Week One went REALLY well. We varied a little. Switched up a couple of days. Easy McCheesey. This week is a little heavy on the casseroles! Also, I didn't do the Steak Kabobs or the Indian food this week which I feel good about.
It's more about actually having a plan than sticking to the plan, I've discovered.
Monday - French Bread Pizza
Tuesday - Stuffed Bell Peppers*
Wednesday - Huevos Rancheros
Thursday - Summer Pasta with sun dried tomatoes, asparagus, basil, prosucitto and pine nuts*
Friday - Tuna Casserole*
Saturday - Easy Enchilada Casserole*
* will post recipes on day prepared
Sunday, June 07, 2009
Saturday, June 06, 2009
Simple Mom Giveaway
So, while I'm being a "WannaBe Simple Mom" I have to mention her latest giveaway! If you're curious about cloth diapers, check out this past weeks Cloth Diapering 101 (authored by a guest blogger). She discusses the MANY options available and gives pros and cons to each option.
We used G Diapers with Mia for several months. {ohmygosh...I just saw these ruffle numbers! Too cute!} To same money moved on to some chlorine-free disposable diapers . I'd like to try using pocket diapers! For sure with baby #3 (should we get a newborn).
If you're a Mommy to babies in diapers and are interested in winning any of the following, go here and leave a comment! Good luck :)
• From FuzziBunz, two people will win three pocket diapers — two of their one-size diapers and one of their perfect size diaper. Each set of diapers is worth over $55.
• BottomBumpers will give one reader a three-pack of their all-in-one diapers, worth around $60.
• Swaddlebees is giving one reader two of their diapers, a Blueberry Minky One-Size snap pocket diaper and a Swaddlebees EcoNappi, worth $62.
We used G Diapers with Mia for several months. {ohmygosh...I just saw these ruffle numbers! Too cute!} To same money moved on to some chlorine-free disposable diapers . I'd like to try using pocket diapers! For sure with baby #3 (should we get a newborn).
If you're a Mommy to babies in diapers and are interested in winning any of the following, go here and leave a comment! Good luck :)
• From FuzziBunz, two people will win three pocket diapers — two of their one-size diapers and one of their perfect size diaper. Each set of diapers is worth over $55.
• BottomBumpers will give one reader a three-pack of their all-in-one diapers, worth around $60.
• Swaddlebees is giving one reader two of their diapers, a Blueberry Minky One-Size snap pocket diaper and a Swaddlebees EcoNappi, worth $62.
Monday, June 01, 2009
June Meal Plan - Week One
Monday, June 1 - Trader Joe's Mac-n-Cheese & broccoli for the kids; Pesto pasta with chicken & potatoes for the adults {I usually have no problem cooking two meals if it means Kevin and I get to have our meal together after the kids are in bed}Tuesday, June 2 - Grilled Chicken, rice and Strawberry Spinach salad with home-made vinaigrette dressing
Wednesday, June 3 - Pizza Balls and cut fruit
Thursday, June 4th - Ranch-style Steak kabobs and baked beans
Friday, June 5th - Trader Joe's fried rice, potstickers and edamame
Saturday, June 6th - ?? for the kids; Indian food for adults {it's 'at home' date night!}
Brody said...
When Brody saw this picture he said, "It looks like Daddy is wearing piggy tails." Haaaa haaaa haaaa....
Wanna Be like Simple Mom
I read about 50 blogs. Give or take 25 - 75. I like blog, ok?
All of my personal friends' blogs are in my Google Reader but the rest I keep in a bookmark widget on my iGoogle homepage. They are categorized by theme 'Mom blog', 'Craft', 'Scrapbook' are the three main titles (I also follow some Daddy blogs and a few other rando ones). After some soul searching I realized that I would like very much for my blogs to have a direction...a focus...like these women do. But at the heart and soul of the matter, I don't have a focus. I have chaos. I like a lot of things and I like to blog about them. One of my favorite local blogs is one about the cleanliness of public restrooms in Santa Barbara. It's educational! And I have an obsession with public restrooms so this feeds my neurosis. WHY don't all restrooms keep a trashcan next to the door?? And seriously...is a wall hook for my bag too much to ask?? So, what's my point....
Instead of trying to pretend my blog has a POINT, I'm going to do what I do best and Copy other bloggers! Every now and then I am going to post about a blogger that I follow and why I WannaBe like her/him. Sometimes I'll participate in a project they share. Other times it might be the style in which they write. Maybe I'll read a book someone recommends or try a recipe. Mostly, I think, I'll be following detailed instruction offered by anyone of my favorite authors.
Most of my fav blogs regularly share their genius in How-To format. I like this. Tell me exactly how to (pack a Bento box, create a decal t-shirt, become more organized, etc.), please.
This post is an homage to Simple Mom who completely fascinates me. Pretty much I want to copy her exactly in everything she does. This month I'm going to start 'simple' and take a shot at Monthly Meal Planning. She explains exactly how she does it here. It's already Monday so I'm going to have to do all my planning for the first week of June tonight (ideally I should have started this about a week ago).
My Goal: To save money, be prepared and help move the evening activities along smoothly
Why now: We are in town all of June!
I'll post my June Meal Plan in a separate post! Wish me luck. And thanks, Simple Mom for the encouragement and advice! You make it look so easy.
All of my personal friends' blogs are in my Google Reader but the rest I keep in a bookmark widget on my iGoogle homepage. They are categorized by theme 'Mom blog', 'Craft', 'Scrapbook' are the three main titles (I also follow some Daddy blogs and a few other rando ones). After some soul searching I realized that I would like very much for my blogs to have a direction...a focus...like these women do. But at the heart and soul of the matter, I don't have a focus. I have chaos. I like a lot of things and I like to blog about them. One of my favorite local blogs is one about the cleanliness of public restrooms in Santa Barbara. It's educational! And I have an obsession with public restrooms so this feeds my neurosis. WHY don't all restrooms keep a trashcan next to the door?? And seriously...is a wall hook for my bag too much to ask?? So, what's my point....
Instead of trying to pretend my blog has a POINT, I'm going to do what I do best and Copy other bloggers! Every now and then I am going to post about a blogger that I follow and why I WannaBe like her/him. Sometimes I'll participate in a project they share. Other times it might be the style in which they write. Maybe I'll read a book someone recommends or try a recipe. Mostly, I think, I'll be following detailed instruction offered by anyone of my favorite authors.
Most of my fav blogs regularly share their genius in How-To format. I like this. Tell me exactly how to (pack a Bento box, create a decal t-shirt, become more organized, etc.), please.
This post is an homage to Simple Mom who completely fascinates me. Pretty much I want to copy her exactly in everything she does. This month I'm going to start 'simple' and take a shot at Monthly Meal Planning. She explains exactly how she does it here. It's already Monday so I'm going to have to do all my planning for the first week of June tonight (ideally I should have started this about a week ago).
My Goal: To save money, be prepared and help move the evening activities along smoothly
Why now: We are in town all of June!
I'll post my June Meal Plan in a separate post! Wish me luck. And thanks, Simple Mom for the encouragement and advice! You make it look so easy.
Sunday, May 31, 2009
i madonnari 2009
My favorite SB festival is i madonnari. In the 7 years I have lived here we've never missed this event...until this year. The event is always Memorial Day weekend but this year we decided to visit our precious family at Kevin's parent's home in Phoenix.
This year we visited the drawings a week after they were created and it was so great! No crowds. No pushing. No limited range of vision. Just casually strolling the grounds with the ability to see the entire plaza in a single eyeful! It was perfect. Brody could run wild -- avoiding the art, of course -- and we could still keep an eye on him while admiring the amazing work.
Don't get me wrong. If we can, we'll be there again next year. There is such a cool vibe to be amongst working creativity like that. The smell of chalk and sweat in the air, folk music being played live on the lawn, turkey legs and sno cones, checking in on the Meaney family. It's marvelous and only something as sweet and special as time w/the Sturms would make me pass up the opportunity.
But there was definitely something sweet about seeing all the completed works at one time. Being able to stand and stare at the art w/o feeling like you need to hurry along so that everyone else can have their turn. If you didn't make it to the festival, you really must check it out. Go be blown away...before the work is blown away...
;)
Week 2
Monday, May 25th: Brody and Kevin got to go to a Diamondbacks game with the Janos! Nikki got to say "PLAY BALL" at the start of the game (so cool!!) and Brody got to meet the Bobcat. Brody's first baseball game :)
Tuesday, May 26th: The kids were amazing on the looooong drive home from Phoenix. At one point I turned around and both kids had their heads covered with their blankets. Brody was watching the iPod under his blanket. Mia was watching Brody and doing as he did...
Wednesday, May 27th: Papa Joe arrives!
Thursday, May 28th: Papa Joe took us out to dinner to celebrate my birthday (still partying!). Of course, I chose Fresco -- my most fav restaurant in town! Mia enjoyed some chocolate.
Friday, May 29th: Papa Joe, Brody and I got to run around and play on Friday afternoon during Mimi's nap. Dad let us buy him some new clothes at Old Navy (yahoo!). Afterward we headed toward the children's play area at the Santa Barbara Museum...it was closed for repairs. And DRAMA ensued. Plan B was the turtle fountain in La Arcada court.
Saturday, May 30th: One of the chalk drawings from the i madonnari festival. Love me some Rockwell.
Sunday, May 31: After a long but fun couple of weeks we made a family trip to Butterfly beach. We walked on the wall and played in the sand (some of ate a couple of handfuls of sand...) and just enjoyed being a family. So sweet.Sunday, May 24, 2009
Week 1
The first week of my Project 52 happens to be during our visit to Phoenix! This made it a little tricky to organize photos for the week but I think I got it done.
May 18th 2009 - Mia longingly watching everyone swim at Mor Mor and Papa's house in 112 degree Arizona heat.
May 19th, 2009 - Gramps got all the great-grandkids (and grandkids and Mor Mor & Papa) a Wii for their bdays this year. We have had SO much fun playing and working out every day. I never expected to enjoy sweating so much! Check out my Mii compared to my sweet hubby ;)
May 20th, 2009 - This is the speedometer from the new Ford Focus that Papa bought at auction. We took pics to post on Craigslist. Love that Dad has such an entrepreneural personality. And that he loves a 'bargin'. Such a great man!
May 21st, 2009 - Brody enjoying the wide open spaces (and mass quantities of toys) at Mor Mor and Papa's house.
May 22nd, 2009 - Bathing Beauties. Briella is 1 month older than Mianna. It has been so fun seeing them play together and watch each other. The beginning of a beautiful friendship, for sure.
May 23rd, 2009 - Entertaining the troops at the mall while Mor Mor and Aunt Tammy shoe shop. Thank goodness for Cousin Nicole who is amazing with Brody and Malena and a ton of fun to be around.
May 24th, 2009 - Malena, Aunt Michellie and I were given a joint-bday party. Michelle and I are 36 and Lanie is 3 :) Burgers and guac and yum-o cake. A great way to end a great week!
May 22nd, 2009 - Bathing Beauties. Briella is 1 month older than Mianna. It has been so fun seeing them play together and watch each other. The beginning of a beautiful friendship, for sure.
May 23rd, 2009 - Entertaining the troops at the mall while Mor Mor and Aunt Tammy shoe shop. Thank goodness for Cousin Nicole who is amazing with Brody and Malena and a ton of fun to be around.
May 24th, 2009 - Malena, Aunt Michellie and I were given a joint-bday party. Michelle and I are 36 and Lanie is 3 :) Burgers and guac and yum-o cake. A great way to end a great week!Sunday, May 17, 2009
Bar Food Friday: Pizza
I really try to cook healthy and wholesome throughout the week but on Friday -- we like to party. Which means Bring on the High Calorie High Fat High Cholesterol Heart Attack on a Pizza Stone Fun Food!!
We eat home-made pizza at least once a week. It's so easy to bake and so much healthier than from the box. It's also a fun way to get the kids involved in baking process!
BBQ Chicken, Hawaiian, Chicken and Broccoli, Veggie, Margarita, Everything-But-The-Kitchen-Sink...I mean, seriously, is pizza not the best way to get rid of all the various leftover ingredients hanging out in your fridge at the end of the week?
This week we went for: Sausage, Pepperoni, Onion, Black Olive, Bell Pepper and Garlic. Used some shredded cheddar-jack and leftover spaghetti sauce on top of a Pillsbury Dough (from the can)! I bake the crust for about 10 minutes before putting on the toppings b/c I kept getting uncooked dough in the middle.
On days that I'm feeling really inspired, I'll make my own dough which is a lot of fun. Whole wheat, honey, herb...I'll post about these another time.
20 minutes to melt the cheese and finish off the crust. Deeeelish!
What are your favorite pizza toppings or variations? I'm always looking for new ideas!
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Happy Birthday To Me.
I'm 36 years old today.
I'm 36 years old today.
Felt like I needed to say it twice. I don't like the old part in that sentence. Let's change it to:
I am 36 today!
Thirty-six is not a remarkable year. It's actually pretty random. But for me - I'm thinking 36 is going to be a really remarkable year.
My sister keeps a journal - the contents of which I will now disclose...not really. It's a little blue leather journal and on the front she's written:
UNSURE...BUT CERTAIN.
That is how I feel. I'm unsure about our future....job, babies, home, life, etc. But I'm absolutely CERTAIN that God has a plan for us. A big one. And this year will be a significant chapter in our journey to recognizing that plan.
Most people mark a new year by the first of January. My 'new year' is marked by my kids' birthdays which happen to be 2 days apart from each other in April. I wasn't together enough to start blogging again in April so I chose my birthday to start anew. So, here I go again. Come with me as I leap into a "new year". I plan to do focus on the things that I'm currently passionate about & the new things I hope to learn. I will keep a weekly Project 52 journal here. I will have a couple of weekly events: Deal of the Week & Bar Food Friday. I hope to have a monthly post dedicated to highlighting magazine articles & blog posts that really caught my attention in that month. But wait! There's more....you'll just have to keep checking in to find out exactly what I've got planned :)
You know what? I am 36 today. What a great age to be.
I'm 36 years old today.
Felt like I needed to say it twice. I don't like the old part in that sentence. Let's change it to:
I am 36 today!
Thirty-six is not a remarkable year. It's actually pretty random. But for me - I'm thinking 36 is going to be a really remarkable year.
My sister keeps a journal - the contents of which I will now disclose...not really. It's a little blue leather journal and on the front she's written:
UNSURE...BUT CERTAIN.
That is how I feel. I'm unsure about our future....job, babies, home, life, etc. But I'm absolutely CERTAIN that God has a plan for us. A big one. And this year will be a significant chapter in our journey to recognizing that plan.
Most people mark a new year by the first of January. My 'new year' is marked by my kids' birthdays which happen to be 2 days apart from each other in April. I wasn't together enough to start blogging again in April so I chose my birthday to start anew. So, here I go again. Come with me as I leap into a "new year". I plan to do focus on the things that I'm currently passionate about & the new things I hope to learn. I will keep a weekly Project 52 journal here. I will have a couple of weekly events: Deal of the Week & Bar Food Friday. I hope to have a monthly post dedicated to highlighting magazine articles & blog posts that really caught my attention in that month. But wait! There's more....you'll just have to keep checking in to find out exactly what I've got planned :)
You know what? I am 36 today. What a great age to be.
Sunday, May 03, 2009
Change.
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Mia Letter: 8 Months
This month started off with a lot of new tricks like sitting up by ourselves, crawling (soldier), rocking on hands and knees, sitting in her new big-girl highchair and eating Puffs! Later in the month she figured out how to play "So Big" (which is soooooo cute) and she started pulling herself up to onto her knees in the crib by using the rails.
Poor Baby caught her first cold. Just a stopped up nose and some congestion. We tilted the crib mattress up a bit and set up her sweet elephant humidifier. She actually lets me aspirate her nose. Brody would go ballistic when the huge green "sucker" would get anywhere near him and become all-out combative if you tried to make a move toward the nose. Mia is so laid back. She doesn't enjoy it and she might even swat at it but for the most part she'll let me give 3-4 good sucks to each side before releasing her trademark squawk. It sounds like a zoo animal. Sometimes like the screaming monkeys and other times like a caged bird. She's so talented. For the most part, she didn't let the cold slow her down.
We experienced the excitement (horror) of the Tea Fires on the 13th. No thank you to ever wanting to do that again. And then Grandmama came back to us on the 22nd! We got to spend a whole week together and had a wonderful time. Mor Mor and Papa joined us on the 26th to celebrate Thanksgiving.It's always such a treat to have grandparents in town. Brody can't hardly
contain himself he's so excited to have a new audience - and one that will play 'talking cars' no less!! Mia doesn't know yet how blessed she is to have these wonderful people in her life. Her grandmothers and grandfathers love her so much. How awesome it is that she has such smart, fun, funny, YOUNG, talented, God-loving, people-loving role models in her life. I'm so excited to watch her relationships develop and grow with each of her grandparents individually. They each have had such full lives already and have so much to share and teach her. She is truly blessed to be surrounded by such amazing people who love her so profoundly.
As for December, Mia experienced her first Santa Barbara Christmas parade! We love going to the parades in town but find it extremely difficult with small children. This parade is great because we always find a good place to just sit and watch. She never fussed once - even tho it was an hour past her usual bedtime. It was a great time together enjoying the fun things our little town has to offer. And a great way to kick of Christmas in Santa Barbara!
December will be super busy and Mia already has a nasty cold :( Stay tuned for all the exciting details....Thursday, December 04, 2008
Deal of the Week: Skullcandy
Today I picked up these bad boys for Brody. He's been needing a new pair of head phones for a while and these are perfect b/c they are lightweight, will fit around his giant skull and are SK8r cool, bro!Regular $24.00.
I got them for $5.00 at the Staples clearance table.
Staples is one of my most favorite stores in the shopping world. I love all the little organizational thingies. But my first stop - every visit w/o fail - is the clearance table. It's hit or miss but I've picked up a lot of fun office supply goodies there for next to nothing.
$5.00 for ipod ready headphones...what a deal!
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Deal of the Week: Kenmoore
I can't believe it's Tuesday (for 30 more minutes) and I forgot to tell you about our very awesome Deal of the Week!
First, I have a huge crush on Craig's List. I'm addicted. I used to be an every-dayer-twice-a-dayer but new baby and no money has helped slow my addiction to once every other day or so. THANKFULLY, my very sweet and very awesome and wonderfully patient boyfriend has been a little more diligent.
If you do not Craig's List regularly I am just sorry for you and all the money you're spending on things that you could get second-hand for much, much less. OR FREE! Which is the case with our new garage refrigerator!!!
Well, it's new to us. And did I mention IT. WAS. FREE!?! Yep. A local couple was redoing their kitchen and needed to get rid of the existing stuff. We've wanted a second fridge for years and now - just in time for the holidays - we have one. It's only been a few days but in those few days I think we've each declared our love for our new FREE fridge about 10 times each. Can you blame us?! It's a SECOND FRIDGE. IN OUR GARAGE!!! I'm so happy I could spit.
Thank you, Craig, for your wonderful list. Kisses.
First, I have a huge crush on Craig's List. I'm addicted. I used to be an every-dayer-twice-a-dayer but new baby and no money has helped slow my addiction to once every other day or so. THANKFULLY, my very sweet and very awesome and wonderfully patient boyfriend has been a little more diligent.
If you do not Craig's List regularly I am just sorry for you and all the money you're spending on things that you could get second-hand for much, much less. OR FREE! Which is the case with our new garage refrigerator!!!
Well, it's new to us. And did I mention IT. WAS. FREE!?! Yep. A local couple was redoing their kitchen and needed to get rid of the existing stuff. We've wanted a second fridge for years and now - just in time for the holidays - we have one. It's only been a few days but in those few days I think we've each declared our love for our new FREE fridge about 10 times each. Can you blame us?! It's a SECOND FRIDGE. IN OUR GARAGE!!! I'm so happy I could spit.
Thank you, Craig, for your wonderful list. Kisses.
Monday, November 17, 2008
Deal of the Week: Snapfish
This was a pretty good week at the Goodwill, I must say. I hit the 50% off sale and picked up a bunch of neat stuff for next year's Halloween festivities. OH! And I found the cutest Santa Claus Pototo Heads for only $1.50. NIB!
But the DOTW was from Snapfish who offered a free 8x11 album to all Oprah viewers. My SIL sent me the link just in time. $50 value for only $7 (shipping and handling). That is a deal! I'm going to make a book for Brody from this past summer of our time with family and friends in Texas, Colorado and Phoenix.
Since that opportunity for this free album has passed, I want to share another great deal with you - my faithful readers. The few...the bored... ;)
First, check out http://www.restaurant.com/ and look up the participating restaurants in your neighborhood. From this website you can buy $25 gift certificates for only $10. That's a good deal. But there's more...
Then, go to http://www.couponmom.com/ to see if she is offering an coupons. Sometimes, she offers 80% coupon codes which means you can get $25 worth of gift certs for only $2!!! No joke. Talk about great stocking stuffers. Check it out.
But the DOTW was from Snapfish who offered a free 8x11 album to all Oprah viewers. My SIL sent me the link just in time. $50 value for only $7 (shipping and handling). That is a deal! I'm going to make a book for Brody from this past summer of our time with family and friends in Texas, Colorado and Phoenix.
Since that opportunity for this free album has passed, I want to share another great deal with you - my faithful readers. The few...the bored... ;)
First, check out http://www.restaurant.com/ and look up the participating restaurants in your neighborhood. From this website you can buy $25 gift certificates for only $10. That's a good deal. But there's more...
Then, go to http://www.couponmom.com/ to see if she is offering an coupons. Sometimes, she offers 80% coupon codes which means you can get $25 worth of gift certs for only $2!!! No joke. Talk about great stocking stuffers. Check it out.
Santa Barbara Tea Fire
Last week Santa Barbara caught on fire again. It happens a couple of time a year. Earlier this year we had the Zaca fire. This one is known as the Tea Fire because it started near the Tea House in Montecito.Brody and I were playing outside with Melina. It was a really warm night. I'm still not sure if the heat was from the fire or if it was the Santa Anas which were blowing thru but at about 5PM I remember asking remarking about what felt like a wall of hot air. At 5:30PM you could see the smoke. At 6pm you could see the flames above the homes on the Riviera.
Our entire neighborhood was in the street...with their adult beverages...enjoying the view. I on the other had was in full panic mode. One of our neighbors has lived in his home for over 30 years and remembered the last time this fire happened. He told us the fire reached the top of our street which only freaked me out more. By 7PM the flames were huge. Homes were clearly being engulfed, palm trees were popping and propane tanks were erupting with huge bangs.
We managed to get Mia and Brody in bed but I am pretty sure they could feel my panic vibes because both of them decided to go bananas. Brody was sacked out until he woke up suddenly and loudly screaming about shin pains. And Mia cried for an hour before deciding to finally give up. Meanwhile (and between shushing Mia) I was gathering all of our valuables.
Our valuables turned out to be mostly photos. Wedding photos, professional photos of the kids, scrapbooks and the boxes of snapshots taken over the past 7 years. And packing clothes for a couple of days. And all of Brody's Christmas presents! It took about an hour to completely pack up. I also felt completely compelled to clean the kitchen. I was NOT going to have my house burn down w/a messy kitchen! It was probably just an attempt at controlling something when I felt so completely out of control.
All the while we're watching the local news realizing that hundreds of homes are being devastated just over the hill.
The smoke was becoming really thick. Our eyes were stinging and we were worrying about the kids being exposed to the smoke. Around 10:30PM the police SUV (which I've never seen before?) turned onto our street notifying residents of the evacuation orders. Well, that did it for us. You say "GO"; we go! Many of our neighbors were laughing it off but we weren't going to stick around with danger this close.
Earlier in the week Brody wanted to rent the Elmo Visits the Firehouse from the library. I knew he'd get bored quickly but we rented it. He watched it twice and we talked the whole time about "get out of the house", "stay low", etc. Of course this came to me the night of the fire. Did we watch that video together so he'd know what to do? Was my house going to burn down tonight? We had to leave.
Our precious friend's, Sharon and Jono, invited us to stay at their house so at 11PM we loaded up the kids and took off to Carpinteria. We ended up staying there for two nights even though our house/neighborhood was unharmed. The air was thick with smoke and the Santa Ana winds continued to make the still-burning fires a danger. We came home on Saturday and rested. Thankful for our safety and for good friends.
Our hearts are breaking for the many families who lost so much. For the Westmont students who left campus with none of their things and have nowhere to return. For Westmont faculty who lost their homes in a moment. Please remember these people and Westmont College in your prayers tonight.
The best way to help faculty is by sending gift cards (grocery stores, clothing stores, department stores, hardware stores, etc.) to:
Warren Rogers, Academic Dean
Faculty Fire Donation
955 La Paz Rd
Santa Barbara, CA 93108
For student donations:
Jane Higa, Dean of Students
Student Fire Donation
955 La Paz Rd
Santa Barbara, CA 93108
Monday, November 10, 2008
Deal of the Week
The truth is I am not a fan of shopping. I never have been. I think it's a waste of time and I'm usually disappointed or stressed out and so the experience is not exciting for me.
What I LOVE - as you know - is a deal.
I'm starting a new weekly post. AGAIN? I know. But I love this idea and I love my deals so I should be able to stay on top of this commitment. And if I don't? Who cares? My four loyal readers will forgive me b/c they are my people and my people know to not have too high expectations of me ;)
That said.
This week, I found a brand-new-never-been-opened one of these at our local Goodwill (aka Little Target). I bought it for $15 and I found it listed online for $35! I'm so psyched! I had just been telling mom that I wanted to get Brody something like this for Christmas and not two days later did I find it. It was meant to be.
I also found a slew of Cars die-cast characters from Target that we somehow didn't already have - NIB (new in box) for only $1.99. They are regularly $3.50-$4.00 each! These will make great stocking stuffers for Brody and I picked up extra for his little buddy, Owen.
Go me!
What I LOVE - as you know - is a deal.
I'm starting a new weekly post. AGAIN? I know. But I love this idea and I love my deals so I should be able to stay on top of this commitment. And if I don't? Who cares? My four loyal readers will forgive me b/c they are my people and my people know to not have too high expectations of me ;)
That said.
This week, I found a brand-new-never-been-opened one of these at our local Goodwill (aka Little Target). I bought it for $15 and I found it listed online for $35! I'm so psyched! I had just been telling mom that I wanted to get Brody something like this for Christmas and not two days later did I find it. It was meant to be.
I also found a slew of Cars die-cast characters from Target that we somehow didn't already have - NIB (new in box) for only $1.99. They are regularly $3.50-$4.00 each! These will make great stocking stuffers for Brody and I picked up extra for his little buddy, Owen.
Go me!
Sunday, November 09, 2008
Mia Letter: Seven months
The month that Mia woke up.
Until this past month, I really enjoyed bragging about what a great sleeper you are/were. Suddenly, you stopped being such a champ sleeper. Naps became harder, going to bed became a much longer process. Sleep became an issue. Now, in fairness to you, my sweet baby girl, you do still have your shining sleep moments. One time in this past month, Daddy took you to breakfast w/him and a friend. Rumor has it, you sat quietly in your stroller - chattering to yourself and looking pretty - till you decided to fall asleep. Daddy was able to enjoy his visit for 45 minute while you slept nearby. His friend remarked that none of his kids would ever have done this. So, you take the good, you take the bad, you take them both and there you have: the facts of life. [I'll explain that reference when you're a little older...]
Besides the sleeping struggles you are still a perfect angel baby. You love to laugh and flirt and watch your brother be silly. You get a lot of attention for being so gosh-darn cute and I've learned to be more humble about it. Instead of 'Right??!" I can now say quasi-meekly, "Oh, thank you. That really means a lot to me." Because it does! You are so precious. I complain about the sleep thing but it never fails that when I go up to get you from one of your mini-naps...I can't help but pick you up, chew on your face, swing you around and sing happy songs about how much I love you. One look and I'm goofy all over again. What a good baby you are!
Let's see. October was a lot of fun! This month we did some very Fall-like things - in spite of our unseasonably warm weather. We went to the pumpkin patch with the Wolds and capture the requisite First Visit to the Pumpkin Patch photos. So precious. You started sitting up this month but hadn't really mastered it at the time of the photo-session. We remember your brother's first visit to the pumpkin patch vividly b/c it was the first time he clapped his hands. This made me panic because you, my darling, are not clapping. I realized with much guilt that we don't clap for you very much! You know, "Yeaaa, Mia" + clapping. So we've been practicing. He clapped on the 29th of October. At press, we're into November and there is no signs of clapping but I'm optimistic ;)
The day after the punk'n patch we went APPLE PICKEN! First time. Wasn't a mind blowing experience but it was fun b/c we were there with some of our favorite friends. You and Caleb Wold rode in the Bjorns while your older sibs ran around eating/throwing/picking/kicking rotten apples from the ground. You just liked being part of the action. And we loved you being there!
Halloween was so fun! Your brother was supposed to be a Dallas Cowboy football player. For the sake of record keeping I'll explain why. It's certainly not because we're dedicated Cowboy fans. Daddy is a Bronco's guy and Mommy couldn't not care less about football than she does micro-physics. Here's the short story. I bought some football cleats for Brody at Ross b/c (1) they were cheap and (2) I thought they were soccer cleats. Daddy thinks this is really funny but I think it's an easy mistake. Anyway, instead of taking them back we decided to use them for Halloween and wear the full football uniform + helmet that G'mama got him for Christmas last year. Well, logically, you HAD to be a Cowboy cheerleader, right?
I have to give a shout out to your grandmother here. She made THE cutest cheer uniform in the history of baby costumes. I think she could make money doing this. It was precious. She found pompons at the craft store and chopped them down to size, found the sneakers and added the blue puffs, and hand-created the skirt w/no measurements or anything. It was perfect. We downloaded the star from the Internet, printed it on transfer paper and presto-bamo: 1 Cowboy cheerleader costume. She went all out and then flew in for the occasion. I mean, really? Thank you, Grandmama. You outdid yourself once again. Thanks for the memories!
Besides the sleeping struggles you are still a perfect angel baby. You love to laugh and flirt and watch your brother be silly. You get a lot of attention for being so gosh-darn cute and I've learned to be more humble about it. Instead of 'Right??!" I can now say quasi-meekly, "Oh, thank you. That really means a lot to me." Because it does! You are so precious. I complain about the sleep thing but it never fails that when I go up to get you from one of your mini-naps...I can't help but pick you up, chew on your face, swing you around and sing happy songs about how much I love you. One look and I'm goofy all over again. What a good baby you are!
Let's see. October was a lot of fun! This month we did some very Fall-like things - in spite of our unseasonably warm weather. We went to the pumpkin patch with the Wolds and capture the requisite First Visit to the Pumpkin Patch photos. So precious. You started sitting up this month but hadn't really mastered it at the time of the photo-session. We remember your brother's first visit to the pumpkin patch vividly b/c it was the first time he clapped his hands. This made me panic because you, my darling, are not clapping. I realized with much guilt that we don't clap for you very much! You know, "Yeaaa, Mia" + clapping. So we've been practicing. He clapped on the 29th of October. At press, we're into November and there is no signs of clapping but I'm optimistic ;)
The day after the punk'n patch we went APPLE PICKEN! First time. Wasn't a mind blowing experience but it was fun b/c we were there with some of our favorite friends. You and Caleb Wold rode in the Bjorns while your older sibs ran around eating/throwing/picking/kicking rotten apples from the ground. You just liked being part of the action. And we loved you being there!
Halloween was so fun! Your brother was supposed to be a Dallas Cowboy football player. For the sake of record keeping I'll explain why. It's certainly not because we're dedicated Cowboy fans. Daddy is a Bronco's guy and Mommy couldn't not care less about football than she does micro-physics. Here's the short story. I bought some football cleats for Brody at Ross b/c (1) they were cheap and (2) I thought they were soccer cleats. Daddy thinks this is really funny but I think it's an easy mistake. Anyway, instead of taking them back we decided to use them for Halloween and wear the full football uniform + helmet that G'mama got him for Christmas last year. Well, logically, you HAD to be a Cowboy cheerleader, right?
I have to give a shout out to your grandmother here. She made THE cutest cheer uniform in the history of baby costumes. I think she could make money doing this. It was precious. She found pompons at the craft store and chopped them down to size, found the sneakers and added the blue puffs, and hand-created the skirt w/no measurements or anything. It was perfect. We downloaded the star from the Internet, printed it on transfer paper and presto-bamo: 1 Cowboy cheerleader costume. She went all out and then flew in for the occasion. I mean, really? Thank you, Grandmama. You outdid yourself once again. Thanks for the memories! So on Halloween day, Brody got a little cold + fever so we weren't sure we'd be doing any door-knocking but 'round about 6:30pm he rallied; insisted on being Iron Man instead of a football player and we hit the streets. We only walked a couple of streets but this was his first real experience w/trick-or-treating and he got the hang of it quickly. Sweet Mimi was handed off between the 4 of us (Rah Rah joined the festivities) and we had a blast. It was just the most perfect Halloween yet.
Oh, I need to remember that you got a cold this month. Mild. Mostly sniffles and runny noses. We busted out the sweet cow humidifier and you cleared up w/a week or so. I'm so thankful that it wasn't worse! On the 3rd of Nov. you had your Six Month check up (we're a month behind) and you are still in the 90% for weight, my dear. LET 'EM GIGGLE! You're beautiful and perfect. You also got your flu shot. Can I just say that once again you were remarkable? You talked and smiled and behaved so marvelously the entire visit. You cried for the (6) shots in your legs but stopped right when they were over. I am so proud of you.You love to eat but of course. You've had peas, butternut squash, zucc, carrots, yellow squash, prunes (yuck), bananas, apples, grapes, avocado and yogurt. All homemade I might add, thankyouverymuch Magic Bullet! You've also gotten mobile this month. It's not a crawl per se but more of a pull-scoot type thing. By the end of the month you were really moving! More on this next month, I'm sure. I'm so impressed by your genius.
Basically, it was a full month and I anticipate the coming months to be even busier and more exciting. Thanks to all the people who might read every word of this entry...we love you. And Mimi-kins. I love you, you little girlfriend. I can't wait to see you tomorrow.
Love, Mommy
[Note: I realize my paragraphs are not aligned...can't figure out how to fix it. grrrr.]
Thursday, November 06, 2008
Rock Obala
Yesterday, Kevin and I were talking politics again and out of nowhere Brody said, "Rock Obala". It got our attention immediately. "What did you say?". He told us he did a project today about him at school. Naturally we were curious.Here is the project. How great is this? It doesn't matter that we disagree with Obama on pretty much all of his policies, this is a historical event. This is major. There were 14-something million MORE voters in this election than the last one. 14 MILLION. That's nuts.
I already journaled about the whole thing so Brody and Mia have some personal historical record of this election. And I'll probably make a scrapbook page out of this project.
Here's the deal. This country is renewed and it's 100% in thanks to this man. I whole-heartedly wish the outcome had gone differently. I truly, deeply, personally believe that our nation is in jeopardy and that Obama is not the man who will change that status. BUT I can not deny that he's a charismatic man. That he has been able to get people so excited is a testament to his leadership abilities. I will support our president. I will pray for our leader's safety everytime I pray for our nations safety.
By the way, did you know that Kenya has proclaimed a national holiday in honor of Obama's Presidential win? Very cool.
I love that Brody did an "Rock Obala" project and am proud to display it on our fridge. We've since taught him who the man is and Brody can tell you that he's the "...President of the United States of America". So smart!
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