I'm super excited this week. I am by nature a hoarder. Not to the extreme but I do like to keep things that can be re-used or re-purposed or recycled. This can be a good thing but when you're sharing a 950 sq. foot apartment with 3 other people, it can get to be a little much. But I am excited to give away things to people who can use them.
Danny and I went through our closet last night. Today my goal is to go through the pantry and give away some food items that have been hanging around that although I like to have it around, I don't really need it. We have a local food pantry that has helped us out when we needed it and I'd like to donate back to them.
I also want to go through a few of my boxes of books that I've got buried in my closet. And I want to go through some of our stored clothes. Ok, now I'm getting a little out of control. One thing at a time right? Ok, off I go. Tootles!
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Friday, June 15, 2012
Bringing this clothes week to a close: Summer of 7
So, I'm having a blast with this only 7 items of clothing thing. I think I may extend my week, gotta talk to the hubs though because we're doing it together. If I do extend I will begin washing my clothes but my goal will be to only wash my clothes once a week.
Today I washed a half a load of kids clothes by hand. Why, you ask? Several reasons actually:
1. I find that we just keep going through clothes like they're an endless resource. Granted with two kiddos under 4, a couple of changes of clothes a day can be necessary but I digress. It's been driving me crazy and I felt that a reality check was in order.
2. Our clothes get cleaner when I wash them by hand (I put the clothes in the tub and barely cover them with water that I've sprinkled with Borax, Washing soda and a drop of dish washing liquid). Before I even begin scrubbing, they're brighter and whiter than with the washing machine.
3. It's a great upper body work out that has a purpose. For some reason I can't seem to keep myself motivated to exercise if there is no immediate goal.
4. It's a great deal cheaper for me. Our apartment building has coin operated laundry in the basement and a wash costs $1 and a dry cost $1.25. If I'm diligent and use both the washer and the dryer, laundry can cost us upwards of $50/month. That's a lot of cash flying out the window. We simply can't afford that and I know that I need to save the money now when I can hang dry with my new clothes line.
5. Clothes last longer when washed by hand and hung dry. If I'm going to be pairing down my wardrobe, I want what I have to last longer.
I also made some homemade English muffins, homemade multi-grain buttermilk blueberry pancakes for breakfast,and homemade sweet potato french fries for dinner. Yummy. I find that the more things I make homemade. The happier I am, the more I appreciate food, and I honestly eat less because I find that I'm more mindful of what I put in my mouth when I've made it myself. And it's usually better and I want to save some for leftovers.
Today I washed a half a load of kids clothes by hand. Why, you ask? Several reasons actually:
1. I find that we just keep going through clothes like they're an endless resource. Granted with two kiddos under 4, a couple of changes of clothes a day can be necessary but I digress. It's been driving me crazy and I felt that a reality check was in order.
2. Our clothes get cleaner when I wash them by hand (I put the clothes in the tub and barely cover them with water that I've sprinkled with Borax, Washing soda and a drop of dish washing liquid). Before I even begin scrubbing, they're brighter and whiter than with the washing machine.
3. It's a great upper body work out that has a purpose. For some reason I can't seem to keep myself motivated to exercise if there is no immediate goal.
4. It's a great deal cheaper for me. Our apartment building has coin operated laundry in the basement and a wash costs $1 and a dry cost $1.25. If I'm diligent and use both the washer and the dryer, laundry can cost us upwards of $50/month. That's a lot of cash flying out the window. We simply can't afford that and I know that I need to save the money now when I can hang dry with my new clothes line.
5. Clothes last longer when washed by hand and hung dry. If I'm going to be pairing down my wardrobe, I want what I have to last longer.
I also made some homemade English muffins, homemade multi-grain buttermilk blueberry pancakes for breakfast,and homemade sweet potato french fries for dinner. Yummy. I find that the more things I make homemade. The happier I am, the more I appreciate food, and I honestly eat less because I find that I'm more mindful of what I put in my mouth when I've made it myself. And it's usually better and I want to save some for leftovers.
Thursday, June 14, 2012
A quickie blog
Just a quick update while I've got dinner simmering away. We're keeping up with the farmers markets here in town and it's AWESOME! I love all my plants and the greens we got Sunday are gone (so is everything else we got), Fresh really is best.
Clothing week is going way easy for me. I'm totally happy to not have to think about what I'm going to be wearing at any given point. Even not washing things hasn't been a big deal. I don't do enough strenuous activity to make me all that stinky. My hubs on the other hand sweats profusely all summer long and he's been exercising too so we're washing his clothes (its really for everyone's benefit). --Love you honey--
Well off to go finish dinner. Brats with sauerkraut & onions cooked in beer and masked potatoes, I should probably make a peas or something to go with it huh? YEAH, I should. Ok, off I go!
P.S. I love my new clothes line!!!
Clothing week is going way easy for me. I'm totally happy to not have to think about what I'm going to be wearing at any given point. Even not washing things hasn't been a big deal. I don't do enough strenuous activity to make me all that stinky. My hubs on the other hand sweats profusely all summer long and he's been exercising too so we're washing his clothes (its really for everyone's benefit). --Love you honey--
Well off to go finish dinner. Brats with sauerkraut & onions cooked in beer and masked potatoes, I should probably make a peas or something to go with it huh? YEAH, I should. Ok, off I go!
P.S. I love my new clothes line!!!
Monday, June 11, 2012
Summer of 7: Food week down
Hey blog-o-sphere. Long time no post, I know I'm a slacker. By slacker of course I mean my desktop/air conditioner combo blew out a circuit a few weeks ago and I've had it off since. I turned it back on today to print coupons and send an email for a possible work from home sales gig that I'm really digging the possibility of. I figured I'd see if I could write a whole blog before blowing the circuit again. Here it goes...
So, any of you who also follow my hubs probably know that we're doing this Summer of 7 challenge along with a ton of other folks. It's based on Jen Hatmaker's book 7:An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess. But instead of going for 7 months, we're all doing it for 7 weeks o the summer.
We've completed week one (food) and we're on to week two (clothes). I have to say that this week really isn't nearly as much of a challenge for me as last week was. Wearing only 7 items of clothing for a week (not washing them, I've decided) will totally not be a stretch for me. As momma of two little ones (3yrs and 10mons) I don't get to shower very often and thus I don't always change my clothes at the start of a new day.
I've chosen the following items to wear this week:
One white tank top with a big flower printed on it.
One pink t-shirt that still needs to get washed from last week.
One pair of jean.
One Purple and green summer dress.
One pair of leggings.
One pair of flip-flops.
One scarf (from Child Restoration) that doubles as a baby sling.
To be honest I could probably go all summer with just these items. With one simple caveat that I get to switch out my flip flops when I redoubtably wear through these ones in a month.
I'm a foodie so last week was tough. But I found it refreshing and I actually found myself less stressed out about what to make for dinner than I usually am.
On a totally unrelated note, my 10 month old is currently perched on my chest watching the Imagination Movers DVD on behind me for the 3rd time today while chewing on my shoulder. She has one very mean tooth coming in and she's extra clingy and this DVD is the only thing she'll watch for calming music aside from Danny playing guitar.
My poor baby and her hurty teeth.
I also recently read Homemade Pantry: 101 Things you can Stop buying and start Making and I've been on a homemade everything kick. I've been making homemade ricotta, goat cheese, English muffins, shampoo, face wash, laundry detergent, granola, fabric softener, yogurt, baby food, coconut milk, teething biscuits and my hubs has been making bread, soup, pie, and arepas. He's awesome! It has cut down severely on our food budget and has allowed us to buy more fresh fruits and veggies with our food stamps and we're eating better. Also, this week is the Post Office's annual food drive I am going to go through my pantry and put some stuff in a box to leave for my mail carrier.
We've been a busy family. Because... Joey just finished her last week of her first year of school and she's already missing it. We've had two minor car accidents. We're still trying to get me my driver's license (thanks DMV for turning me away yet another time). Danny's started volunteering at a local shelter while still trying to find work. I'm still working two days a week and I'm trying to pick up a side gig as I previously mentioned. And we've planted a little garden hanging off our two little porches.
So, that's the haps with this family. I've got to go finish up some dishes and move my sad baby from the couch to her crib. Night all!!
So, any of you who also follow my hubs probably know that we're doing this Summer of 7 challenge along with a ton of other folks. It's based on Jen Hatmaker's book 7:An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess. But instead of going for 7 months, we're all doing it for 7 weeks o the summer.
We've completed week one (food) and we're on to week two (clothes). I have to say that this week really isn't nearly as much of a challenge for me as last week was. Wearing only 7 items of clothing for a week (not washing them, I've decided) will totally not be a stretch for me. As momma of two little ones (3yrs and 10mons) I don't get to shower very often and thus I don't always change my clothes at the start of a new day.
I've chosen the following items to wear this week:
One white tank top with a big flower printed on it.
One pink t-shirt that still needs to get washed from last week.
One pair of jean.
One Purple and green summer dress.
One pair of leggings.
One pair of flip-flops.
One scarf (from Child Restoration) that doubles as a baby sling.
To be honest I could probably go all summer with just these items. With one simple caveat that I get to switch out my flip flops when I redoubtably wear through these ones in a month.
I'm a foodie so last week was tough. But I found it refreshing and I actually found myself less stressed out about what to make for dinner than I usually am.
On a totally unrelated note, my 10 month old is currently perched on my chest watching the Imagination Movers DVD on behind me for the 3rd time today while chewing on my shoulder. She has one very mean tooth coming in and she's extra clingy and this DVD is the only thing she'll watch for calming music aside from Danny playing guitar.
My poor baby and her hurty teeth.
I also recently read Homemade Pantry: 101 Things you can Stop buying and start Making and I've been on a homemade everything kick. I've been making homemade ricotta, goat cheese, English muffins, shampoo, face wash, laundry detergent, granola, fabric softener, yogurt, baby food, coconut milk, teething biscuits and my hubs has been making bread, soup, pie, and arepas. He's awesome! It has cut down severely on our food budget and has allowed us to buy more fresh fruits and veggies with our food stamps and we're eating better. Also, this week is the Post Office's annual food drive I am going to go through my pantry and put some stuff in a box to leave for my mail carrier.
We've been a busy family. Because... Joey just finished her last week of her first year of school and she's already missing it. We've had two minor car accidents. We're still trying to get me my driver's license (thanks DMV for turning me away yet another time). Danny's started volunteering at a local shelter while still trying to find work. I'm still working two days a week and I'm trying to pick up a side gig as I previously mentioned. And we've planted a little garden hanging off our two little porches.
So, that's the haps with this family. I've got to go finish up some dishes and move my sad baby from the couch to her crib. Night all!!
Saturday, May 5, 2012
Homemade and Well Made Dish Detergent!
Hey Blog-o-sphere...
I've been drumming up this post for a while now and here it goes. I've been trying to make things at home instead of buying them in the store and seeing what works better (or tastes better) and figuring out what is worth the effort. There are some great books out there about this. The Homemade Pantry is the next on my book-list. One thing that I've been struggling to make at home has been dish-washing detergent. I found one recipe for a liquid dish-washing detergent that was better than all the powders that I found but it was still a little lacking. The soap separated between uses, I still needed to scrub sticky stuff before running a load, it had issues. So, I did some thinking and I found a way to make it better.
Most of the green cleaners that you buy in the store say that they use "all natural enzymes" to clean stuff usually coconut or citrus. And I thought hey, I found a tutorial to make that from Clean Eats at the Zoo on Pinterest. The recipe that I had on hand called for 1/2 cup of distilled vinegar and I figured that 1/2 cup of orange enzyme infused vinegar would would even better. I was right!! WooHoo! And I'm still only using stuff that I have at home on a regular basis (that's very important to this process for me).
Now I had it cleaning better but it was still separating and I thought hmm what about those coconut enzymes, I have coconut milk around maybe that will help it clean and the fat in it should act as an emulsifier. Score two for me! It worked. So here's my recipe:
I've been drumming up this post for a while now and here it goes. I've been trying to make things at home instead of buying them in the store and seeing what works better (or tastes better) and figuring out what is worth the effort. There are some great books out there about this. The Homemade Pantry is the next on my book-list. One thing that I've been struggling to make at home has been dish-washing detergent. I found one recipe for a liquid dish-washing detergent that was better than all the powders that I found but it was still a little lacking. The soap separated between uses, I still needed to scrub sticky stuff before running a load, it had issues. So, I did some thinking and I found a way to make it better.
Most of the green cleaners that you buy in the store say that they use "all natural enzymes" to clean stuff usually coconut or citrus. And I thought hey, I found a tutorial to make that from Clean Eats at the Zoo on Pinterest. The recipe that I had on hand called for 1/2 cup of distilled vinegar and I figured that 1/2 cup of orange enzyme infused vinegar would would even better. I was right!! WooHoo! And I'm still only using stuff that I have at home on a regular basis (that's very important to this process for me).
Now I had it cleaning better but it was still separating and I thought hmm what about those coconut enzymes, I have coconut milk around maybe that will help it clean and the fat in it should act as an emulsifier. Score two for me! It worked. So here's my recipe:
1 1/2 cups of water
1/2 cup citrus enzyme vinegar
2 Tbsp LemonShine (or fresh lemon juice)
2 Tbsp Kosher Salt
2 Tbsp coconut milk (unsweetened)
1 Tbsp washing soda
1/4 cup castile soap
12 drops essential oils (optional)
Heat the water and vinegar mixture to boiling.
Reduce heat to simmering and add salt, washing soda, coconut milk, & lemon shine one ingredient at a time to prevent boiling over. There will be a chemical reaction so, be careful!
Stir together until all of those ingredients are dissolved completely.
Pour hot liquid into blender. Leave top ajar but covering the top.
Turn blender on while still covering top. Once the liquid stops bubbling to the top, pour in the castile soap.
Pour into container of your choice and let cool before using.
As you can see the liquid will still separate a little during the cooling process but shake it up once it's cool and it'll stay together pretty well. (This picture is of a double batch.) And best of all. It really cleans the dishes! I use approx. 1 Tbsp liquid in the pre-wash and 1 Tbsp in the wash in my dish washer but I have an older model portable machine. Newer machines might not need as much soap.
And as for the cost of it, it's way less than store bought soap. I haven't broken down the cost per ingredient because the only thing I don't keep around is the LemonShine and the washing soda. I bought them specifically to start making dish detergent. For a bottle the size I made today, it probably cost me less than a dollar and it'll last me 2-3 weeks at one load of dishes per day.
Happy dishes!!
UPDATE: I've found that some stickier messes (mostly peanut butter in my house) don't always come off with this detergent but one teaspoon each of baking soda and kosher salt in the pre-rinse have solved that problem.
UPDATE: I've found that some stickier messes (mostly peanut butter in my house) don't always come off with this detergent but one teaspoon each of baking soda and kosher salt in the pre-rinse have solved that problem.
Saturday, April 21, 2012
A Birthday...
I've got more stuff to put out but I'm waiting on my buckets to get much further. Danny's also going to be planting some things on his porch, but those are up to him.
I made some homemade whole wheat english muffins the other day,they turned out awesome! I did make one fatal mistake with them though. Since I made them myself, there were no preservatives and I forget to refrigerate them and had to throw half of them out. But they were delicious while they lasted. I used a recipe from Budget Bytes. Here are my pics of the process.
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| skipping rocks is fun for all ages! |
Monday, April 9, 2012
Back at it.
So, I've been going crazy for about a month or so. We moved at the beginning of last month and it was a whirlwind. Things just never seemed to fall into place after we moved. It's just been a mess and I didn't fall back in to my schedule for a while and Joey had a vacation which threw things off more and then I took on way too many things for Easter and I got sick on top of all that. My goodness, it's been insane.
I've finally been feeling better that past day or so and I'm determined to get back to things. I've been really lazy (and lucky) up until now, baby food has been on sale or clearance every time I went to the store and haven't made much until now. But I just can't be lazy anymore, baby food won't be on sale forever but it did help me stock up on baby food jars and the like so making my own is a touch easier now.
This morning I made three types of baby food for my little one. Today made roasted grapes, roasted grapes with peaches, and apples with peas and spinach. And it's so much easier now that Norah's bigger because I don't have to strain everything after it's pureed. On my cooking list for the day (after the baby food of course) is some ham (in the crock pot now) some lentils for baby, and homemade English muffins for my hubby.
I have some pictures of our new apartment and all the things that I've been making:
On to my next thing on my schedule for the day, my meal planning:
Monday: Crock Pot 'baked' Ham with Spinach salad
Tuesday: baked fish Tacos
Wednesday: whole wheat Spaghetti & meatballs (baby food version too)
Thursday: Spinach and Ham Quiche (using Monday's leftovers)
Friday: Veggie Ravioli Florentine (spinach bechamel sauce)
Saturday: Nothing planned, it's my Grandfather's Memorial service and I may bring something but I'm not planning on doing any cooking that day.
Sunday: Mac and cheese and tuna salad or egg salad
Well, that's it for me today. Here are some pics from Easter:
I've finally been feeling better that past day or so and I'm determined to get back to things. I've been really lazy (and lucky) up until now, baby food has been on sale or clearance every time I went to the store and haven't made much until now. But I just can't be lazy anymore, baby food won't be on sale forever but it did help me stock up on baby food jars and the like so making my own is a touch easier now.
This morning I made three types of baby food for my little one. Today made roasted grapes, roasted grapes with peaches, and apples with peas and spinach. And it's so much easier now that Norah's bigger because I don't have to strain everything after it's pureed. On my cooking list for the day (after the baby food of course) is some ham (in the crock pot now) some lentils for baby, and homemade English muffins for my hubby.
I have some pictures of our new apartment and all the things that I've been making:
living room curtains
office curtains that coordinate with the living room
that painting that I've been working on for the kitchen for what seems like forever
On to my next thing on my schedule for the day, my meal planning:
Monday: Crock Pot 'baked' Ham with Spinach salad
Tuesday: baked fish Tacos
Wednesday: whole wheat Spaghetti & meatballs (baby food version too)
Thursday: Spinach and Ham Quiche (using Monday's leftovers)
Friday: Veggie Ravioli Florentine (spinach bechamel sauce)
Saturday: Nothing planned, it's my Grandfather's Memorial service and I may bring something but I'm not planning on doing any cooking that day.
Sunday: Mac and cheese and tuna salad or egg salad
Well, that's it for me today. Here are some pics from Easter:
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Been Busy
Hey Folks,
Long time no blog,I know I'm a slacker. Our move date got moved up on us and I'm just now starting to recover after moving and then curtain projects for the new apartment and the like. Then sickness in the house and now it's Easter. I just don't feel like I'm catching up so here's a link to the hubby's new blog so you all can catch up on the Palm Tree Quartet.
Long time no blog,I know I'm a slacker. Our move date got moved up on us and I'm just now starting to recover after moving and then curtain projects for the new apartment and the like. Then sickness in the house and now it's Easter. I just don't feel like I'm catching up so here's a link to the hubby's new blog so you all can catch up on the Palm Tree Quartet.
Monday, March 5, 2012
Moving on Down
So, Danny and I got our official moving date. We're to be in our new apartment by Saturday!!! And the woman down there now should be out by tomorrow. Our landlord was shocked by the upkeep on our place. He was sure that he was going to have to replace the floor (it's a cheap laminate tile floor made to look like parquet tiles) but we've done enough that he's not even charging us an increase in our security deposit for the more expensive place. Woo Hoo! It's nice to be appreciated.
I've gotten a good chunk of our knick nacks, fancy dishware (what little we have) and books packed up. I've once again run out of boxes. I really thought just moving downstairs would be simpler but I'm honestly amazed at how much stuff we truly have. I'm thinking of giving away a good chunk of books again and clearing out the pantry and donating stuff to the food bank here. I already have a request in for more boxes from my father-in-law since the kitchen he runs often has good boxes left around that are great for moving (it's free and it's recycling). Danny's also going to go to the local liquor store and get some wine boxes (again free & recycling).
Danny and I are debating getting a Kitchen Aid mixer since the company is apparently discontinuing some colors since they have them marked down 50% off both on Amazon.com and at Target. I've always wanted one but I could never justify spending $300 on a kitchen item (I spent less for out kitchen table/bench set). And it appears that no one gets rid of one if they have one, I have been trolling craigslist for one for years to no avail. But half off is pretty reasonable, I think.
I don't know what's reasonable to expect for my cooking ability with moving and all but I've tried to plan my meals for the week anyhow. I stupidly packed up my dried beans already and misplaced them in my many kitchen boxes so we're going meat heavy & quit and easy this week. Here it goes:
Monday: Pot Roast w/ potatoes & carrots (in the crock-pot)
Tuesday: Crock-pot pulled pork tacos
Wednesday: Baked Tilapia w/ Thai rice & broccoli
Thursday: Crock-pot chicken Soup (I found the cutest little whole chickens on clearance at Target)
Friday: Corned Beef & Cabbage(in the crock-pot)
Saturday: Ordered out Pizza (It's moving Day after all)
Sunday: Chicken Nuggets w/ tater tots & salad
And for those of you not counting that's 5 out of 7 days worth of meals in the crock-pot. And you can bet that if I knew how to make baked fish or nuggets in there, they'd be crock-pot meals too. :-) well, the baby woke up so I'm off.
I've gotten a good chunk of our knick nacks, fancy dishware (what little we have) and books packed up. I've once again run out of boxes. I really thought just moving downstairs would be simpler but I'm honestly amazed at how much stuff we truly have. I'm thinking of giving away a good chunk of books again and clearing out the pantry and donating stuff to the food bank here. I already have a request in for more boxes from my father-in-law since the kitchen he runs often has good boxes left around that are great for moving (it's free and it's recycling). Danny's also going to go to the local liquor store and get some wine boxes (again free & recycling).
Danny and I are debating getting a Kitchen Aid mixer since the company is apparently discontinuing some colors since they have them marked down 50% off both on Amazon.com and at Target. I've always wanted one but I could never justify spending $300 on a kitchen item (I spent less for out kitchen table/bench set). And it appears that no one gets rid of one if they have one, I have been trolling craigslist for one for years to no avail. But half off is pretty reasonable, I think.
I don't know what's reasonable to expect for my cooking ability with moving and all but I've tried to plan my meals for the week anyhow. I stupidly packed up my dried beans already and misplaced them in my many kitchen boxes so we're going meat heavy & quit and easy this week. Here it goes:
Monday: Pot Roast w/ potatoes & carrots (in the crock-pot)
Tuesday: Crock-pot pulled pork tacos
Wednesday: Baked Tilapia w/ Thai rice & broccoli
Thursday: Crock-pot chicken Soup (I found the cutest little whole chickens on clearance at Target)
Friday: Corned Beef & Cabbage(in the crock-pot)
Saturday: Ordered out Pizza (It's moving Day after all)
Sunday: Chicken Nuggets w/ tater tots & salad
And for those of you not counting that's 5 out of 7 days worth of meals in the crock-pot. And you can bet that if I knew how to make baked fish or nuggets in there, they'd be crock-pot meals too. :-) well, the baby woke up so I'm off.
Monday, February 27, 2012
It's Monday again
It happens every week yet it's refreshing every single time. A new week has so many possibilities.
Our baby girl is on the verge of crawling and she's so determined. I'm so proud of her. She's managed to propel herself forward a couple of times but mostly she spins around and scoots backwards. She's also pushed herself up to sitting a few times but she can't coordinate her arms to push herself all the way vertical yet. She gets so frustrated when she gets stuck somewhere and she makes the cutest little roaring sound. She sounds like a little tiger cub. I love it.
Joey's getting more independent. She's started lying about almost anything it seems. Danny and I have been trying to teach her what it means to tell the truth and why it's so important. We have our ups and downs with it. Sometimes it gets really difficult but she's such a sweet girl. She was sick the other day and for her bedtime prayers she prayed that none of her friends at school get sick. And even though Danny and I have been teaching her about God and the Bible, it amazes me how much she gets it. Faith like a child is really so clear when you see it in actuality everyday. I struggle with trusting in God but she has no doubts.
Joey, Norah and I have been having regular family dance parties in the living room lately. It's super fun. Joey's bopping all over and Norah sings along (sings ahhhhhhh ahh ahh) and sometimes Joey lets me dance with her but mostly she tells me that she needs to do her own moves but then I dance with Norah and she just giggles through it all. I love my girls.
Here's my meal plan of dinners for the week:
Monday: Barbequed ribs & green beans
Tuesday: Mac & Cheese w/ vegetable soup
Wednesday: Crock pot baked beans w/ biscuits & coleslaw
Thursday: Curry Chicken w/ stir-fry veg & rice
Friday: Chickpeas & Couscous w/dried cranberries & herb goat cheese
Saturday: Our 5th Anniversary & Date Night
Sunday: Breakfast for dinner (Eggs & Cinnamon Rolls)
I'll also be making egg salad today for lunches throughout the week and Veggie sticks for quick snacks. Norah's been blazing through her baby food and she's tried just about all the basic food that I use on a regular basis and once I'm done clearing all the foods I can, I'll be making my own baby food from our regular meals with a simple baby food grinder. I've already been making my own with some of the meals that have no questionable ingredients. I've got a few more food to get through: broccoli, tomatoes, beef, pork, and dairy. She no longer breaks out when I have processed dairy (cheese, yogurt, etc.) but when I have straight milk, it still seems to bother her little tummy. :-( So, I'm still on soy milk for now but I'm going to see how she does with some baby yogurt herself this week. If that goes well, I'll be making my own whole milk yogurt in large batches again.
Well, I'm off...Today is Norah's 6 month well visit and I'm excited to see how much she's grown. And I need to talk to the doctor about sleep training possibilities. She's still so petite that I just want to make sure there's no medical reason for her to be up every three hours all night long. This momma needs some sleep
Our baby girl is on the verge of crawling and she's so determined. I'm so proud of her. She's managed to propel herself forward a couple of times but mostly she spins around and scoots backwards. She's also pushed herself up to sitting a few times but she can't coordinate her arms to push herself all the way vertical yet. She gets so frustrated when she gets stuck somewhere and she makes the cutest little roaring sound. She sounds like a little tiger cub. I love it.
Joey's getting more independent. She's started lying about almost anything it seems. Danny and I have been trying to teach her what it means to tell the truth and why it's so important. We have our ups and downs with it. Sometimes it gets really difficult but she's such a sweet girl. She was sick the other day and for her bedtime prayers she prayed that none of her friends at school get sick. And even though Danny and I have been teaching her about God and the Bible, it amazes me how much she gets it. Faith like a child is really so clear when you see it in actuality everyday. I struggle with trusting in God but she has no doubts.
Joey, Norah and I have been having regular family dance parties in the living room lately. It's super fun. Joey's bopping all over and Norah sings along (sings ahhhhhhh ahh ahh) and sometimes Joey lets me dance with her but mostly she tells me that she needs to do her own moves but then I dance with Norah and she just giggles through it all. I love my girls.
Here's my meal plan of dinners for the week:
Monday: Barbequed ribs & green beans
Tuesday: Mac & Cheese w/ vegetable soup
Wednesday: Crock pot baked beans w/ biscuits & coleslaw
Thursday: Curry Chicken w/ stir-fry veg & rice
Friday: Chickpeas & Couscous w/dried cranberries & herb goat cheese
Saturday: Our 5th Anniversary & Date Night
Sunday: Breakfast for dinner (Eggs & Cinnamon Rolls)
I'll also be making egg salad today for lunches throughout the week and Veggie sticks for quick snacks. Norah's been blazing through her baby food and she's tried just about all the basic food that I use on a regular basis and once I'm done clearing all the foods I can, I'll be making my own baby food from our regular meals with a simple baby food grinder. I've already been making my own with some of the meals that have no questionable ingredients. I've got a few more food to get through: broccoli, tomatoes, beef, pork, and dairy. She no longer breaks out when I have processed dairy (cheese, yogurt, etc.) but when I have straight milk, it still seems to bother her little tummy. :-( So, I'm still on soy milk for now but I'm going to see how she does with some baby yogurt herself this week. If that goes well, I'll be making my own whole milk yogurt in large batches again.
Well, I'm off...Today is Norah's 6 month well visit and I'm excited to see how much she's grown. And I need to talk to the doctor about sleep training possibilities. She's still so petite that I just want to make sure there's no medical reason for her to be up every three hours all night long. This momma needs some sleep
Monday, February 20, 2012
Meal Plan Monday
I just discovered Jericho on Netflix. Love that series! I'm watching it while Norah naps and Jolene and Danny are on a Daddy daughter date at IKEA for the free breakfast this weekend. Gotta love that! I'm trying to get my planning stuff done while they're out too.
So, meal planning is up first. I read an interesting blog the other day. The writer just rotated snacks and breakfast and lunch was just leftovers and sandwiches and she only planned dinners and she made two weeks of plans and then just rotated them back in so that she was only meal planning once a month and they would have the same dinner twice a month, which helps to reduce waste and overstocking refrigerators by cutting down on the minor ingredients that are needed to be kept when you only need a bit of something. It also streamlines purchasing and you can plan around sales and you're only buying a fraction more to double the meals and I'm really excited to give it a try for next month. I've already done my purchasing for this month. I'm also trying to cut down on our meat based meals. It's getting so expensive and there are great alternatives and it gets the family eating more vegetables. But I'm happy to streamline my life a little bit more each week and make life go smoother along the way. So, here's my meal plan for the week.
Monday: Butternut Squash Soup & fresh baked bread
Tuesday: Bean Enchiladas
Wednesday: Mac & Cheese
Thursday: Chicken Stir Fry
Friday: Frittatta
Saturday: Corned Beef & Cabbage
Sunday: Chickpea Salad
And that's all for me for today. Norah's been trying to type with me so I think that's all I can really get to without a slew of typos anyhow. Tootles
So, meal planning is up first. I read an interesting blog the other day. The writer just rotated snacks and breakfast and lunch was just leftovers and sandwiches and she only planned dinners and she made two weeks of plans and then just rotated them back in so that she was only meal planning once a month and they would have the same dinner twice a month, which helps to reduce waste and overstocking refrigerators by cutting down on the minor ingredients that are needed to be kept when you only need a bit of something. It also streamlines purchasing and you can plan around sales and you're only buying a fraction more to double the meals and I'm really excited to give it a try for next month. I've already done my purchasing for this month. I'm also trying to cut down on our meat based meals. It's getting so expensive and there are great alternatives and it gets the family eating more vegetables. But I'm happy to streamline my life a little bit more each week and make life go smoother along the way. So, here's my meal plan for the week.
Monday: Butternut Squash Soup & fresh baked bread
Tuesday: Bean Enchiladas
Wednesday: Mac & Cheese
Thursday: Chicken Stir Fry
Friday: Frittatta
Saturday: Corned Beef & Cabbage
Sunday: Chickpea Salad
And that's all for me for today. Norah's been trying to type with me so I think that's all I can really get to without a slew of typos anyhow. Tootles
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Life on a New Schedule
Our little world got shaken last week and it's upset my whole schedule. Danny lost his job. His boss let him go with no reason and seemingly no cause. It happens, and we've basically come to the conclusion that anyone who could do that isn't someone that Danny should be working for anyhow. We know that God has a plan for it all and we're praying about it to figure out what's on the horizon.
But as for my schedule, I've made up a new one since Danny's made some suggestions that I thought needed addressing and I've noticed that some stuff is just not fitting where I had it. I've moved some stuff around and added items here and there. Weekly Checklist: this is my publicly accessible google.doc of the updated checklist that I made if anyone else is looking to set up something similar.
I'm still allowing myself some flexibility to see what needs tweeking, but I realized the other day why I've never needed a schedule like this before. I've been the primary earner in our household for the majority of our marriage and Danny's been the stay-at-home parent since Joey was born. My efforts had been focused one working and now that Danny's been working again, I've only had a few months to switch gears, oh yeah and I had a baby during that time too. And on top of that, I am still working part-time. Yeah, it's been pretty much a whole year of transition for us, and it seems we have a few more hoops coming up. We're still planning on moving to the larger apartment one floor below us. I've already started purging in preparation. The nice thing is that since we are only moving downstairs, the process of moving will be so much simpler. No trucks needed and not even really many boxes. Clothes can be carried straight from our closets on their hangers and be hung straight up down a flight of stairs, drawers can be carried down without being unloaded. The biggest hassle with probably be the books and knick knacks that will need to be boxed and the curtains and shelves. And our Landlord wants us down there ASAP so as soon as the current tenant is out, we'll be on our way. I'm pretty stoked about it. We'll be losing some closet space (hence the purging) but gaining so much square footage, it's totally worth it. Well, I'm off to go do stuff. Tootles.
But as for my schedule, I've made up a new one since Danny's made some suggestions that I thought needed addressing and I've noticed that some stuff is just not fitting where I had it. I've moved some stuff around and added items here and there. Weekly Checklist: this is my publicly accessible google.doc of the updated checklist that I made if anyone else is looking to set up something similar.
I'm still allowing myself some flexibility to see what needs tweeking, but I realized the other day why I've never needed a schedule like this before. I've been the primary earner in our household for the majority of our marriage and Danny's been the stay-at-home parent since Joey was born. My efforts had been focused one working and now that Danny's been working again, I've only had a few months to switch gears, oh yeah and I had a baby during that time too. And on top of that, I am still working part-time. Yeah, it's been pretty much a whole year of transition for us, and it seems we have a few more hoops coming up. We're still planning on moving to the larger apartment one floor below us. I've already started purging in preparation. The nice thing is that since we are only moving downstairs, the process of moving will be so much simpler. No trucks needed and not even really many boxes. Clothes can be carried straight from our closets on their hangers and be hung straight up down a flight of stairs, drawers can be carried down without being unloaded. The biggest hassle with probably be the books and knick knacks that will need to be boxed and the curtains and shelves. And our Landlord wants us down there ASAP so as soon as the current tenant is out, we'll be on our way. I'm pretty stoked about it. We'll be losing some closet space (hence the purging) but gaining so much square footage, it's totally worth it. Well, I'm off to go do stuff. Tootles.
Monday, February 6, 2012
Week 2 of Life on a schedule
So, I'm back with an adjusted schedule this week. I'm trying to think ahead and plan accordingly. I think I'm doing o.k. at it but I've got some serious adjusting to do.
I created schedules for myself in college just to get everything done but doing it for a household of four is so much more intense. I don't know what I was thinking to try and do all that I have to do off the cuff. No wonder I was constantly stressed out and never getting anything done. Below is my meal plan for the week and I've got blogging planned into my schedule so that I have something to keep me accountable.
To throw another log on the fire, Danny and I are moving at the end of the month. We're moving a whole one floor down in our building. The apartment below has an additional 50-70 sq feet of living space as well as a back porch, clothesline and a front porch that Danny has claimed as his man cave.
And in other news, I finally got around to making my own dishwasher detergent yesterday. AMAZING STUFF. So cool. Glad to have done it. Way cheaper than buying it and so easy to make and I think my dishes are genuinely cleaner than with the store bought stuff. Yay for DIY!
I created schedules for myself in college just to get everything done but doing it for a household of four is so much more intense. I don't know what I was thinking to try and do all that I have to do off the cuff. No wonder I was constantly stressed out and never getting anything done. Below is my meal plan for the week and I've got blogging planned into my schedule so that I have something to keep me accountable.
To throw another log on the fire, Danny and I are moving at the end of the month. We're moving a whole one floor down in our building. The apartment below has an additional 50-70 sq feet of living space as well as a back porch, clothesline and a front porch that Danny has claimed as his man cave.
Monday 2.6
b: cereal & bananas
l: Italian sandwich
(Pick up Joey from school)
s: strawberries
d: tuna pasta salad
b: cereal & bananas
l: Italian sandwich
(Pick up Joey from school)
s: strawberries
d: tuna pasta salad
Tuesday 2.7
b: eggs & cinnamon rolls
l: mac& cheese with peas
s: oranges
d: chicken stir-fry & rice
b: eggs & cinnamon rolls
l: mac& cheese with peas
s: oranges
d: chicken stir-fry & rice
Wednesday 2.8
b: oatmeal & blueberries
l: soup
s: crackers
d: coconut curry shrimp & rice
b: oatmeal & blueberries
l: soup
s: crackers
d: coconut curry shrimp & rice
Thursday 2.9
b: yogurt & toast
l: nutella sandwich & celery sticks
s: apples
d: Sheppard’s pie
b: yogurt & toast
l: nutella sandwich & celery sticks
s: apples
d: Sheppard’s pie
Friday 2.10 (rent)
b: cereal & raisins
l: leftovers
s: carrot sticks
d: church valentine’s dinner (side dish)
b: cereal & raisins
l: leftovers
s: carrot sticks
d: church valentine’s dinner (side dish)
Saturday 2.11
b: pancakes
l: nuggets & sweet potato fries
s: oranges
d: barbeque chicken & baked beans
b: pancakes
l: nuggets & sweet potato fries
s: oranges
d: barbeque chicken & baked beans
Sunday 2.12
b: oatmeal & mango
l: pb&j with apples
s: carrot sticks
d: ravioli with green beans
b: oatmeal & mango
l: pb&j with apples
s: carrot sticks
d: ravioli with green beans
And in other news, I finally got around to making my own dishwasher detergent yesterday. AMAZING STUFF. So cool. Glad to have done it. Way cheaper than buying it and so easy to make and I think my dishes are genuinely cleaner than with the store bought stuff. Yay for DIY!
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Daily Schedule day 4
So, things have been going sort of according to schedule. I think I need to add in some more flexibility for baby crankiness. I've missed one thing on my list everyday. I'm not quite sure how to remedy that. I've been looking into different daily schedules from different blog and the like but I haven't found one that I like. I made myself a little checklist that I put up on my fridge with my schedule of stuff. It's next to my grocery notepad. I like to see things checked off on a list; it makes me feel good.
I'm thinking that I may need to do a little research into my day and figure out where I can trim the fat and fit in some new things.
Today on my agenda: waiting for my Peapod.com order (I had enough coupons to more than cover the cost of shipping), then depending on if everything come in that order: making homemade pop-tarts, making play dough, updating my meal plan, vacuuming, making lunch and dinner, planning our big shopping trip for Saturday or Sunday and getting both girls bathed.
Wow, that's a long list when I write it all out. But today is project day with Joey, and some of those home made pop-tarts are going to be her Valentine's gifts for her schoolmates. Fun right, they're going to be fun to make and eat and way better than candies, I think. And most of her old play dough is all dried up and it's one of her favorite things to play with so it's time.
I'm thinking that I may need to do a little research into my day and figure out where I can trim the fat and fit in some new things.
Today on my agenda: waiting for my Peapod.com order (I had enough coupons to more than cover the cost of shipping), then depending on if everything come in that order: making homemade pop-tarts, making play dough, updating my meal plan, vacuuming, making lunch and dinner, planning our big shopping trip for Saturday or Sunday and getting both girls bathed.
Wow, that's a long list when I write it all out. But today is project day with Joey, and some of those home made pop-tarts are going to be her Valentine's gifts for her schoolmates. Fun right, they're going to be fun to make and eat and way better than candies, I think. And most of her old play dough is all dried up and it's one of her favorite things to play with so it's time.
Monday, January 30, 2012
Day 1 of Life on a Schedule
So far, my schedule seems to be making life easier. (I know Shocking right?) Anyway, I'm nearly done with my checklist and it's only 2.30. Yay me! And I've even found time to do some things that weren't on my list.
Part of my schedule is that Monday's is meal planning day for the week. Here's what my meal plan looks like so far:
Not too shabby right? I'm proud of it, I've been in a bit of a cooking rut lately. I've been so overwhelmed with life that I have really been slacking off. I'm glad that I finally feel like I'm getting back on track.
...In other news, that home-made cleaner that I put up the recipe for, I tried it out today in the kitchen and the bathroom and it works great. My only complaint is that if you use it to clean the range, the next time you cook, it smells a little funny. But otherwise it makes the house smell lovely!
Part of my schedule is that Monday's is meal planning day for the week. Here's what my meal plan looks like so far:
Monday 1.30
b: eggs & cinnamon rolls
l: soup
d: mac&cheese w/ beets
b: eggs & cinnamon rolls
l: soup
d: mac&cheese w/ beets
Tuesday 1.31
b: oatmeal
l: Pb&j w/ peaches
d: tilapia & Thai rice with broccoli
b: oatmeal
l: Pb&j w/ peaches
d: tilapia & Thai rice with broccoli
Wednesday 2.1
b: cereal
l: soup
d: hot dogs & sauerkraut
b: cereal
l: soup
d: hot dogs & sauerkraut
Thursday 2.2
b: oatmeal
l: leftover hot dogs & carrot sticks
d: chicken nuggets & s.p. fries
b: oatmeal
l: leftover hot dogs & carrot sticks
d: chicken nuggets & s.p. fries
Friday 2.3
b: cereal
l: soup
d: sweet potato &black bean tacos
b: cereal
l: soup
d: sweet potato &black bean tacos
Saturday 2.4
b: apple pancakes
l: food out while shopping
d: hanging with the Family
b: apple pancakes
l: food out while shopping
d: hanging with the Family
Sunday 2.5
b: cereal
l: lunch with people
d: meatloaf & mashed potatoes
b: cereal
l: lunch with people
d: meatloaf & mashed potatoes
Monday 2.6
b: oatmeal
l: leftovers
d: barbeque ribs & broccoli
b: oatmeal
l: leftovers
d: barbeque ribs & broccoli
Not too shabby right? I'm proud of it, I've been in a bit of a cooking rut lately. I've been so overwhelmed with life that I have really been slacking off. I'm glad that I finally feel like I'm getting back on track.
...In other news, that home-made cleaner that I put up the recipe for, I tried it out today in the kitchen and the bathroom and it works great. My only complaint is that if you use it to clean the range, the next time you cook, it smells a little funny. But otherwise it makes the house smell lovely!
Saturday, January 28, 2012
Fun, fun, and more fun
So much going on here as we prep for Danny starting his new job.
I made yet another attempt to take the written test for my driver's license. I am SUPER frustrated. I went in, they said I had everything but apparently, they can't give me a driver's license or an ID in my married name until I change my name with Social Security. Social Security won't give me a new social security card with my married name with out a photo ID. The woman at the DMV was totally understanding of my frustration and gave me a form from them to help the process but I've lost faith in all bureaucracy. It just makes me want to spit or curse or something just not nice.
In other news, I finally broke down and made myself a weekly household cleaning/chore schedule. I've been putting it off for so long in hopes that I'd find a rhythm myself, but for 5 years now that's failed and I've lived in a only occasionally clean home because of it. So, on to plan B.
I had such a good day today. Norah seems to finally be moving her feeding schedules further apart sometimes though not a night. I really wish that would change, but she's up every 3 hours all night long, like clock work. Ahh, to have a night of uninterrupted sleep. I miss it, but Norah's just such a sweety. She's so snugly and giggly right now. I just love hanging out with her. I could honestly go days doing nothing but making faces at her and playing with her. I miss those days with Joey too.
Oh well, I'm off, I need to go finish the dishes and get a shower. Good Night internet world.
I made yet another attempt to take the written test for my driver's license. I am SUPER frustrated. I went in, they said I had everything but apparently, they can't give me a driver's license or an ID in my married name until I change my name with Social Security. Social Security won't give me a new social security card with my married name with out a photo ID. The woman at the DMV was totally understanding of my frustration and gave me a form from them to help the process but I've lost faith in all bureaucracy. It just makes me want to spit or curse or something just not nice.
In other news, I finally broke down and made myself a weekly household cleaning/chore schedule. I've been putting it off for so long in hopes that I'd find a rhythm myself, but for 5 years now that's failed and I've lived in a only occasionally clean home because of it. So, on to plan B.
I had such a good day today. Norah seems to finally be moving her feeding schedules further apart sometimes though not a night. I really wish that would change, but she's up every 3 hours all night long, like clock work. Ahh, to have a night of uninterrupted sleep. I miss it, but Norah's just such a sweety. She's so snugly and giggly right now. I just love hanging out with her. I could honestly go days doing nothing but making faces at her and playing with her. I miss those days with Joey too.
Oh well, I'm off, I need to go finish the dishes and get a shower. Good Night internet world.
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Stuff and things
So many things have been going on lately. Joey has had two bouts of some little bug. She woke up on Sunday at 5am threw up twice then she was fine all of Monday and Tuesday and then today she woke up at 5.30am threw up twice and has been fine since. I don't know what it is but I hope it's over with.
Yesterday, I attempted to take the written test to get my driver's license once again. I went in to the Hamden DMV at 9am thinking I had everything I needed but somehow two important documents weren't there so we rushed home I found said documents and rushed back only for them to send me away again. Apparently my birth certificate was unacceptable. The woman told me that it was a little faded in the center and quote, "might not scan." She wasn't even willing to try. (This is where I screamed at her a little, but only in my mind.) She assured me that other than that, I had all the papers that I needed and gave me a card that will allow me to skip the line when I got back. That's on our agenda for tomorrow. Especially with Danny's new full time job that he starts on Monday. I need to be driving A.S.A.P.
So, I had to go to the Bristol, CT city hall to purchase a new one. I had just called my mom on Monday trying to find a time for us to come up anyway.
This is where my day got good. Danny and I decided that we just had to make some headway on this, we've been to the DMV 5 times in the past 3 month trying to get my written exam over with. So, I called my folks to see if they'd be up for hanging out and we hopped on the highway. I was in and out of the Bristol City Hall in 15 minutes with no hassle. YAY for small town city halls!! I stopped by my old school where my mom works and got to show off the kiddos to my 4th grade teacher. (Love her!) Picked up my sister from school. And while my mom worked, Joey and her got to play all afternoon. Joey was so happy! I love to be able to make that happen, and sometimes it just touches me extra.
When my mom got home from work, she watched the kids and Danny and I got to go visit my grandmother in the nursing home. She's going through a battle with a Melanoma in her mouth and just finished up chemotherapy and is heading into her Radiation treatment soon. It was good to see her. I haven't been able to see her since before she was diagnosed. Every time I've been up to visit one or both of the kids was either just getting over something or had a cold. I've felt so bad about not visiting but it's just not a risk you take with a chemo patient. She's doing so great though. She's such a trooper! It's her second battle with cancer and she just has such a great attitude. It's amazing what a little faith can do. I'm so glad that I was finally able to visit.
And today I've been up since 5am with Joey. I hope she'll be fine again tomorrow and Friday. She was so upset that I had to call her school and tell them that she couldn't attend today. Even though I explained to her how it works that she can't go to school when she's sick or she could get the other kids sick, she was still crying for me not to call her teachers. I think the poor girl thought she could go in later if she was feeling better. I'm really glad she loves school so much. I waffled so much between whether home school or pre-school was the right choice and I'm delighted by how well the program she's in suits her. She really is a Montessori girl.
Yesterday, I attempted to take the written test to get my driver's license once again. I went in to the Hamden DMV at 9am thinking I had everything I needed but somehow two important documents weren't there so we rushed home I found said documents and rushed back only for them to send me away again. Apparently my birth certificate was unacceptable. The woman told me that it was a little faded in the center and quote, "might not scan." She wasn't even willing to try. (This is where I screamed at her a little, but only in my mind.) She assured me that other than that, I had all the papers that I needed and gave me a card that will allow me to skip the line when I got back. That's on our agenda for tomorrow. Especially with Danny's new full time job that he starts on Monday. I need to be driving A.S.A.P.
So, I had to go to the Bristol, CT city hall to purchase a new one. I had just called my mom on Monday trying to find a time for us to come up anyway.
This is where my day got good. Danny and I decided that we just had to make some headway on this, we've been to the DMV 5 times in the past 3 month trying to get my written exam over with. So, I called my folks to see if they'd be up for hanging out and we hopped on the highway. I was in and out of the Bristol City Hall in 15 minutes with no hassle. YAY for small town city halls!! I stopped by my old school where my mom works and got to show off the kiddos to my 4th grade teacher. (Love her!) Picked up my sister from school. And while my mom worked, Joey and her got to play all afternoon. Joey was so happy! I love to be able to make that happen, and sometimes it just touches me extra.
When my mom got home from work, she watched the kids and Danny and I got to go visit my grandmother in the nursing home. She's going through a battle with a Melanoma in her mouth and just finished up chemotherapy and is heading into her Radiation treatment soon. It was good to see her. I haven't been able to see her since before she was diagnosed. Every time I've been up to visit one or both of the kids was either just getting over something or had a cold. I've felt so bad about not visiting but it's just not a risk you take with a chemo patient. She's doing so great though. She's such a trooper! It's her second battle with cancer and she just has such a great attitude. It's amazing what a little faith can do. I'm so glad that I was finally able to visit.
And today I've been up since 5am with Joey. I hope she'll be fine again tomorrow and Friday. She was so upset that I had to call her school and tell them that she couldn't attend today. Even though I explained to her how it works that she can't go to school when she's sick or she could get the other kids sick, she was still crying for me not to call her teachers. I think the poor girl thought she could go in later if she was feeling better. I'm really glad she loves school so much. I waffled so much between whether home school or pre-school was the right choice and I'm delighted by how well the program she's in suits her. She really is a Montessori girl.
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