Simply Made Sunday (on a Monday!)

So I figure who can it hurt if I post a Simply Made Sunday on a Monday? Nobody, right?

I wanted to share what I'm making for dinner tonight. It's a simple (goes with the title!) crockpot meal, which I am looking forward to having later.

I'm in the process of trying to "clean out my freezer and pantry" to help save money on groceries. I go through phases where I do this, I find myself with a lot of extras around the house, and like to try to use them up for recipes, or for random meals throughout the week.

So for tonight I have the following ingredients:

* a decent sized portion of Tyson frozen chicken strips
* 1 can of black beans (drained and rinsed)
* 1 can of cheesy cheddar soup
* 1/2 soup can of chicken broth
* 1 package of Success boil-in-a-bag brown rice


Throw everything in but the rice, and let it cook for about 3-4 hrs. Picture below is pre-rice!


Add the rice in with about 1-2 hrs to go and it will absorb all of the broth and make a decent mixture for tortillas (which hopefully hubby will pick up on the way home tonight) or nacho/corn chips. Mmmn, yum. Serve with avocados, sour cream, shredded cheese, or whatever else makes it a meal for you and your family! Yum!

Pictures of the complete dish not yet available, as it's still in the CP keeping warm! Hopefully it will look pretty on a plate, too!

Check out Our Homeschool Fun for more Simply Made Sunday ideas and recipes.

Julie and Julia

Have you read the book? If you haven't, it's actually OK. For once, for me, anyway, the movie was actually better. More fun, maybe? Or just didn't ruin the entire book looking back at it. Or all of the above.

While I enjoyed the book, I probably could have lived without reading it. I mean, don't get me wrong Julie Powell is a sweet woman, and her story is really cool. I mean REALLY cool. To write a blog while completing every recipe in the infamous cookbook of the one and only Julia Child, I mean, wow. Seriously. WOW.

But I could have lived without the play-by-play. I have heard from someone who read her blog as she was writing it that it was really hilarious. The book, not so much. Again, totally my opinion. A reminder that I would love to meet Julie Powell. I think I'd want to be friends with Julie Powell. And I really would love to read her blog (I think it's out there somewhere, but I'm not 100% sure, with all of the copyright issues and whatnot now that she's a celeb.) So please don't think I'm a hater!

I truly thought the movie was adorable, and not in the kiss of death kind of way. Meryl Streep redeemed herself tremendously from her crazy Mamma Mia character! Her portrayal of Julia Child was amazing. Seriously. The two older women next to me kept talking about how she sounded JUST LIKE HER! I mean it. They were asking, throughout the movie, HOW IS IT THAT SHE SOUNDS JUST LIKE HER? (Man, talk about talkers!)

And Amy Adams was adorable. 100% adorable. There was no confusing her with Elissa Fisher. Or is it Ilissa? I never seem to remember, but either way, this was absolutely a refreshing character to watch Amy in. And the actor who played her husband. Talk about a cutie. I need to go and find out what else he has been in and rent it, DVR it, whatever it, ASAP!

And Stanley Tucci, I loved him! Even though every now and then I'd flashback and remember him having sex with Abby on ER. I mean, I tried not to, but I just couldn't help thinking of the character. Although I can't, for the life of me, remember that character's name! I keep wanting to say Martucci, but that was a character in a book I just read, and that name kept making me think of Malucci (?) who was on ER way back when ... but I digress ...

Anyway, I definitely recommend going to see this movie. I even recommend the book if you're a foodie, or if you're not repulsed by horrifying recaps of recipes that include various animals, and animal parts. Me, that was a no-go and I had to skim a lot of it to ensure that I didn't become violently ill. Fortunately the movie doesn't hit you with as much of that as the book, so I didn't have to hide my eyes that often. Thank goodness!

And so, there you have it. My movie/book review! Bon Appetit!

We survived!

We had a great play date today. Yes, did a lot of unnecessary cleaning, but it was worth it. My lil one had a blast, as did all the other "wee ones" who were out and about in the backyard for a good two hours or so.

Which reminds me, I need to have hubby make sure our baby pool drained! I'm sending him out there because there is no way I'm out there in the dark, not if there are bats around (see here if you have no clue what I'm talking about!)

Anyway, I am pretty tired, so I'm headed up for bed soon. Hoping I feel better in the AM and up for the movie event of the month, which is actually for our book club! We're heading to see Julie and Julia tomorrow afternoon, and I'm looking forward to it!

Musings of a Mom

Why is it that before we have a play date at our house we mothers tend to do such a cleaning that we expect our toilet base to sparkle and our dust bunnies to miraculously disappear?

I swear, just by sweeping alone I think I could have created two entire cats, which is saying a lot if these cats were as fatty as some of ours are! I haven't done all the cleaning yet, but I do intend to de-fur the couches in the dining/play-room, do some more sweeping in the living room (we have hardwoods,) mop a bit by the garage door (thanks, Shakan -- old man cat w. mega-pee problem) and clean and empty the sinks completely while wiping down the kitchen island, counters and breakfast nook table. That will all happen before my doorbell starts ringing at 11:00 tomorrow morning!

Ha Ha HA! No, truly, it will. Likely some of it will take place tonight, before I head up to bed, but not until after I catch up and watch today's episode of General Hospital. And in the meantime I'll be thinking about how I also need to wipe down the downstairs bathroom with more than just baby wipes. Sigh ... and is it even worth it? Especially (please let it be a bright and sunny day) since most of the event will take place outside? Yeah, it will be, because I need to have a clean home so the other mothers won't judge. Right? I mean, that's why we do such a crazy pre-cleaning, isn't it? So we can watch as they wipe their white gloves on our counters and smile as they lift up their hands and, oh sh!t ... I missed a spot!

So, remind me WHY I invite people over to begin with? Oh, right, so my daughter can have fun with friends and so I can have some grown-up conversation. And yet, when I told my daughter tonight before she went to bed that her "friends" are coming over tomorrow, the WHYs came into effect, full force, and after a while I was asking myself that very same question ... over ... and over ... and over again!

Charitable Moments

There are so many ways to be charitable in this day and age. As a social worker, these things are often at the top of my list. As a non-driving SAHM, they often fall to the way-side. So that's when I try to look into things I can do from the comfort of my very own home. Which starts off with (of course) websites!

Here are a few that you can simply *click* and make a contribution:

* You can share a little comfort by clicking HERE to donate a box of Kraft Macaroni and Cheese!

* The Breast Cancer Site

* The Hunger Site

* The Child Health Site

* The Rainforest Site

* The Literacy Site

* The Animal Rescue Site

* Click to fight cancer! Go here to sign the declaration, adding your name to support the battle to LIVESTRONG!

* Goodsearch is an incredible way to make money for various causes. I have mine set to help fund The Mommies Network to help raise money to keeping this amazing organization running for moms around the country, but you can choose whatever charity you wish to support and simply go to this page once you've done so, and run all of your searches from there.

If you'd like to take a few minutes to find a way that you can donate your time, also from the comfort of your own home, check out Volunteer Match and look through their virtual opportunities. There just might be a perfect match for you there.

I am going to certainly continue trying to find more ways to support various causes from my couch, and I'll keep you all posted on these simple ways to donate, without spending a penny!

Wordless Wednesday!

Flashback for a moment

Yesterday I finished reading a book called Sarah's Key, by Tatiana de Rosnay. This book captured the essence of life in France in the 1940s. A time where Jews were persecuted simply for being Jews. The story jumped back and forth between Sarah, a young girl whose family was lost to her during this tragic time, and Julia, a woman in her 40s, so many years later, who was trying to uncover a bit of history.

While the characters were not real, they surely represented the stories of many people who suffered at the hands of those who hated them. Hated them just for what they were born to be. Such tragedy. Such horror. So sad. And yet I truly recommend the book for those interested. It's a fictional story with a strong historical presence. And it brought me back, many, many years ago.

While I never met my grandfather, long before his life changed and he started off on the path to actually BECOME my grandfather, he had another family. A family he lost around that time. What he experienced, I can never imagine. What his family went through, I have no clue. But after reading a story such as this one, I flash back for a moment to remember the man I am named after. The man I never met.

The picture in this post is of my Grandfather, my Father and my Aunt. My ... what a world ago that was. Can you actually miss someone you've never known? I believe so, and I know that I do. Can you miss them in the same way as someone you've only recently lost? Yes, and the same raw emotion can be there. The same sense of loss, sadness. Only without the memories. Sadly, without the memories to go back to. So I need to ask my father for those. I need to ask him to share with me the memories of his dad. My grandfather.

Thanks for taking this trip down some sort of memory lane with me today. I woke up feeling a bit nostalgic, and needed to write about the past, and yet nothing in my own life seemed to suit the way I was feeling, so I decided this would be the way to go. Someday I'll pass this history along to my daughter, so she, too, can always remember.

Random Thought ...

Isn't it funny how I started this blog to talk about myself, my life, etc. and yet my last handful of posts have about 5-6 pictures of my daughter in them ... EACH!!!!

Ah, what becomes of who we are once we have a child? Do we know ourselves anymore, or do we simply become "Mommy, Momma, Mom, Ma ... " forever?

And on that note, as a mother I take pride in this DoodlePad drawing my daughter did yesterday. I HAVE to share it, because she drew this ...



And then she told my husband that it was a kitty-cat. I could hear his surprise, and he had her repeat it for me before sharing it with me, and you know what? IT IS! IT IS A KITTY-CAT!!! (Do I sound like Tweety Bird? I totally don't mean to, but come on, she's 2-1/2! This is a pretty d@ng good kitty-cat, don't you agree?)

Ah, being a parent is incredible, isn't it? I'm kvelling ... and if you don't know what that means ... well, click HERE to find out! Thank you, Merriam Webster, I can't believe kvell is in the dictionary!

I'm a Guest Blogger!

It's my first submission, and I am so excited I was published!

Check out Nancy's blog, If Evolution Really Works and you'll see my mug on the front page (for today, anyway!) ACK ... I was in shock when I saw the picture up there. It's huge! I should have sent her a different one, where my hair was neater and stuff. But hey, that's me. Take it or leave it, right?

But either way, I wrote a small submission about the Mother of the Year award and figured I'd see if it was a good fit for her site. I guess it was. Yay!

So check it out: Mother of the Year? And please leave us some comments on your thoughts about it! (There or here, whichever you want. Heck, both is OK, too!)

Muffin Tin Monday!

We used our new muffin tin for this week's MTM. Very exciting! Michelle's theme for this week was People and Faces, so I took the easy way out and made another snack tin.

I know she's enjoying this more than it seems ...

Pensive Face!

The first two Stars were filled with Cars Teddy Grahams

Another unusual expression ...

The next two stars were Goldfish crackers, and the final two are Smiley Faced fruit chews and her "Monkey Milk," which is a Danimals strawberry yogurt drink. The monkey has a face, so that counts!
(btw: she took this picture by herself!)

Her final odd expression ...
I think she had enough of my picture taking and just wanted to EAT! Honestly, can you just see her teenage expression looking over at me?
M-OhOh-MMM! (insert eye-roll here!)

If you want to join us in MTM next week, check out Her Cup Overfloweth for more info on MTM! The more the merrier!

Why my skinny pants don't fit ... Part II.

* Wendy's Twisted Coffee-Toffee Frosty
Play the game on their website and get a Q for $1 off! Yummy and a Q, too, what more could you ask for?

* Brown Sugar Pop Tarts

* Chinese food

* Coke

* PMS

And these are all just today's reasons. But I remain positive. Tomorrow starts a new week!

Editor's Note: I switched out the Oreo Double Stuff Chocolate Cookies for Pop Tarts because I remembered I had not eaten any Oreos yesterday! One small step for Mommy-kind!

Simply Made Sunday!

One of our fun *in-the-kitchen (sort of!)* moments was making our own mini Strawberry Shortcakes! They were really yummy, but now my lil one only wants to eat her strawberries with "sour cream." I tried to teach her it's whipped cream, but every time she opens the fridge and pulls out the strawberries she still asks for sour cream.

I bought the ready-to-eat round pound cakes to use for the individual servings of the shortcake. Add some rediwhipp and cut up some fresh strawberries and you're all set. Not exactly from scratch, but still delicious!

Even one of the cats got in on it, how could he possibly resist? Mmmmn.



To find out more about Simply Made Sunday head on over to Our Homeschool Fun!

Muffin Tin Monday! On a Saturday?

No worries, everyone! I haven't lost my mind or anything (not yet, anyway!) Just coming by to let you all know about this wonderful package of goodies we received from Diana over at The Nelms Life for our Muffin Tin Swap! As you can tell, my daughter was SO excited to dig into the package and see what it was ...

I took a picture of her with our new goodies,
and then I had to ask her to open her eyes after the first one was a big, cheesy grin with her eyes closed.

Looks like somebody is goosing her, doesn't it? ;)

She took this next picture herself! We received a wonderful stars muffin tin, swirly picks, fairy muffin liners, cocktail forks and a fun mixture of cool sprinkles!

Thank you SO much, Diana! Hope you enjoy your package ... once it finally gets to you guys! And a huge thanks to Michelle for setting this up for us. You can check out her site HERE to find more swappers revealing their new stash!

Uhm, just adding that I have officially lost my mind, because today is SATURDAY NOT Sunday ... just changed my title, but anyone who follows will know how out of it I truly am, so I figured I'd confess!

Might as well face it

I'm addicted to blogging.

It's definitely fun, but the addictive side of my personality becomes connected to so many things, and blogging is the latest on that list.

I keep thinking, maybe I should change my background? But then I look at my page and am so used to how it is I wonder if changing it will make it feel like it's not me, it's not mine. I look at various free background templates and just can't find one that I click with. Not yet, anyway. Maybe I'll have to create my own at some point. In the meantime, I'll stick with the dots.

I'm also addicted to followers. Honestly, I am writing for myself, for a release, but when the number goes up on my followers I get so excited. I'm thinking, yay! Someone found me interesting enough to actually follow!

Anyway, I enjoy reading your comments here, I enjoy reading your blogs (and those of other people, too!) and in general I really like the blogging world. It's easy to see that there are crazy popular blogs out there, crazy informative ones, and special interest blogs ... like photography, knitting, crocheting, crafting, scrapbooking, homeschooling, reading and so much more. There are what you'd define as Mommy Blogs, and although I am a mom, and I write about being a mom, I don't know if this is considered a Mom-Blog. Either way, I enjoy giving a little bit of myself here each day, sometimes more than once, and sharing the day-to-day with you all. And I hope you enjoy it enough to come back at least once!

How to save money on toiletries!

There are so many items that you probably already own that can be used for double duty, and then some! Here's my list of various things you can use for more than they're purchased for:

1. Toothpaste: Sure, it gets you those pearly whites, but toothpaste can also help get rid of those zits. I'm not kidding. It helps dry them up and in a day or so they're gone. It can also help stop the itch of bug bites, and if you don't mind smelling minty fresh is well worth the try.

2. Conditioner: A well-known solver of all hair problems, let's add shaving to the list. Conditioner and a decent disposable razor will get your legs soft, smooth and stubble-free!

3. A&D ointment/Aquaphor/Balmex (any of those clear diaper rash creams): Each of these can be used as lip balm, or a facial moisturizer when you have a cold and have blown your nose like 50x in the last hour, break out one of these babies and you're soothed beyond belief. They're also great for dry skin, cracked heels, and your baby's raw bottom!

4. Rosebud Salve: This is my personal favorite. For chapped lips, diaper rash, raw skin (from colds or winter weather) and bug bites. You can also use it as a cuticle cream, or a hand lotion, although it is a bit greasy for every day use. For under $6 you get this small, round container of the best stuff on earth. I promise you'll be happy if you buy this for yourself.

5. Baby wipes: Nothing better for nearly everything you need. I use baby wipes for my "baby," obviously, but also for my dog, cats, counters, floors (hardwoods or tile!) ... I use them for my bathtub and shower, for my sinks and to clean the surfaces of my washer/dryer, and have even pulled them out to remove window smudges. Oh, and they also work on several kinds of stains. Not as good as a Shout travel pad or a Tide stick, but hey, in a pinch, go for it! They might not be the cheapest thing, but in a baby wipe will never steer you wrong. I pretty much can only vouch for Huggies' wipes for these various uses, and yes, they are kind of pricey, but start clipping those coupons and you'll find some great deals out there.

So there you have it, my Top 5 toiletry items. Hope you find some of this information new for you, and maybe it'll save you a few pennies!

I'm really a Southern Girl now!

OK, so I've been meaning to write this up for you guys, but honestly, I think I was so scarred I couldn't tell anyone except one friend (you know who you are!) about what happened.

A week or so ago, it was late afternoon, nearly evening, and the winds were picking up pretty intensely. I thought for sure that the canopy in our backyard was going to fly off, leaving the stand open and empty. So I braved the start of the elements, and I ran out there trying to beat the rain -- the rain that never came, I might add -- and took that canopy down.

Now, if you know me, you know I'm not tall enough to get that thing. But I figured out how to lower it, unlatched the various spots that it was velcro-ed in place, and started to fold it up until. Ew. It stunk. Really bad. It smelled like pee. Serious pee.

Now how in the he!! did pee get on the canopy, you ask? Yeah, I asked that, too. I called my husband and told him that the stench was awful. Could it have been a cat? There were no tears in the covering, so I guessed not. A squirrel? We've never seen any around here. Our dog probably scares them off. I tried wiping it down a bit, but with the small amount of paper towel we had left in our house, I wasn't very successful. Plus I was starting to smell like pee.

Now, hubby did NOT believe me. He was telling me how it's completely impossible for pee to get on TOP of a 6' canopy. Unless our dog was working some sort of magic out there.

But ... it could have been ... now, stay with me. Remember, I'm from NEW YORK. I am from the city. NEW YORK F-IN' CITY. Brooklyn, to be precise. I knew what he was going to say before he even said it. We said it at the same exact second. It could be ... I know what you're going to say ...

A BAT.

My husband decides to tell me that it is likely bat musk. What the fu*k? Are you kidding me? What in the he!! is bat MUSK?

"Bat pee?" I ask, hopefully.
"No, more likely it's bat musk."
"Bat musk."
"Mmmn, hmmn."
"And what, by chance, is bat musk?"
"It's what the bats leave for other bats so they can find one another," he says. He is calm. Calmer than is normal for a person who just found out that bats were leaving their *scent* on our backyard canopy. Under which our daughter (and his wife, by the way) frequently play.
"I see."

[Break out laptop and start searching for bat musk. Thank you, YourDictionary.com. Definition of musk:

noun {why thank you, I had no idea!}

1. a substance with a strong, penetrating odor, obtained from a small sac (musk bag) under the skin of the abdomen in the male musk deer: used as the basis of numerous perfumes
2. a similar substance secreted by certain other animals, as the alligator or musk ox

Excellent.]

"It's OK. It's fine. It's not like they're out during the day or anything."
"Right. Wow. Wait until my parents hear this one," I say. Because honestly, I cannot think of anything else to say. I have not told my parents, because if I do my mother will never go outside at night again. Ever.

And so, this morning my husband put the canopy back out for me. I asked him if we needed to hose it down or anything and he said, "Nah, let's just let the rain get to it." Now, believe me, I am thinking that I will be hosing that thing down anyway. BD. BEFORE DARK.

So, for anyone who questions my true level of Southern Living, there you go. I have worn the perfume scent of bat musk. Man, I wish I could get to Sephora right now!

Why my skinny pants don't fit ...

* I am addicted to iced chai tea. At home I make it with vanilla soy milk and the powdered mixes. At Starbucks I buy a Venti - Skim, or a Grande - regular. I drink way too much of it, especially in the summer heat.

* I am also addicted to sweet tea. Any time we hit a fast food restaurant for a meal (on the weekends, usually) I am inclined to buy a small and refill it several times. Several.

* I like food. Aside from the two drinks I mention above, I'm all about the food. Yes, I like sweets, but I like regular food, too. From mashed potatoes to macaroni and cheese, I'm all about the sides. I try to do better when ordering out, and try to do my best when cooking at home, but my husband is a meat and potatoes man, and I'm a potatoes kinda' girl.

* I frequently fail at keeping a journal about my food intake. I try, and I use that to feel motivated and to have somewhere to feel accountable. Whether it's a personal journal, one for friends online to see, or just a few scraps here and there. You can't imagine the number of notebooks I have kept over the past years, despite their being an obvious indication of my failure to do this, and do it right. I just can't bring myself to tear out those pages or throw them away. Why? I have no idea. Maybe I'm hopeful that some day I'll look at them and be motivated enough to kick-start a healthy way of life and stick to it. Maybe I just need to remind myself from where I've come? I don't know. I just keep them. Maybe I like clutter (I SO do!)

* I hate to exercise. Seriously, I hate it. I mean, I like to move, I try to want to. I'll walk and dance, and even belly dance (more on that another day,) but stick me on a treadmill and I'm so friggin' bored there are no words. So for me, especially in this Southern Heat, I'm immobile. Top the lack of motion off with the foods I'm eating, and well, you get someone who can't wear their skinny jeans, but still holds onto them anyway.

And please recognize my disclaimer. My skinny pants would likely be your fat pants. Seriously. They would be the pants you wear after Thanksgiving dinner, or the ones you throw on when you're PMSing. I'm not proud of this, but I figured I should at least be honest with you, my loyal readers, so you'd know I wasn't talking about size sixes here, oh no. I'm not quite sure I ever saw that size in my entire life. And while I will admit that it took me many years to reach the point of being okay with being plus-sized (what a term, isn't it? More of you to love and all that cr@p!) I still wish I were thinner. I still wish I were the weight I was embarrassed about a dozen years ago, when I thought I'd die if anyone knew what the scale said. Ah, well. In time I found myself, I found my husband, we had our beautiful daughter and I learned to truly love being me.

Now if I could only convince myself to get rid of those d@mned pants ...

Wordless Wednesday!

Careful. Care ful. Full of care.

Careful is an interesting word. I find myself saying it to my daughter all the time. I don't say "be careful," I don't say "watch out," I say "Careful." The *be* is implied. At least I think it is.

If she stands up on the couch and is ready to jump, I say it. "Careful."

If she tries to put the toy stethoscope in the dog's ears, I say it. "Careful!" (And then I add a "Don't do that!")

If she reaches across the table for the serving spoon, I say it again. "Careful, please."

Why is it that this word takes on so much meaning when you're a parent? This word, the one my mother uttered to me every time I left the house on my own, why does it mean so very much? I've said it so many times before to loved ones. To my husband, to my brother, even to my parents! I have said it to friends as we parted ways after a long night out. "Be careful," I'd say, as they walked off to the subway, or to catch a cab. And yet I knew that they would. I knew that they understood what I was saying. But with my daughter, it's totally different. She only knows so much. She understands what I mean, but not necessarily the meaning. She hears me say it so many times a day, and I wonder what goes through her head when she hears it?

Is she thinking, *Yes, Mom, I KNOW.* Could that be it, already? Is it at the young age of 2-1/2 that the child starts to roll their eyes at their parent? I swear I see her teenage eyes looking over at me now and again. So why wouldn't she be rolling them at me already?

Either way, no matter what she is thinking, I am prepared to say this to her for the rest of her life. When she heads out for the evening, when she meets a new boy, when she leaves home for the first time, when she takes her first trip with her friends, and pretty much for all of the firsts. I will tell her to throw caution to the wind, and to allow herself to experience new things, but, as her mother, I will encourage her to do so with caution and care. Carefully. Weighing all her options.

So I guess I'd better get used to the eye-rolling. I'm quite sure it's not going to let up any time soon, especially since I'm not planning to!

Being a mom means ...

* Laying beside your child as she hogs your entire bed in her sleep.

* Aching horribly when you can't figure out why she is crying.

* Finding yourself willing to sleep in a rocking chair with your child in your arms, if that's what it takes.

* Functioning the next day on a few hours of sleep.

* Giving up the remote so she can watch Noggin, ALL. DAY. LONG.

* Watching the same episode of Toot and Puddle over and over and over again. Mona the monarch butterfly, anyone?

* Giving up your laptop so she can do "A.B.C.D!"

* Foregoing that second waffle so she can have breakfast, too! ;)

* Freaking out when she starts calling you "MOM," or "Hon," at age 2-1/2!

* Feeling your heart burst when she tells you "I wub you, Mommy." Are there sweeter words in the English language? Or ANY language?

Muffin Tin Monday!

So this week's Muffin Tin Monday had no specific theme, so I decided to opt for healthy snacks for a change! And we used our new, colorful liners. Fun stuff!


We had grapes, cherries and Mickey Mouse cheese. I swear, this child saw those bags of cheese a mile away. We were in the store and she was actually staying IN the cart, well-behaved and everything, and I asked her if she wanted some cheese. She basically screamed, "MICKEY MOUSE CHEESE!" So, we bought some. And she loved it! Yummy cheese!

And then for our second go-round we added some dry cereal after she finished up some of the cheese and cherries.
If you want some more info on Muffin Tin Monday, check out Michelle's blog and you'll find the rest of the participants stopping by there, as well!

My financial contribution!

This weekend, as always, I found myself searching for coupons and deals, any way to save money and still get what I want (or what we need!) What I should start doing, and might right now, is start calculating monetary value to see how much I save every month, or something like that. So, a measly dollar here, and a few pennies there, and it does add up.

So I kick-started the weekend by attending a consignment sale on Friday night. I gave myself $100 to spend, and wound up walking out of there with just $21 missing from my pocket! Yay, me! I bought a mini-husband pillow, a denim Mickey Mouse jacket, a fleece pullover, a ballerina sweatshirt/pants set, 3 pairs of leggings (for $1!) and a pair of sweatpants. Add a few baby dolls, a Little People garbage truck, 4 books and a princess-fairy dress-up set and we're done. Now, I couldn't say for sure the amount saved, but it was a definite batch of good finds.

And yesterday we went to dinner with some friends and hubby and I did the 2-for-20 deal at Applebee's, which included an appetizer and both of our entrees. Today we went for lunch at Texas Steakhouse, and I had a coupon for a free Harvest Salad, which I got for my lunch, and saved us $8.99! Add a $1 coupon for our dog food, and a 40% off coupon [$4 off] from AC Moore that I used at Michael's for a new cupcake tin, and I did pretty well these past 3 days!

My plan for our meals this week is to work on our fridge, freezer and pantry. I plan on working towards emptying them so I can create meals from what we have, as opposed to adding grocery shopping throughout the week to the budget. I'll also, as usual, try to clip and organize my Qs to ensure I have them at the ready for the next grocery run. I try to use the dollar and up Qs at Wal-mart, where the prices are pretty cheap, and then save the 99c and under ones for HT or Lowe's, so I can double them and get a better savings!

So, that's what I do, or try to do. How about you? What's your favorite way to save money?

Simply Made Sunday!

I thought I'd share some pictures of my daughter and I in the kitchen (sort of!) making some make-n-break cookies together. I came across these new Pillsbury Cinnabon Swirl cookies and had to buy them, and of course, try them. So we ... hmmn, I guess we break and then we make them, is what it's called!

And they came out really yummy!

Join us for Simply Made Sunday over at Our Homeschool Fun by clicking the button at the top of this post for more info!

Things that make me happy

In no particular order ...

* Ice cream
* Sleep
* Laughter
* Music
* Chocolate
* A massage
* A really good book
* A chick-flick
* Quality time with my friends
* A crisp, cool glass of white wine
* Freshly baked chocolate chip cookies
* The numbers on my scale going down
* Holding hands with my hubby
* Listening to my daughter play by herself
* My dog and my cats (most of the time!)
* Spending time with family
* A steal of a deal
* Sweet dreams

What makes YOU happy?

I am reading like crazy!

It's been a while since I posted about reading, and that's because I have been reading SO much I've been too busy to talk about it!

Over the past weeks alone I have read the following books:

* Friday Night Knitting Club, by Kate Jacobs
* Certain Girls, by Jennifer Weiner
* Firefly Lane, by Kristen Hannah
* The Senator's Wife, by Sue Miller
* Until the Real Thing Comes Along, by Elizabeth Berg
* The Three Willows, by Ann Brasheres
* The Summer Kitchen, by Lisa Wingate

I don't know what happened to me, but I have been tearing through books like you wouldn't believe! I think it's because my daughter has been playing a lot more by herself, and so she's content and contained, and I can sit on the couch in the same room and read a little bit. It's a nice change, since usually I have her hanging off of me and trying to read my book with me, which obviously doesn't always work.

Anyway, I hope you're all getting some summer reading done, as well. It's nice to get through some beach reads, even if you're not remotely close to the beach! So, happy reading to all of you. As for me, I'm onto my next one, or two, or three ... you get the picture!

TV for Preschoolers

I confess, I have some questions about some of the shows out there for our preschool children. Some of the characters are questionable, some are missing (!) and some, well, some are just plain annoying. I'll start off with Noggin ...

* Max & Ruby -- Do I really have to say more? I mean, where are their parents? What's up with the Grandmother who only comes by once in a blue moon? Why is Ruby such a b!tch? And Max, how old is he, anyway? Because as sneaky and crafty and smart as he is, he really should have a larger vocabulary. Shouldn't he?

* Dora the Explorer -- While my daughter and I love Dora with abandon, does she really have to be so d@mned LOUD? I mean, tone it down, chica, we HEAR you. And what's up with her parents? Are they so busy with the new twins that they don't care if their daughter is off running through the jungle or wherever with her best friend, the monkey?

* Franklin -- There are two things I can say about Franklin, one would go on and on about how he is the whiniest character on Noggin [even worse than Oswald, seriously, Fred Savage has nothing on this guy!] and the other is about how he is the only one of his friends with an actual name. Turtle = Franklin; Bear = Bear; Beaver = Beaver; Fox = Fox; Snail = Snail. I know there is at least one or two more, but really. Come on! Give the teacher a name, at least! (Owl = Mr. Owl!)

* Diego -- Almost as loud as Dora, but with his big sister Alicia on his back all the time he's a bit calmer. And the parents? MIA, as are most Noggin parents, except for Ms. Spider [Charlotte from S&TC, if you didn't know!] and Holly. Diego seems to sing the same songs over and over for various rescue journeys, and that kind of grates at me a bit. Plus, on at least one movie/episode where he and Dora were together he was like 5-feet-tall. Seriously. Huge!

* Toot and Puddle -- How old are these two? Are they a couple? Are they friends? Do they have families? What's the deal with their little friend/cousin, what's'ername? April? Or is she Olivia? That other friendly lil girl pig on Nick/Noggin ... And where do they get the money for their trips? I want in on that action!

* Oobi -- Does ANYONE watch this scary show? I saw it once when my daughter was a baby and it was on during the night. Scared the cr@p out of me. A hand with eyeballs on it. Totally wrong.

* The Upside Down Show -- I kind of like these weird guys, but have to ask, what exactly are they on?

Oh! And how could I forget our favorite?

* The Backyardigans! We love these guys. They're so creative and so much fun, and they, too, roam unsupervised throughout their yards and their imaginations. Pablo is our favorite, but he's kind of wimpy. My husband thinks that Tasha is a huge b!tch (and come on, she usually is) and poor Austin isn't even on half the time. Tyrone and Uniqua are the most normal of the crew, and that's not saying much. And yet, we love them. We listen to their CDs, we watch them over and over again. They're our best friends.

Now, onto Disney ...

* Mickey Mouse Clubhouse -- My daughter absolutely loves this show. Almost too much. She wants Mickey several times a day and I might lose my mind if I have to hear "Oh, Toodles!" shouted at me from across the room one more time. My big question is how lazy are the Mouse and his friends that they have those hands open the doors for them? And where can I get magic hands like those to do the chores around my house for me?

* Handy Manny -- Love him. Can you even believe that Manny is Fez? Or, I should say, that Fez is Manny? Love it! Love the tools. My only problem here is that Manny and Kelly really should get together already. They're the cutest couple, and they'd make one another very happy, each always has what the other needs. What more could a couple ask for?

* Special Agent Oso -- My gawd, I hate this show. This friendly bear makes me so sad for "Rudy" that he has resorted to this kind of role. Poor guy. Oso is really, really stupid. He never remembers anything, always has to help some kid do something really simple, and never even knows how to do it! I'm pretty glad my daughter isn't the hugest fan. Whew!

I know there are more, but I am a little worried about myself and the fact that I have put this much thought into these shows. But hey, when you have a 2 1/2-year-old, what choice do you have?

Anyway, thanks for *listening* to my rant about the shows I come to love and hate all at once. Which ones are your faves?

Not so Wordless today.

Just feeling like I have too much on my mind to go Wordless for this Wednesday's post.

I'm realizing that as a mom, I am a teacher, too. All of the time. Everything I do teaches my daughter something. Whether it's wrong or right, educational or environmental, language related, and on and on from there.

This morning we were writing and I was showing her how to spell her name. She started using the pen to write *letters,* and I tried to show her how to hold the pen (when do they learn that, anyway?) correctly. I realized that I was teaching her to write out letters, to hold a pen, things that she'll be doing for the rest of her life.

Do we ever remember how much we've learned from our parents? The adults in our lives who teach us so much as we move through the day-to-day? My mom often tells me I was reading letters very early. My daughter knows all of hers (the capital letters, anyway!) and I think to myself, I guess I taught them to her, my husband and I, but suddenly she just KNEW them. And she blows me away with the things she knows and remembers, and it can often amaze and surprise me.

And no, it's not just the stuff she picks up from television (yes, we watch, what of it?) or her friends, but from me, in our general, every day, stay-at-home life.

And I guess I'm kind of proud of that. As more often than not I feel kind of cr@ppy for not contributing financially, but for the coupons I clip and use regularly, and so feeling like I'm the teacher in her life right now is pretty cool. And I know I'd still be that person if I worked, and I sit back in awe of the parents who do and still hold that role in their children's lives. Mothers and fathers. Each and every one of us who parents a child, you're a role model, whether you like it or not. Amazing, isn't it?

And now I'd better go, since my daughter is sitting on my legs and about to do some sort of sit-up using me as her support beam. Uhm, maybe now is the time I enroll her in a gym class where mommy can sit outside and watch while reading? I'm active, I promise, but sometimes I'm just lazy! Really, just sometimes. Like right now ...

Although when I woke up this morning I got dressed and was ready to work out. Oh, don't laugh, I was just going to put in one of my bellydancing DVDs. They are a real workout, but I wasn't going to go full force. For goodness' sake, I'd have shocked my body if I did that! But then it took me forever to get her downstairs, and I just lost the gusto! Go figure.

But today is the day. Kind of. I'm feeling motivated. For what, exactly, I don't know, but something has been triggered in me this morning (stepping on the scale, maybe? Watching my daughter write? More likely!) and I'm ready for a better day.

But why I feel so sad and melancholy, I'm not sure. Maybe it's the weather? Maybe it's me not feeling so hot? Who knows? I'll just push through it and get back on track. And finish this not-so-mini-rant and absolutely word-filled Wednesday post!

All it takes is $1 ...

A dollar and a dream? You've got to be in it to win it?

No, I'm not trying to talk you into playing the lottery (these are NY lottery slogans!) I'm telling you that all you need to do is spend $1 at Michael's, purchase a foam alphabet puzzle, and your 2 1/2 year-old (officially as of yesterday) will entertain themselves for hours.

She's attached to this little puzzle. She wanted it in the car. She wanted it in Chick-fil-a, but I had left it in the car, and she wanted to bring it into Wal-mart! When we got home she popped the letters out into her bucket and carried the whole thing upstairs, played it while I changed into my PJs, while we changed her into her PJs, and we put the whole thing back together before bed.

All for ONE DOLLAR! So if you haven't been to Michael's lately, you should seriously get over there. I never realized how many kid-friendly crafty and fun items they have, and how incredibly cheap they are. A steal of a deal!

Muffin Tin Monday!

So, today's Muffin Tin Monday theme is *Planes, Trains and Automobiles!* And although I am not even remotely as creative as the other participating mommies in today's event, I tried! And she's still eating, so that has to mean something, right?


So the first thing she did was take all of the muffin tins and remove them from their vehicles. Then she started eating a little bit, then proceeded to play a bit, and then put everything back to where it was when the meal started. Uhm, okay! Whatever you want, it's your fun meal, and if Mommy lets you have your toys on the table during lunch, well, you should go for it!

The firetruck held a tin of spiral noodles, the airplane held some french fries, the actual tin help a hot dog dressed up as a boat (not so well, but hey, I tried!) and there were goldfish swimming around it! And a lone string cheese in one of the vehicles nearby, just because!

And some of my images seem a little blurry today, at first I thought it was the viewfinder of the camera, but then I realized it was Miss Sticky-fingers, who likes to take her own pictures. I think she must have touched the lens!


Oh, and don't let me forget her "Sheep in a JEEP" book! We'll read that later!

So tired ...

I've been so tired this weekend. So sleepy. I keep dosing on the couch. I think my body is trying to fight something off. Between my allergies and my sore throat, it's probably a sort of summer cold. Hate those!

In the meantime my daughter is watching some Noggin, or Disney, or whatever I can find that works, while I lay on the couch and close my eyes for a few minutes. Really, that's all it's been, I promise! Hubby is napping since he worked about 30 hrs yesterday alone, pretty much sounds impossible, but I swear it's not!

Anyway, hope you're all enjoying your weekend, and see you tomorrow for MTM! ;)

Laurie Berkner is my new BFF

She really is. If she isn't it's only because she doesn't have a clue who I am. Oh no, but I know her. Yes I do. I know you, Ms. Laurie Berkner. And whether you like it or not, today you are my BFF.

Right now my daughter is calm after her daddy went out for dinner and a movie w. a friend. She was losing it, but I decided to put *music* on. It's the "Let's Hear it for Laurie" special that was on Noggin a few weeks (a month yet?) back. My little one LOVES it, and is happy as a clam ... which has always been an interesting saying to me, because how does one know how happy a clam is, actually? But I digress ...

Laurie, if you're out there, and I know you're not, I just wanted to let you know that you've saved me twice today. The first time being when my daughter was playing on the laptop, and yes, our MAC laptop, she doesn't have her own toy one so she knows how to use ours too well for my liking! Lil Miss *I* requested music. "I need MUuuuSIC."

OK, so there I am. I'm working on it. I'm trying to get her something to dance to, and decided, you know what? iTunes is my friend, and on iTunes I have Laurie! Yahoo!!!

Anyway, thanks, L! Please know if I can ever return the favor I will surely come up with something to help you out. And if you ever hit the Raleigh-Durham area, give me a ring, I'd love to put you up for a few days. You're not allergic to cats or dogs are you? Or kids? Uhm, scratch that last one. I've seen your videos, we're all clear there. And I promise not to laugh at the pig on your head. After all, if you keep it there all day you must already get poked fun at enough to last you.

Mommy Moment of the day!

Today's Mommy Moment addresses bathroom privacy.

Seriously. Is there any way to guarantee yourself some privacy in the bathroom when you have a toddler? This morning I actually brought my laptop in there for a few minutes (don't worry, I wasn't blogging!) and I had a cat on the sink, my dog in the door-frame and my daughter standing at the sink on her potty-stool with a graham cracker in her hand.

COME ON! Give me a minute to pee in peace, would you? Someone? Anyone? GO AWAY!

I had to remind her that we 'don't eat in the bathroom,' and tossed the dog out on his ear. The cat kind of just stood there waiting for water, but I refused and he eventually left. I barely got a new roll of toilet paper out of the vanity before my daughter came back explaining that she had finished her graham cracker, through a mouth full of crumbs.

Ah, the joys of parenting!

Wordless Wednesday!

Today is not the day ...

* for my Internet access to be fluky.

* for my child to want to be picked up every five minutes.

* for my dishwasher to STILL be broken.

* for me to have a dull, throbbing pain over my right eye.

* for the 'I do it myself' mentality of a 2 1/2-year-old.

* for the pasta to take 20 minutes to boil.

* for the cherries I bought TWO days ago to have mold on them.

* for me to not have full access to my television set (General Hospital is CALLING me, people!)

I need a day off. Anyone know how I can get one scheduled? Any and all tips are appreciated.

Now if I lived completely ALONE I'd ...

* make my pasta, sauce and cheese and eat it straight out of the pot, without a cat pawing at me for a bite.

* be able to watch something besides Disney or Noggin and be all caught up on GH.

* curl up in bed with a good book, or two, or none.

* pop some Tylenol PM and get some more ZZZs.

* take a cool shower and lay down on the bed, wrapped up in my towel, with the lights off and the curtains drawn.

But more likely, I'd probably be kind of depressed, or at work, or something like that, so I shouldn't take my mommy madness, uhm, moments, for granted for a second.

But eating out of the pot would be excellent, as I'd likely still have that broken dishwasher ...

Muffin Tin Monday!

Another Muffin Tin Monday! This week's theme is a party theme, so we opted for our usual (boring, I know) aluminum foil tin and our newly opened tea party set. This was one of her holiday gifts, but we just opened it the other day (I'm good like that!)

So we had a tea party with Tasha and Uniqua from The Backyardigans, and lots of yummy snacks. Mini Oreos, Mini Chips A'hoy Chocolate Chip cookies and Disney Princess fruit chews.

And the most exciting thing ever ... Goldfish makes S'mores bags! Grahams, Chocolate Grahams and mini marshmallow fish! So fun! She ate the fruit chews first, then the Goldfish, and the Oreos. Mommy ate the other cookies, and I'm not even ashamed to say so!

Doesn't she look so thrilled in this one?

Head on over to see Michelle for more MTM posts and to join in the fun! Oh, and if you DO participate, can you tell me where you find all of the cute MTM supplies out there? 'Cause obviously, I'm lacking!