Pookie is teething. His little gums are swollen, and he's not his happy self.
It breaks my heart.
He's napping...again...and I am watching Miss Potter - a movie about the life of Beatrix Potter (you know, the author of Peter Rabbit).
I'm disappointed.
She's kind of creepy. And it's kind of boring.
Another library find.
Seriously, who is in charge of the DVDs over there??
My afternoon is, however, being redeemed by my sweet/salty snack combination of peanuts, raisins, and chocolate chips.
What is it about that combination that makes you eat an entire bowl when your hips are insisting you only have a handful?!
It's like peanuts and candy corn.
Crack.
I'm addicted.
And I'm looking forward to Sebastian Joe's ice cream with friends tonight. I can't wait to see what seasonal flavors they've come up with to tempt my palate!
Awww....ice cream.
And it's 95 degrees here today.
This will be the perfect end to my day.
Sorry for the randomness. I did warn you in the post title, but I bet you were still a little blindsided.
I'll return soon with normalcy.
Or at the very least I'll try to stay on topic.
Have a great weekend everyone!
I hope you and yours have a safe and happy July 4th!
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Oh boy!
Newsboy cap.
Tiny plaid tie.
Check, check...double check!
I love little boy clothes.
I love that my little guy can be dressed like a little man.
I just wish it was easier to find fashionable and unique boy clothing.
Like this guy, how cute is this?
It's at Gap, of course.
And what about this beanie? I may need to "Add to cart."
Oh, and because we live in the frozen tundra...
Awww...fleece. The silk of the Midwest!
Yes, yes, these pieces are adorable.
But it took some real searching to find them!
A simple trip to my local Target supplies me with plenty of t-shirts and cotton shorts...and probably a cargo pant or two. But that's where the fashion bus stops.
Beep, beep, everybody off - next stop, Girls Department!!
Am I the only one who's noticed that the girl's section of stores are CONSIDERABLY larger and more diverse than their boy counterparts?
We moms of boys like fashion too!!
Come on designers, get a little creative.
If you can offer bows and bracelets for girls at reasonable price points, then you can offer suspenders and ties for boys.
I cannot be the only one who feels this way.
Am I right, here??
If I was a more talented seamstress I would create my own line.
Alas, my eyeball-it-and-pray philosophy for crafting doesn't exactly lend itself to making clothing.
That's kind of an exact science.
So I guess I am just going to have to keep my eye out and snatch up whatever hip pieces I can score.
I'm up for the challenge. I've got nothin' but time on my hands people!
Monday, June 27, 2011
And one and two and three and four!
Get those feet right off the floor!
This is my kind of workout routine.
A little rhyming, a little repetition.
A LOT of instruction.
This is NOT what I experienced with the two DVD's I borrowed from the library recently.
Let me first just stop and declare my love for the library system!
LOVE!
A place to check out novels, music, DVDs, magazines, how-to manuals, and cookbooks.
And all for free.
F-R-E-E
That's my kind of place.
All that said, I was not thrilled with my latest treasures from my public library - through no fault of the library.
I mean, if I was the person who chose which DVDs to supply at the library I probably would have been excited to have Biggest Loser and Dancing with the Stars DVDs too.
That is, until I actually tried to workout to said DVDs.
Oh my, people.
Let the giggling begin.
I popped in the Dancing video - ready for some sweat, some pumped up music, and some hip shaking.
I can get down with the best of them.
I'm not scared of professional dancers.
Bring it on.
And then they did.
And I quit.
Less than 5 minutes into the video!
Seriously, it was ridiculous.
Lovely, lovely Lacey, with her bright smile and flowing hair said this to me.
"Okaaaay, we're going to do the Jive."
"Let's start with a triple step. Triple step, triple step, triple step!"
"Now, turn, and triple step, backwards, now forwards."
And again!"
And I just stood there with my mouth open and my feet firmly planted on the ground.
Sheer disbelief.
What??!
Not only do I have no idea what a triple step is, I couldn't follow you at that mach speed if my feet were on fire!
Give a sister a little direction - break it down for me, please!
But she didn't. She just kept dancing.
So I quit. And I popped in the Biggest Loser dvd, sure that I would have more success with my boyfriend, little Bobby Harper.
And then it happened.
The workout began and Bobby was no where to be seen.
That's right.
Even though he is on the cover of the dvd he is not actually IN the dvd.
The contestants are running the show.
And they're not Bobby Harper!
They're not even the other fake trainers that they keep trying to bring into the show.
And even though I finished the workout (all 20 minutes of it), I was not impressed.
So not impressed that I packed up that dvd right back into it's little lying case, sporting Bobby's smiling face, and placed it squarely back in my library bag to be returned immediately.
And then to console myself I popped in my Tracy Anderson workout and reminded myself what it was like to workout to a professional.
A silly, self-absorbed professional, but that is neither here nor there.
Tracy may watch herself in the mirror and take herself a little too seriously, but she makes my legs ache and my butt sore - and that is my jam!
So, thank you Tracy for the AMAZING workout. And thank you Minneapolis Public Library system for ensuring that I don't spend my hard earned money on workout DVDs that don't work out.
Lesson learned.
Alright, I'm really supposed to be sweeping my floor right now. I'd better get to it.
Have a great day everyone - go visit your library!
This is my kind of workout routine.
A little rhyming, a little repetition.
A LOT of instruction.
This is NOT what I experienced with the two DVD's I borrowed from the library recently.
Let me first just stop and declare my love for the library system!
LOVE!
A place to check out novels, music, DVDs, magazines, how-to manuals, and cookbooks.
And all for free.
F-R-E-E
That's my kind of place.
All that said, I was not thrilled with my latest treasures from my public library - through no fault of the library.
I mean, if I was the person who chose which DVDs to supply at the library I probably would have been excited to have Biggest Loser and Dancing with the Stars DVDs too.
That is, until I actually tried to workout to said DVDs.
Oh my, people.
Let the giggling begin.
I popped in the Dancing video - ready for some sweat, some pumped up music, and some hip shaking.
I can get down with the best of them.
I'm not scared of professional dancers.
Bring it on.
And then they did.
And I quit.
Less than 5 minutes into the video!
Seriously, it was ridiculous.
Lovely, lovely Lacey, with her bright smile and flowing hair said this to me.
"Okaaaay, we're going to do the Jive."
"Let's start with a triple step. Triple step, triple step, triple step!"
"Now, turn, and triple step, backwards, now forwards."
And again!"
And I just stood there with my mouth open and my feet firmly planted on the ground.
Sheer disbelief.
What??!
Not only do I have no idea what a triple step is, I couldn't follow you at that mach speed if my feet were on fire!
Give a sister a little direction - break it down for me, please!
But she didn't. She just kept dancing.
So I quit. And I popped in the Biggest Loser dvd, sure that I would have more success with my boyfriend, little Bobby Harper.
And then it happened.
The workout began and Bobby was no where to be seen.
That's right.
Even though he is on the cover of the dvd he is not actually IN the dvd.
The contestants are running the show.
And they're not Bobby Harper!
They're not even the other fake trainers that they keep trying to bring into the show.
And even though I finished the workout (all 20 minutes of it), I was not impressed.
So not impressed that I packed up that dvd right back into it's little lying case, sporting Bobby's smiling face, and placed it squarely back in my library bag to be returned immediately.
And then to console myself I popped in my Tracy Anderson workout and reminded myself what it was like to workout to a professional.
A silly, self-absorbed professional, but that is neither here nor there.
Tracy may watch herself in the mirror and take herself a little too seriously, but she makes my legs ache and my butt sore - and that is my jam!
So, thank you Tracy for the AMAZING workout. And thank you Minneapolis Public Library system for ensuring that I don't spend my hard earned money on workout DVDs that don't work out.
Lesson learned.
Alright, I'm really supposed to be sweeping my floor right now. I'd better get to it.
Have a great day everyone - go visit your library!
Friday, June 24, 2011
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Pretzel Cookies
There she is. Pretty isn't she?
That's a chocolate chip cookie, stuffed with peanut butter chips and pretzels and sprinkled with sea salt.
You know, 'cause I like to be excessive.
I found the inspiration for these here at Sugar Cooking and then went a little rogue.
Since the blogger over at Sugar Cooking admittedly wasn't thrilled with her base cookie dough recipe I didn't follow hers. I used my recipe (adapted from the America's Test Kitchen recipe).
Side note: Have you bought The Complete America's Test Kitchen TV Show Cookbook (2001-2011) yet?
It makes my skirt fly up.
I'm just saying.
So anyway, back to the cookies.
I'll post the recipe below so you can join me in sabotaging whatever diet you may be on.
If I'm going down I'm taking you all with me!
And why not when you can enjoy these??
They rocked my world.
And made me forget that I am supposed to be counting calories.
I counted the calories - I counted them all the way up into triple digits.
Totally worth it, if you ask me.
Now, if you ask Rusty, they were too sweet.
Which is silly given the amount of salt that goes into these.
He's the smartest man I know, and I trust him for lots of things - cookie critic is not one of them.
I call them delicious and declare you leave your computer right now and head to the kitchen to whip up a batch.
Bon Apetit!
(oops, too much Julie and Julia last night!)
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Pretzel Cookies
(original base cookie recipe adapted from America's Test Kitchen)
Makes about 18 large cookies
2 cups plus 2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon table salt
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) salted butter, melted and cooled
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup semisweet or milk chocolate chips
3/4 cup peanut butter chips
3/4 cup pretzel pieces
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Pour some pretzels in a large plastic bag and use your hands to gently break them into pieces. Measure 3/4 cup pretzel pieces into a medium bowl. Add chocolate chips and peanut butter chips and set aside.
Whisk flour, baking soda and salt together in a medium bowl; set aside.
Beat the butter and sugars at medium speed until smooth. Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla and beat until fully incorporated. Add the dry ingredients and mix on low speed until combined.
Mix in the pretzels and chips.
Divide the dough into 18 portions and roll them between your hands to make balls. Holding one dough ball with your fingers, pull the dough apart into two equal halves. Rotate the halves 90 degrees and, with the jagged surfaces facing up, join the halves together at their base, forming a single ball, being careful not to smooth the dough's uneven surface.
Place the cookies on a baking sheet, spacing them about 2 1/2 inches apart.
Sprinkle cookies with sea salt.
Bake for 16-19 minutes. Cookies should be light golden brown, with soft centers.
Now, and this is important.
Eat one right out of the oven.
It's right here in the recipe - and you follow recipes, right?
You will not regret it. Your mouth will not regret it.
Your hips may regret it, but we're not listening to them today.
And maybe you want to make 19 cookies instead of 18 so that can be your little secret.
I'm just saying.
I won't tell.
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Macgyver Crafting
I've been up to no good.
Someone gave me some free time, handed me a can of spray paint, a warmed up hot glue gun, and a whole pile of beautiful fabric.
I have been in heaven.
Disclaimer: Only one out of the three projects I'm about to show you is finished...and turned out the way I originally intended it to.
That's usually how my crafting goes - Macgyver-style.
Let's get real. I don't actually know the technical way to do anything.
I just make stuff up and alter as I go along.
Sometimes it works. Sometimes not so much.
Here's one that worked...the second time.
You'll have to use your imaginary eraser to remove the hanging wire, then use your imaginary husband to hand all of the components on the wall - and then you'll have an idea of what it will look like soon (hopefully tomorrow).
Or you could just wait until I post pictures of the finished project. :)
Initially I wanted to decoupage words and images from our wedding cards onto the "L".
Remember that time when I had lofty goals but less than lofty creative ability??
Thwarted again!
It's ok, I think I actually like how these turned out better with the fabric.
And the "L" has been padded to make it stand out.
I have no tutorial. You wouldn't want to see it anyway.
It would just be a lot of pictures of me grimacing, bubble clouds above my head laced with swear words, and lots of scrap fabric strewn about my dining room table.
Not exactly inspiring stuff.
Just keeping it real.
Moving on.
Next, there is this project...more than a year in the making...and still not finished.
It's toilet paper roll art. Looks good, right?
Not anymore it doesn't!
That picture was the first coat of primer. And it looked great.
And then I tried to spray it with a glossy yellow.
Bad idea. Bad. Idea.
Oh, and did I mention I did it on a windy day? Outside? Under a tree? During the time of year when our neighborhood's cottonwoods are puking cotton all over everything?
No, I didn't mention that?
Oh, well, I did.
And now my beautiful craft is more like crap.
I'm going to try to salvage it. I'm not holding my breath.
Luckily we're a family who believes in using the toilet on a regular basis, so I can probably throw another one together...in another year or so.
Lastly, let's take a peek at my hubby's Father's Day present. Yes, I crafted it.
It's his fault for marrying me.
Ta da!
I booked him and his dad a Summit Brewery Tour! Yeah for FREE beer!
This was super easy. I stole, er, borrowed the Summit logo off their website, fired up my Word document, pasted it in there, wrote some silly text and printed the whole shebang off on my home printer. I made two, one for my hubby, and one for his dad.
Done and done.
And then I may or may not have used two Eggo waffle boxes as gift boxes and wrapped them each in pieces cut from one of my husband's old shirts.
Yep, I'm that girl.
Someone gave me some free time, handed me a can of spray paint, a warmed up hot glue gun, and a whole pile of beautiful fabric.
I have been in heaven.
Disclaimer: Only one out of the three projects I'm about to show you is finished...and turned out the way I originally intended it to.
That's usually how my crafting goes - Macgyver-style.
Let's get real. I don't actually know the technical way to do anything.
I just make stuff up and alter as I go along.
Sometimes it works. Sometimes not so much.
Here's one that worked...the second time.
You'll have to use your imaginary eraser to remove the hanging wire, then use your imaginary husband to hand all of the components on the wall - and then you'll have an idea of what it will look like soon (hopefully tomorrow).
Or you could just wait until I post pictures of the finished project. :)
Initially I wanted to decoupage words and images from our wedding cards onto the "L".
Remember that time when I had lofty goals but less than lofty creative ability??
Thwarted again!
It's ok, I think I actually like how these turned out better with the fabric.
And the "L" has been padded to make it stand out.
I have no tutorial. You wouldn't want to see it anyway.
It would just be a lot of pictures of me grimacing, bubble clouds above my head laced with swear words, and lots of scrap fabric strewn about my dining room table.
Not exactly inspiring stuff.
Just keeping it real.
Moving on.
Next, there is this project...more than a year in the making...and still not finished.
It's toilet paper roll art. Looks good, right?
Not anymore it doesn't!
That picture was the first coat of primer. And it looked great.
And then I tried to spray it with a glossy yellow.
Bad idea. Bad. Idea.
Oh, and did I mention I did it on a windy day? Outside? Under a tree? During the time of year when our neighborhood's cottonwoods are puking cotton all over everything?
No, I didn't mention that?
Oh, well, I did.
And now my beautiful craft is more like crap.
I'm going to try to salvage it. I'm not holding my breath.
Luckily we're a family who believes in using the toilet on a regular basis, so I can probably throw another one together...in another year or so.
Lastly, let's take a peek at my hubby's Father's Day present. Yes, I crafted it.
It's his fault for marrying me.
Ta da!
I booked him and his dad a Summit Brewery Tour! Yeah for FREE beer!
This was super easy. I stole, er, borrowed the Summit logo off their website, fired up my Word document, pasted it in there, wrote some silly text and printed the whole shebang off on my home printer. I made two, one for my hubby, and one for his dad.
Done and done.
And then I may or may not have used two Eggo waffle boxes as gift boxes and wrapped them each in pieces cut from one of my husband's old shirts.
Yep, I'm that girl.
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Cheap, cheap, cheap
It's the sound of a wee birdy, and the best word to describe my spending habits.
Cheap.
Some may call themselves thrifty or money conscious.
I don't have such illusions of grandeur.
I am cheap. And proud of it!
It's why I shop at Aldi...for .29 cent peaches.
And why I frequent the thrift stores and Goodwill.
I delight in the hunt and the thrill of finding a good, nay, a GREAT deal.
I found one such deal yesterday.
Wait for it.
I got this for our Pookie...
It's a Leap Frog musical table.
It speaks in two languages (Spanish and English), plays music, teaches the alphabet and numbers 1-10.
It's in PRISTINE condition, all parts working and in order - and SO CLEAN!
I spotted it from across the store, pointed my cart in that direction, told Pookie to "hold on" and made a beeline for it.
Once it was thoroughly inspected, I flipped it over to find the price - anticipating a $9.99 price tag.
Instead I saw $2.42.
I gasped. Stepped back. Regained my composure. Looked again.
$2.42.
I shoved it in my cart and raced around the corner and down the next aisle, half expecting a store clerk to chase me and alert security to my thievery. I may have even been giggling a little bit.
Did I mention it is Leap Frog? That stuff is not cheap!
But wait, it gets better.
Yesterday was Customer Appreciation Day - 25% off everything in the store!
Ahhh!! A chorus of little birdies...cheap, cheap, cheap!
My score?
$1.86.
Done and done.
Oh, and I also found this little number...you know, in case Summer ever shows up and I need a sundress.
$5.99!
*anyone else want to exclaim, "$5.99, are you out of your mind??"?
No? Just me? Ok, we should probably move on then.
That's a $6 dress people. And it even has pockets.
And I am a girl who likes a dress with pockets. I've got lip gloss and change to carry.
So, if you're ever in the mood for a little thrifting...cheap-style. Call me up. We'll shop!
Yep, cheap suits me. And my wallet.
Cheap.
Some may call themselves thrifty or money conscious.
I don't have such illusions of grandeur.
I am cheap. And proud of it!
It's why I shop at Aldi...for .29 cent peaches.
And why I frequent the thrift stores and Goodwill.
I delight in the hunt and the thrill of finding a good, nay, a GREAT deal.
I found one such deal yesterday.
Wait for it.
I got this for our Pookie...
It's a Leap Frog musical table.
It speaks in two languages (Spanish and English), plays music, teaches the alphabet and numbers 1-10.
It's in PRISTINE condition, all parts working and in order - and SO CLEAN!
I spotted it from across the store, pointed my cart in that direction, told Pookie to "hold on" and made a beeline for it.
Once it was thoroughly inspected, I flipped it over to find the price - anticipating a $9.99 price tag.
Instead I saw $2.42.
I gasped. Stepped back. Regained my composure. Looked again.
$2.42.
I shoved it in my cart and raced around the corner and down the next aisle, half expecting a store clerk to chase me and alert security to my thievery. I may have even been giggling a little bit.
Did I mention it is Leap Frog? That stuff is not cheap!
But wait, it gets better.
Yesterday was Customer Appreciation Day - 25% off everything in the store!
Ahhh!! A chorus of little birdies...cheap, cheap, cheap!
My score?
$1.86.
Done and done.
Oh, and I also found this little number...you know, in case Summer ever shows up and I need a sundress.
$5.99!
*anyone else want to exclaim, "$5.99, are you out of your mind??"?
No? Just me? Ok, we should probably move on then.
That's a $6 dress people. And it even has pockets.
And I am a girl who likes a dress with pockets. I've got lip gloss and change to carry.
So, if you're ever in the mood for a little thrifting...cheap-style. Call me up. We'll shop!
Yep, cheap suits me. And my wallet.
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Time
Time is a funny thing.
It's elusive. And fleeting.
If you had asked me two weeks ago about my time you would have heard me mutter something about not having time to talk about time. "Come back and talk to me in two weeks when I'm not working anymore - I'll have plenty of time then," I may have said.
Fast forward two weeks.
I'm not working.
I'm living the dream - oh, how I LOVE the dream!
But somehow, in the dream, I still don't have time to get done all the things that are cluttering up my "To Do" list (and my dining room table!)
Where do my days go?
Well, ok, I know where most of my days go.
They go to the grocery store - with coupons - my days are thrifty and CHEAP!
They go to Target - for all the fascinating items that make my world go round - you know, formula and diapers and toilet paper.
They go to the library - and end up reading books to other people's unsupervised children.
They go to my son's room to play and cuddle while he's still little enough to want me around.
And I love all of these things.
But they take time.
And they don't leave much time for cleaning, crafting, laundry, correspondence, or organization.
And honestly.
I'm ok with that.
Right now, my time is not my own.
My time belongs to a boy with chubby thighs and bright blue eyes.
And if spending my time reading books, singing songs, and teaching the alphabet mean I have dusty floors, unfinished sewing projects, dirty laundry, and late thank you cards - I'll still be smiling.
How could I not when I get to spend my time with them??
It's elusive. And fleeting.
If you had asked me two weeks ago about my time you would have heard me mutter something about not having time to talk about time. "Come back and talk to me in two weeks when I'm not working anymore - I'll have plenty of time then," I may have said.
Fast forward two weeks.
I'm not working.
I'm living the dream - oh, how I LOVE the dream!
But somehow, in the dream, I still don't have time to get done all the things that are cluttering up my "To Do" list (and my dining room table!)
Where do my days go?
Well, ok, I know where most of my days go.
They go to the grocery store - with coupons - my days are thrifty and CHEAP!
They go to Target - for all the fascinating items that make my world go round - you know, formula and diapers and toilet paper.
They go to the library - and end up reading books to other people's unsupervised children.
They go to my son's room to play and cuddle while he's still little enough to want me around.
And I love all of these things.
But they take time.
And they don't leave much time for cleaning, crafting, laundry, correspondence, or organization.
And honestly.
I'm ok with that.
Right now, my time is not my own.
My time belongs to a boy with chubby thighs and bright blue eyes.
And if spending my time reading books, singing songs, and teaching the alphabet mean I have dusty floors, unfinished sewing projects, dirty laundry, and late thank you cards - I'll still be smiling.
How could I not when I get to spend my time with them??
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