this girls pilgrimage.

See You Later...

2011-09-22T12:17:00.003-04:00

Hi! As you may have noticed, I have been a little "on and off" on the blog since summer. I've been contemplating this for awhile and have finally made a decision. As of now, I will be saying goodbye to the blog for awhile. I don't believe that this is a permanent decision. I may decide to come back but, for now I'm going to just leave it at that.

I've been blogging for 4 1/2 years. I remember the day I started blogging, and I cherish each and every blog I've written. They all hold so many moments and memories of my life and motherhood over the past 4 years. My blog will still remain here. I'm not deleting it because, like I said this is not permanent, it's just for a season. It may be a few months, maybe a year, I'm not sure but, my focus right now is my family and as fun as it is, blogging is not a priority for me. So, when I'm ready...I'll be back. Thank you to all of my friends and family who have kept up with us on here over the years. It has been a pleasure.

Lots of love to you all. Until next time...

-G.

Back To School...and Journey is a year old!!

2011-09-12T07:11:00.005-04:00

So, we are back to school today...a week later than most but, we're doing it. With moving on September 1st, I thought it would be easier (on myself and the kiddos) if we waited a week to start. I'm thanking myself for that decision today.

I definitely feel less prepared than previous years but, I do feel like It won't necessarily hinder things. I stayed up and read through the lessons last night, and I feel like it will go well, but then I realized I had forgotten about a snack. I always like to have a special snack for the first day but, I forgot so, I will have to get creative with that one. I am excited for the curriculum I'm using. I actually decided to stick with the same one I've been using since Kindergarten and I love it. It also makes it easier to integrate your younger kiddos into the program when they are ready.

I'm doing some last minute prep right now by having a large mug of coffee!

*******************************************

Yesterday, we celebrated our one year anniversary of Journey Church!! Yes, we have been here for two years but, we have only "officially" been a church meeting on a weekly basis for a year. We gradually started in our home, went to meeting once per month in a hotel and then last September began meeting every week at that same hotel.We are growing and have a wonderful group of students from Harvard University and Brandeis University coming. They bring such an energy and excitement, we are so blessed to have them. We have also been blessed with several others who we are so thankful for and could not really function without. It is a blessing to have people who recognize and stand behind your vision and can just "jump right in." It is exciting, and what a Journey it has been.

Let's just say that life right now is pretty crazy and a bit hectic but, that is all a part of the Journey we are on. If everything was easy, it wouldn't be that exciting and adventurous, right? That's what I keep telling myself.

I may be back later today...or tomorrow with some "First Day" pictures. Oh, and we got our annual family pictures taken yesterday and I'm excited to see how they turn out.

Hello There!

2011-09-06T17:15:00.003-04:00

Howdy, strangers! How's life? Well...we moved. We have been buys packing and unpacking and prepping for school, and lots of other things. We only moved about 10 minutes away from our previous place to a different apartment, a less expensive apartment, and it has one extra bedroom, which we will be temporarily using as an office.

I'm hoping to get back into the blogging groove but, we will see. Because of the move, I decided not to start school with the kids until next Monday. Most of my school things are still packed in boxes. Tonight, as a family project, we will be unpacking the boxes and setting up our bookshelf. Once that happens, I will feel much better and a little more prepared.

I was very overwhelmed for a little while because of this move. Even though we didn't move far this time, it was still very stressful. When we moved to this city 2 years ago, my husband had taken 3 weeks off and we were able to just move and unpack and go slow but, when you are already in the midst of life and have many things going on that you have to maintain...and move, it can be quite stressful, at least for me. I like to go at my own pace, which tends to be slow in comparison to others but, life just isn't always like that. We are unpacking and getting settled as much as we can and once we get it all fixed up, I will show you pictures!

Oh, and this new place (I call it an apartment because we rent but, it's really the downstairs of a house laid out like an apartment) has a fenced in backyard and a porch, which I'm very excited about. The kids have been playing in the yard and I can just give a peek out the window to check on them, so I've been able to do some unpacking.

If today was your kids first day of school, hope it was a great one! I'll be updating again soon.

Who Says?

2011-08-04T11:12:00.002-04:00

Who says moms can't wear fun band-aids too? :)

I cut my finger on a piece of broken glass. I survived. Besides, I got to wear a cool band-aid.

Snapshots of Summer.

2011-08-02T15:33:00.004-04:00

Can you believe that it is August already? It is blowing my mind how fast this summer has gone. They say "time flies when you're having fun". I guess that's what it is.

Here a little proof that we've been having some fun...

sandy toes...

fun at The Cape.

ahhh....

little miss "A" was not a happy camper.

Palm trees in Boston...who would've thought?

Cooling off.

Forgetful Me.

2011-07-26T16:47:00.004-04:00

Does forgetting things mean that you are getting old? I sure hope not because, if it does than I am officially old.

I have been forgetting a lot of things lately. Important things. Things like meal planning and grocery shopping. Yep, that's me. Bad wife and mom.

Here's the story...

Without sounding like I am complaining or that my life is busier than anyone else's life, I will just say that our life is busy. My plate is pretty full, and most days I feel like I am on auto-pilot just going through the day, drop into bed and get up and do it again.

This past Saturday, I had errands to run, we were going to a birthday party and expecting an overnight guest that evening so, I was busy preparing for that. At 10:35, I discovered that I had forgotten all about my daughter's ballet class at 10am. The class ends at 10:45 so it was too late to take her at that point. Ugh. I did not tell her we missed it, and thankfully she did not notice. The crazy thing is, I have it scheduled in my phone and to alert me ahead of time. I must have completely missed it.

Then, yesterday was another strange day. Mondays are very weird for me. I am usually completely exhausted on Mondays due to the craziness of our Sundays but, I just went about my day, took the kiddos to the Library and did some cleaning. (Oh, I forgot to mention that we are looking for another apartment. We are not moving out of the area, just looking for another place.) A couple was coming to look at the apartment so, that is why I was cleaning and another reason why things have been a little crazy. Also, I was going to have dinner with a friend at 5:30. I was making dinner for my family before I left, and rushed out the door to meet my friend. I got back, chatted with my husband for awhile and then basically fell into bed.

My husband came into the bedroom this morning, I had apparently slept through my alarm (again), and he asked me if I was going grocery shopping this morning. I usually grocery shop on early Tuesday mornings to beat the rush. (trust me, it's crazy.) I just looked up and said "ummmm, I guess not." I had totally forgotten to plan my meals or write a list, or anything.

That is sort of important. What is up with me? Maybe I need another vacation of something? A new brain, maybe? Maybe I just need to clear a few things off of my plate? Hmmm....

Ok. Make me feel better... have you forgotten about anything important lately?

Hot Fun in The Summertime

2011-07-25T10:44:00.003-04:00

I guess you could say that I've taken somewhat of a blogging sabbatical. The summer just got away with us. That's it. And, it indeed has been a lovely summer so far. Just how summer's should be. Relaxing (somewhat), hot, lots of yummy food, vacation, friends, all of the above. Really nice.

Here's a little of what we've been up to...

At least once a week we've been going to the Library. We don't want our brains to fry over the summer and not remember anything when fall comes around. My son has been on a Star Wars kick. He discovered he can read level 4 books and is very excited and proud of that fact! We were able to join and complete a summer reading program which was great motivation. I was able to read 1 book....but, it was a long one so, maybe it could count as 2.
We went on vacation! A 5 day tent camping trip. Cape Cod is only about an hour and a half away from where we live so, we decided what better (cheaper) way to visit the beach, than to camp. Camping with kiddos is a lot of work and preparation but, so worth it and so fun. I highly recommend. We were able to do some wonderful sightseeing, visited an aquarium, and of course the beach! We also were able to see some friends visiting family in the area, and that was a blast! They both grew up in that area and were able to take us to some local treasures...including a yummy seafood restaurant. I can never pass up seafood. We came home tanned, tired, and full of memories.
We've been visiting some different parks around the area with spray fountains and that has kept us cool and occupied.
We've been checking off our summer to do list. We were able to combine "having dessert for dinner" and "make banana splits" into one! This was K and A's first time having a banana split. I made them a little different than traditional but, they were still very delicious.
I missed the "Best Fireworks in the country" and I only live a mile away. Still regretting that one. I will spare you the details but, let's just say I'm sure watching them on tv qualifies as extremely pitiful when you live this close.
Lots of play dates. Though, it seems like the play dates have been rather heavy on the girly side. My poor son has kindly expressed his dislike and I promptly contacted a friend to set up a boy play date. Why do most of the ladies I know only have girls...or tiny boys?
I've discovered The Boston Public Garden. Why has it taken me two years to go to this place? It is gorgeousness in the middle of the city.

I think I will stop boring you know. I hope to resume (somewhat) regular blogging. I hope you have been having spectacular summers!

What has been the highlight of your summer so far?

*title taken from the song title "Hot Fun in the Summertime" by Sly and the Family Stone.

Banana "ice cream"

2011-06-13T11:00:00.004-04:00

photo from examiner.com

My son decided to put a whole bunch of bananas in the freezer. With the peels on. I didn't want to let them thaw out totally to peel them because they would be completely mushy. So, I let them sit on the counter for about 10 minutes and took the top layer off with my hands and then used a knife to peel the rest. Anyway, if you are going to freeze bananas on purpose, you should peel them first. :)

I didn't want the bananas to go to waste, and while thawing them out and making banana bread is a good idea, I wanted something different. I had remembered seeing an idea for making banana ice cream in the blender so, I decided to try my own version of that. The results were very yummy. Here's what I did...

Put 3 frozen, peeled bananas in a blender. If they are sliced, even better.

Add a splash of coconut milk (approx. 1/8 of a cup or more, depending)

blend away.

This works best if you have a fairly powerful blender. My blender has a "snow" setting so, it crushes ice and frozen fruit very well. You may have to stop your blender and stir a little bit in between. Add more coconut milk until the consistency is to your liking. It should be almost like a soft-serve ice cream consistency.

There you have it. Quick, easy, sugar free, dairy free, gluten-free...and yummy!!

Give it a try and let me know if you do!!

*This post is linked to Pennywise Platter over at The Nourishing Gourmet!

Summer Deals!

2011-06-02T11:35:00.002-04:00

Yesterday on Facebook, my friend Andrea was posting some great summer deals and activities that she found. I thought they were so helpful that I wanted to share them with you. I'm always looking for fun things to do with the kiddos during the summer. (click on the links for more info.)

The Double-Dog-Dare put on by Borders Books. Kids read 10 books and then they get one free! I'm definitely going to do this with my little readers!
Kids Bowl Free- different locations all over the U.S. Fun!
Summer Movie Express- put on by Regal Cinemas. $1 movies on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Can't beat that! Click on the link to find a location near you.
Also, check out your local library. Many of them have summer reading programs with incentives to get your kids to read this summer. I'm all for that!

Thanks, Andrea for sharing all of these great ideas! Andrea also has a blog called The Train To Crazy. She makes some pretty amazing things and has some great ideas so, go check her out.

Let's keep the ideas coming! I'd love to hear if you have any deals or summer activities to share.

If we get enough, I'll do another post so we can all share the wealth!

Random...

2011-05-31T11:14:00.002-04:00

This is my excuse for lumping a bunch of random things into one post. Thanks for humoring me.

We were out of town last week. We went back to NY for a Conference. We stayed with a friend and had lots of fun.
I still have not finished unpacking from the trip. (we've been home for 3 days)
I have tons of laundry to do.
This weather has been rocking.
Someone brought 16 people to church on Sunday. Awesome.
K was in the Memorial Day parade in Harvard Square yesterday with his baseball team. It was so cute. Glad the weather was nice. (pics to come)
We had a cookout last night with some friends. I always worry about not having enough food but, we had leftovers!
I think I have some sort of allergies, my eyes are constantly itching and I've been having dull headaches.
I hate shorts. I'm sure I've mentioned it before. I wear them out of necessity but, I usually have to force myself. I am definitely going to find some skirts and dresses to wear this summer.
I think today we will have a picnic. I love picnics. Any excuse to eat outside, really.
We ate breakfast outside this morning but, these 2 humongous bees decided to interrupt us. The kids ran screaming into our house. That was the end of that.
The water is turned on at our local park so, that will provide lots of afternoon entertainment.
I found a chair. On the side of the road. In great condition. It is green, my favorite color. It doesn't really go with anything but, I don't care. It's comfy. (I'll show a pic of that, too.)
My daughter is obsessed with the Tangled soundtrack. It plays constantly and she has every song memorized. Consequently, so do I. :)
Mandy Moore was the perfect choice for the voice of a disney princess. (in my opinion)

I think that's enough randomness for today! Hope your week is off to a great start!

I answer, You answer.

2011-05-17T16:23:00.003-04:00

The last time I did this, there was a such a good response that I decided to do it again. Maybe I'll do it every week! Here's how it works... I post a question, I answer that question and then you answer the same question in the comments. Easy and fun!

What are the things you procrastinate about?

Um...what don't I procrastinate about? Let me just say that my husband has been essential to my procrastination recovery. Without him, let's just say, it wouldn't be pretty.

Anyway, the things I procrastinate most about are...

making phone calls. I'm not a huge phone talker so, I really need to be diligent about calling people, keeping in touch, etc...

I'm a notorious crammer. If something needs to be done by a certain date, I'm doing it the night before. Everything. I annoy myself with this.

I will leave you with this. I found it on Pinterest

Source: None via Kellie on Pinteres

Ready?.........Go!

Fresh Air.

2011-05-16T13:19:00.003-04:00

A couple of weekends ago, we made our way outside of the city to a Retreat Center in New Hampshire for a little outdoor fun. We stayed in a little lodge with beds and a bathroom, and there was a little kitchenette there so, it wasn't necessarily camping but, we were outdoors a lot.

The first night, we decided to cook our dinner over a fire.

Everything tastes better when cooked over an open fire.

Trader Joe's Nitrate Free Hot Dogs are the best!!

Oh, and we had S'mores for dessert, of course!

I love how their feet are propped up on the same rock in this picture. Like Father, like son.

Here's my little hiker with her walking stick.

We took a couple of nature walks. We even saw a wetland, which

was great for an impromptu science lesson taught by my husband.

I took several pictures of them all walking with their sticks,

this one is my favorite!

We had such a fun time. It was really nice to take a break from the hustle and bustle of the city and be in the peace and quiet for a couple of days.

It was like a breath of fresh air...literally. :)

When the Camera is Missing...

2011-05-10T14:59:00.003-04:00

We were having an end of Semester picnic for church and a bunch of us were talking around the table when out of the corner of my eye, I see my son, with our camera, posing in strange karate-like positions, attempting to take pictures of himself. He noticed us noticing him and got all embarrased. Here's the evidence...

aww...look how cute and innocent he looks, then....

Watch out!

HI-YA!

This one makes me laugh. Not sure exactly what he was doing.

He was very impressed with himself that day.

Life with kids is never dull. EVER.

And I love it.

Besides, who likes to be bored?

A Princess Party!

2011-05-05T08:48:00.004-04:00

So, my little girl turned 5. Yes, I did shed a few tears but, I'm over it now. K had his first "friend" party at age 5 so, naturally we did the same with A because we don't do big parties every year. She wanted a Princess party so, I obliged.

I feel like I need to apologize for these pictures, they are extremely candid and not that great but, they are memories captured. :)

We asked the girls to come dressed in their fancy clothes!

When the girls arrived, they made their own tiaras. I found a tiara template online and cut them out of yellow poster board. I put out glitter glue and sequins and let them go at it.

Then, they decorated their own cupcakes. Chocolate cupcakes with fresh whipped cream (A's choice).

We also played "stick the crown on the frog" for which there are no pictures, sadly.

I loved the look on her face when we were singing "Happy Birthday" to her!

oops! Out of order.

Reaching for the cupcake toppings. We had gummy bears, mini chocolate chips, various colored sprinkles, and slivered almonds, all A's choices. It was sugar overload but, you gotta live it up at least once a year, right? :)

(You can sort of see the frog behind A on the left. I made it out of green and white poster board.)

I also purchased plastic wine glasses from the dollar tree and used them for the ice cream.

A lot of the girls ended up "sprinkling" their ice cream, too!

I wish I had before pictures of the decorations. I had big, pink bows on the birthday girls seat and at each place setting was a fancy glass and pretty necklace. I got all of my decorations at the Dollar Tree! We also played musical statues, where I played music and the girls danced, and when the music stopped they had to freeze like a statue. I guess you could also call it Freeze Dance. We had a blast. Most importantly, A had fun. She said it was her best day ever!

All in all we had 11 kids and 7 adults. It wasn't too bad. I wasn't sure how it would go in such a small space but, we pulled it off.

Five.

2011-04-26T12:37:00.003-04:00

My little A turned 5 yesterday *sniff*, and we had a big bash. 10 kids in a small space, it was fun and crazy but, mostly fun. Pictures will come soon but, for now we will carry on the tradition of the birthday interview. Here's how it works... I ask the kiddos questions, they answer and I share with you. Simple, fun, and sometimes funny! So, here goes.

How old are you today? 5

What is your favorite color? green and pink and purple actually.

Favorite toy? Disney Barbies

Favorite song? I like Disney.

Favorite food? Grilled Cheese

Favorite book? Green Eggs and Ham

If you could be anything in the world, what would it be? A dancer, like a ballerina dancer.

Why? I think they're nice.

What is the meaning of life? Jesus (as she points to the sky)

What is your favorite thing to do? going to the Library.

What is the sport you like to play most? Golf. (never played in her life)

Why, golf? I like it.

Do you mean mini-golf? Shakes her head yes.

You like mini-golf? uh-huh!

Do you talk to God? Yes.

What do you say to him? I love him so much and He's the best King ever.

What does He say to you? I'm the best ever and he says he loves me so much.

How does that make you feel? umm...good.

How does it feel to be 5 years old? Really good, it's like I get to relax and play games.

Any last words? nope. bye!

Stay tuned for all the details on the Princess Party!!

Good Friday.

2011-04-22T09:44:00.003-04:00

I will not boast in anything

No gifts, no power, no wisdom

But I will boast inJesus Christ

His death and resurrection

Why should I gain from His reward?

I cannot give an answer

But this I know with all my heart

His wounds have paid my ransom.

Lyrics from: How Deep The Father's Love by Stuart Townend

photo credit:faithwestnewton.net

I Answer, You answer.

2011-04-20T11:01:00.003-04:00

I thought it might be fun to do a little game where I ask a random question, answer it and then you get to answer it in the comments. I took a peek at my stats and notice that people are reading but, no one is commenting. Come on, people don't be shy. Don't leave me lonely here in blogland. :)

Ok, so here we go...

What are the first thoughts that typically cross your mind when you wake up in the morning?

The first thoughts that typically cross my mind in the morning are "what time is it?" "what day is it?" and "coffee." Usually the answer to the first two come after I've had the third. ha ha.

Your turn!!!

Superheroes.

2011-04-18T12:18:00.002-04:00

"Mom, do I look like Clark Kent?" He asked while donning his daddy's old sunglasses, sans lenses. "Yes, exactly like him." I replied.

We are at the age of superhero obsession. A week and a half ago we had a mother-son date and we discussed alter-egos and how each superhero got his powers. Here is all that I knew.

Bruce Wayne is Batman

Peter Parker is Spiderman

Clark Kent is Superman

and

Bruce Banner is The Incredible Hulk

Not too bad, right? Well, that obviously was not enough for my curious little 1st grader. He wanted to know how each of his favorites got their powers and the only thing I knew was that Superman was from the planet Krypton and Spiderman was bitten by a radioactive spider, and that was just because of the movies. After doing a little research (thank you Wikipedia), I found out that the way things originated in the comic book series are not how they portray them always in the movies. Should've known better.

Turns out, Spiderman's web slinger-thingy that comes out of his wrist, really wasn't in his skin. In the original comic book series, Peter Parker invented a web slinger that he used.

Also, in the hulk movies and tv show, Bruce Banner was exposed to gamma radiation of some sort, making him turn green whenever he became angry. But, in the comic book it says that he was exposed to a gamma bomb explosion...or something like that.

I figured with all of this research we were doing, we should put it to good use. We are going to turn it into a writing project for school. I though we'd pick a couple of his favorite superheroes,

and write mini-biographies for each one. This should get him excited about writing. (hopefully).

Well, Happy Monday to all. This week is a break week for us so, we will be enjoying the sunshine, (hopefully) and maybe even a picnic or two.

Any spring break plans for you?

{In The City} Sofra

2011-04-14T09:41:00.005-04:00

A friend of mine invited me to go with her to one of her favorite places, and I gladly accepted. Little did I know that it would become one of my favorite places I've been in this city so far.

First of all, I LOVE middle eastern food, especially Lebanese food,One of my absolute faves so, this place was right up my alley. The name of the place is Sofra. They serve Middle Eastern and Eastern Mediterranean food. One word....YUM.

I had some choices from the Meze bar. Meze is basically a selection of small dishes, or appetizers that they serve in the Middle East or Mediterranean for lunch, or dinner and in some regions, Meze is served at the beginning of a large meal. Many of them are dips.

A bonus for me was that all but 2 of the selections were free of gluten.

Here's what I chose...
From left to right: Smoky Eggplant with pine nuts, Whipped feta with red peppers, Parsnip Skordalia with toasted almonds, Moroccan Carrot Salad, and Beet Tzatziki. (*my favorite)

Instead of the usual flatbread that is served on the side, I had cucumbers and a type of radish. I'm not sure what they were called but, they were milder than your typical red radish.

Sofra also has a great selection of stuffed flat bread sandwiches, and delicious baked goods such as their chocolate hazelnut baklava, macaroons, and many more.

I also had a red rooibos latte, sweetened with honey, also very delicious. The place is tiny, and you are very close to your other dining neighbors and you may even meet someone new. We met the man sitting next to us who was from Lebanon.

So...if you live in the area be sure to check this place out. It's great to meet with friends or on a date. I can't wait to take my husband!

Where's your favorite place to eat, have coffee, or just hang out?

Toast, anyone?

2011-04-11T14:21:00.003-04:00

I apologize for the recent absence. But, I'm back with a little product show-and-tell for you! Have you seen these? Let me tell you that they are my new best friends. They are called "Toast-it" and they are essentially a plastic-ish sort of bag that you can use to toast your bread.

Now, why would I need a bag to toast my bread? Well, if you've been following me for some time you might know that I have celiac disease. While I don't like to make a big deal about it, it can be tricky to not eat gluten with family members who do. Case in point, the toaster.

My husband has some sort of bread for breakfast almost everyday and to make a long story short, I can't put my bread in the same toaster as glutenous bread because there will not be a happy ending to the story, if you know what I mean. SO...I turn on the broiler in the oven and had been sticking my gf bread in there to toast it. And because I don't want to buy a separate toaster for myself.

Enter, my friend Dawn whose husband has Celiac and she told me about these bags. I had never heard of them so, the next time I saw her, she brought me a pack of them. (thanks, Dawn).

They are seriously great. I just stick my bread in the little baggie, pop it in the toaster and voila! Toast. It really does toast the bread, and the other cool thing about it is that the bread does not come out crumbly. Those of us who eat gf bread know that a lot of it does not have the greatest texture. These bags not only toast the bread but, they almost steam it so it comes out toasted and soft. Seriously.

Ok, now you all think I'm nuts but, I hope that my gluten-free friends will give these a try. Oh, and another plus? They are reusable. Just wipe them out and reuse. Nice.

Do you have a new favorite product? Do tell.

*this was not a paid review, not would I even call it a review. Toast-It has no idea I even use their product. The opinions expressed are my own. I was given the toast-it bags from a friend.

Future Early Riser...

2011-04-01T11:31:00.005-04:00

I do not consider myself a self-motivated person. I'm not driven by nature. In other words, sometimes I need a kick-in-the-pants to get going. I make lists but, do not follow them, in fact lists overwhelm me. I work better if I write one thing down, do it and move on. I have to make goals that way too. Once I have reached a goal, then I can move on to the next one. When I write them all down at once, I'm looking at a list of 100 things and I get a little sweaty and my heart starts beating really fast, and I think I have to do it all right now. One day at a time, that's more my pace. Here is my recent goal.

I have decided that I would really like to start getting up earlier than normal. This is a tough thing for me. I am not a morning person. Honestly, I am not feelin' the love early in the a.m. Trust me. But, lately I've been finding that I don't really have a time where I am alone in the peace and quiet, especially to be with God. This is a problem for me. I find if I'm not spending time reading my Bible and praying then I suffer, and so does my family. It is like spiritual fuel, and honestly, I'm running on almost empty.

As much as I {strongly} dislike getting up early, I know this is something that will help me. My problem is, I get up when the kids are already up, have breakfast, school time, other things and activities throughout the day and I haven't taken the time to "recharge my batteries" so to speak. I'm not at the place where I feel I need to read my Bible and pray because I have to. I do it because I need to. Yesterday was a rough day, one of the roughest in a while and it was because of me. I know with God's help I can do this. It may be a struggle at first but, I'm excited for the results...and maybe a little desperate.

So...the reason I'm posting about this is to sort of keep myself accountable. It is out there for all to see, to serve as motivation. Feel free to comment and offer any advice/suggestions and even check in with me to see how it's going.

Happy Weekend.

my little artist.

2011-03-31T13:08:00.002-04:00

He started with this...and ended with this...

This is called "The Colorful City." Here is how he explains it.

" It's a car hauling boxes to move and the people on the left are kids playing with yo-yo's inside of a building. And on the right are colorful windows and people are having dinner inside."

My son loves to paint. Actually, he loves anything to do with arts and crafts. He asks me to save boxes and cans and bottles so he can make things out of them. I love watching him

create. He inspires me to create.

This little work of art is now hanging in our dining room. Every time I look at it

I smile. :)

Weekend Wrap-Up

2011-03-28T10:55:00.006-04:00

I'm still here. Just a teeny little absence but, I'm back with a little recap of our weekend, just in case you are interested...

Friday- School as usual during the day. That night we {our church} was involved in an event called With One Voice with 5 other churches in the area. We got home after 11 and got to bed around midnight. We were very tired. It's the latest the kids have stayed up. ever.

Saturday- we had plans to go to attend an outreach with our church but, tired and grumpy kiddos made for a change of plans. We stayed home and got a little rest and hung out. Sometimes it feels good to just chill out.

Kent headed to Connecticut for a friend's fundraising event and the kiddos and I had a movie night. Toy Story 3...again. I cried...again. Especially during the part where Woody says "So long partner" to Andy. Gets me every time.

The kiddos were in bed WAY earlier than the night before, thank goodness. I, on the other hand fell in bed around 11ish.

Sunday- You can read about our Sundays here. Most of the time they are pretty much the same, except for yesterday we went to the park where we are planning an Event for Easter. We checked out the area and then let the kiddos play a little. It was chilly but, sunny. Then, we did our Sunday tradition of AFV and popcorn. Then, we got the kids into bed and Kent and I chilled out for awhile. Have you seen Secret Millionaire? You will cry. I did. No big surprise there. The older I get, the sappier I become. I'm not ashamed. I think I may have spied a tear in my hubby's eye as well. :)

So, that was our weekend. Now on to another week. This one will be quite busy with things filling almost every day. In the upcoming days as the weather warms up, I hope to do some exploring of the city with the kids. I plan on sharing it here with you.

Hope you all had a great weekend. Here's to a great week!

When Spring Arrives...

2011-03-21T12:14:00.004-04:00

Well, it is officially supposed to be spring but, the weather here is telling me otherwise. Thursday fooled us with 60 degree weather and we went for a hike to celebrate the warmth. Yesterday, we had snow. Big, white, fluffy chunks of snow falling from the sky...on the first day of spring. Today is a bit chilly and not very sunny. I'm not complaining , I am just really looking forward to the real spring.

Here's a few reasons why...

Picnics...we love them. They happen a lot around here in the nice weather
lighter clothes. I'm looking forward to putting away my winter duds and trading them in for t-shirts and flats.
lighter food. I love comfort food but, as the months go on I crave lighter fare. Big salads with lots and lots of seasonal veggies, which leads me to the next thing that gets me excited about spring.....
Farmer's Markets!
Playing at the playground with the kiddos
taking walks around our neighborhood. Without winter gear. :)
The start of festivals
Resurrection {Easter} Day
Hopefully some visits from family
More city exploring

I will conclude by saying "Please, real spring come soon. We are waiting for you and once you are here, you are welcome to stay as long as you'd like...at least until summer arrives!"

That's my list so far. What are you looking forward to most about the Spring?

Happy Birthday to My Best Friend.

2011-03-16T14:41:00.004-04:00

Today is my handsome man's birthday. I promised him that I wouldn't rub it in that I am younger than him. But, just the mention of it is sort of rubbing it in, isn't it? I'm bad, I know.

He is gone all day today but, when he comes home he will be greeted by his request of Baked Ziti for dinner and a key lime cheesecake for dessert. Really, I feel like it's my birthday too because I LOVE me a cheesecake.

I just wanted to take this opportunity to say that I am so very blessed in every way to have a husband like Kent. With each passing year you get more and more handsome, more and more wise, and I grow more and more in love. :)

Ok, enough with the mushy stuff...Let's eat cake! *smile*

Love you Babe. You are my gift.

About a chair.

2011-03-14T11:52:00.003-04:00

It's no surprise that I love the Library. I really do. When we are there doing this...

I like to sit in this....

pretty cool huh? It doesn't look like the most comfy chair but, it's really not too bad. I can sit there and gaze out the huge window as the kiddies are reading their books. I would love to have this chair in my home. All it would need is a nice, soft, cushion. Then, it would be perfect.

I like to be comfy when I read. How about you?

A New Blog...

2011-03-10T13:03:00.004-05:00

I wanted to share some exciting news with you! My husband has started a new blog. He is a great writer and has a lot to say. His target audience is Church Planters, Church Leaders, and followers of Jesus. If you fall into any of those categories or know someone who does, I would encourage you to check it out! Thanks.

WALKING WITH GOD

Boredom.

2011-03-07T12:40:00.006-05:00

My kids get bored. Especially in the Winter. And to be perfectly honest, I have just plum run out of ideas. On days when they are really bored, and I'm out of ideas to entertain them...they entertain themselves which I am a HUGE fan of. They have been getting better at playing together without fighting which I am also a HUGE fan of. Other times, they will go their separate ways and maybe color or craft or whatever they are in the mood for. But on this particular day...

They used up all (well most of) "A's" barrettes and hair bows and went to town.

Yes, this was a collaborative effort and yes, I let her wear it like that.

We had people over that night and she received many compliments.

I mean, why wouldn't she, it's very expressive of her personality.

Honestly, If I could pull off wearing all of those accessories in my hair at once, I probably would. Maybe.

What do your kids do when they are bored? Maybe I'll borrow some of your ideas. :)

Dear Spring, I am waiting for you.

2011-03-04T16:01:00.004-05:00

Well, I have not kept up with my 30 for 30 challenge, have I? At least I've been blogging a bit more than I was. I do enjoy blogging. It is therapeutic for me. I take a few minutes with a cup of coffee, sit down and type until my little hearts content.

I don't really like to write "sick" posts because frankly, when I read "sick" posts it makes me nervous about getting sick. Weird I know. But, that is life and this blog is about life. And that's what's been happening in my world today.

News around here is that the little one has the tummy bug. Poor baby. This morning she woke up with a tummy ache and didn't eat breakfast. All she wanted to do is lay on the couch. We were having a meeting at our house this morning so, I took her upstairs to rest in our bedroom.

During the meeting my son rushes down the stairs and announces that "A" has thrown up.

I'm sure you don't want to hear the details and I sure don't want to recall them but, she is now sleeping very soundly.

This has been quite the Winter for sickness. For everyone. I don't know about you but, I am ready for Spring. Like yesterday.

Hope you all have a great weekend. I'll be back next week with hopefully something a little more exciting.

A little bit of fun.

2011-03-02T15:59:00.004-05:00

I love to laugh, and there are plenty of opportunities to laugh around here. My son is hilarious when he plays the Wii. He really gets into it. The other day while they were playing I thought I would take some video, then "A" got in on the action.

I took two separate videos and I couldn't decide which one to post so, I put them both. You can hear me laughing in the background. I hope you find them funny, too. Although, I do realize you laugh harder at your own kids than others might. :)

"A cheerful heart is good medicine...." Proverbs 17:22

Our Sundays...

2011-02-27T16:22:00.007-05:00

*Last September we moved to New England to start a church. Here's our Sundays in a nutshell...

Here's a little sneek peek into our Sunday Mornings.

I try to get up at 6am but, I don't always make it. Mornings and I don't always get along.

I crawl out of bed, say morning to the fam, and try to get in the shower by 7 at the very latest. Then, I get the kids dressed and ready, make sure my daughter's crazy hair is combed and somewhat styled, and then get myself ready.

Kent usually helps by getting the kiddos breakfast (he's pretty much amazing), I grab some coffee and maybe a bite to eat but, not usually (unless my hubby makes me) :) Then, we are out the door by 8am.

This is our car...

The trailer attached is our portable church. Everything we need to set up church is in this trailer. Except for the most important part...the people. My husband is a champ at backing this thing into our very narrow driveway. Above you can see one side and below you can see the other side to get a picture of how narrow it really is.When we first started out, it took Kent several tries to get it backed in just right, now it's usually just one, sometimes 2. He used to have me get out of the car and tell him when there were no cars coming so he could try and back it in. We live on a busy street.

So, we arrive to our destination in about 3 minutes. From about 8:15-10:15 we are setting up. We set up chairs, sound system, children's area, coffee area, stage area with instruments, speakers, etc.. We have some amazing people that get there early every week to help us. We could NOT do this without them. Seriously. They are amazing.

We start our service (we call it a gathering) around 10:30, and end around 12ish depending on how early we got started. :)

We have to be out of the building by around 1 so, after we chat and have a little more coffee, we clean up, pack the trailer back up and head home. We also have amazing people helping us tear down, some of them the same as the set up. So thankful for them.

We usually get home anywhere between 1:15-1:30 and we are pretty much beat. After that, we eat some lunch and then chill.

Sunday nights we usually low key. We just hang out and watch America's Funniest Home Videos, have popcorn, and just be together.

So, that's a very condensed version of how we do our Sundays. But, Sundays to us are just a part of what we do...

Random...

2011-02-26T09:32:00.006-05:00

Warning: This post has no point whatsoever. Some might even call it wasted space. I call it like it is...random. Random and I are very tight...almost related. *smile*

"Yikes" is my word. It has a number of different uses. Here, I'll give you some examples.

One of my kiddos spills something ...."Yikes"

During a conversation when something said is surprising or sad or alarming...."Yikes"

One of the kids gets hurt..."Yikes"

I'm feeling overwhelmed when the kiddos are arguing over the same toy yet again...."Yikes"

I'm late for an appointment...."Yikes"

I'm annoyed...."Yikes"

I'm in pain..."Yikes"

I'm empathizing...."Yikes"

You get the point. When I don't know what to say, I say "Yikes."Used especially in more serious or uncomfortable situations usually. I'm sure it's become extremely annoying to people around me. Maybe it's time for me to get another word. I might go through a little withdraw, though.

Do you have a word? Do tell.

*picture from Network World

{Life} A Little Bit of Crazy.

2011-02-23T10:49:00.004-05:00

As you can probably tell by my lack of posting this past week, life has taken over. It is generally pretty busy in our neck of the woods with church stuff, schooling, etc... but this Winter has sort of handed us a double dose of crazy. Yesterday was a little example of this.

You may remember "K's " last emergency room episode only 1 month ago and then only two weeks ago, was stricken with the dreaded stomach bug. Poor kid has had a rough go of it in the sickness department this Winter.

One of my goals this year was to be more intentional about finding male friendships for my son. Most of the moms I know have young girls which is perfect for "A" but, not so much for "K". So, when we joined our homeschool Co-op I was happy to find out that there were boys his age and even a little older. Yesterday, we were invited to a birthday party for one of the boys at an ice skating rink in the City, "K" was beside himself with excitement. This was his first party he's been invited to since moving here. I was excited for him.

Long story short, one of my friends came over and hung out with "A" so I could take "K" to the party. This was only his second time ice skating and once he got out there, he seemed to do very well.

It was nearing the end where we were all getting ready to leave to go across the street to McDonald's to have lunch and cake and ice cream, and as we were getting ready to exit the ice...it happened.

I let him let go of my hand and he attempted to skate on his own for only about 5 seconds and..SMACK! He slipped, fell and hit his face on the ice. I'm sure you can guess the rest. I will spare you the details of this already wordy story.

Here he is in the ER wating ever so patiently for them to stitch him up. We arrived at the hospital around 12:30 and we didn't get a room until almost 4:30. Poor kiddo was a trooper. There was some screaming involved but, that was mostly for the cleaning and numbing.

There was a wonderful staff member whose title was Child Life Specialist. Her job was to inform and distract children during tough procedures such as stitching, surgeries, etc. She was wonderful. Her name was Hillary and I'm so thankful she was there. She gave "K" a game boy to play with while they stitched him up, and she walked him through everything.

Because he missed the rest of the party and lunch, on our way home we stopped at Wendy's and got him a burger and frosty. He was a happy guy. At 7pm and 3 stitches later, we arrived home.

Needless to say, he got a great night's sleep and so did I.

Oh, I almost forgot to mention that I fell as well and have a pretty banged up backside so, I'm kind of hobbling around today.

Here's to hoping Spring comes sooner than later!

My Homeschool Journal...

2011-02-18T15:54:00.004-05:00

In my life this week... busy, busy. Had my wisdom teeth pulled yesterday so, trying to recuperate.

In our homeschool this week... I'm not sure if I'm supposed to put everything we are learning but, I'll tell a few things. In Kindergarten we've been learning about the Water Cycle and the differences between liquids, solids and gases. She has also been learning to write the letter "W." In first grade we have been doing fractions in math and in our reading and phonics we've been learning that o sometimes says aw and kn says n. He has also been reading the story of Moses and memorizing Proverbs 3:5.

Places we're going and people we're seeing... Today was my husband's day off so he took the kids outside to enjoy this beautiful day and my son got to ride his new bike he just got for his birthday...he was so excited.
Tonight, a friend of mine is performing in an A Cappella concert and I'll be going to that, and tomorrow I get to meet up with a friend for coffee. Fun stuff planned. :)

My favorite thing this week was... Valentine's day and the weather. Can't beat it!

What's working/not working for us... I've been playing around with our schedules a bit. It's been difficult for us to find a rhythm this year. I feel I lack organization in certain areas and have been dropping the ball with things that are important.

Homeschool questions/thoughts I have... Hmm...where to start? I would love some advice on schooling 2 children at the same time, I'm really struggling with that.

A photo, video, link, or quote to share...

my son on his birthday with his new bike!

I'm linked up with The Homeschool Chick today...go check it out!

Thanks for stopping by!

It's Thursday.

2011-02-17T11:36:00.002-05:00

Sorry for my boring title. I couldn't come up with anything else more creative. I'm a bit crabby today. Why? Well, because I am getting my wisdom teeth pulled this afternoon. Oh joy. I'm probably making a bigger deal out of it than it actually is. I guess it all boils down to the fact that I just do not like going to the dentist...or any doctor for that matter. Yes, I know it is necessary and all of that but, I just do not like it.

Last month I went to the Dentist for my regular check-up and she asked me if I had my kids with me. I told her no and her reply was "Oh, so you get some mommy time!" Oh yes, this is glorious mommy time, sitting for an hour waiting for you to come in and pick at my teeth. Obviously not my idea of mommy time. I just smiled, gave a weak chuckle and said "yes, I guess."

So, then she proceeded to tell me that I needed to get two of my wisdom teeth pulled...looks like I get some more "mom time" today. Needless to say, I am not looking forward to it. In fact, I'm rather terrified and I don't know why.

I think it might be the pain. I have given birth to 2 kids naturally, you would think this would be a cake-walk. I guess I'm more of a wimp than I thought.

I do have plans this weekend, so I hope the recovery is not too bad. I'll let you know how it all turns out.

Who Says?

2011-02-16T15:34:00.003-05:00

Who says you can't leave birthday decorations up for 9 days after your actual birthday?

Probably the same person who says you have to wait to put your Christmas tree up on Christmas Eve and take it down the day after Christmas.

No offense intended to anyone who does this. :)

{Food} What's For Dinner?

2011-02-15T14:56:00.004-05:00

Image via Esquire.com

I love breakfast for dinner! Actually it's not just me, my whole family likes it. We like breakfast for breakfast, too...and lunch. Heck, we can eat it all day. Tuesday nights are usually our Breakfast for dinner night. Sometimes my husband makes it, sometimes I make it. It's me tonight. I decided I was in the mood for french toast.

I make gluten-free french toast for me and regular for the family. Why, you might ask? Well, gluten-free bread is rather expensive and is a bit easier on the pocketbook when used sparingly and the rest of the family can eat gluten so, why not? I try to be careful about cross-contamination.

This is my go-to french toast recipe. Occasionally, I will use this one from Alton Brown which is very similar. In fact, I don't really use a recipe anymore because it's in my head but, this one is a favorite. I've also added a few different things to it as well.

So, without further ado, I present the gluten-free french toast recipe. If you are not gluten-free, try it with Challah bread or brioche....apparently it is divine. :)

Gluten- Free French Toast

adapted from Betty Crocker's New Cookbook

What you'll need...

3 eggs

3/4 C. milk

1 Tbsp. Honey

1/4 tsp. vanilla

1/8 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. orange zest

8 slices of your favorite gluten-free bread (mine is Udi's)

Here's what you do...

Beat the eggs, milk, honey and salt with whisk until smooth. Heat your griddle or pan over medium heat. Melt butter in pan or spray with cooking spray. (I prefer butter). Dip your bread into the egg mixture and place on griddle or pan. Cook 3-4 minutes per side or until golden and egg is cooked.

That's it. Serve with butter and syrup. Sometimes I roast apples to go on top and that is delicious as well.

For an extra special treat, try this Chocolate Stuffed French Toast, which would've been perfect for Valentines day! Oh well, maybe next year.

Do you like breakfast for dinner? What's your favorite?

This One Goes Out To The One I Love...

2011-02-14T09:45:00.000-05:00

My Husband...

...Wrote me a song for Valentine's Day and sang it to me in public (at church)

...Is extremely good-looking

...Is a terrific father

...Cooks breakfast for dinner to give me a break from cooking.

...Gives me a little break time to myself each week.

...Sometimes brings me little gifts.

...Makes me coffee in the morning.

...Knows that coffee is one of my love languages.

...Likes to fix the kids breakfast in the morning.

...Leads us in morning devotions.

...Takes time each night to spend time with both "K" and "A" individually.

...will leave me little notes.

...Tells me he loves me everyday.

...can make me laugh until my sides ache.

...Knows me better than anyone else does.

....Cleans out the dishwasher.

....Takes me on dates

...takes the kids on dates.

...Loves me unconditionally.

...Wakes up early every morning to spend time with God.

...is selfless

...is helpful.

...is kind and generous.

...is all that I've ever wanted in a husband. seriously.

...Is not perfect, but no one is. :)

...Is my best friend

...Is my gift.

I Love You Kent! Happy Valentine's Day!

You Can't Use Up Creativity...

2011-02-12T16:26:00.003-05:00

Nothing that can be used as a canvas is ever wasted in this house. :)

“You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.” — Maya Angelou

{School} In our Library Bags...

2011-02-10T15:51:00.008-05:00

*I was wanting to post this yesterday but, am just now getting around to it. *grin*

I decided that on Thursdays I would post about school. School is a huge part of our life and I haven't really talked about it much on this blog. I thought that maybe my family and friends might want to read about our school experiences.

Today we went to the Library. It is one of my favorite things to do. I think I like it even more than the kids do, and they love it a lot. One of our biggest issues with going to the library is the amount of books we come home with. A couple of years ago I saw an idea for giving their kids baskets to take to the library to fill with books but, only letting them fill it up with as many as they could carry themselves. I thought that it was a great idea but, instead of using baskets, I went and got some plain tote bags and let the kids decorate them, and that is what we use.

"A" can only carry about 3 books in her bag without complaining that they are too heavy and "K" will literally stuff his bag full and sling it over his back and act like they are not very heavy.

Sometimes I'll bend the rules and carry some for them but, I have the same problem. I leave there with at least 5 books of my own. When I go by myself, I usually come home with an armful of cookbooks and health and nutrition related books. I think I need to make my own library bag.

Just in case you are wondering, here's what ended up in our bags this week...

A's Bag:

Ballet Sisters by Jan Ormerod

Princess Pigtoria and the Pea by Pamela Duncan Edwards

Fancy Nancy Poet Extraordinaire by Jane O'Connor and Robin Preiss Glasser

Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst

Barbie Rapunzel

Fancy Nancy and The Posh Puppy by Jane O'Connor

K's Bag:

Marveltown by Bruce McCall

Berenstain Bears and the Wishing Star (Reader) by Stan and Jan Berenstain

Puppy Mudge Takes a Bath (Reader) By Cynthia Rylant

The Patterson Puppies and the Midnight Monster Party by Leslie Patricelli

Black Cowboy Wild Horses A True Story by Julius Lester

Once Upon A Cool Motorcycle Dude by Kevin O'Malley

My Picks:

Pigs will be Pigs by Sharon McGinley-Nalley (we are learning about money in math and that's what this book is about)

Eating Fractions by Bruce McMillan (again, for math)

Aesop's Fables

Games for Writing by Peggy Kaye

What Your First Grader Needs to Know by E.D. Hirsch, JR.

Cooking Up U.S. History By Suzanne I. Barchers and Patricia C. Marden

The Library to me is like a huge treasure chest full of any thing you could ever want to read or learn about....and it's all free. Amazing. I know, I'm a little crazy. *smile*

Do you like the Library? What are some of your favorite things to check out?

{Wordless Wednesday} In My Neighborhood...

2011-02-09T14:50:00.000-05:00

{Food} The Best Salad Ever.

2011-02-08T14:16:00.003-05:00

When we went home for Christmas, my sister-in-law made this amazing salad that I am now addicted to. It is so easy to throw together and is very adaptable. There is actually no set measurements so, I pretty much just eyeball it. If you get all of your chopping and steaming (for the broccoli) done ahead of time, it's even quicker!

Here's what you need...

Mixed greens (baby spinach is great or whatever you like)

chopped fresh tomatoes

corn (frozen, thawed or canned)

finely chopped red onion

steamed broccoli florets

fresh or dried dill

Here's what you do...

Put greens in a bowl and layer with the veggies.

Sprinkle with chopped fresh dill or dried dill (I LOVE dill)

Pour vinaigrette over and mix well, or serve dressing on side.

Here's how to make the dressing...

Vinaigrette's are very easy to make if you remember this simple ratio. 3:1

that is 3 parts oil to 1 part vinegar. So, if you use 3/4 C. of olive oil, you will use 1/4 cup of vinegar. See? very easy.

So, here is what I do. I use 3/4 C. of Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 1/4 C. of red wine vinegar.

Pour into a jar and shake, shake, shake.

Then, add a clove or two of chopped garlic (if you like garlic)

a squirt of honey.

a pinch or two of salt.

a dash or two of pepper

a squirt of dijon mustard.

shake, shake, shake.

taste it with a lettuce leaf and adjust to your liking.

That's it. When you use the 3:1 ratio, you can make endless vinaigrette variations. It's kind of fun.

This salad is delicious as a main dish with chicken or salmon and terrific with cooked brown rice or quinoa! (love quinoa)

Please Enjoy. {smile}

In other news...My son is sick again. (boo) I don't like when my kiddos are sick, especially on their birthday. At least he made it until we gave him his new bike and he blew out the candles on his birthday cake. Sadly, he did not eat his cake. I've saved some for him when he gets better. Let's hope it's soon.

7 On The 7th!

2011-02-07T11:40:00.007-05:00

K at 18 months. (I think)

Today is my son's 7th Birthday. My, how time flies. He is no longer a little kid. He is a big kid. Please excuse me while I bawl. *sniffling*

I started a little tradition on this blog of conducting Birthday Interviews/conversations. I try to ask the same questions each year because I really enjoy seeing how some of the answers change. It usually starts out with me asking a few questions and then it will often turn into more of a conversation. So, without further ado....K's 7th Birthday Interview.

How old are you today? 7

What is your favorite color? red and blue

Favorite toy? my motorcycles and legos

Favorite song? I like rock and blues.

Favorite food? cheeseburgers and hot dogs

Favorite book? Dr. Seuss books

If you could be anything in the world, what would it be? A motorcycle racer.

Why? because I think motorcycles are cool.

What is the meaning of life? God made us and we should do what God made us to do.

What did He make you to do? Worship God and love other people.

What is your favorite thing to do? Play legos.

What is the sport you like to play most? Soccer because I'm a really good goalie.

Do you talk to God? Yes.

What do you say to him? I just pray. I ask him if he has anything to say to me and He usually does but, sometimes he doesn't.

What does He say to you? He says....today He said he will never leave me and he will never forget me.

How did that make you feel? Good and I'm happy that I'm 7.

How does it feel to be 7 years old? It feels good.

Any last words? This is the best birthday ever! And thank you mommy for setting it up and for making my cake.

*every answer was his own and typed exactly the way he said it.

Happy 7th Birthday to our amazing son! We love you and are so proud of you!!!!

taken 3 days ago.

Who's gonna win? (day 5)

2011-02-06T17:51:00.003-05:00

STEELERS

vs.

PACKERS

Out of loyalty for my Father and my entire family on my Dad's side...I will be rooting for Pittsburgh!

Off I go to stir the chili and get ready for our guests to arrive.

Who are you rooting for?

Food For The Big Game (day 4)

2011-02-05T09:38:00.005-05:00

Tomorrow is the Super Bowl. We are not die-hard football fans around here so, I basically use the Super Bowl as an excuse to throw a party. I love having people over to my house and making them food. It's fun. So, tomorrow we will have a Super Bowl party. If you live nearby, come on over!

Food is, of course a huge part of Super Bowl Parties, at least in this house. I will be making chili and cornbread and others who are coming will be bringing desserts, snacks and drinks, just something to contribute.

Here's some yummy recipes for you just in case you are wondering what to make for the BIG game!

White Bean Chili

The Best Gluten-Free Cornbread

Quick and Easy Dip

Ratatouille Pizza

Easy Salsa

We have a busy weekend planned and Monday is my son's 7th Birthday so, it's going to be a fun next couple of days.

P.S. Out of loyalty to my dad and the rest of my family, I will be proudly sporting my black and gold. Go Steelers! (no haters, please) :)

What are your plans for the Super Bowl?....and please share food details, if any! :)

{Family} Our Day in Pictures. (day 3)

2011-02-04T19:10:00.002-05:00

Fridays are my husbands day off. A strange day to have off but, that's our life. Since "K's" 7th birthday is on Monday, we decided to do a few fun things. Usually if we plan an outing on Fridays, we will forgo school and make it up on Saturday so, that's what we did today.

The pictures were taken on my phone so, please excuse the grainy quality of some of them.

We got up and had breakfast, then we headed off to the arcade to play some video games. "K" challenged his dad to an air hockey match.

"A" went around pretending she was playing all of the games.

It seemed she liked that better than actually playing them.

Despite my intense dislike for McDonald's, the kids received gift cards there for Christmas

and "K" made a request to use his today so, we obliged. We have a McDonald's right up the street from where we live and in the year and 5 months that we've lived here, today was the first time we've eaten there. seriously. Wait... we did get ice cream once. :)

Anyway, it was a special treat and the kiddos enjoyed their happy meals! The toy is the best part for sure.

After lunch we took what "K" likes to call family walks. We have this little game where we pick a leader and that person leads us wherever they want to go. It's really fun. I'm very familiar with our neighborhood so, we never get lost and it's fun exploring different areas we've never been. But, let me tell you...it was colder than I thought. I mean, freezing.

We took a break to climb a couple of snow hills.

The kids came back freezing and quickly discarded their coats and wet clothes at the back door.

Tonight, we had dinner and played a game, and now the kiddos are ready for bed.

Now, it's time to watch a movie with my man.

Happy Friday, Everyone!

{Threads} short and sweet...

2011-02-03T14:04:00.004-05:00

I am very short on time today because I have a houseful coming for dinner in about 4 hours. That said, I'll make this short and sweet.

Yesterday, a couple of you mentioned that weekly posts on budget-friendly fashion would be fun but, as far as exactly what exactly to post about...the idea well is dry at this point. SO.... I need your help and inspiration. What do you want to know about.

Ask me some questions. Anything at all about affordable fashion, clothing, etc. I'm not an expert by any means but, I'll do my best with what I know.

Sorry for the short post but, at least day number 2 is covered.

so, go on and ask away!!

Spinning Plates...and 30 for 30.

2011-02-02T10:48:00.004-05:00

Hi there. Seems like I haven't been around for awhile. I've been off doing what I do best, "dropping the ball", spinning plates...you know, the usual. This blog is more of a hobby than a priority but, it seems that I've even been "dropping the ball" with my priorities lately, which is leaving me in a place of self loathing. I do not like myself right now. I'm pretty much focused on the things that I do not do well. But, oh well....I'll get over it.

I digress...I was thinking of doing a 30 for 30 challenge, a 30 posts in 30 days sort of thing. I call it a challenge because that is what it will be for me to do this. I'm not talking about 30 "meaty" posts but, a little of everything. I also thought that I might compartmentalize the blog a little more like, have a "theme" for each day. There are so many things of meaning and substance that I would like to post about but, often time prohibits me from doing that. So, if I divide the week up into segments, I think I can do that. So....

The little schedule of sorts will be as follows:

Mondays: Motherhood/Family

Tuesdays: Food

Wednesdays: Health and Wellness (something I'm passionate about)

Thursdays: ?

Fridays: Free day (write whatever I want)

Saturdays: More Family

Sundays: Our Church Plant

That's what it looks like for now. Some posts might be short and sweet while others will be a little longer. We'll see. I'm open to any suggestions for Thursdays or any other day for that matter. My purpose for this blog was not to become a "self-help" or "how-to" blog because my main goal was to keep a log of my life and family. But, I have been toying around with the idea of maybe doing a "fashion on the cheap" kind of post. What do you think? I'd love to hear your feedback.

Cabin Fever...and a few links to help.

2011-01-21T12:15:00.004-05:00

Cabin fever is an idiomatic term for a claustrophobic reaction that takes place when a person or group is isolated and/or shut in, in a small space, with nothing to do, for an extended period (as in a simple country vacation cottage during a long rain or snow). Symptoms include restlessness, irritability, irrational frustration with everyday objects, forgetfulness, laughter, excessive sleeping, distrust of anyone they are with, and an urge to go outside even in the rain, snow or dark. (via Wikipedia)

Yep. That's about how I feel right now. Except for the distrust thing and an urge to go out in the snow or dark. I'm sure you can relate. We've been on a lovely little spiral of sickness since after Christmas, it's really crazy. It has been mostly flu-like, with the exception of "K's" little episode where he just had a little of everything. I'm ready for it to be over...pretty much by yesterday.

We don't often get sick like this. In fact, last year we just had a couple of colds and that was it. I haven't gone anywhere except for the grocery store, and I'm pretty much going crazy. And to top it all off, my hubby has been gone for the last 3 days.

So, there's one thing that I do when I feel "cooped-up". I scour the internet for ideas!

Frugal Family Fun Blog has 5 Creative Ways To Beat the Winter Blues. I think the indoor snow blizzard looks like fun. I find myself craving comfort foods all winter long and this Baked Potato Soup from Smitten Kitchen looks like it would hit the spot. We read a lot around here but, especially when we can't go anywhere. The kiddos like reading by the fire. Kara from Simple Kids shares what they have been reading lately.

What are your ideas to cure Cabin Fever?

One day...

2011-01-20T16:52:00.002-05:00

One of my favorite decorating styles is vintage-modern. If you walk into my place right now, you would not know it because it's just a mix of what we have, many things gifts from our marriage over 10 years ago, and I'm so thankful for them for sure.

But, I sure do love to dream....

What's your decorating style like?

*Images found here via here

We Have a Winner!

2011-01-20T09:34:00.003-05:00

I was having issues with getting the random number generator on here but, we do have a winner...

The winner of a copy of the ebook In The Kitchen: Real Food Basics is Commenter #5 Rebecca, who said...

I would keep it! I love food, and cooking, and learning about healthy living. I'd love this book!

Congratulations, Rebecca! I will be sending you an email shortly so you can receive your copy.

Thanks everyone for entering!

The Weekend that Was...

2011-01-17T10:17:00.003-05:00

Well, it's Monday. All of my days have been sort of blending together lately. I'm surprised I know it is Monday. We have had quite the last few weeks since Christmas. Lovely whirlwinds of sickness have been passing through and have yet to leave.

"A" started off with a perpetual cough with no end in sight. Just a dry cough, nothing more. Then, on Thursday, she had a fever. All day Thursday and Friday, she was feverish then, Saturday the fever was gone but, still coughing. "K" started coughing on Saturday but, woke up Sunday morning coughing more with a high-normal temp of 99.8. Kent left for church at 8:15 and shortly after that, "K" started complaining of a tummy ache. After a little while, it got worse. He started crying out in pain that his tummy was hurting really bad. At first I thought, "Maybe it's a bug, we'll wait it out and see."

Kent got home around 1 in the afternoon and Kole's crying would not stop and he had not thrown up or even gone to the bathroom. I started to get a little nervous. All of the questions started flooding my mind "What if it's appendicitis....what if it's something serious?"

Kent and I decided upon calling the Pediatric Urgent Care and talking to a nurse to see what we should do. I thought surely if he was going to be sick, it would have happened by now and the amount of pain that seemed to be happening was abnormal. He also was barely able to stand up or walk because he said it hurt too much. Another red flag.

I talked to the nurse and explained what had been happening. She asked me several questions and she suggested we take him to the Hospital. Yikes. She was so helpful and kind and she said that even if it is nothing, it is better to be safe than not, especially with the pain he was having and the fact that he hadn't vomited.

So... "K" said he wanted Daddy to take him (he is a HUGE fan of daddy). We got him all dressed and ready to go and just as they were walking out the door....yup. He puked. Not a lot but, he puked nonetheless. Now what? I made a quick call back to the nurse and told her what had happened and she said "if he's still having the pain, just take him in. We don't want to mess around just in case." Off they went.

I will not bore you (any longer) with the rest of the details but, 6 hours, an x-ray, a blood test, and an ultrasound later...nothing. Must have just been a bug I guess but, the weirdest case of the stomach bug I've ever encountered. He never threw up again, he's been able to keep food down. He's better today, a little sluggish and still coughing but, better.

I feel confident in our decision to take him to the hospital just because I never want to take a chance on something being more serious, especially since the nurse was encouraging us to do so. I felt a little silly afterwards but, the way he was acting was so uncharacteristic and strange compared to what I've seen in the stomach bug so, it concerned me.

In the end "K" said his hospital experience was fun because he got his very own can of ginger ale. "Who knew the hospital could be so fun?" he said.

Here's to hoping everyone gets well and we have a better week than the last 4 days have been.

Needless to say...I'm pooped.

P.S. I'm keeping the giveaway open for another day or so. Hopefully we'll get some more entries!

Review and Giveaway: In the Kitchen: Real Food Basics

2011-01-13T20:15:00.009-05:00

If you're a long time reader of my blog, you will probably know that I love food. I always have. Over the past few years I have grown more and more interested in and passionate about the Real Food movement, eating healthier, whole foods, and how important it is. Although I am definitely not where I would like to be, I feel that it is very important to be educated about what we eat and where our food comes from. Enter, In The Kitchen: Real Food Basics by Kate Tietje.

Kate is the author of the blog Modern Alternative Mama (which by the way you should definitely check out), and has given me the opportunity to review this book, and I'm so glad that she did. Her book is not just a cookbook, it's a resource for anyone wanting to know more about real food and how to begin. She even has a section called "baby steps" that gives you small steps to take to begin your journey to eating real food. Many might not even know where to start and I feel that this book would be a big help.

Kate even goes over the different sweeteners and their pros and cons which I found very helpful. I'm always confused as to which ones are good for you and which ones are not.

I can't forget the yummy recipes. She has recipes for homemade french fries, biscuits, cheesy potatoes (which my family loved) and many more. After reading this book, I found that there were just a couple of things that maybe I'm not ready to dive into just yet, but overall I found it very helpful and informative.

If you or someone you know has made a goal to dig deeper and find out more about real foods, I think this book would be a helpful tool.

So...today is your lucky day because I am giving away one copy of the ebook In the Kitchen: Real Food Basics. Exciting huh?

Here's the rules...

Leave a comment on this post answering the question...

If you win, would you keep this book and if so, why? Or would you give it away and to whom?

simple as that.

Also, please leave your email address or a way that I can contact you if you win.

I will announce a winner at the beginning of next week! Only one entry per person, please.

*The opinions expressed in this review are my own and I was given a copy of this book to review by the author. I was not further compensated to do this.

My New Favorite Thing...

2011-01-13T11:57:00.003-05:00

For those of you who are gluten-free, Is That Gluten Free? is the app for you! I found it last week and splurged $7.99 of my Christmas money on it and boy, was it worth it, and I NEVER pay for apps. (I'm cheap like that).

One of the biggest challenges of eating gluten-free (at least for me) is the shopping. I eat very simply but, when I get to the grocery store to buy a can of tomatoes, or beans, or even yogurt...I have found myself frustrated and confused as to whether or not a specific item contains gluten.

Well, this app has been a tremendous help.

It has a whole database of brands, products and ingredients that have been verified from the manufacturer as being gluten free, all right there in this little app. No more scouring the internet to find out if my spices have gluten in them, this app has it. Searching for a breath mint or gum that is gluten-free? No problem, this app has it. They not only have just the "gluten free" brands but, major brands and store brands that have products that do not contain gluten. If you can't tell, I'm really excited about this app.

Another cool feature is that it even helps you decode ingredients to watch out for. We don't eat many processed foods but, I have especially found it helpful for beans, canned tomatoes, toothpastes, mints, etc.. the things I use on a daily basis and even when visiting family where there kitchens are not stocked with gluten-free items, I can do a quick check on this app to make sure that what I am eating is safe. It's well worth the money for this app and I highly recommend it. Especially if you are newly diagnosed and a beginner at eating gluten free.

Enough of my rambling...

If you have a smart phone, what's your favorite app? I'd love to know.

*the opinions expressed are my own, I was not compensated in any way to tell you this information, I just felt like it. :)

Crazy Snow!

2011-01-12T11:29:00.003-05:00

Yesterday morning on the news, they were calling for 1-2 feet of snow for today. Last night, all of the schools were closing in anticipation for this blizzard, even though there was no snow yet.

Well, this morning I woke up to this...

this is what it looks like out my front door.

This is the view from the back door. You can see how close our neighbors are!

There's actually a house directly behind us, too.

So, it's a snow day. Our homeschool co-op was also cancelled so, we're staying home. I know my kids are dying to go out and play in all of the snow. I'm not sure I'm ready to brave it but, we'll see. On days like this I feel like curling up by the fire with a cup of tea or coffee and take a nap. But, the nap part rarely happens. We will finish our school work and see what the rest of the day brings.

Maybe we'll make some snow cream later.

What do you like to do on a snow day?

skating on thin ice...

2011-01-11T11:28:00.003-05:00

I dislike winter, it's just way too cold. I've decided after living with cold winters all of my life that if you can find fun things to do in the winter weather than it makes it a little better. So...we decided to introduce our kids to ice skating.

I think I was just as excited as they were when we were planning to go!

They had no idea what to expect. My son had ideas of getting out there

and speeding like a hockey star!

Of course, that did not happen. There were lots

of falls but, no tears. Only laughter and smiles.

We skated for over 2 hours. We didn't

want to leave we were having so much fun.

my arms and back were sore the next day from trying to hold the kids up

and keep them from falling but, thankfully I did not fall.

We really had a good time. It made the wintry day just a little more bearable.

Pint-Sized Fashion.

2011-01-05T15:23:00.007-05:00

My littlest is a girly-girl in every sense of the word. She loves to dress up (mainly as a ballerina), to wear jewelry, the occasional lipgloss, must always have some sort of hair accessory on, and asks to wear dresses or her tutu almost every day. I love it. :)

One day before Christmas, I told her to go and get dressed in something comfy and this is what she came up with...

If she can't wear a dress, it's leggings. She also prefers jeggings over regular jeans. She only has one pair of those but, believe me they are getting worn. a lot. :) She has a personality all her own, and style to match...I wouldn't have it any other way.

Highlights and Lowlights: Christmas Break Edition

2011-01-03T11:20:00.006-05:00

We have a little tradition around our house where at dinnertime, we share our high part and low part of that day. I thought it would be fun to cover our Christmas break in the same way.

It was full. Very full. It almost didn't feel like a break. We traveled back to NY to spend time with family and friends. We were there for a week but, it still was not enough time. We'll start with the highlights...

1. We celebrated Christmas Eve with our annual homemade pizza making and lighting our last advent candle. We even dressed up. It was tons of fun.

2. Christmas morning was a delight. "A" received a ballerina leotard and ballet slippers that she has been asking for. "K" received a Star Wars Light Sabre and because he loves to look handsome, a shirt and tie!

3. On Christmas afternoon, we headed to NY and arrived around 8:30pm. The kiddos stayed up late opening their presents from Papa Mark and Grandma Jean (my dad and stepmom), and we even had a talk with Uncle Joel (my brother) on Skype from Korea.

4. We celebrated Kent's oldest sister's 40th birthday with a surprise party.

5. 9 adults and 10 kids were altogether in one house...for a couple of days. Can you say crazy?

6. We went sledding with all of the cousins and and when I say "we" I mean Kent and I too. So much fun but, bitter cold.

7. The kiddos, Kent and my dad went to see the movie Tangled.

8. We were leaving to come home on New Year's day so we rung in the New Year by going to bed early!

The lowlights...

1. I was sick on Sunday night, all day Monday and most of Tuesday. I'm still not sure what it was. No puking or anything else, just terrible headaches and nausea. I didn't eat a thing for those 2 and 1/2 days. Yep, I'm probably the only one who actually lost weight over Christmas. :) Oh, and NO I'm not pregnant.

2. The kiddos caught colds at the end of our trip but, that's really not that big of a deal. :)

3. Due to scheduling conflicts and other craziness, we were only able to spend time with my mom for 4 hours out of the whole 6 days we were there. I'm still pretty sad about that one.

4. On the way home, we kept having to pull over on the side of the road because our windshield kept fogging. Nothing worked to fix it. Finally, after several prayers...it started defrosting. :) so I guess it's a lowlight and highlight in one!

That's about it! We were really blessed and thankful to have the chance to spend Christmas with our family and loved ones.

We arrived back here on Saturday evening around 5pm and were pretty much exausted. Trying to see 4 people all in separate locations is tiring! Yesterday, I unpacked, purged and organized some of the kids old toys so we could add the new and then we sat down and watched a movie. Today, we put Christmas away and tomorrow we will start back up with school.

Well, I guess I'm back to (semi) regular blogging. Stay Tuned for a New Year's giveaway coming soon!

*picture from Google images.

Break.

2010-12-20T12:24:00.003-05:00

Taking a break. Be back soon with a giveaway to kick off the New Year!!

Merry Christmas.

Quick Coffee Tip!

2010-12-11T10:45:00.005-05:00

It's no surprise, I love coffee. I feel like the winter cold drives me to drink more than usual.

I especially love holiday coffees but, they can be quite expensive.

Years ago a friend of mine let me in on a little coffee secret she had. She would sprinkle cinnamon in her ground coffee before she brewed it, and voila! Cinnamon coffee. It is divine. Over the years I've experimented with different spices and have come up with some fun combinations. Here's what you do...

Put your desired amount of ground coffee into the filter in your coffee maker. Sprinkle your desired spices on top of the coffee and brew. That's it.

A couple of quick notes. You definitely do not want to use a lot of spice or it may clog your coffee maker. Also, you want the flavor subtle, not overpowering. I usually just do a couple of shakes of each.

Here's my favorite....

2 shakes of cinnamon, 2 shakes of ginger, a shake of clove= gingerbread coffee.

*Note that this is for a whole pot of coffee. If only doing a few cups, you'll want to adjust the spices.

You can use more or less of each spice according to your liking. Experiment a little, it's fun!!

I used to be very particular about my coffee. I still am to an extent but, I definitely don't pay as much for my coffee as I used to. After trying many different kinds, I've discovered some of my favorites.

Melitta European Roast is my favorite. I like it dark. This is what we drink most of the time. I often get asked what kind of coffee it is whenever I serve it. They also have a range of Fair Trade and Organic coffees as well.

Equal Exchange Mind, Body, and Soul Blend is very good as well. Not as bold as the European roast but, still good. All of their coffees, teas, chocolates, and snacks are fairly traded and some are organic as well.

Well, there you have it. My coffee tip for the day!

I'd love to know, what is your favorite coffee?

Christmas Time Is Here...

2010-11-30T13:55:00.003-05:00

Wow, has this year gone by! I can't believe we are in the Christmas Season already. Sunday was the first day of Advent. This will be our 3rd year Celebrating. It really is a terrific tool for helping the children (and us) to center our hearts around Jesus during this time. We make our own advent calendar and do some fun crafts and activities. You can find my past posts on how we celebrate Advent here

This weekend, we set up our Christmas tree and decorated the house. The kids get so excited about going and cutting down the tree. I think I have just as much fun as they do (if not more).

We also were able to go to the Annual Macy's Christmas Tree lighting in downtown Boston. It was very fun and as my daughter would put it..."magical". That's her new favorite word.

In my usual procrastinating manner, I haven't even started my Christmas shopping. It will get done, I'm just not sure when. :) I am actually working on making something for my nieces this year but, that will have to remain a secret for now.

Go here for some of my posts on homemade Christmas gifts/ideas.

That's about all for now. So...what have you been doing to prepare for Christmas?

Quick Dip.

2010-11-23T16:42:00.004-05:00

I have a quick dip recipe for you. Maybe you'll even use it over the holidays. I make this dip and use it as a dressing, too, it's less expensive and better for you.

Here's all you need...

1 16oz carton sour cream

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. onion powder

1/4 tsp. paprika

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

1-2 tsp. fresh or dried dill or parsley or a combination (use 2 tsp. if using fresh)

a pinch of cayenne (optional)

Mix all together in a bowl and refrigerate for at least an hour before serving for the flavors to combine.

Feel free to adjust your seasonings accordingly. You may need more or less depending on your taste preference. Also, if you are gluten-free, be sure to use gluten-free sour cream and spices. The herbs are naturally gluten-free! (oh, and so is salt) :)

That's it! Serve it with veggies or chips or on baked potatoes or taco salads or whatever you fancy to use it on!

P.S. I probably will not be posting over the next few days. Getting ready for a house full!

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Making God Smile.

2010-11-21T17:41:00.004-05:00

There is a wonderful organization in our neighborhood called The Margaret Fuller Neighborhood House. In their own words this is why they exist...

The Mission of the Margaret Fuller House is to strengthen and empower youth, families and community residents. We work to address the economic, social and political inequities that shape the lives and futures of Area IV residents.

Their programs consist of a food pantry that provides over 18,000 pounds of food per month to families in need. Each year about 3,200 people use the pantry. They also have an after school program that provides love and care to 70 children ages 5-12, among a host of other things.

We had the privilege to volunteer on Saturday morning at the Margaret Fuller House. To be honest, I really can't think of anything I would have rather done that day. We filled bags with non-perishable items and then bags with vegetables to be given along with Turkeys as part of Thanksgiving boxes that will be distributed throughout the community to those in need. My kids jumped in as soon as we got there packing carrots, potatoes, onions and celery into sacks. They had smiles on their faces the whole time. I was so blessed and touched to see that.

The main reason I am writing this is to not tell you what my family did because honestly that's really not the important part. My motive in writing this was because this is an issue that has been weighing very heavily on my heart and I wanted to share it with you. The important part is that there are families, just like yours and mine that are going without on a daily basis. There are children that are going to bed hungry every night. Some do not even have beds. In our own neighborhoods. It breaks my heart.

There are so many opportunities to help out with this need if we would only look for them. Especially but, certainly not limited to this holiday season, there are so many places that would more than welcome your help if only for a couple of hours on a weekend.

I talked to the Director of the Margaret Fuller House and asked about other Volunteer opportunities and she handed me a flyer and said "we can use help with everything."

You see, we don't have to come up with something all on our own to reach people, there are people already out there doing it, and doing it well and they would really love to have our help. I know it really challenged me to be there and look into how I could help more.

On the way home on Saturday my daughter said to me, "mom, my heart feels really happy right now." It not only makes us happy, it helps to meet a need and makes God smile. That's what it's all about, right? He smiles when we love others. :)

I'm definitely not saying that I have mastered this, far from in fact. I'm just saying that if we all do a little, I think it can do a lot.

So, get on google and look up some opportunities in your neighborhood. It's about showing love to others who have less, a lot less than we have. Watch and see, it won't only help to change a life of someone else but, it might just change your own.

Thank you for reading this. :)

Things They Say-Thanksgiving Edition

2010-11-16T12:33:00.004-05:00

My kids say some pretty funny things. Really, all kids can say some funny things. So, I thought that I would ask them a question to see what answer they came up with.

Here's the question...

If you could choose anything you wanted to have for Thanksgiving Dinner, what would it be?

Here are the answers...

K said:

"pumpkin pie...cranberries, roasted apples, soup, veggies, cucumbers, carrots...

broccoli, stuffing...turkey...ham. That's it. Wait...I want blueberry buckle, too.

That's 2 desserts. Yes!

A said:

"Deer, turkey, bananas, apples, carrots, cheese, stuffing, more carrots...

and for dessert, peach cobbler."

I was cracking up that "A" said deer. We have been reading about Thanksgiving this week and how the Wampanoag brought 5 deer to eat as part of the feast. I think that's where she got it from.

After they finished with their lists, K said "sorry you have to make all of this stuff mom!" I said "no, I'm not making all of this stuff. Maybe some of it, I just wanted to know what you would have." So funny.

I love setting them up to make me laugh!

*picture from google images.

A Request for Thanksgiving Help!

2010-11-15T11:59:00.003-05:00

Oh my! Life has just totally taken over and as I sit here at the computer, I'm still not sure what to write. There is so much going on but, I can't settle my brain even for a second to pinpoint anything specific. Oh...I just thought of something...

I need some help from my gluten-free friends. This will be my first Thanksgiving after being diagnosed with Celiac Disease. We are having approximately 8 others joining us for dinner. I would love some of your favorite gluten-free thanksgiving side dish recipes you've tried or even links to them. I would like to make a gluten-free stuffing and I'll probably make a regular stuffing as well. I would also like to find a recipe for a delicious gf pie crust. I will probably not have time to try out anything before that day so, I guess I'll be taking a bit of a risk. :)

I welcome any suggestions you would have. Thanks!!

Remember, too that when I get to 50 followers, I'll have a giveaway!

Happy Monday!

400 Posts!

2010-11-08T20:02:00.004-05:00

Well, this is actually my 402nd post but, sheesh...that seems like a lot. I've been blogging for approximately 3 1/2 years. I can't believe it has been that long. I was looking over some of my older posts and had some laughs and even trickled a few tears.

I'm thankful to have this blog not only to share our lives with family and friends but, that it has allowed me to sort of "freeze" snippets of our life in time. I thought that in honor of my 4ooth post I would share with you some fun posts from the past few years- just because. It was hard picking just a few because I love them all!

My Very First Post

A Gourmet Lunch

Serious Bed-Head

Kid Fun

Things They Say

A Birthday Interview

And some a little more serious...

On My Mind

Seasons

Ok. I'll stop now. :)

I wanted to say Thank You to all who have been reading from the very beginning. Some of you I know personally and some I do not but, Thank you either way. Another big Thank You to those who actually leave comments. It's nice to have feedback every once in a while. :)

One more thing. I'm a little excited that I have 48 followers, many of which I do not know personally which I think is kind of fun. I thought it might be nice to have a giveaway of some sort when I reach 50 followers. So, only 2 more to go!

Here's to blogging until....I've run out of things to blog about, and I'm not so sure if that's possible. At least not for now.

Today So Far...

2010-11-08T11:31:00.003-05:00

Ate....bowls of Trader Joe's High Fiber O's and Bananas. I had Bob's Mighty Tasty Hot Cereal (good stuff)

Learned...how apple juice is made,other apple facts, how to write the Greek alphabet, addition facts, and that when the letters "wor" are together, they say /wer/.

Made....homemade hot cocoa, and some abstract drawings. (the kids new favorite thing to do)

Listened to...my son read, and some veggie tales music in the background being played by my daughter.

Next up...Lunch, some phone calls and maybe a little quiet.

What have you been up to so far?

Evil, I Tell Ya!

2010-11-03T15:50:00.003-04:00

My dad recently sent some peanut butter M&M's to the kiddos in a care package, and naturally I ate some too. I mean, he didn't think that I was just going to save them all for the kids and not sample any, right? They were just the little snack size bags so, it was easy to see why I had two bags. I mean, 2 little bags don't even equal a normal size bag.

The other day I was in Target and I saw the big 50% off Halloween Candy sign and I thought "hmm..let me see what they have." Honestly, I am not a big candy eater but, there are some things I make an exception for and I do have a soft spot for M&M's; (especially the peanut butter ones). So, after looking through the various bags of candy, lo and behold I spied a bag of peanut butter M&M's. They were calling my name. Seriously. And at 50% off I mean, I just had to.

Now, I'm sitting here staring at them in a lovely clear class candy dish, saying "just one more" after about 10...or so. This is why I never buy candy. It's the M&M's fault. They made me do it. They are evil...but, oh so good.

Do you have a favorite treat?

October.

2010-10-26T14:55:00.004-04:00

"O hushed October morning mild,

Thy leaves have ripened to the fall;
Tomorrow's wind, if it be wild,
Should waste them all.

The crows above the forest call;
Tomorrow they may form and go.
O hushed October morning mild,
Begin the hours of this day slow.

Make the day seem to us less brief.
Hearts not averse to being beguiled,
Beguile us in the way you know.
Release one leaf at break of day;
At noon release another leaf;
One from our trees, one far away."
- Robert Frost, October

I'm Back

2010-10-22T08:58:00.005-04:00

Monday I got back from visiting my mom, and let me just say that I had a great time. I didn't realize how much I could use a little retreat until I actually got there. It didn't take long for me to relax and settle in. I'm really grateful to my husband for staying home with the kiddos so I could do this.

So...details. I'm sure you'd love to hear details. I'll start off by saying that my mom really spoiled me rotten. Seriously. I was expecting to just go and have some time away and chill out but, I wasn't expecting anywhere near what we did. I was treated to a mani/pedi, a hair cut, some shopping, and an a deep-tissue massage! The Massage Therapist actually came to my mom's house and did the massage there. It was amazing. It was really special because those are things that I don't normally do. In fact, the last time I had a mani/pedi was for my birthday from my mom. I felt really special and loved. It was also great to get some one on one time with my mom. Since we moved, we haven't gotten many chances to see one another so, when she called and said she'd like to fly me home, I jumped at the chance. I'm really thankful for the time we spent together, and I'd love to do it again...maybe annually but, I told her she didn't have to spoil me like that every time. It's enough to just be together. (even though the pampering was fun).

It would take a massively long post to tell you about all that we did over the weekend but, I'll be nice and keep it short.

I was glad to be back with my family on Monday and I think (hope) they were glad to be back with me. So, it's back to life and hopefully some more regular posts.

Have a great weekend!

Autumn in the City...

2010-10-13T10:24:00.004-04:00

Over the summer, I did a few posts entitled "Summer in the city" where I would show things we did around the city. I thought it might be fun to do the same for fall or autumn. I like autumn, it sounds fancier. Anyway...we have several lovely parks within a short distance from our place. Monday was such a beautiful day here, we met some friends in the park.

Here they are in true form.

Most of the leaves on the ground were yellow and brown but,

"K" managed to find a bright orange one, which he was very proud of.

You just can't resist with so many leaves.

I'm convinced that the reason leaves fall in the

first place, is so we can play in them! :)

just hanging around...she was trying to hang on

for as long as possible without me helping her.

Friends.

A time at the park always ends with a swing.

I will be visiting my mom over the next few days so, I'll be taking a little blogging break.

Until then...

Next week, I'll have some pictures and details!

Dead Dustbusters.

2010-10-11T11:09:00.006-04:00

As a mom, do you ever feel like you've just run out of steam? That's a really stupid question, huh? I have yet to find a mom that doesn't feel like this....present company included. How do you know when you are in need of a little recharge?

I've been walking around lately like a miserable wreck. Completely exausted, no energy, no life left, complaining and ornery. yuck. Who wants to be around that? Not me. I don't want to be around myself.

I've realized (with the help of my husband) that I really don't have an outlet to just "unwind". I used to make jewelry, and do a few other things but, since moving here, our life is really crazy (that's a whole other post) and those things have been put on the back burner. My loving husband has encouraged me to take breaks and find outlets for my creativity and such, and although I would love to, I don't even know what to do to be honest. Sometimes I feel so one dimensional, like there is only one side to me and that is the mothering/wiving side. Please do not misunderstand me, I am so blessed and thankful to be at home with my children and I cherish it with all of my heart but, there are times I feel like, it begins to be my only definition and I just don't think that is true. I can do other things, I just can't remember what those are right now. I would like to rediscover them, though.

One of my favorite verses in the Bible is Isaiah 40:29-31. Verse 29 says "He gives power to those who are tired and worn out." Ahhh...I love that. Just reading those words encourages me so much. There is strength available to me when I feel this way. Thank You Lord. Sometimes for me, it's just stopping long enough to receive it.

3 more days until I leave to visit my mom. I will be having plenty of time to maybe think of some ways to recharge my batteries so, I can be a better mom and a wife. Because, honestly I can't be all that God has called me to be in my home if I am out of steam. It's like my dustbuster. A lot of times after use, it does not get plugged in. Then, I go to use it and it won't start. It is useless to me...and very frustrating. I don't want to be a dead dustbuster.

But those who wait on The Lord will find new strength.

They will fly high on wings like eagles.

They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.

Isaiah 40:31

So...I know I'm not alone. I'd love to hear from you. What do you do to recharge your batteries? I'd love some ideas.

Raisin Spice Cookies-Gluten Free

2010-10-08T16:36:00.006-04:00

I love me some cookies. I love baking cookies. When I had to go gluten-free I was determined to make yummy cookies. Here is a recipe that is really quick and easy...and delicious.

Some people do not prefer brown rice flour because of its "gritty" texture but, I think it is more "earthy" than gritty, and I like "earthy" cookies. This cookie is not overly sweet, and has a nice light texture. One main thing I've learned in GF baking is that the addition of a starch is very important if you want a lighter texture like that of a conventional cookie. I like potato starch or arrowroot starch. Some use tapioca starch but, I am not fond of the taste. GF flours are very different from your basic wheat or white flours. It takes some practice... I'm still getting there.

I adapted this recipe from Arrowhead Mills. There were a couple of ingredients I didn't have so, I substituted and they came out pretty good. Anyway...on with the recipe.

Raisin Spice Cookies

adapted from Arrowhead Mills

1/4 C. Pure Maple Syrup or Honey

1/4 C. Brown Sugar

1 egg

1/2 C. Oil (canola or vegetable, or light tasting olive oil)

1 C. Brown Rice Flour

1/4 C. Potato Starch

1/2 tsp. xanthan gum (keeps from crumbling)

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

3/4 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

1/2 C. raisins

1/2 C. chopped pecans (optional)

Cream together your syrup or honey, oil and egg. Add rice flour, potato starch, xanthan gum, baking powder, soda, and pumpkin pie spice. Mix well. Stir in the raisins and pecans (if using). Drop onto parchment lined baking sheet (or lightly greased sheet).

Bake @ 375 for 10-12 minutes. You want the cookies to be lightly golden but, still slightly soft in the center. Not mushy but soft. They will be more crumbly if over-baked.

P.S. the addition of some chocolate chips might be very nice! And you can use dried cranberries instead of raisins if you prefer.

Enjoy!!!

What I Wore Wednesday.

2010-10-05T17:24:00.005-04:00

So...this is my first time participating in this, and in my typical fashion, my pictures are a bit unorganized. They are out of order from the order I actually wore them but, I guess that doesn't really matter. Hopefully I will get better as the weeks go on. So, I guess the protocol is to photograph your outfits over the course of a week and tell everyone where everything is from.

A few things you will notice:

The weather was up and down, I don't have a weeks worth of photos, and I try to be pretty frugal when it comes to fashion. :)

Here we go...

Shoes- Plato's Closet (consignment store) 2 summer's ago

Jeans-Forever 21

Top-Buffalo Exhange (consignment store)

Necklace-Plato's Closet

Boots- Spring (end of winter sale last year)

Jeans- forever 21

Shirt-Target

Scarf-Walmart

Hat-free from a stuff swap

Ring-believe it or not, I got it 12 years ago at Rue21

Boots-Spring

Jeans-Forever 21

Sweater-H&M

Shirt underneath-H&M

Necklace-Steve and Barry's (when they were still open)

The boots again. :)

Jeans-Forever 21

Shirt-American Apparel (free from a stuff swap)

Scarf- free from a stuff swap

Earrings-Target

Sunglasses-Plato's Closet

Wedges-Payless (several years ago)

Jeans-American Eagle via Plato's Closet

Tunic-Forever 21

Necklace-Buffalo Exchange

Go Here to see what everyone else wore...and join in yourself. It's fun!

*This post is linked to What I Wore Wednesday over at The Pleated Poppy and alsoBejeweled Wednesdays at Jewelscapes Handmade Jewelry

Apple Pickin'

2010-10-05T12:51:00.005-04:00

Last week my Mother-in-law came for a visit. We decided that since none of us had ever been apple-picking that we would find an orchard and go. When we lived in NY we had a couple of apple trees on a hill behind our house so, we never really needed to go anywhere to get apples!

We found a great place in Stow, MA called Honeypot Hill Orchards. It was about a 40 minute drive. Let me just say, that the drive there was breathtaking. New England in the fall is beyond words.

Here we are posing by the silly scarecrow.

Can you see the tiny turtle on the rock? I thought this was so cute.

Of course, you can't resist sampling a big, juicy apple!

My husband saw some good ones up a little higher than any of us could reach so,

of course he did a little climbing.

It rained on our drive there, but managed to stop long enough for us to pick

our apples and have a visit with the farm animals. The rain started up again as we drove away.

Thanks, God. :)

us with nana.

Of course, you can't go apple picking without some apple cider made right there

and some yummy cider donuts...they were a big hit!

I think we might make a tradition out of this.

Did any of you pick apples this year? I'd love to hear about it.

Question...

2010-09-29T08:52:00.003-04:00

Have you ever read The Pleated Poppy blog? Well, if not you definitely should. I have been a fan for some time now. The reason I am asking is because on Wednesdays she does this link-up party called "What I Wore Wednesday" . It is where readers will take pics of what they wore during the week, and post the pictures on their blogs on Wednesday. It is fun fun fun to see what other people wore. I have been thinking about doing this but, my question is..

Do you want to see what I wear?

If you could care less, let me know. If you think it would be cool, say so. I think it would be fun but, of course I wouldn't want to bore you all to death either.

Happy Wednesday!

Home. (It's Complicated)

2010-09-24T16:14:00.005-04:00

My mom called me a while ago and told me that she wanted to fly me home to see her. I am very excited about this. Only 3 more weeks to go! I have been missing home. When I say home I'm not talking about a physical house. I'm talking about the feeling of home. The funny thing is, home is a bit complicated for me. You see, to me home is wherever my family is but, my family is all over the place. My hubby and kids are here with me so, this is home. But, my mom is in Western NY so, when I go to see her that's home even though I didn't grow up there. My dad is also in the Western part of NY so that's home, too. I was born in Ohio and my extended family lives there, and that is home when I am there. But, I was raised in a rural area of NY and none of my family lives there anymore so, even though it should technically be home it's not. I have a lot of homes. Have I confused you? I think I've confused myself a little.

They say "home is where the heart is". Well, I guess my heart is a little all over the place, and I'm totally cool with that.

Real Life...

2010-09-22T15:59:00.003-04:00

So...you wanna see what happens when the kiddos are "supposed" to be having quiet time?

Yep. You see that piece of string tied from the dresser to the bed?

That was a clothesline.

Just a little proof that my house isn't always tidy. :)

My D.I.Y.

2010-09-20T20:25:00.005-04:00

So, I like to make things. I always have but, for the past year I haven't done a whole lot of "making" other than beds, breakfast, lunch and dinner. When I came across this project, I knew I wanted to do it...for three reasons.

#1 it was functional #2 it was easy and #3 it was quick and I'm all about a quick project.

In case you can't tell, it is a framed jewelry organizer. Gone are the days of my jewelry getting into tangled knots in my drawer. By the way, Julie has many more terrific DIY posts on her blog. They are all relatively doable and many you can do for little money. I had fun doing this little project. I wonder what I'll do next?

Have you done any DIY projects lately? Do tell.

Just Us Girls!

2010-09-18T13:50:00.003-04:00

When it's just us girls, here's where we like to go...

And of course, you have to try on some cute shoes...

...and have frozen yogurt (with blueberries and M&M's)

And you MUST pretend that you are a mannequin!

Singing in The Rain...

2010-09-16T11:54:00.004-04:00

My little "A" has been wanting to take a shower by herself for a long time. For some reason, she just couldn't do it. She wouldn't even go in the shower with me. She didn't even like sprinklers. Anything that had to do with her face getting wet, she wanted nothing to do with it. Until recently. "A" is the type of girl that once she makes up her mind to do something, she does it all the way. So, one evening "K" was getting ready to take a shower and she said to me "Mom, I want to take a shower. All by myself." I said "really, all by yourself? You will need to get your face wet." "I know." she said. She was ready, really ready. So, I got the shower ready and she got in...and loved it. Several times during the shower she said "this is great, mom" and "I don't need your help, mom I can do it all by myself." I did need to help her wash her hair, though and of course make sure everything was washed. I sat on a step stool waiting for her to finish while listening to her sing "singing in the rain" It was really quite cute. Finally, I had to drag her out. I decided to conduct a post-shower interview because she was so proud of herself.

Here she is...

This actually makes me very happy because now I have 2 kiddos who can take a shower. My back is also very thankful for this. :)

Who says?

2010-09-13T16:51:00.004-04:00

Who says you can't have a bonfire in the city?

Working hard to toast the mallows...

lessons from an expert marshmallow roaster...

enjoying the fruits of their labor...

YUM!*

*I attempted making gluten-free graham crackers and they turned out pretty good. We all ate them!

Here's the recipe if you're interested.

Remembering...

2010-09-11T11:55:00.004-04:00

Today is 9/11. Even though it was 9 years ago, I remember where I was like it was yesterday. For years to come, many will be remembering where they were on that day. As much as I would like to forget, it's just not possible, and honestly, I don't think it would be right to forget. The ones who lost loved ones that day cannot forget so, in honoring them and the ones they lost, I will remember.

Kent and I were only married a little over a year. I was working at a coffee shop in a nearby ski town and I was there early. Later on, someone came in and told us what had happened. We had no television but, someone went and got a radio so we could listen to the updates. My husband was out of town and his sister-in-law was living in NYC at that point and she immediately came to my mind. I called Kent and as soon as we possibly could we tried to find out if his sister was safe. We later found out that she was. After arriving home that afternoon, I was able to see some of the coverage on the television. To this day I cannot get those images out of my head.

Days and even weeks went by and it was still in the forefront of my mind, and I'm sure I was not alone. I am still effected by it.

Today, my heart and my prayers go out to those who lost husbands, wives, friends, brothers, sisters, moms, dads, uncles, aunts, grandparents, co-workers, cousins and bosses...

Peace and love.

The Best Gluten-Free Cornbread!

2010-09-10T15:50:00.003-04:00

photo from laaloosh.com

Since going gluten-free, I have found that gf (gluten-free) baking from scratch takes a lot of experimenting. It must taste good, and trust me sometimes it doesn't. So, I decided that I would attempt to adapt my favorite conventional cornbread recipe into a gluten-free one. Guess what? It worked and it tastes delicious, if I do say so myself. My husband ate it and said that if I hadn't told him he never would have known. So, I was very excited to share this with you and hope you try it. (and like it).

Gluten-Free Cornbread

What you'll need...

1 C. Cornmeal (gf)

1/3 C. sorghum flour

1/3 C. brown rice flour

1/3 C. potato starch (not potato flour)

1 1/4 tsp. xanthan gum (keeps from crumbling)

3 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

2/3 C. milk (cow, soy, rice, whichever you prefer)

1/2 C. sugar (if you prefer less sweet use 1/4 C. I use raw sugar)

1/2 C. oil

2 eggs, beaten

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F. Combine corn meal, flours, sugar, baking powder, salt and xanthan gum in a bowl. Mix oil, eggs and milk together and add to dry ingredients. Mix together until just moistened. Try not to overmix. Bake in a greased baking pan ( I use a glass pie plate and it works, great). Bake for 20-25 minutes. Mine seems to bake in about 20 but check periodically so, it's not overdone.

That's it. Enjoy!!

Our First Day Of School!

2010-09-10T15:14:00.003-04:00

Yesterday was our first day of school. We celebrate the first and last day of school around here, I just think it makes it more exciting for the kiddos (and me too).

We started off with a yummy breakfast of orange french toast and watermelon!

Then, we took a brisk walk around the block to get some fresh air,

and get some of our wiggles out.

Lots of learning...they jumped right in.

My mom sent me the sandwich maker she used with my brother and I

when we were younger so, I used it to make lunch for the kids. It brought back

a lot of memories.

I had an errand to run for a DIY project I'm doing (details coming soon),

after that we stopped by the City Hall to run in their big, green lawn.

I read a post on Simple Homeschool about 10 back to school traditions and one of the ideas was to wrap up some school supplies like presents. I thought it was a terrific idea so, I gave it a try. Here's a video of the kids opening their supplies. It's a little long so, feel free to stop it anytime, unless you're family and want to watch it all. :)

To be honest, I was a little anxious about our first day, probably more for me than them. Since "A" is doing Kindergarten and "K" is doing 1st grade I thought it would be difficult to teach them both and keep their attention. They both did amazing, seriously. It wasn't as hard to adapt back to the routine. I'm so proud of them. It's still going to take some adjustment to have them both at the same time but, I'm sure I'll learn what works and what doesn't. This was a short first week so, I'm looking forward to seeing how our first full week goes. Next week we start the Co-op as well. Looking forward to all that's in store for the year.

How about you? I'd love for you to share some of the fun things you do to celebrate the first day of school at your house, whether homeschooled or not, or maybe you have a great memory of your first day of school as a child! Please share.

Labor Day Eats!

2010-09-06T10:04:00.003-04:00

I see Labor day as kind of the "Last Hurrah" of summer cookouts. Not that you can't have another cookout after Labor day but, for me it sort of marks the closing of summer and the celebration of a new season, and all celebrations need good food, right? I thought I'd share with you my little menu for today. We have a tiny fire pit that we will use to cook part of our dinner and our dessert!

Hot Dogs cooked over the fire

Corn on the cob

Warm Dijon Potato Salad with green beans

Watermelon

and for dessert...S'mores

I'm attempting for the second time to make gluten-free graham crackers, the first time didn't turn out so well. Keeping my fingers crossed for this second batch!

Looks like it's going to be a beautiful day.

I'd love for you to share your plans for today!

Happy Labor Day!

Have a Wonderful Weekend...

2010-09-03T07:37:00.002-04:00

...Take some time to stop and smell the flowers!