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Showing posts from 2010

Ghost of Christmas Present

Today was Christmas. It was a bit crazy. Lane decided to wake up early, play hard and open presents for two hours, take a nap (for only thirty minutes), and then scream for an hour. After we finally calmed him down, he decided to refuse sleep for the remainder of the day. Yes. The WHOLE day. He finally went to sleep at 8:30 tonight. Needless to say, I'm quite tired. But...this Christmas was really nice. My side of the family decided to not swap gifts this year. We gave gifts for the kids, but that was all. Maybe it was the lack of stress in having to figure out what to get each person, maybe it was the emotional-ness of it being my first Christmas as a mother, or maybe it was the fact that my pants actually fit this year (thank you, Dillard's), but this year I've experienced Christmas in a very different way. This year I have wondered about a lot of things...things that probably don't matter, but I wonder about them anyway. Things like...when Mary rode that donkey,

My Christmases Past-Part One of a Three Part Series

Tonight it's Christmas Eve. While this year is very special, I still find myself doing something that I've always done. I remember my Christmases past. I seriously doubt it's something rare...probably everyone does it to some extent. It's human nature, right? I love to remember the ones that were really great...like the one where I got my pink Huffy bicycle with the white seat...or the one when I got my Baby Alive doll. I wasn't the gift that made it special, though. The pink bike only stands out because I remember seeing it in the living room with a bow on the seat. We took it out in the front yard, and with a little help, I was able to start riding it right away. I felt like such a grown up! And the Baby Alive doll? That was the first year that my family decided to draw names, and my cousin drew my name. I really wanted that doll, and she knew it. She hunted that doll all the way to Dothan. Seriously, she drove all the way to Dothan to get me that doll. Whe

A Christmas Story...about us

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I’m planning on sending out a Christmas letter this year. No, I’m not particularly excited about it. If you know me well, you might know that I have always stood firm in the idea that I would never send out a Christmas letter. Why? It’s not that I have anything against people that do send them out; on the contrary, I really enjoy them. My phobia of sending one out stems from a lady my aunt used to receive letters from each year. Although I never knew her, my aunt would get the “brag letter” as we called it, and she and my mom would read it with rolled eyes and point out each “brag” item. And thus my phobia formed…I never thought I’d be able to send out a Christmas letter that didn’t sound like bragging. Instead, I’ve always tried to write some sort of personal message to the card’s receiver as well as include a Christmas-themed scripture. However…enter my sweet, precious, TIME EATING little boy, Lane. This year, I just don’t have time. It’s not that the desire isn’t there…I long to tak

The Toy Box

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I awoke this morning and remembered that I haven't blogged in a quite a while. I have definitely put the crafts on hold for the months of October and November. Oct and Nov have not been nice. They've thrown ugly things our way, pushed us to the limits, and laughed in our faces about it. We're still hanging in there (possibly holding out for Black Friday?), and with God's help, we're making it. Not that I'm complaining (or bitter), but here's a short list of what we've had thrown at us: I got some weird rash that looked like ringworm...only it was everywhere . Went to the doc and got some cream, steroids, and reassurance that I wasn't contagious, fungal, or nasty. Ryan had some serious fatigue. Turned out to be a somewhat easy fix, but it totally threw us for a loop. Lane decided to have a cup of Joe. He managed to pour my cup of coffee on him and burn his legs. Thankfully, they weren't bad and cleared up after a week. Lane decided to be a s

The Real Ms. America

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Official Disclaimer: If you are involved in beauty pageants (or scholarship pageants), I am in no way making fun of or condemning them or you. I am, however, making a push for a real pageant...one that celebrates a woman not for how she looks, talks, walks, or twirls, but for who she is and how she looks on a Saturday morning with with her comfy pants on and no makeup, standing in front of her waffle iron while making a "hungry man's" breakfast. I believe that any beauty queen would agree with me that how those women look on the stage is much different from how they look any other given day. (I do believe that's the most official thing I've ever put on this blog.) So...Netflix has recently added quite a few new TV shows to its instant streaming selection. Since we don't have cable and don't partake in the whole reality TV trend, I started watching a few different shows to see what all the fuss is about. So far I've really enjoyed "Hoarders"

Hey...I'm Back.

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Wow...it's been a while since my last post...and craft project. I've been dying to post (and plan to hit on several various topics but want to gather my thoughts better so I don't sound like a bumbling idiot...even though most times I do anyway), but haven't been able to make it happen. And that's mainly for two reasons...1) the "Clothespin Project" didn't turn out quite as I'd hoped so I kind of lost heart and 2) we had a yard sale so I was trying to prepare for that. Thankfully, we rid the house and garage of LOTS of stuff and almost made enough to cover the cost of our new dishwasher. Woot! (For some reason I've never been of the mindset to have a yard sale to only clean out or to only make money. My mom and I would clean out and say, "Okay, whatever money we make, it's going toward ____." That's also how I got my first (real) bicycle (that didn't have training wheels or a stupid saddlebag basket on the back or a dork

It All Started With a Tub of Rhinestones

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Well, you're probably wondering if the "Rose Afghan" is done. Nope. I did finish another rose and today I started another, but it isn't complete. I'm not giving up, though. I'm actually thinking about having it featured on the next season of The Bachelor. I can see it now, "Suzie, will you accept my rose? Lisa, will you accept my rose? Girl-That-Has-No-Clue-About-What-Makes-A-Real-Relationship-But-Expects-To-Find-Love-On-A-TV-Show, will you take a nap under my rose afghan?" Sigh....anyway... I do have something that IS complete.I actually have TWO somethings that are complete. Here's the story: Hobby Lobby has these tubs of rhinestones. They're all different sizes and colors, and I don't know why, but I've been wanting them for some time now...probably a few months. Why didn't I just buy them? I don't know...I couldn't figure out what to do with them and I am a little on the cheap side so I didn't want to spend $

Well....Turns Out I Got Nothing

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This week I started working on finishing up an afghan that I started quite some time ago. I originally bought the kit at Big Lots back in the day. When I say "back in the day" I mean...back when I was a size 2 and had big dreams of what I was going to do with my mom's car once I actually took possession of it (which really only consisted of buying new towels for the seats, hanging a pretty sparkly from the mirror, and putting in new floor mats. Yes...the afghan's that old. It's amazing (read: ridiculous) that I've held on to it for so many years. Not sure why, but I guess I just wanted to see this one through. So...the project continues. The sad thing is...I didn't get it finished. I've been working on it as much I've been able, but it just hasn't worked out. First I had to take it to Hobby Lobby (when I bought this stupid thing, Hobby Lobby was Food World!) and buy more thread...which meant I had to match the thread...which I hate doing be

Quilted Pillow...Only Took a Year

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I started this pillow a while back. I'm guessing about a year...actually, it's probably further back, but who's counting? Anyway, I made this out of some fabric samples I bought in a yard sale. You know those fabric books you flip through at carpet stores? My mother taught me at an early age to GRAB THEM WHEN YOU CAN. There are tons of projects you can do with them and the fabrics almost always coordinate with each other...so your possibilities become almost endless. I was at a yard sale one day and the lady was selling a few of these sample books and I jumped on them like a duck on a june bug. Ryan asked what I was going to do with them and I gave him my regular response, "I don't know. I'll figure it out later." One of the books was nothing but baby pastel colors. Can we say BEAUTIFUL? So...I cut out the pastels that were that matelasse fabric and some other fabrics that coordinated with the colors. At first I wasn't sure about mixing the

Guess What I Did

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So...it's kinda late, but...guess what I did. I finished a project. I know it's been two and a half weeks since I started this challenge, but technically I'm only a few days late. The first week I made a "new baby" gift basket. We have a new associate pastor and he and his wifey are expecting Number Two. Our church threw them a sort of welcome home party/baby shower so I made a gift basket similar to the ones I made for Relay for Life. I'm really enjoying making these baskets. Granted, they're a lot of work, but I love putting in items that are practical and things that are just plain fun. Gotta love those pee pee tee pees. So last week was my first week that required me to actually finish a project. And although I'm a little late, it's done. So...I finished these placemats I started back in December. Now, if you're looking at the picture and thinking, "Hmmm...there're only five placemats..." Ummm....yeah....see, I started

Fancy Footwork

Although I wasn't able to technically work on a craft project (although I did get some ribbon lengths cut so maybe that counts?) I have had somewhat of a productive day. After Ryan spent an hour and a half yesterday afternoon searching for a CD that is nowhere to be found, he decided that we were going to work on cleaning out the garage today. When it was discovered that Baby L didn't get the memo about sleeping in on Saturdays (normally he sleeps in a little bit, but nooooo...not today), we decided to hurry and get some things done before it got too hot. We managed to tidy up a bit and throw some things out...which is always fun. More important news is that Baby L has yet to poop...yesterday or today. Needless to say, we've been waiting for the grand event...I've even put the nicer diapers on him today because I know when it happens...well, let's just say that I expect there will be a bath involved. (I told you that you'd get a poop schedule, didn't I?)

Another Challenge? Possibly.

I've now been back at work for a little over a month now. What do I have to say about working full time while having a five month old baby? This. Is. Hard. My routine is packed, many times I crash on the way to bed...sometimes I don't even remember my head hitting the pillow. And yet, among this fast tracked schedule, there are still other things that I want to accomplish. Some of those things are craft projects that I started at some point...some of them YEARS ago. (One of them was started in high school...and yes, I still have it. I've actually moved it with me for four house moves. Why? No clue. ) My SIL and her sister and mother have also started a craft blog. They've been making posts of the cutest things and have invited me to join in, but...when do I post? WHAT do I post? Granted, I'm somewhat crafty...I'm no Martha Stewart, but I can hold my own. So...I started looking around and mentally gathering all the projects I need to finish and the ones t

Hey, What Do You Know? I AM Still Alive!

So, yes, I do realize it's been one whole month since my last blog post. I've had a few things going on. :-) My challenge officially ended last Sunday when we were down to fish and spicy sausage. Seriously, that was the only meat left in the freezer. I still have some frozen veggies and breads and such, but the stockpile is considerably lower since when I first began. Although I've been making lots of room in the freezer by eating what I already have, I now am somewhat negating the whole challenge by cooking meals and freezing them in containers for lunches when we're at work. As this seems to be my latest kick...you might say I'm a cooking, freezing, fool. And that's okay. It's SO nice to grab a container on the way to the car and know that I'll be having a nice home cooked lunch. I've also learned to cook extra when I'm cooking my normal suppers. I take the extra and place it in containers, let it cool completely on the counter, label it, and

Day 29: I Skipped Yesterday

I kinda gave in yesterday and went to Publix to hit some coupon deals (which is why I'm not counting yesterday). However, I mainly just bought things that we didn't have or things that were free and I wanted to try (like the Sandwich Shop Mayo...which I actually found pretty tasty). Overall I spent $28 and some change. But...since I was a bit bummed about going back to work, I felt that I needed something to cheer me up. (I now realize how pathetic it is that buying food cheers me up, but...we all have our vices, right?) Yesterday I had oatmeal for breakfast (just a few more packs to go!) and a glass of milk. Is it sad that as I sit here I honestly cannot remember what I had for lunch? Probably so...or maybe just another sign that I'm getting old and my mind is slipping. We had small group and the main dish was hamburgers and hot dogs so I took some Boston Baked Beans in the crockpot. I actually used my smaller crockpot (the one for cheese dips) and it was the perfect size.

Day 28: Must. Hold. Out. Well...maybe...

Terrific Tuesday...has not been so terrific. I go back to work Thursday and I'm quite nervous about it. Fortunately, I work somewhere that allows me to show up anytime between 6:00 and 9:00 am. Sweet, right? I normally like to go in early so I can leave work early. If I get in at 7:00 and take a half hour lunch, I can leave at 3:30 and make it home by 4:00. If this is no big deal for you, try leaving work from the beach, hitting the flyover only to discover that doesn't understand the rules about moving your car after it's once again backed up due to Spring Break, a brush fire, or some idiot that has caused yet another wreck on the bridge (or near the bridge) (or somewhere that affects traffic on the bridge) (or somewhere within 20 miles of the bridge). Seriously, when I worked for the engineering company, I was constantly finding myself crying while sitting at a standstill on the flyover. At one point I was knitting a blanket for a friend and everyone thought I was th

Day 27: Almost A Month?!?!

Yesterday I crossed a line. You know that line that separates the twenty-somethings from the women ? Yesterday I totally flew over it. Yesterday I cooked my very first chuck roast. I pulled it out of the freezer Sunday night and let it thaw overnight. Yesterday morning I rinsed it off, put it in my slow cooker (seriously, if you don't have one, you SO need to get one...everybody's doin' it!), put some minced onion and grinder seasonings on it and filled it up with water. I turned it on high and let her go. For breakfast it was instant oatmeal and milk, lunch was...drum roll please...baked ziti! Let's not talk about snack...(Heath Klondike bar)...and supper was the most succulent roast I think I've ever eaten. I wish I could have taken a picture that could have captured how it tasted. It was that good. And of course, Baby L woke up JUST as we were about to sit down and I had to go feed him so Ryan went ahead and ate. I could hear him saying, "Baby, this

My Freezer Challenge: Days 25 and 26 (Saturday and Sunday)

Saturday morning I had a baby shower to attend for a sweet, sweet friend. She's due in August (poor girl) to have her second baby. This shower wasn't like any other, though. When I tell you the "theme" you're going to laugh...you're going to laugh because no other shower could possibly have my name written all over it like this one did. It was. A. FOOD SHOWER. Seriously, no kidding, I'm not lying. The idea was to bring ready-to-freeze or already frozen meals for the family to be able to heat up and eat during the first few days and weeks of bringing the baby home. Awesome idea, right? Let me tell you, I might be throwing some of these for my friends in the future. Our church has a ministry called "Labor of Love" that also provides meals for the first week and I cannot tell you how much of a blessing it was to not have to worry about preparing food. When you're bleary eyed from so sleep, freaking out because you're not sure if you

My Freezer Challenge Day 24 (I'll catch up later)

Okay, wow, I'm getting awfully close to the one month mark. Holy cow! I know I've cheated a few times (although it wasn't super bad cheating), but I'm really surprised that I've held on this long. I will admit, the itch to start couponing and stocking up has certainly started back. The Publix list came out this week and I found myself checking it...three times. And then? And then? I checked it over again. Old habits are hard to break. So...Friday. Friday I finished off the frozen waffles with a glass of milk (By the way, I still have to pre-pour my glass of milk and set it in the refrigerator to make it extra cold. Why? Because that's how my mother did it.) Lunch was a Barber's stuffed chicken breast, squash, and okra. So good. Friday afternoon and evening we had a birthday party for a friend's daughter who was turning three so we ended up eating at their house. Pizza. Yes. Sweet manna from heaven. And cake, too. Mmmm.... My latest "food

Wednesday and Thursday: Days 21 & 22

Wednesday was a bit crazy. I knew what I wanted to make for small group: Baked Ziti. I knew that I had almost everything for it. What I didn't know was that it would take three visits to the store to complete my list. Here's the recipe and I'll explain as we go. Baked Ziti (from my "Church Suppers" cookbook) Reynolds Wrap Non-Stick Foil (I used regular and YES, the cheese totally stuck to it) 1 lb ground beef, browned and drained 4 cups (32 oz jar) pasta sauce (I used a a 28 oz can and 1 small tomato sauce can) 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning, divided 1 package (16 oz) ziti pasta, cooked and drained (I used macaroni elbows. Can you BELIEVE I didn't have any ziti?!?!) 1 package (8 oz) shredded mozzarella cheese, divided (required a trip to Walmart) 1 container (16 oz) ricotta cheese OR cottage cheese (required a trip to Target, only to discover they didn't have it and therefore also required a trip to Publix) 1 egg 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided

Meant to post this Tuesday...

Terrific Tuesday might be a good description for today...of course, after yesterday it's not saying a whole lot. After a wonderful trip Hobby Lobby (where Baby L made three new girlfriends) we came home to a nice summer rain shower. LOVE those. Breakfast was supposed to be a bowl of blueberries and yogurt but I was only able to get about half of them down before the L-meister started calling. But...lunch was another story. Bologna sandwich on my sandwich thins (seriously, you gotta try these), the rest of my blueberries and yogurt, some ritz cracker crisps, and peanut butter cookies. This weekend I pulled out a tube of cookie dough from about a month ago. I normally grab it when it's on sale and then I have an easy dessert when needed for church, craft, or small group. Saturday I was having a sugar crave so I grabbed them, let 'em thaw (the crave lasted a while) and baked them up. So. Good. My in-laws got back into town yesterday and asked us to join them for pizza at Angel

Days 16, 17, 18, and 19

Yes, I'm still alive. And yes, I'm still on track. Although we ate out a little this weekend, we did make progress on the freezer and pantry and we did refrain from buying any more food. So...I was a good girl! Today has been one of those days that kinda makes you understand people that drink. :-) My day consisted of a series of: Spit up requiring clothing changes for Baby L and myself (one of which included my BRAND NEW shirt that I adore very much). Baby L waking from his nap after five whole minutes. Laundry mishaps due to a baby washcloth getting caught under the agitator and getting grease on numerous pieces of clothing (my mother is currently working on them)...and my favorite skirt coming out of the washer with a mystery blob of discoloration...I'm still mad about this one. Baby L waking from his nap after five whole minutes. A pile of tissues being shredded on the floor...compliments of Sebastian. Buying two new bras from Target with one missing the price tag. Whe

Day 15: BUSTED in the panhandle..err...Sam's

We have some friends in our small group that have had a kind of crummy week. They are both so sweet, they love the Lord so much, and well, are just having a crummy string of days. They've been on my mind and in my prayers a lot lately. I woke up Thursday morning and it popped into my head, "You need to cook and take them supper." I'm not the type that does this a lot. It's not that I don't care, I just...I don't know...I should do it more, but I just never think of it. :-/ Thursday morning I got a list made of what all was needed from the store and went to work. I started with Sam's. We needed milk and since it's the cheapest place in town, that's where I normally buy it. Ryan mentioned the other day that he wanted some chips of some type to take to work for lunches. Might as well get those in Sam's in those cute little bags. I justify purchasing the little bags because, as a friend once told me, "No matter the size of the bag,

Day 14: Not "Fixed", But I'm Gettin' There

I'm on the downhill swing of my first cold with no meds. Baby L caught a cold last week and not only gave it to his father and grandmother, but also to his favorite person in the whole wide world. Me. (Maybe not his opinion, but until he can speak for himself, I'll call it like I want to.) Since I'm still breastfeeding I haven't taken anything other than a couple Tylenol here and there. So...I haven't felt the greatest the past week...to say the least. By the way? When he's 16 and wants to go to Mardi Gras and I say no, he SO better not give me any crap about it. "Do you know the sacrifices I made for you?!?!?!?!!" Yesterday I trudged through another day of eating what I already have and blowing my nose in between. Why are you always SO much hungrier when you have a cold? I'm sure there's a scientific reason, but dang...I could eat a horse. Possibly raw. Frozen waffles for breakfast (found them while searching for some veggies), Ritz cra

My Freezer Challenge: Days 12 and 13

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Hopefully this post will catch me up on the days of my challenge. Yesterday I was very good...only in the terms of the challenge though. As most of you know, I accomplished diddly squat...unless you count a photo shoot that would make any runway model jealous. Yesterday's breakfast was a toaster strudel (yes, I know...totally unhealthy, but oh that icing...can't resist), lunch was another stinkin' ham sandwich, and supper was chicken kabobs. I started realizing that part of my challenge was not only using the foods I already have in my "at-home grocery store" but to also try new recipes. So I started digging and found a neat little recipe for chicken kabobs and decided to try that. Chicken Shish Kabobs 2 pounds skinless, boneless, chicken breast halves (I just used two to eliminate leftovers) 1/2 lemon juice (I didn't have enough so I used white cooking wine...Adria taught me this) 1/3 cooking oil or olive oil 3 or 4 cloves of garlic, minced (again, I just us