Saturday, August 27, 2011
polyvore creating
I found polyvore.com the other day, and, along with pinterest.com, it's my new favorite internet addiction!
Thursday, August 18, 2011
August food plans...
Soooo, I tried to alternate recipes with ones that took more preparation, and then ones that were super simple. I also tried to alternate meat types. I found that even the ones with more ingredients and prep didn't take me a crazy long time, though!
Weeks 1-2
1. Chicken, Spinach, Goat Cheese Quesadillas with Avacado sour cream.
2. Brats with bagged salad.
3. Creamy Burrito Casserole.
4. Chili Dogs, side of green beans. (Bought canned chili)
5. Steak and mashed potatoes (I sear the steak, and then cook it 4 min each side in a combo of 1/2 c. balsamic vinegar and 1/2 c. red wine. Sooo good.).
6. Pizza (canned sauce, wheat tortillas, mozzerella, and desired toppings).
7. Chicken Crescent Roll Casserole. (Very, very rich. And YUM!)
At this point, we didn't use any more of the planned meals, because we ate a lot of leftovers! Here are the rest of the meals I had planned for that week. I made the Fettuccine Alfredo the next week, and still haven't made the other two.
8. Fettuccine Alfredo.
9. Spanish Chicken and rice bake.
10. Beef Stroganoff.
Weeks 3-4
1. White Bean and Portobello Mushroom wrap. (LOVE. I grill mine on the stove at the end, too.)
2. Chicken Gyros. (Bought pre-made tzaziki sauce, and pan-grilled the chicken. Filled pita bread with those ingredients plus tomatoes. If you feel super ambitious, follow the link.)
3. Burritos. (In one pan: Ground beef, cooked instant white rice, black beans, refried beans, taco seasoning, tomato juice, salt, and anything else you want in your burrito. Cheese for top.)
4. Stuffed peppers. (I'm going to use same filling as for the burritos!)
5. Spaghetti.
6. Spinach and Cheese Strata. (I couldn't afford Gruyere Cheese! You can use swiss.)
7. Beef Stroganoff.
8. Frozen pizza.
* for snacks and sides, I made a big batch of hummus. And we eat lots of fruit. And I buy a big bucket of ice cream. And sometimes make cake or cookies from ingredients I have at home.
Weeks 1-2
1. Chicken, Spinach, Goat Cheese Quesadillas with Avacado sour cream.
2. Brats with bagged salad.
3. Creamy Burrito Casserole.
4. Chili Dogs, side of green beans. (Bought canned chili)
5. Steak and mashed potatoes (I sear the steak, and then cook it 4 min each side in a combo of 1/2 c. balsamic vinegar and 1/2 c. red wine. Sooo good.).
6. Pizza (canned sauce, wheat tortillas, mozzerella, and desired toppings).
7. Chicken Crescent Roll Casserole. (Very, very rich. And YUM!)
At this point, we didn't use any more of the planned meals, because we ate a lot of leftovers! Here are the rest of the meals I had planned for that week. I made the Fettuccine Alfredo the next week, and still haven't made the other two.
8. Fettuccine Alfredo.
9. Spanish Chicken and rice bake.
10. Beef Stroganoff.
Weeks 3-4
1. White Bean and Portobello Mushroom wrap. (LOVE. I grill mine on the stove at the end, too.)
2. Chicken Gyros. (Bought pre-made tzaziki sauce, and pan-grilled the chicken. Filled pita bread with those ingredients plus tomatoes. If you feel super ambitious, follow the link.)
3. Burritos. (In one pan: Ground beef, cooked instant white rice, black beans, refried beans, taco seasoning, tomato juice, salt, and anything else you want in your burrito. Cheese for top.)
4. Stuffed peppers. (I'm going to use same filling as for the burritos!)
5. Spaghetti.
6. Spinach and Cheese Strata. (I couldn't afford Gruyere Cheese! You can use swiss.)
7. Beef Stroganoff.
8. Frozen pizza.
* for snacks and sides, I made a big batch of hummus. And we eat lots of fruit. And I buy a big bucket of ice cream. And sometimes make cake or cookies from ingredients I have at home.
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Pinterest. Bedrooms.
Pinterest.com
I'm a little addicted. Some bedrooms I've found there.
I'm a little addicted. Some bedrooms I've found there.
warm and cozy.
vintage cute.
Love.
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
8 weeks to go, WI summer, and shielding my 2-yr-old from meanies.
I haven't felt very write-y.
But, I can't let that stop me.
8 1/2 weeks until my due date. It's felt like a short pregnancy. Maybe this is because much of my pregnancy was during Wisconsin's short-feeling summer. Summer is gulped here. Where people living in milder weather can spread their frivolity out over most of the year, we have about 4 months. Maybe. Resorts are booked all summer. As are any tourist towns. Wisconsin Dells and Door County are overrun with hoards of people needing to thaw the winter off of themselves. We usually do our getaways in spring and fall, desiring to miss out on the overwhelming-ness of the tourist season.
I suppose, though, no matter where one lives, summer is the time to have fun. Kids are out of school, and places of interest can charge double what they would in the "off" season. Maybe we Northerners just appreciate it a tad more.
Speaking of being prego. I'm out of breath easier, and I move slower, and I can't get super comfy at night. I've always lain on my arms - which are under my pillow. At this point in pregnancy, my arms fall asleep in this position now. Which is just annoying. I'm reach tiredness faster, too. But, other than those few things, I'm really loving being pregnant! I couldn't say that at all with pregnancy #1. This time, after about 14 weeks, the nausea faded. I had some severe emotional issues here and there. Maybe once a month or a little less. Now, since reaching the 3rd trimester, it's been pretty awesome. Oh. And heartburn. That too.
Ava. I've never been able to figure out how to record her awesomeness. I want to find words. And enough words to describe her. And how I feel about her. She's only been on this earth for 2 years, and it's ridiculous how much she impacts mine and J's life. And the lives of others! She brings light and joy wherever she is. I get so sad when her feelings get hurt now - this is a fairly new development, being aware of other kids' insensitivity. Older kids get annoyed with her sometimes. Or they want to boss her around. Usually other kids are pretty great, but there are moments... And she picks up on it. And she reacts with frustration. The other day, a boy about age 10 didn't want her to play with him at the park. He kept telling her 'no', 'don't', and 'I think your mommy wants you'. My heart just busted all apart. She was just saying 'hi' and waving and trying to play the wall-mounted tic-tac-toe with him on the playground. When she finally understood that he was annoyed, she plopped sadly on the ground. "Come here, Ava." I sing-songed sweetly. "No!" and she flopped her hands about, frustrated and hurt.
I can hardly handle it when these little things happen. I don't know what I'm going to do when there are far deeper emotions and hurts in her life. I want to shield her, and I also want her to face it all and learn to be strong, and rely on Jesus. Her truest Friend. Right now, I mostly want to shield her and keep her away from kids who don't appreciate her. And I want to tell kids how awesome she is, and that they just need to be kind and patient. That she's little, but she's not dumb. She's sensitive and feels their rejection. *sigh*
For now, I'm glad I get to be her best mommy-friend. She, once in a while and out of the blue will say "You're my best friend." And for now, I'm soaking it in. I'm loving being fully accepting of her (as I always will!), and praising her, and building her up. And disciplining her with lots of love. And just being glad that, if no one else truly knows her, I get to. For now.
But, I can't let that stop me.
8 1/2 weeks until my due date. It's felt like a short pregnancy. Maybe this is because much of my pregnancy was during Wisconsin's short-feeling summer. Summer is gulped here. Where people living in milder weather can spread their frivolity out over most of the year, we have about 4 months. Maybe. Resorts are booked all summer. As are any tourist towns. Wisconsin Dells and Door County are overrun with hoards of people needing to thaw the winter off of themselves. We usually do our getaways in spring and fall, desiring to miss out on the overwhelming-ness of the tourist season.
I suppose, though, no matter where one lives, summer is the time to have fun. Kids are out of school, and places of interest can charge double what they would in the "off" season. Maybe we Northerners just appreciate it a tad more.
Ava. I've never been able to figure out how to record her awesomeness. I want to find words. And enough words to describe her. And how I feel about her. She's only been on this earth for 2 years, and it's ridiculous how much she impacts mine and J's life. And the lives of others! She brings light and joy wherever she is. I get so sad when her feelings get hurt now - this is a fairly new development, being aware of other kids' insensitivity. Older kids get annoyed with her sometimes. Or they want to boss her around. Usually other kids are pretty great, but there are moments... And she picks up on it. And she reacts with frustration. The other day, a boy about age 10 didn't want her to play with him at the park. He kept telling her 'no', 'don't', and 'I think your mommy wants you'. My heart just busted all apart. She was just saying 'hi' and waving and trying to play the wall-mounted tic-tac-toe with him on the playground. When she finally understood that he was annoyed, she plopped sadly on the ground. "Come here, Ava." I sing-songed sweetly. "No!" and she flopped her hands about, frustrated and hurt. I can hardly handle it when these little things happen. I don't know what I'm going to do when there are far deeper emotions and hurts in her life. I want to shield her, and I also want her to face it all and learn to be strong, and rely on Jesus. Her truest Friend. Right now, I mostly want to shield her and keep her away from kids who don't appreciate her. And I want to tell kids how awesome she is, and that they just need to be kind and patient. That she's little, but she's not dumb. She's sensitive and feels their rejection. *sigh*
For now, I'm glad I get to be her best mommy-friend. She, once in a while and out of the blue will say "You're my best friend." And for now, I'm soaking it in. I'm loving being fully accepting of her (as I always will!), and praising her, and building her up. And disciplining her with lots of love. And just being glad that, if no one else truly knows her, I get to. For now.
Friday, August 5, 2011
Cafe. again...
I've been quietly pricing supplies and doing research on types of cafes, and business plans. Today, I took Ava for a walk (which I haven't done forever because it's too hot out for my pregnant-ness). Coincidentally, a neighbor down the way had tons of restaurant supplies for sale. Metal kitchen counters. Cash register. Pub/bistro tables and chairs. The things I've been secretly perusing online.
The other day, I saw this building for sale on Main Street, and I love it! Not my first choice of locations. And really, not gonna happen cuz I'm about to have a baby here. And we still have to sell our house. But, it's what I'm thinking about - apartment above, business below. On a busy corner. No parking lot, though. And no wheelchair access. But still. Close to what's in my head.
As I've gotten a little older, it doesn't seem so impossible. Why NOT? Right now, it's time for babies. And I'm loving that! Maybe as they get closer to school-age, and I MAYBE need to chase them less... we'll see.
Right now, it's fun to think about!
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Something important from Ava. Also, channeling toddler anger.
She's 2 1/2. When she's pretending to talk on the phone, or wanting to say something serious... she says variations of the following:
"thirteen, fourteen"
"six minutes"
"two dollars"
"well..." (followed by mostly unintelligible sentences)
She is also known for clearing her throat importantly whilst holding a fist up to her mouth, as is proper when one is clearing one's throat.
Other things.
When I ask if she needs help with something (after she has struggled for a while to do a button...etc.), she sometimes says "ME help you!" Which means, "I'm going to do it by MYSELF!"
Today, she prepared herself to climb over the back of grandma's couch, and I explained that we can't do that anymore because it's breaking the couch (I showed her a rip). She said, "Ok, I be careful." (She's already logically making cases for why she's still going to do what she's planned to do! She did good, though, when I said 'no', she listened.)
On the topic of anger and tantrums. She doesn't have many, really. But she does holler and scream (not high-pitched, thank God) sometimes. And she's started flopping on the floor once in a while (I ignore that, for the most part). But here's the thing... I want her to express frustration. I don't like when we stifle our kids and teach them that being angry is BAD. So, how do I help her (at just 2 years old) start to channel the frustration? I don't know. I tell her that I understand she's angry. (The other day, she growled in frustration and actually said, "I angwy (angry)", and I was so proud of her for being able to say that at 2-years-old!) And I tell her not to throw things. Today I said, very firmly, "No, there is no throwing toys when we're mad!" She got a big ol' pouty lip and held back big ol' tears. It was like I broke her heart when she was just feeling frustrated and didn't know what else to do! Poor baby. I felt bad, but didn't know how to show her the right way to be mad. I said, "When you're mad, you can throw that teddy bear cuz he's soft and can't break." But that was probably wrong, too. It's probably not great to tell her to throw crap when she's mad.
I'm sure there are resources. I'll look it up. For today, it was my new question.
"thirteen, fourteen"
"six minutes"
"two dollars"
"well..." (followed by mostly unintelligible sentences)
She is also known for clearing her throat importantly whilst holding a fist up to her mouth, as is proper when one is clearing one's throat.
Other things.
When I ask if she needs help with something (after she has struggled for a while to do a button...etc.), she sometimes says "ME help you!" Which means, "I'm going to do it by MYSELF!"
Today, she prepared herself to climb over the back of grandma's couch, and I explained that we can't do that anymore because it's breaking the couch (I showed her a rip). She said, "Ok, I be careful." (She's already logically making cases for why she's still going to do what she's planned to do! She did good, though, when I said 'no', she listened.)
On the topic of anger and tantrums. She doesn't have many, really. But she does holler and scream (not high-pitched, thank God) sometimes. And she's started flopping on the floor once in a while (I ignore that, for the most part). But here's the thing... I want her to express frustration. I don't like when we stifle our kids and teach them that being angry is BAD. So, how do I help her (at just 2 years old) start to channel the frustration? I don't know. I tell her that I understand she's angry. (The other day, she growled in frustration and actually said, "I angwy (angry)", and I was so proud of her for being able to say that at 2-years-old!) And I tell her not to throw things. Today I said, very firmly, "No, there is no throwing toys when we're mad!" She got a big ol' pouty lip and held back big ol' tears. It was like I broke her heart when she was just feeling frustrated and didn't know what else to do! Poor baby. I felt bad, but didn't know how to show her the right way to be mad. I said, "When you're mad, you can throw that teddy bear cuz he's soft and can't break." But that was probably wrong, too. It's probably not great to tell her to throw crap when she's mad.
I'm sure there are resources. I'll look it up. For today, it was my new question.
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