bowl of Snoqualmie
Falls oatmeal.
Picture of the Day 9-05
Well it's official, I now have two kids in school. They were both a little nervous on their first day of school. When I picked Natalie up this afternoon after her kindergarten screening she said "I don't want to leave." I had a 10 minute conference with her teacher who said she could tell Natalie had been learning a lot at home. She knew all the things she was quized on (numbers, letters, shapes) I didn't have the heart to tell the teacher that she has known most of that since before she was two! Her teacher said Natalie demonstrated some skills they usually see in 7 year olds. I know she will do great in kindergarten as she is a quick learner, I just hope it is challenging enough for her.When I picked Zander up from pre-school he said it was "fun." I knew he would love it. He was playing with a boy in his class the minute we walked through the door. I'm glad my kids don't have separation issues. I think I would have been a basket case. I didn't get sad when I left them this morning. I was just happy they were in a safe place where they can learn and have fun. What more could a mom want?
So now that I have two kids in school, I should have lots of time to get things done, right? Wrong. I have about an hour and a half when they are both in school. Since they don't have the same schedule, I was running back and forth to each of the schools. I think I was in the car most of the morning!
Monday, September 04, 2006
Oregon Trail Interpretive Center
One day while in Baker City, we all went to the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center. It was very humbling to learn more about what the journey was like. Did you know that for every 80 yards on the Oregon Trail, someone died? As a mother, I can really appreciate all the heartache that the mothers on the trail must have felt...not to mention all the work of keeping your family fed and cared for. Many of the women walked to lighten the load in the covered wagon. I am truly amazed to think that they walked for a month from Baker City, OR to the end of the Oregon trail in Oregon City. We have the luxury of driving on paved roads. Even though it is about a five hour drive, I can't complain when I compare the two modes of transportation.
The kids were very interested to see the Oregon Trail exhibit. They especially liked the animals. Zander was a little confused because he kept asking "Did those animals used to be real? Why?"
There were all kinds of artifacts, but I was most impressed with this papoose used by Native Americans. The bead work alone is just amazing...what new mom has time to bead a baby carrier? I don't think I would trade in my Baby Bjorn though!
The kids were very interested to see the Oregon Trail exhibit. They especially liked the animals. Zander was a little confused because he kept asking "Did those animals used to be real? Why?"There were all kinds of artifacts, but I was most impressed with this papoose used by Native Americans. The bead work alone is just amazing...what new mom has time to bead a baby carrier? I don't think I would trade in my Baby Bjorn though!
Our visit in Nampa, Idaho
(Click pictures to enlarge)
After two nights at the Geiser Grand, we headed east to visit our friends CJ and Cathy who moved to Idaho a couple years ago. The four of us met as journalism majors and have kept in touch over the years. We get to see them about twice a year. (this June they flew out to surprise Dan at his surprise camping party). The kids had so much fun playing with their friends. Hayden had fun playing in the backyard sandbox...Zander made fast friends with Dylan, who is about 12 weeks older than him. They played cars and legos the whole time. It was so great seeing Zander interact with a BOY his age. It seems like he is around girls so much, so it made me happy to see him have so much fun. Natalie and Kylie hung out together, playing in the fort, riding in the red wagon and reading stories. When we got home she told me that she missed Kylie already. Natalie is already such a social girl. Somehow, I didn't get a picture of Darrien, the oldest boy, but he had fun helping with the kids. He gave Natalie a book all about hampsters and she was thrilled. Dan and CJ played for hours on the basketball court near their house and later Cathy and I went antique shopping. One night, CJ, Cathy, Dan and I went out to dinner (sans kiddos) to a fondue restaurant and had a great time relaxing and catching up.
Picture of the Day 9-04
Travelers on the Oregon Trail made huge sacrifices when they left the comforts of home behind in search of land out west. It was a miserable journey filled with danger and desperation.Seeing the disappointment in her eyes Jeb tried to comfort his beloved wife the only way he knew how. "I know it doesn't look like much now, but I hear talk of folks going to put up a scrapbook store after the winter snow has melted."
Sunday, September 03, 2006
We're Back
Just wanted to let you know that after 7 hours of driving in the car we are finally back home. We had a great time in eastern Oregon as well as in Idaho. I have lots of pictures to share, but I am way too tired to post them tonight. I'm gonna get to bed soon so I will have more energy to blog to my heart's content tomorrow.
Monday, August 28, 2006
Things I've Learned Today
Tomorrow we leave on vacation for 5 days. We will be staying 2 nights at the Geiser Grand Hotel in Baker City, Oregon and then we will drive to Idaho to visit our friends CJ and Cathy in Nampa.
While I was going about my day packing and getting ready for the trip, I discovered many things, all of which I will now share with you.
1. Even though you are careful not to eat the crust, you can still gain weight eating apple pie. Thanks Katy, it was worth it!
2. Yellow boots are not just for little boys to wear on rainy days. Apparently they also make good bowls from which you can eat Rice Crispies. And all this time I was using a bowl from the cupboards. Who knew? When asked about his boot-bowl, Zander replied "Mom, isn't it neat?"
3. It IS possible to pack your suitcases the night before.
4. When trying to compose a cute photo for Hayden's 1st birthday thank you cards, it is a good idea to use warm water.
5. Be patient when lighting the BBQ. There is a good chance you may loose all the hair on your forearm.
6. Burnt arm hair really stinks!
Talk to you when we get back!
While I was going about my day packing and getting ready for the trip, I discovered many things, all of which I will now share with you.
1. Even though you are careful not to eat the crust, you can still gain weight eating apple pie. Thanks Katy, it was worth it!
2. Yellow boots are not just for little boys to wear on rainy days. Apparently they also make good bowls from which you can eat Rice Crispies. And all this time I was using a bowl from the cupboards. Who knew? When asked about his boot-bowl, Zander replied "Mom, isn't it neat?"3. It IS possible to pack your suitcases the night before.
4. When trying to compose a cute photo for Hayden's 1st birthday thank you cards, it is a good idea to use warm water.5. Be patient when lighting the BBQ. There is a good chance you may loose all the hair on your forearm.
6. Burnt arm hair really stinks!
Talk to you when we get back!
Picture of the Day 8/28
Can you smell this?
Our wisteria are blooming for the third time since May and they are just beautiful! It grows up and around the back patio and makes a great shady spot to sit out of the summer sun. The fragrance is so yummy! Just thought I would share our little piece of heaven.
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