Muffins by Mom

Ingredients
- 1 package of Betty Crocker Triple Berry Muffin Mix (just add water)
- 1 1/2 Bananas
- 1/4 cup Milk
- 1/4 cup Applesauce
- 1 Tablespoon Honey

Directions:
Mix ingredients together until smooth - spoon out into muffin cups (about 2/3 way full) - makes about 8 muffins
Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes - let cool 2 minutes then remove from pan to prevent overbaking
Let cool additional 10 minutes before enjoying!

My girls eat these up like they are going out of style!!

Sweet Apple Pie - Take 3 - Best one yet!

SWEET APPLE PIE - TAKE 3 – 11/15/09


APPLE PIE FILLING

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

• 4 ½ cups apples, peeled, cored, cut into 16ths (about 8 small apples)

• 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon

• ½ tsp sugar

• ½ cup brown sugar

Directions

Grease pie pan (I used stoneware). In a medium heated skillet add the butter then add the apples. Cook for about 2 to 5 minutes then add the cinnamon, brown sugar, and sugar. Swirl the apples around to make sure they all get coated. (Start mixture for Topping below). Cook another 5 minutes until apples are soft and caramelize. Pour apple pie filling into pie pan.

TOPPING

Ingredients

• ¾ cups melted butter

• 1 cup flour

• 1 cup sugar

• 1 egg

• ½ tsp cinnamon

Directions

Mix ingredients above. Pour topping over apple pie filling in pie pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes until crust turned light brown. Serve warm with Vanilla Ice Cream and Enjoy!!

NOTES: Best one yet!! Whole family likes and stays together well.

Sweet Apple Pie TAKE 2

BASE PIE CRUST – TAKE 2 – 11/04/09


Ingredients

• 1 9” Mrs. Smith’s Deep Dish Pie Shell

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Remove frozen pie crust from package – let thaw 15 minutes. Thoroughly prick bottom and side of crust with fork to reduce shrinkage and bubbling. Place pie crust in empty pie pan same size as pie crust. Place on baking sheet and bake on middle rack for 12 minutes at 375 degrees F. Cool completely while preparing the apple pie filling and top pie crust. Turn oven down to 350 degrees F.

APPLE PIE FILLING

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoons unsalted butter

• 4 cups apples, peeled, cored, cut into 16ths (about 4-6 apples)

• 1 teaspoons ground cinnamon

• ½ cup brown sugar

Directions

In a medium heated skillet add the butter then add the apples. Cook for about 2 to 5 minutes then add the cinnamon, brown sugar and orange juice. Swirl the apples around to make sure they all get coated. (Start mixture for Top Pie Crust below). Cook another 5 minutes until apples are soft and caramelize. Pour apple pie filling into cooled pie crust.

TOP PIE CRUST

Ingredients

• ½ cups melted butter

• ¾ cup flour

• ¾ cup sugar

• 1 egg

• 1 tsp cinnamon

Directions

Mix ingredients above. Pour top pie crust batter over apple pie filling in pie crust. Bake at 350 degrees F for 40 minutes until crust turned tan. Serve warm with Vanilla Ice Cream and Enjoy!!

NOTES: Too cakey/thick – use less flour & cinnamon in Top Pie Crust next time? Try eliminating Base Pie Crust?

Sweet Apple Pie - Take 1

BASE PIE CRUST
Ingredients
1 9” Mrs. Smith’s Deep Dish Pie Shell
Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Remove frozen pie crust from package – let thaw 15 minutes. Thoroughly prick bottom and side of crust with fork to reduce shrinkage and bubbling (I totally forgot to do this until after I bake the pie crust initially - I pricked with a fork then and it seemed to work just fine). Place pie crust in empty pie pan same size as pie crust. Place on baking sheet and bake on top rack for 12 minutes at 375 degrees F. Cool completely while preparing the apple pie filling and top pie crust. Turn oven down to 350 degrees F.

APPLE PIE FILLING
Ingredients
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 ½ cups apples, peeled, cored, cut into 16ths (about 6 apples)
1 teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons orange, juiced
Directions
In a medium heated skillet add the butter then add the apples. Cook for about 2 to 5 minutes then add the cinnamon, brown sugar and orange juice. Swirl the apples around to make sure they all get coated. (Start mixture for Top Pie Crust below). Cook another 5 minutes until apples are soft and caramelize. Pour apple pie filling into cooled pie crust.

TOP PIE CRUST
Ingredients
¾ cups melted butter
1 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1 egg
Directions
Mix ingredients above. Pour top pie crust batter over apple pie filling in pie crust. Bake at 350 degrees F for 40 minutes until crust turned tan. Serve warm with Vanilla Ice Cream and Enjoy!!

RESULTS: Messy - but tasty! Try less liquid in pie filling for take too and cut ingredients by 1/4 for Top Pie Crust. Maybe add Cinnamon for taste? Stay tuned for Take 2...

Double Duty Cleaning Action

Double Duty Cleaning Action by using OxyClean Versatile Powder Stain Remover

If you have young kids - or just kids of any kind - I'm sure there are several items of clothing with stubborn stains that are a pain to try to get out. Try this:

• separate clothes into same color batches - whites, lights, darks
• fill your sink with water (warm for white/lights, cold for darks - enough to cover the clothes added)
• add 1-2 scoops of OxyClean Versatile Powder Stain Remover
• add a batch of clothes
• let soak for several hours or overnight
• wring clothes out and add to washer as normal

Bonus - You get a sparkling clean sink in the end too!!

Save Money - downgrade your cable bill!!

I saved $70 per month by doing the following:

About a year ago, we entered into a bundle deal for phone, internet and cable (with all of the movie channels, 2 boxes with DVR) for about $195 per month. Next month, this package was due to go up $20 to $215 per month. I called my provider to see how I could downgrade my package without loosing what we valued and used the most - phone, internet, basic cable with the children's channels. There was a bundle for $140 per month (for 12 months) that included all of that. We also decided that we really did not need the 2nd cable box with DVR and that saved us another $15 per month. Our provider also said as we have been loyal customers for 6 plus years, they would include the 1 box with DVR for free for 12 months.

Now my monthly bill is $145 per month - a $70 savings from the $215 per month is was going to be. In the end, all of the extra movie channels and such were really a waste that we were not even using. I would rather read a book in my little but spare time vs. watching TV anyways.

Hope this helps some of you out there looking for ways to save some money too!!

Get Money for your Old Bridesmaid/Wedding Dresses!

Hi all!

I found this great online dress consignment shop - kellibridal.com. There are 2 options:

Direct Buy - If you ship them your old bridesmaid dresses (that if they are anything like mine they are collecting dust in the closet) they will send you a check for $20.00 a dress!! I sent them 2 of mine and got a check for $40.00 within a few weeks. You have to email them a picture of the dress first to be sure they can take it.

Consignment option - They will try to sell your dress for the price you want to sell it at and take a percentage of the gross sale (I did not choose to do this option so I'm not positive on the details).

Either way - I thought this was a great website to pass along to everyone.

Enjoy!

http://www.kellibridal.com/DressPurchases/DressPurchases.htm

Cool Toothbrush for Kids

Need help getting your little ones to brush their teeth? Check out "Dr. Fresh Firefly Blinking Children's Toothbrush". I originally bought this as a 2 pack in Target for like $2.00 (one for the Toddler, one for the Infant who has 2 teeth as well). I got it because I thought it was a good price. When I got home and opened the package, the toothbrushes started to blink (hence the name "firefly"). My toddler was very interested in this. To get her to brush her teeth longer and (hopefully) better - I told her she had to keep brushing her teeth until the light stopped blinking (it lasts about a minute). I wanted to pass this tip along to all of you parents who might be having a hard time trying to get your kids to brush their teeth. Good luck and happy smiles!

Happy Mother's Day!

Just want to wish all of you wonderful mother's out there a very Happy Mother's Day! Enjoy the day - relax - take time to enjoy being with your family.
And now a poem about "real mothers" I found while searching the web that caught my interest. Enjoy!

Real Mothers
Real Mothers don't eat quiche; they don't have time to make it.
Real Mothers know that their kitchen utensils are probably in the sandbox.
Real Mothers often have sticky floors, filthy ovens and happy kids.
Real Mothers know that dried playdough doesn't come out of shag carpet.
Real Mothers sometimes ask "why me?" and get their answer when a little voice says, "because I love you best."
Real Mothers know that a child's growth is not measured by height or years or grade. . .It is marked by the progression of Mama to Mommy to Mother.
- Author Unknown.

Sunshine Day!!

The sun has finally made it's way to our part of the country! It's warm and comfortable to take a walk, go to the park, feed the ducks, go fishing, you name it - it's a great day to do it! So get outside with the kids today! Even just for a little while! We've already went for a walk to the library (which didn't last long because the toddler didn't want to sit still today for story hour - I don't blame her - it's too nice outside to be inside!). Took a walk around town. Rode bikes and colored with sidewalk chalk. I'm thinking blowing bubbles will be a good one for after nap time too! And tomorrow - here we come to the pond to get our toes in the sand and water and feed the ducks and fish!!

Inspirational Quotes - to get us through this crappy rainy day

Life is either a daring adventure or nothing. ~Helen Keller

Life is like a game of cards. The hand that is dealt you represents determinism; the way you play it is free will. ~Jawaharal Nehru

The best way to prepare for life is to begin to live. ~Elbert Hubbard

One way to get the most out of life is to look upon it as an adventure. ~William Feather

As I grow to understand life less and less,I learn to love it more and more. ~Jules Renard

If you can imagine it, you can achieve it; if you can dream it, you can become it. ~William Arthur Ward

Cool Flowers for Mother's Day

I originally found this in one of the parenting magazines (cannot remember which one right now) but I thought it was a cool art & craft for Mother's Day. Daddy & Toddler (mostly Daddy) ended up finishing them but they still came out great! Basically, you cut 1 inch strips of construction paper, take a 3 hole punch to make 3 holes in each strip, thread a pipe cleaner through a button then thread 4-5 of each of the construction paper strips (folded over so the holes line up) through each pipe cleaner until you have a full head of a flower. Ta-da! There you have it! We used old Gerber Puffs and other containers around the house for vases - covered them with wrapping paper and stickers to pretty them up.

My Latest Favorite Salada Teadom Quote

Time spent in getting even would be better spent in getting ahead.

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

Cinco de Mayo (the 5th of May) is a national holiday in Mexico to celebrate the victory of the Battle of Puebla won in 1862 against the French. They celebrate with food (burritos, roasted corn, tacos, fajitas, etc.), lively music for all ages, lots of dancing and lots of colorful attire. Help your kids celebrate Cinco de Mayo - even if it just means eating a Mexican dinner (like tacos) and making fun crafts (see http://crafts.kaboose.com/holidays/cinco-de-mayo/index.html for ideas).

A Good Day - UPDATE

This is how a good day turns into a not so good day...

Dog poops on the rug after having chased and attacked the vacuum
Clean rug - try to keep girls away from wet rug - while trying to start dinner
Last minute change of childcare for following day (nobodies fault - these things happen) but it makes for crazy last minute changes to plan and drop off/pick up which then makes for a very cranky husband (because he hates change of any kind and gets anxiety over it)
Screaming girls while trying to get them dressed into their pj's for bedtime
An hour of a half of studying...

And now - bedtime.

Procrastinating...

Procrastination - to put off till another day or time; defer; delay. Yup - that's what I'm doing. I really should be studying for part 3 of 3 of the QuickBooks ProAdvisor Certification - but alas - I am on facebook, my email, blogging...even thinking of finishing the laundry - anything to avoid going back to studying. But that means that I'll have to do it tonight - once both girls are in bed - and I'm exhausted - and will therefore probably not retain much of what I read so I guess that means I should probably do it now - while both girls are napping - and the dogs are (thankfully) quiet. Ah well...it will pay off in the end.

A Good Day

Both kids slept until 6:45 - Mom got to sleep in!!
Breakfast, baths/shower, laundry, dishes, beds, vacuuming done by 10:30am - no whining or fighting yet!!
Out the door for a nice walk through town (as little as it is) - still going strong!
Lunch, cleanup, more laundry, both girls down for naps by 1pm - time to relax!

Swine Flu - Q&A - Take a Read

Some Frequently asked questions answered regarding the "Swine Flu".

Q&A: Swine Flu Myths and Mysteries

http://www.livescience.com/health/090427-flu-q-and-a.html

Swine Flu - Symptoms - Good Article

Here's another good article about symptoms regarding the Swine Flu and when you should seek medical care.

Swine flu: Know symptoms, but don't panic

http://www.detnews.com/article/20090428/OPINION03/904280305/1005/rss32

Swine Flu - Before you panic - read this

Swine Flu - Before you start panicing about another "plague" outbreak - read the following article.

1976: Fear of a great plague

http://www.capitalcentury.com/1976.html

Exercise Tips - No Excuse for No Time

Don't have time? No problem! Tries these tips to help you get in some form of exercise during the week:

• Take 15-20 minutes of your lunch break to take a brisk walk outside
• While brushing your teeth in the AM & PM - perform some standing leg work like lunges, leg lifts, calf raises, squats, etc.
• Right before bedtime - you can even do this while lying in bed! - perform some crunches and reverse crunches for those ab muscles
• Take 15 minutes in the evening or later afternoon - turn up the music and dance to your hearts desire!
• Doing housework? Instead of trying to carry everything up the stairs at once - make multiple trips to burn some calories.

Weight Watchers Tips

Trying to lose weight using the Weight Watchers Points system? Great start. Here are some tips that helped me to stay within my daily and weekly points range.

• Eat foods higher in fiber and lower in fat and calories – they are worth less points and keep you fuller longer
• If you are craving a snack or sweet – try having flavored tea first and see if it satisfies your craving. If you still have the craving for a snack or sweet pay attention to portion size - 2 cookies is the average serving, 1/2 cup ice cream, 1 oz M&Ms, etc.
• At night – brush your teeth when you put the kids to bed or around 7:30-8pm or so – you will be less likely to want to snack on anything other than water if you’ve already brushed your teeth for the night
• Save your extra points for the weekend – that’s where you will most likely use them the most. I found it more manageable to stay with my allotted daily points during the work week and then use the extra weekly points mainly on the weekends as my schedule was more up in the air and you never know what you would be eating where as well as what kind of events were happening.
• At meals, fill up on your veggies and fruits first - then move on to protein and carbs.
• Participate in activities and exercise to gain more points – a brisk 20 minute walk will gain you about 1 point to use - just imagine if you walked 20 minutes 5 times a week? That’s another 5 points to use on the weekends!

Hopefully by following these tips they will help you to lose the weight faster and keep it off!! Good luck!

One Flaw In Women

A friend of mine forwarded me this in an email and I thought it was worth sharing.

One Flaw In Women

Women have strengths that amaze men. They bear hardships and they carry burdens, but they hold happiness, love and joy. They smile when they want to scream. They sing when they want to cry. They cry when they are happy and laugh when they are nervous. They fight for what they believe in. They stand up to injustice. They don't take "no" for an answer when they believe there is a better solution. They go without so their family can have. They go to the doctor with a frightened friend. They love unconditionally. They cry when their children excel and cheer when their friends get awards. They are happy when they hear about a birth or a wedding. Their hearts break when a friend dies. They grieve at the loss of a family member, yet they are strong when they think there is no strength left. They know that a hug and a kiss can heal a broken heart. Women come in all shapes, sizes and colors. They'll drive, fly, walk, run or e-mail you to show how much they care about you. The heart of a woman is what makes the world keep turning. They bring joy, hope and love. They have compassion and ideas. They give moral support to their family and friends. Women have vital things to say and everything to give. HOWEVER, IF THERE IS ONE FLAW IN WOMEN, IT IS THAT THEY FORGET THEIR WORTH.

How to Save Money Grocery Shopping

One of the simplest and biggest savers I have found to be - switch which grocery store chain you go to!! It took me nearly a year to convince my husband that if we switched to Market Basket from Shaws or Hannafords - we could save a bundle! (Yes - he does the grocery shopping because he does it better than me.) Finally, after many financial changes this past 6 months - he figured "what the heck - I'l l try Market Basket and see how it goes." Well - when he came home with the receipt and saved approximately $40 (if we had gone to Shaws instead) he was convinced. I find that we save an average of $30 to $40 per week which comes out to approximately $90 to $120 a month!! Just think what you could do with that extra money!! A few other tips are:

• buy store brand items
• clip coupons (I tend to only clip coupons on items I buy frequently - diapers, wipes, formula, detergent, etc. as it can take some time)
• buy in bulk when on sale

Hopefully these tips will help some of you save some money - it sure helped me!!

The Toes Have It!

I love the warmer weather - it means pretty painted toes!! And cute, chubby baby toes, and long, awkward toddler toes too!!

Potty Fairy - UPDATE

And so I'm finding the thrill of the "Potty Fairy" to be very short lived at this point. We have had no more attempts or even desires to use the potty. She's actually gone to the opposite end of the spectrum in that she seems almost afraid to use it at this point. My thoughts are to back off for awhile and try again in a month or when she seems more interested. I'm not big on pushing kids into something they are not ready to do yet especially at such a young age (she will not be 3 until July). Some people may not agree with me on this but I feel that she is going through a difficult stage right now where we have a lot of "No's" coming from her and defiance - partly I think due to the fact that her young sister (now 9 months) is more active and requires more attention as well as all of the new information she has learned (colors, letters, numbers, etc.) so I think it's a lot for a 2 1/2 year old toddler to deal with right now. I'm hoping by the summer she will be more interested (and have more success) in the Potty Training area. But for now I'm OK with her still being in diapers (as much of a pain as it is at times). She is my first baby and so maybe some milestones will come later than others.

Should we have one more??

As I read an article in Parents magazine (see link to article below), I begin to realize this is exactly as I feel right now. Should we have one more? Then I think "Am I crazy?" The immediate questions that come to mind are "Can we afford another baby? Can we mentally handle another baby? Will by husband and I get through having another baby and still be married in the end?" My husband and I both come from families of 3 so 3 just seems to be the right number for some reason to me. My gut tells me I'm not done yet so I guess that means I'm not. The next question is "When do we have another one?" We currently have a toddler and infant at home who keep us constantly on our toes so I'm thinking it's going to be awhile yet. We'll see.

http://www.parents.com/getting-pregnant/considering-baby/another/should-we-have-one-more/

Right Now

As I'm watching the movie "Marley & Me" the other night with my husband and 2 1/2 year old daughter, I realize that this is a lot like my life. Around the middle of the movie when they have their second baby who's colicky, the mom decides to leave her job to be a stay-at-home mom (I wish we could afford for me to), you and your husband are on different ends of the spectrum on what seems like everything, the dog (or dogs in my case) always seem to bark or pee on the floor at the most inopportune moment (you know - when you're trying to get the baby down for a nap or just finished cleaning up a really messy diaper and had to give the baby a bath due to the really messy diaper), there's never enough money, life is as crazy as it gets (or so it seems at the time), and you wonder when you will ever get your equilibrium back - yeah - that's where I'm at. But then you have those moments when you are rocking the baby to sleep at bedtime and they cuddle into you for warmth, or your toddler hugs you, rubs your cheek and tells you not to be sad when you cry at a movie, or your 2 crazy dogs cuddle up next to you at the end of the night when both kids have gone to sleep or your husband wraps his arms around you from behind and nuzzles you on the neck...and then you know that all is OK...life is perfect and you wonder why you ever thought different...yeah...I'm there too.

Why I Voted for Obama

I tend not to listen to the politics side and to go with my gut when voting. My gut was already leaning heavily towards Obama for this last major election, but the final push was the following article I read in "Parents" magazine (see links below).

The Next First Family: Q&A with the Obamas
http://www.parents.com/family-life/work-money-politics/election-2008/the-obamas/
Q&A with Cindy McCain
http://www.parents.com/family-life/work-money-politics/election-2008/cindy-mccain/

What struck me with these two articles was that the Obama family came together as a family for the interview (which was the main topic of the interview) and the McCain family did not (only Cindy McCain was available - John McCain and children were too busy traveling, etc.)

In the end, I wanted someone in the Oval Office who would do right by my family. And my belief (especially after reading these articles) is that Obama was the best person for the job.

American Baby - The Dog Days of Motherhood

For all those moms out there of the human and canine variety alike - check out the article from the April 2009 issue of American Baby called "The Dog Days of Motherhood". It'll make you laugh if nothing else. I tried to find a link to it but could not.

Solid Foods - UPDATE!

So we've come a long way from several months ago when I was struggling to get my baby (now 9 months old) to eat solid foods. She loves her food now! A friend suggested I try mixing everything together - cereal, veggie & fruit - sounds disgusting I know - but it worked! She's been eating great now for the past 2 1/2 months or so. She has moved onto puffs and Cheerios as well as drinking water from a sippy cup. She is in food envy in that she is very interested in what the rest of us are eating and wants to try some. I let her try tiny bites of things here and there to give her a taste but still a little nervous about letting her try other fingers food at this pointing. Soon enough!!

The "Potty Fairy" Has Come

O.K - So I'm trying a new thing for trying to get my 2 1/2 year old to have some interest in using the potty - The Potty Fairy! Hey - I've heard of the Binky Fairy so why not the Potty Fairy? My toddler was just about to get into the tub when she announced that she had to go "poo poo" so I told her to grab a book and sit on her potty to go (she was already in her birthday suit so let's see if it'll work this time?). While I washed up her younger sister, she sat and read her book (her beloved "Good Night Moon" which is now drying out since it ended up in the tub by accident right after), my girl when potty all by herself! We praised her afterward and told her "Great Job" and all. Then, while my husband got her dressed into her PJ's - I snuck downstairs with the baby to write a letter to my toddler from the Potty Fairy saying what a great job she had done and to keep up the good work! I had bought some small items in the dollar section at Target for small prizes for these type of situations so I choose a small book that she could keep by her potty to read next time she went. Hopefully this is the beginning of something good - we'll see! Now my only problem will be how to explain why the Potty Fairy will stop coming around once she is fully potty trained!!!

Toddler Sleep Issues - A Phase??

I'm wondering what this new phase my toddler is going through...

We put her to bed (usually without argument) around 8:15-8:30pm every night - but she does not fall asleep until 9:30-10:00 pm most nights (like tonight - she is still awake right now doing whatever possible to not sleep!). She sings to herself, she calls for "Dadda & Momma - I lost my binky!" after she threw it on the floor. Or "Dadda! Momma! Where are you?" I don't get it. She sleeps fine throughout the night once she does fall asleep but it's like she can't get herself to sleep for a good hour after she is put to bed.

There are so many phases to children these days - I never know what's going to pop up next!

A Day in the Life of a Working Mom

5:15 am - Have 1st cup of coffee and shower/hair/makeup/dress before kids wake up

6:00 am - Baby wakes up - change diaper - feed bottle - have 2nd cup of coffee - start load of laundry

6:15 am - Let dogs out, get fresh water, feed them - empty dishwasher if needed and if time

6:30 am - Get toddler up - talk and play with girls for a few minutes before the crazy morning continues

6:45 am - Get girls dressed

7:15 am - Get toddler milk - let dogs out again - clean up kitchen - switch laundry from washer to dryer

7:35 am - Drop girls off at daycare

7:45 am - Leave for work

8:25 am - Arrive at work

1:00 pm - Lunch - 1 hour to myself!! Eat, check email, check facebook, check blogs, study for CB exam

2:00 pm - Back to work

5:00 pm - Leave work

5:40 pm - Arrive home - play with girls until dinner

6:00 pm - Dinner

6:30 pm - Clean up from dinner, fold laundry

6:45 pm - Baths and pajama time

7:15 pm - Bottle for baby, Milk for toddler, Sprout Goodnight Show

8:00 pm - Bedtime!!

8:05 pm - Get any other "to do's" done before bed

8:30-9:30pm - Read in bed - pass out from exhaustion depending on the day

Elmo Tower by a Toddler & Mom

25 Things About Me…Finally

1. My girls and my husband are my life! I would be lost without them!
2. I hate having to work and put my girls in daycare.
3. I am grateful that one of my very best friends is my daycare.
4. I can’t whistle.
5. I love New England but HATE the Winter!!
6. My favorite color is Red but you would probably think it was Black as that’s what I seem to wear a lot of.
7. I used to love being on stage – now I’m scared out of my mind about being on stage!
8. I wish I had the courage to get back into singing and dancing. (I stole this one from Jenn but I totally feel the same way – maybe once our girls get into singing and dancing – which they seem to be now – we will!!)
9. I live in Ayer, MA – when we first moved out here I didn’t think I would like it – too much of a city girl – now I love it!!
10. My family (immediate and extended) is big, loud and crazy but I still love them all!
11. I want to start my own business soon. I know I’ve said this several times over the past years but I still really want to and will get there but it’s not something that can be done (reasonably and safely) overnight.
12. I wish I could see my friends more often – but am happy for the times I do get to spend with them. Especially now watching all our kids become friends!!
13. I’m thinking this is harder to do than originally thought.
14. Is crazy for thinking that a 3rd baby wouldn't be so bad, I am NUTS (Ok – I stole this one from Stacey – but yeah – my thoughts exactly!!)
15. Loves the new 90210 – drama that’s not mine!
16. Loves my pugs – even though they drive me CRAZY!!
17. Loves when I get to listen to my music in the car and sing at the top of my lungs!
18. Can’t stand the fact that my family is so obsessed with weight gain/loss and therefore, in some respects, am I.
19. Is wondering if potty training can be done in a weekend?!?!
20. Am having a hard time finishing this.
21. Loves my husband’s Ice Ice Baby impression
22. Loves Emily’s giggles
23. Loves Lizzy’s belly laughs
24. Hates the dogs barking
25. Loves to cuddle with all my babies! (My girls, my pugs and my man!)

So Sick of Cold & Flu Season!!

When will we be done with this winter and therefore this awful cold and flu season!?!? Less than a month ago we were dealing with two ear infections (both my girls had them - my poor babies!). I was also the lucky one to get that cold then - ugh! Now we are dealing with what the doctor's term RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus) - in my mind it's a cold. Coughing, wheezing, sticky mucus (yes - tons of fun) and temps for several days. My kids have been through enough already! Let's be done with this year's cold and flu please!!! (On a side note, this cold seems to have bypassed me and gone right to my husband - let me knock on wood just to be safe!)

Fun with McDonald's

Fun with Glitter

A Day in the Life of a Pug

More Lovin for Hailey

My toddler decided that Hailey also needed the comfort of her beloved "Maverick" stuffed dog.

Life from a Pugs View

Extra Lovin for Hailey Puggy

My toddler decided our pug, Hailey, needed a little extra lovin' today. So she gave Hailey her blankie and kitty to maker her feel better.

My Girl Jamming

My girl jamming to "Caillou's Rock and Roll Band" on Sprout with her homemade guitar.

My Toddler's Old (but still Favorite) Bedtime Story

My toddler likes to read this to her little sister too! It's still her most favorite bedtime story!

My Toddler's New Favorite Bedtime Story

My toddler's new favorite bedtime story. I've been reading it to her the past week or so and she already has it memorized and reads it to her little sister. Kids are amazing!

Snowflake by My Girl

My toddler made this "snowflake" out of Popsicle sticks and colored rice while at the Ayer Family Partnership playgroup with her friends.

Homemade Car by a Toddler

My girl kept asking if she could drive while we were out on errands today so I had an idea to make her a car out of a box for her to "drive" around the house.

Tired Puggy

Hailey taking a little snooze.

Minestrone Soup

Ingredients:
2 1/2 handfuls of baby carrots
32 oz chicken broth
1 can condensed tomato soup
14.5 oz can diced tomatoes (drained)
15.5 oz can white kidney beans (rinsed & drained)
3 stalks of celery
1 c pastina
1 chicken bouillon cube dissolved in 2 c of hot water
1/4 tsp thyme, basil, oregano, rosemary
group pepper to taste

Directions:
Boil carrots in water until fork tender. Chop celery and carrots into bite size pieces. Combine all ingredients (except patina) in a large pot and bring to a boil. Add pastina - continue to boil on medium heat for 7 minutes.

Serve with bread and salad and enjoy!

Snowman Fun by My Girl (courtesy of Ayer Family Partnership - Playgroup)

Teddy by a Toddler

SLEEP - Update!!

So I thought we were getting somewhere when my 6 - now almost 7 month old started sleeping until 6am a few mornings a week. Then - this past week - she has decided that 4:30AM is a good time to wake up - EVERY DAY!!! UGH!!!

Facebook Status & Comments - Sleep & Kids

ME:
Getting ready for the day after a not so great night of sleep.

Friend One:
why is someone sick?????

Friend Two:
Join the club! My boy was up three times last night. Once he flung himself up and over me while I was sleeping...trying to get into the big bed. The second time he woke up screaming about big bugs. The third time, I ended up in his bed with him! UGH!

Friend Three:
Big Bugs? Well didn't DADDY the Exterminator get rid of them lol..and he has a few "Uncles" that can help out with the BUG issue lol...Kids and their imaginations. My girl has done that a few times. Says she had a big bug in her bed..to the point I had to go get her a new blanket to sleep with cause she wouldn't use the one that had the "bugs" on them lol.

ME:
No one is sick - just my girl was restless - up constantly from 1am-5am - then at 5am decided to sleep for another 1 1/2 hours - great for her but stinks for us (my husband & I) as we had to get up to get ready for work. UGH!Yeah Friend Two - I definitely with Friend Three on the Big Bugs theory - have Daddy scare them away next time!!

Friend Four:
I feel your pain...although my girl slept well last night she just didn't fall asleep until 10:30PM. It could have been that 3 hour nap her father let her take 4-7PM!!!

ME:
Ugh!! Doesn't he know that there is NO Napping after 4pm (unless it's like a 20 minute cap nap). I hope you made him stay up with her.

Photography by a Toddler

Maverick peeking out at Miss Emily.

Sleep - a little longer - Please! - UPDATE

Sleep is getting better with the little one now - she'll sleep at times until 6am-6:30am on some days - but others it's still up around 5am-5:30am. I guess it's true what someone once told me - once you have kids you'll never sleep like you used to!

My Girl's Abstract Art

Homemade String Instrument - UPDATE

O.K - So Daddy came home and added to this project - and I must say it definitely looks more like a guitar now. See how creative you become when you have kids!!

A Toddler's Tropical Island

Chicken Stir Fry

Ingredients:
6 chicken tenderloins
3 cups baby carrots
1 green bell pepper
Mrs. Dash Table Blend Seasoning

Directions:
Spray a rectangular baking dish with olive oil. Place the 6 chicken tenderloins in pan – season both sides with Mrs. Dash Table Blend Seasoning. Bake at broil temp for 9 minutes – flip chicken over and bake for another 9 minutes until chicken is fully cooked. Boil baby carrots in water until fork tender. Cut into bites size pieces the cooked chicken, fork tender baby carrots and bell pepper. Put in a Tupperware container with the chicken at the bottom, then the carrots and lastly the bell peppers on the top. Place in fridge until ready to prepare to eat. ***

In a large skillet, add a small amount of olive oil to the pan (nickel size). Saute peppers until tender, then add the carrots (saute for few minutes to warm) then the chicken last (saute to warm). Add a few herbs such as pepper, thyme and rosemary for taste. Serve with one of the Knorr Rice Sides (the Herb and Butter or Chicken flavored go well – cook according to directions on package). Enjoy!

Apple Cinammon Squares

Ingredients:
1 cup cinnamon applesauce
1/2 c butter
1 c brown sugar
2 eggs
2 c flour
1 c white sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla Mixture of cinnamon and sugar to sprinkle on top - takes about 1 tablespoon of white sugar and 1/2 tsp of cinnamon

Mix all dry ingredients - flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt - in a bowl and set aside. Melt the butter, brown sugar and white sugar and mix well - let cool (this is so the eggs do not scramble when added). You can stick it in the fridge to cool to room temp. (I did not time this but I'm thinking around 5 minutes or so.) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Once the butter and sugar mixture is cooled to room temp, add the vanilla and eggs and mix. (I find that using a wooden spoon works best.) Add 1/2 of the dry ingredients at a time and mix well. Add the applesauce and mix well. Grease a rectangular (13x9) pan and add mixture. Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar mixture. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20-25 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before cutting. Enjoy!!

P.S. - Serve hot with a scoop of vanilla ice cream - Yum!!

Cleaning White Cabinets ... UGH!

OK - so today I finally decided to tackle the god-awful job of cleaning our white cabinets in our kitchen (which I swear to my husband our next home will not have as I cannot stand them!) The last time I cleaned them was nearly 2 years ago. So I had my 6 month old down for a morning nap, gave my 2 year old a spray bottle filled with water and a cloth to "help" me clean the bottom cabinets (which resulted in a very wet floor but a productive time of cleaning the cabinets - hey - whatever works!) and set out to scrub the heck out of these dingy cabinets. In the end, the best thing that worked was this cleaner called "Greased Lightning" that I found in the back of my cleaning supplies cabinet. It was the only thing that I think worked the best with the least amount of effort from me. I also used it to soak the stove knobs in and it worked pretty well too. So I can know say that at least 1/2 of my kitchen is clean. The other half is for another day.

P.S. - Here is the website of the cleaning product I used.
http://www.greased-lightning.com/

How Times Change - 1977 vs NOW

1977 (the year I was born)

Top Headlines:
Alex Haley's 8-part mini-series, "Roots", viewed by 80 million.
President Carter pardons all Viet Nam War draft dodgers.
Elvis Presley dies of a heart attack.
Disco is the craze, partly because of "Saturday Night Fever".

Top Songs:
I Wish - Stevie Wonder
Car Wash - Rose Royce
New Kid In Town - The Eagles
Rich Girl - Daryl Hall & John Oates
Dancing Queen - Abba
Hotel California - The Eagles
How Deep Is Your Love - The Bee Gees
Best Of My Love - Emotions
You Light Up My Life - Debbie Boone

Prices:
House $58,473
Car $4,317
Milk $1.44
Gas $.65
Bread $.32
Postage Stamp $.13
Average Income $10,360

Academy Awards:
Best Picture - Annie Hall - Directed by Woody Allen
Best Actor - Richard Dreyfuss - The Goodbye Girl
Best Actress - Diane Keaton - Annie Hall

NOW (based on my web research)

Top Headlines:
Obama warns of dire consequences without stimulus.
Bushes buy $485k china.
Macy's will shutter 11 stores in 9 states.
John Travolta's son dies in the Bahamas.

Top Songs:
Just Dance - Lady GaGa Featuring Colby O'Donis
Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It) - Beyonce
Life Your Life - T.I. Featuring Rihanna
Love Story - Taylor Swift
Heartless - Kanye West
Hot N Cold - Katy Perry
I'm Yours - Jason Mraz
Womanizer - Britney Spears
Let It Rock - Kevin Rudolf Featuring Lil Wayne
Love Lockdown - Kanye West

Prices:
House $220,000
Car $25,000
Milk $2.00
Gas $1.75
Bread $1.99
Postage Stamp $.42
Average Income $50,000

Academy Awards:
Best Picture - No Country for Old Men - Directed By Joel Coen & Ethan Coen
Best Actor - Daniel Day-Lewis - There Will Be Blood
Best Actress - Marion Cotillard La Vie en Rose

Homemade String Instrument

Homemade String Instrument

I made this with my 2 year old daughter as she has been very fascinated with instruments lately (especially on her favorite show "Caillou" - she likes singing with Caillou's rock and roll band). I took an old checkbook box and put both pieces together to make the cardboard stronger. Wrap the box with construction paper. Use various stickers and foam/felt pieces to stick and glue on then let dry completely. Take a few rubber bands and put them around the box the long way. And there you have it! A homemade string instrument (or "guitar" as my daughter calls it).

Chicken Meatloaf

Chicken Meatloaf

Ingredients:
1 lb. ground chicken
1 egg
½ c Italian bread crumbs
¼ tsp. basil, oregano, thyme
¼ tsp. ground pepper
1 large chicken bouillon cube
2 c hot water
2 Tbsp margarine
2 c Stove Top stuffing mix

Directions:
Dissolve the chicken bouillon cube in the 2 cups of hot water. Add 1 cup of the chicken broth with the 2 Tbsp of margarine and stuffing mix – mix well and set aside. In a large bowl combine the ground chicken, stuffing mixture, remaining 1 cup of chicken broth, egg, bread crumbs, herbs and ground pepper. Mix well with wooden spoon. Grease a loaf pan and add mixture to pan. Cover with tin foil. Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit. for approximately 30 minutes or until chicken is fully cooked. Put in fridge until ready to prepare to eat. *** Remove meatloaf from fridge. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Warm meatloaf in oven for approximately 15-20 minutes. Serve with corn and steamed veggies. Enjoy!

Cold and Flu Season

And so the fun begins with the Cold and Flu Season in our home. Both of our daughters have a cough, runny nose and fever - ugh! We are visiting the doctors today to check for ear infections (as my toddler was saying her ear hurt last night). I'm hoping it is just ear infections and not something worse or unknown because that poses another set of drama to put my poor kids through (urine samples, blood samples, testing, ugh!) - and I feel as though we have been through enough of that lately with my 6 month-old having a UTI and then being diagnosed with a grade 2 reflux of the urethra (which thankfully most kids grow out of but the testing and procedures to get to that point are not fun.) Keeping my fingers crossed that it's just the simple ear infections as I know how to treat those.

Sleep the past few nights has been spotty at best and I'm starting to feel the effects of the cold and flu season as well (thankfully enough I can take things such as Zicam which seems to help me ward off the worse of it). I'm hoping to get a decent night's sleep tonight as I'm starting my new job tomorrow and would like to not look like "death warmed over". (Isn't it odd how many phrases and sayings you find yourself using as a mother that your own mother used frequently?)

I hope everyone else out there is happy and healthy and stays so.

Tomato Meatball Soup

Here is a recipe I created about a year ago. I passed the idea by my husband who thought it sounded pretty good and I've made some enhancements since then. I also made it for my family (parents, siblings and grandparents) who all seemed to like it as well. Let me know what you think.

Tomato Meatball Soup

Ingredients:

• 10 3/4 oz can of condensed tomato soup
• 14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes
• 2 14 oz cans of chicken broth
• 1/4 tsp thyme
• 1/8 tsp rosemary
• 1/2 tsp basil
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• fresh group pepper (to taste)
• 12 frozen mini meatballs
• 1 extra large chicken bouillon cube (dissolved in 2 cups of hot water)
• 1 c orzo pasta

1. Cook the frozen meatballs as directed on the package. Cut in eights - set aside covered in tin foil to keep warm.
2. In a large pot combine the condensed tomato soup, diced tomatoes, chicken broth and herbs. Bring to boil and add dissolved chicken bouillon cube to pot.
3. Once pot is boiling, add orzo pasta. Boil on high for 10 minutes stirring frequently. Add meatballs. Let simmer on medium for 5 more minutes stirring occasionally.
4. Serve with fresh bread and salad - Enjoy!

Dreams

Dreams
Each day is like a work of Art that's yet to be designed;
An empty canvas waiting for the dreams that fill your mind.
You talents and your strengths are like the colors you can use
to paint the pictures of your life in any way you choose.
~ Unknown

I don't remember where I pulled this from - but if anyone does know please let me know and I will post it. I want to say it's from a book or cover of a journal or something.

Make Your Own Twinkle Tiaras (courtesy of "Klutz", "Chicken Socks" and "auntie L")

Make Your Own Twinkle Tiaras (courtesy of "Klutz", "Chicken Socks" and "auntie L")

This was fun to create with my 2 year-old. There are some small pieces but as long as there is adult supervising (who does not might getting glue everywhere) it's fun. Try it! A tiara makes every little girl feel like a princess!!

Pom-Pom Pals (courtesy of "Parents" Jan 2009 edition)

Pom-Pom Pals (courtesy of "Parents" Jan 2009 edition)

I decided to try this craft with my 2 year old daughter. It ended up being a little more difficult that I expected (mind you I'm not very strong in the artsy crafty area) but it was still fun. Here are the directions (with my comments included in parenthesis):




What you will need:
- 1 skein of thick yarn (I used regular width yarn and they still came out OK)
- Thin book, approximately five inches tall (I apparently did not read the directions carefully as I used a smaller book - about 3 inches tall - hence probably why I had some difficulty in this area)
- Scissors
- Assortment of craft supplies (chenille stems (pipe cleaners), beads, pom poms, googly eyes, craft foam, felt, buttons, feathers, etc.)
- Glue (lots of it)

1. Wrap yarn (loosely - I wrapped it too tight the first time and could not get it off the book!) around a small book 80 - 100 times, until yarn is 1 1/2 inches thick on each side. Slip the yarn carefully (very carefully) off the book (in one piece).
2. Cut a 6 inch strand of yarn from the skein; knot it tightly around center of yarn bundle. Snip each loop until the pom-pom forms. Trim as needed.
3. Decorate the pom-pom with craft supplies. Use chenille stems (pipe cleaners) for arms and legs, feathers for ears, a bead for the nose (ours did not get noses or ears - I'll have to remember that for next time) or get creative (with your own ideas).

This was a fun craft in the end and I would definitely do it again.

Snowman

A snowman made with my 2 year old daughter out of paper and various felt and foam shapes. One of my finer artsy-crafty moments I must say! (To those of you who do not know me I do not consider myself very creative - however, I will say that since having children my creativity has increased some!)