A to Z Family

Some songs I am pretty proud of being able to play. If any of these bands would like to hire me as their bassist, I will listen to offers. ;-)

2012-01-20T07:46:00.000-08:00

MUSE - Anything Muse is an extra challenge. I do the best I can on my jazz guitar without pedals. There are so many effects on these songs, it's not even funny. I can come close though, and have a blast while doing it!

Muse - Starlight

Muse - Feeling Good

Muse - Supermassive Black Hole

This next one is another toughy. At least I think it is. But like all the others I choose, it makes me happy to play. :)

Jet - Are You Gonna Be My Girl?

Audioslave - Like A Stone

A big batch of great songs.

2011-12-18T10:30:00.000-08:00

Walk by Foo Fighters
Yes! So happy to play this one. This song is going into my admittedly large all time favorite song club. :)

Crossfire by Brandon Flowers
This will get stuck in your head forever. Be careful.

Paralyzed by Rock Kills Kid
I could listen to this over and over again. Oh wait, I do!

Clocks by Coldplay
Now for something calm and soothing and enjoyable.

Our Tattoos.

2011-12-11T07:53:00.001-08:00

Cory and I have found an incredible tattoo artist. Also, he is a great guy. So if you are in our area and are looking to get an amazing piece of body art, we know your guy. :o) He specializes in realism and celtic design.

A fantastic feel good song and a celebration for learning alternative tuning.

2011-12-06T13:48:00.001-08:00

Love this first song! I say with each new song I learn that it is my favorite. And they still all are! This one... I really think this one might be special even yet. So much fun to play!

Suddenly I See by KT Tunstall

I keep saying that I want to learn alternative tuning. Tuning to different keys. Cory and I have talked about restringing the bass with a low b. We will see. We have now mastered how to do alternative tuning! And to celebrate, here are two songs with alternative tuning that I have been waiting to learn and can now ROCK!

Save Me by Remy Zero

And my personal favorite for alternative tuning. Thank you drop down D!! I have been waiting to play this incredible song!!

Won't Back Down by Fuel

2011-11-13T18:39:00.001-08:00

Ain't No Sunshine When She's Gone by Bill Withers

Ain't No Rest for the Wicked by Cage the Elephant

Crushcrushcrush by Paramore

2011-11-13T18:33:00.001-08:00

Wasted Time by Fuel

The Mess I Made by Parachute

Eyes on Fire by Blue Foundation

My newest musical conquest.

2011-10-15T08:59:00.000-07:00

Everybody needs a little Chris Cornell under their belts, right? :) Love this song, so great to play!

Be Yourself by Audioslave

A special song

2011-10-08T13:56:00.000-07:00

This one is special because I have wanted to learn this since the first time I heard this fabulous song!! I couldn't find any tabs on it and I couldn't figure it out myself. Cory spent all night last night tabbing it out for me. He did a super job. It's perfect and so much fun to play!

Mercy by Matt Nathanson

Two classics and a Mandy Classic. :)

2011-09-30T11:06:00.000-07:00

Down on the Corner, CCR

With or Without You, U2

Funhouse, P!nk

Quirky fun, catchy but sad, and #$2%^&!

2011-09-20T12:21:00.000-07:00

Another one of my favorites to play!
The Downtown Fiction, I Just Wanna Run

I didn't really listen to this song well enough to know what it was about until my 9 year old started singing along. Yikes!
Foster the People, Pumped Up Kicks

This one has some pretty naughty swearing in it, be warned!
Cage the Elephant, Back Stabbin' Betty

Some Alternative Metal perhaps? And some more that will require me to change my page rating.

2011-09-18T08:13:00.000-07:00

Papa Roach, Forever This is my favorite song to play!!

Three Days Grace, Animal I Have Become

Now a couple more upbeat songs...at least in music style.

All American Rejects, Swing, Swing

Switchfoot, Needle In A Haystack Life

More songs!...and stuff.

2011-09-18T07:51:00.000-07:00

I am all excited about changing this blog up now. I don't have time this morning, but I think I'm going to totally revamp this site. Yeah, I have said that a time or two, huh? A few more songs...

Cory can play this one. I haven't tried yet.

Cage the Elephant, In One Ear

And of course a classic.

The White Stripes, Seven Nation Army

One more today. Something different than these that I have posted so far?

Norah Jones, Chasing Pirates

New Beginnings

2011-09-18T07:42:00.000-07:00

I didn't want to deal with the headache of figuring out how to take down the blog so I forgot about it again. Then something changed. I have found a new reason for the blog! Woohoo! I bet ALL of you readers are thrilled. :o) Oh yeah, right. So anyway, this is still an open blog that I can direct people to and so now it will hold my raunchy thoughts and personal playlist. I want to be able to share with some people long distance what my current musical library is, so here I go.

The last song posted, Best of You by Foo Fighters is on my playlist! There are a few moments in the song that I get a little bit turned around on, but for the most part I can play this one. What a thrill to be able to play one of my all time favorite songs!!

How many links can I put in a post? Here are a few more songs on my playlist. If ANY one out there actually reads this and has a request of what I should learn, give it to me.

The Strokes, Someday

Cage the Elephant, Back Against the Wall

2011-08-03T20:30:00.000-07:00

An end to an era. Or something. So I am closing up shop. The end of my blog. I don't think anyone will notice? On the off chance that someone will go, where the hell did Mandy go?, I am giving a heads up that this blog will be closed in the next couple of days. There is no purpose. I jumped off all my soap boxes long ago to focus on my family. Jokes on me.

Who knows how long it will take me to figure out how to close up shop. In the meantime, what's a post without some music? :) One of the best fucking songs ever.

Very MERRY CHRISTMAS to all!

2010-12-25T08:52:00.000-08:00

I sincerely hope that all of you out there in cyberland have a blessed holiday season. Today I leave you with a song that came to me at just the right time.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_6JQDsbtlM&feature=youtube_gdata_player

December, countdown to Christmas

2010-12-16T14:49:00.000-08:00

It has been forever since I posted last! Well, don't worry, I have a new project going that will keep me coming back a lot for awhile. Hopefully I will provide you with something worthwhile to think over as I work on this new endeavor. I received an early Christmas present two weeks ago. The Hubby surprised me with an iPad! Woohoo! I am still trying to figure it out. This sucker works a bit differently than anything else I have worked with. Most everything that is available to me on my desktop PC is available in a condensed version on the iPad. This makes some things tricky. Things like editing my Pandora radio stations or this blog. So please bear with me as I update this blog over the next week. I didn't realize that my Glacier Niational Park background did not scroll for everyone looking. iPhones and iPads do not want to scroll. So for now I am going to drop the customized stuff and start working on making this blog nice to look at and most importantly, interesting to read!

Just 'cause...

2010-09-28T17:45:00.001-07:00

I am posting these two music videos because....I just want to. :) Love these songs SO much I HAD to share.

First up: Flowers For A Ghost by Thriving Ivory

Next: Kings and Queens by 30 Seconds To Mars

Uplifting music! ? ! ?

2010-09-17T07:47:00.000-07:00

Music is vital to me. Whenever my mind wanders to the blog, I always think of music posts. So here is another one!

As everyone knows, music can be so uplifting and inspirational. I have heard comments about not listening to negative music, so as not to bring yourself down. What is negative music? I thought I would post some examples of songs I find comforting, yet different styles.

These first two are similar, I guess. What makes them different to me is the Switchfoot song can relate to two different types of love.

And now to a different music feel...

How about one more?

I know some very precious people who need some comfort right now. This is for you. I hope you can find something to hold on to in this post.

It's been awhile..

2010-09-05T07:03:00.002-07:00

I haven't put anything new on here in forever. I had some interest and so I will be making much more of an effort to keep up. :)

On a sad note, a dear friend of mine is moving away. She keeps me sane and strong and I will never enjoy Starbucks again without thinking warm thoughts. C, I will always have you on speed dial, but I will miss you terribly. Just know that you are mentioned often and fondly in my journal. Love you. And thanks for the flowers.

Getting down to the nitty gritty of this post. My awesome friend, C, is a fan of Eminem. It has taken me awhile to wrap my mind around this. I respect my friend greatly and didn't want to just brush this difference between us aside. She says that love him or hate him, you can't deny that he is real. My blog is a G-ish rated site and so I cannot post his music on here. I am providing a link to one of his songs. This song is explicit and not child friendly. You have been warned. Eminem and Rhianna have a very popular song out right now called "I Like the Way You Lie." This song is very popular now and I can find it on almost any time by surfing local radio stations. My question is, why? Many people might turn away from this song in disgust, but there is a reason why I hear it played so often in a day. There must be a reason why it is so popular. So I suppose there are really two questions. Why? What now?

Ot

2010-09-05T07:03:00.001-07:00

I heart iVillage!!

2010-06-24T13:21:00.000-07:00

I just screamed. Could you hear me? My kids did. They came running into the room asking me what was wrong and if I was ok. Then...they got confused as I stared at my computer screen with a bemused yet ecstatic look on my face. I'm going to see Eclipse. For free. With four friends. On Monday. That would be two days before it releases. I have many reasons to love iVillage already and this is just one more great reason.

Hahahaha!

2010-06-23T17:15:00.001-07:00

We just got back from Avery's 5 year well check and getting ready for Kindergarten. There were the usual arguments and eye rolling and "you are such a bad mom" moments. I got home, settled in and checked my Facebook. Oh my gosh! What a perfect sentiment to how I feel!!! Any questions? If you just have to have this necklace, and have the cohones to wear it, you can get it at Woman Uncensored.

Pomplamoose - If You Think You Need Some Lovin

2010-06-20T08:45:00.000-07:00

We love these people! In honor of Father's Day, I am posting The Hubby's favorite song of theirs. We were dancing in the kitchen this morning to their song. :o)

Happy Father's Day!

2010-06-20T08:41:00.000-07:00

I wish all of the father's out there a wonderful day. The Hubby is working at the church today but later we will celebrate with a good meal and an early birthday celebration for Baby Doll.

Have you met my new passion?

2010-06-19T10:20:00.000-07:00

Some morning, very early, if you drive through my neighborhood you might get a glimpse of me.

A friend suggested that one of my least favorite forms of exercise might be just the thing for me. How do I lose weight? How do I build tone but not bulk up, especially when bulking up is my body's natural response? Running! Wait..whaa...what?! So I have started running. Do you know how hard it is to drag yourself out of bed a full hour earlier than necessary...to RUN?! It's hard, but I did it. Now, two months later I am enjoying the routine of getting up extra early and starting my day out right!

I started out just a bit too eager though. Running too fast, too far, too soon = shin splints. Those don't just go away easily. So now I am on "active rest" and walking every morning instead. I am also finishing up the second half of the p90x workout. I am so excited to get back into running! See, that right there...is a complete 180 of my stand on running at any other point in my life. My kids are so in awe that I wake up super early (and if it's super early to them, then wow is it early!) to exercise and take care of my body. This is at least half the reason why I am doing this. My kids will fight the genetic battle of the bulge, and I want to help them start out healthy and with healthy habits. I want them to see me making that effort and enjoying it. If I end up losing 30 pounds and looking fabulous in my jeans, that is just a consequence I will have to endure. ;o)

Muse video from the movie Eclipse

2010-06-15T19:08:00.000-07:00

There are several video clips from the movie Eclipse where I found this, on Yahoo! movies.

Woman Uncensored and jewelry.

2010-06-04T15:31:00.000-07:00

Woman Uncensored is a blog and Facebook page that I enjoy checking in with from time to time. This woman is strongly opinionated. If you don't agree, you probably won't like her site. If you do agree she will be a breathe of fresh air. Today in particular I would like to point out her Freebie Fridays and her jewelry. I plan on getting at least one of these great necklaces. I'm thinking this one is a frontrunner at the moment.

People, take care of your eyes.

2010-05-21T15:15:00.000-07:00

Do you wear contacts? Do you dispose of them within the given time frame? Am I the only one out there that doesn't? I try to make them stretch. I admit it. I also don't always wear them every day and often lose track of how old the contacts are. What do you think will happen if you keep wearing them? I had a vague idea that it was bad for me, but didn't have a clue. Guess what. Apparently you can go blind? And I'm halfway there. Because of drastically changing vision and a family history of diabetes I went to see the eye doctor. I have managed to damage my eyes so badly that I might never be able to wear contacts again. The damage is permanent and I am darn lucky that I didn't put that office visit off for another couple of months. I am so surprised and chagrined at my experience that I wanted to share with anyone who is listening. Take care of your eyes and toss the lenses after two weeks.

The real deal.

2010-05-18T19:15:00.000-07:00

Well, the Hubby is now permanently inked. Here is his artwork. :)

An extremely talented young musician.

2010-05-12T14:40:00.000-07:00

I opened up Yahoo! news a little while ago and was blown away by this amazing young artist. I had to jump on here and share. He's in 6th grade and amazing! I am linking to his somewhat famous version of Paparazzi in this blog, but check out his other original compositions as well. This kid is amazing! I would totally by his CD. I am so impressed that I had to share with you. :)

Henna

2010-04-27T09:19:00.000-07:00

The Hubby got a henna tattoo this last weekend. This is a dry run for the real thing. What do you think?

Trailer #2 for Eclipse.

2010-04-27T09:10:00.000-07:00

Again, I am a big fan so I'm posting this trailer. Enjoy. :o)

I have a headache.

2010-04-22T16:46:00.000-07:00

I have a headache, so this post will be quick. I have had a very hard time maintaining "perky" lately. When I am not my usual perky self, I really don't feel like updating. I wish I had a great excuse for you, but that's it. I finally changed the background though. Aren't you glad? :o) P.S. I got to see Muse!

Taxes...naah. Birthdays...yeah!

2010-04-15T07:58:00.001-07:00

Wishing my beautiful, fun and spunky niece a very Happy Birthday! Love you, Isa!

Fevers, music and mice.

2010-04-09T10:44:00.001-07:00

So much for making up posts, right? Question: What happens when you spill a glass of water on the desk where your mouse is sitting? Answer: You don't get to play on the computer again until you buy a new mouse.

Now I have a working mouse and can get busy on that new background. I'm also pouting today. Today MUSE is performing here and I have two really expensive tickets to see them. I also have one sick kiddo running a fever. Life.Is.Cruel.

Mario Paint takes on the world!

2010-04-06T11:44:00.000-07:00

You might not know what Mario Paint is. I'm sorry. Think old Nintendo awesomeness! :o) My kids and I love trying to figure out songs on this program. Because I am obsessed with Muse this week (more to come on that later) I have found this incredible mix of two fabulous worlds. So I would like to present you all with Mario Paint and Muse's Knights of Cydonia. Every little symbol makes it's own unique sound and tone depending on where you place it. This took major skill!

A little bit about my Muse obsession. They are like...one of my favorite bands E-V-E-R! They are performing here on Friday and so every post I make this week will have a Muse song or video attached to it in honor of that. Sorry if you are not a fan. I am...and this is what I am called to do as a major dorky fan. :o)

Hoping to have a new spring background loaded by tomorrow. Sorry about the delay. Also, this will be a busy posting week because I'm chatty and have so many posts to make up for since I have been absent for awhile.

Wait...woah...what month is it?

2010-04-06T11:32:00.001-07:00

The last couple of weeks have just flown by. Busy busy busy. Some good, some bad, all stuff that needs time. So anyway...sorry I missed the start of April. I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter! We spent the day with family and some new friends. Thank God for women who see the time to come up alongside another to support and comfort.

So moving on to other things. While I am still working on bettering myself and my home, there is yet another project in the works. The hubby and I started P90X and we are now on week 4. That is a major time commitment. Here's my plug....it's great!

Have you ever tried yoga? I have dabbled in it off and on for several years now. Let me tell you, Yoga X kicked my tushy last night. I just was not bending. Yet I am so glad I worked out. Yoga takes balance, strength and I know it's corny but inner strength. My mind needs to either stay quiet and calm. I have that yoga has become an important part of my life. So try it! What do you think of Yoga?

Get ready for National Spring Cleaning week!

2010-03-25T14:08:00.000-07:00

Well I would say this goes hand in hand with my recent theme. I have been busily working away in my home...and I have also been computerless for most of this last week. But I'm back! Aww...I know you missed me. :) So, on to the important stuff...

Are you starting your spring cleaning this week? Are you planning on doing any at all? Do you have any tips that you can share with us? Here is a website from last years big Spring Cleaning week. As someone who needs to be accountable, I am about to share my accomplishments and goals.

Remember the kids' books and all that mess? That is such a problem area in our house. Everything is moved to it's proper place and books are sorted and weeded through, but it is still a constant mess. *sigh* I was hoping reorganizing would solve the problem but that isn't meant to be. Now I know it will always be a challenge and be ready for it. I also cleaned out my clothes and closet, along with the kids. Winter clothes got packed away and summer clothes came out to play in the dresser drawers. Part of this effort involves trying clothes on. Not such a big deal for the kids, but for me?....so I have been working out with P90X and watching what I'm eating very carefully. Never the less that is not a miracle and I have a lot of hard work ahead of me. For now, I am topping the scales at the heaviest I have ever been, even while pregnant. Sorting through my clothes was thoroughly depressing. I think the most depressing part is that I will have to get some summer clothes that fit my "new" body. There is no way I will lose the weight I need to before I need something to wear besides the one pair of jeans that I have that fit and some sweatshirts. I am so freakin' motivated that by the end of the summer I will be one hot mamma. I hope.. I pray.. I beg

This morning I shampooed my front room carpet! I normally don't use shampoo ever and stick with hot water rinses, but my carpet needed it this time. After that the kids and I moved outside to clean up the back yard and back patio. We were super productive. Does that mean that I get to take the rest of the week off? Oh wait, no, wrong idea...I'm supposed to keep going strong. What is next? Tonight I do the carpets in the family room and tomorrow I clean out the garage. Wish me luck! And good luck to you too. :o)

Guilty pleasure

2010-03-16T09:10:00.001-07:00

I just wanted to post this somewhere that I can go to frequently and watch it over and over again. :o)

Frogs, shoes, beds and aprons.

2010-03-03T07:52:00.000-08:00

How do you start out your day? In my quest to become a more successful homemaker I am exploring it all. Here are a few things I have come across in my search. Basically, the idea is the same behind it all.

Eat your frog! Look at that cute little guy. Can't you just imagine swallowing him whole? Yuck, no. So, you need to start out your day doing your least favorite job. Eat your frog first thing and everything after that is a bonus.

Get dressed! Whether you are going out for the day or staying in, get dressed. And that means right down to your shoes. Put them on and lace them up. You are ready to go. Personally I prefer a sensible pair of heels to sneakers, but whatever floats your boat. :)

Make your bed as soon as you get out of it. Don't put it off and don't ignore that chore as being unimportant. Along these same lines, clean your sink before bed. Wake up and made your bed and have a sparkly clean sink at the end of
the day.

I have tried it all in an effort to motivate myself to have an extremely productive day. Through trial and error I think I have found what works best for me. I put my apron on. The other day I was chatting on the phone with a friend and mentioned putting my apron on. She knows me well and started laughing, saying "watch out, Mandy's getting busy!"

Bon Jovi

2010-02-28T15:20:00.000-08:00

I can now seriously cross something off my bucketlist. I saw Bon Jovi live! I could listen to them all day every day and be deliriously happy. They are not just one of my all time favorite bands, they have been one of my most favorites for a long time.

In the first picture, that is Jon singing Bed or Roses. He was singing right to me. I swear. My friends even saw him point in my general direction. Never mind that I was in the farthest seat away from the stage in the arena. He was singing to me. *sigh*

This next picture was taken during the same set. This was the time he was in the audience. The rest of the time he was dancing that good lookin' bod of his around the stage with the rest of the band, including Richie Sambora.

Thanks to Summer, Jenn, Mike and Kristin (both not pictured) I got to see them perform Wednesday night! So my brain has been pretty much mush while I come to terms with the awesomeness of this. That's my update. :)

2010-02-20T08:07:00.000-08:00

Today is the official launch of my part in the Snyder's declutter challenge. I have several areas prepared for this weekend, depending on how well things go. Tomorrow is Z-man's birthday party so I have to have the house looking somewhat presentable. I don't want to get too optomistic, so I will keep it real and start with one area.

The childrens' books. They have lots and lots of books. I am mostly pleased with this, but have been thinking in terms of decluttering. Do you remember my post about twaddle free literature. My kids are blessed to have a lot of cherishable stories to jump right into. I do believe, in that mess of paper and binding, that there a more than a few twaddle full books as well. I am not just going to find a neat and tidy spot for the books, I am also going to sort through them. I have never been one to part with my beloved books, but I think I need to be ruthless when it comes to this messy corner of our home.

Now I'm going to go charge up with some fresh grapefruit and toast and then get to work!

http://www.thesnyder5.com/2010/01/500-pound-declutter-great-declutter.html

2010-02-18T07:11:00.000-08:00

You know I was just talking about my declutter project yesterday. I need to be accountable. And then what do I find?! This great declutter challene from the Snyder family! Not only are they on a major decluttering challenge, they weigh in. Their goal over there is 500 pounds of clutter to get rid of. Already over 300 pounds, I think they are well on their way. So here I am, joining their challenge. This is a great challenge and I encourage any of you who are reading to participate.

For my first area of challenge I am going go retroactive. Sure, some might call it cheating, but I don't see the need to throw ugly words around. :) At the end of last week I decided to switch my bookshelf and computer desk. I wanted the desk, and internet, in a more public place. And the bookshelf...oh my! The kids destroyed it on a daily basis, leaving books and papers scattered all over the floor.

Look at me! I was so proud of being all burly and moving the furniture that I had to show this off. I moved that sucker a couple of feet! The Hubby moved it across the house, but I moved it a couple of feet! I know, I'm just awesome like that. :) The books are all put nicely back on the bookshelf in my bedroom. Sorry, forgot to take a picture of that. The desk and computer is all put back together and functional. I am so glad I made this switch.

Next up...the kids' books...

My mission.

2010-02-16T12:49:00.000-08:00

I am strong. I am smart. I am willing. I am capable. I will succeed.

Another fad diet. Another New Year's resolution that we give up on. Another failure. Right? Wrong! I am a born clutter bug. I have the hardest time making sure everything is put away in it's rightful spot, if it even has one. It's like that part of my brain is missing. We have always had a messy home. Now I don't mean that something is going to reach up and grab you when you sit down to pee messy. Someone recently pointed out to me that clean and tidy are different things. So just to clarify...there is no danger of the dust bunnies eating you at my house. Throughout my 10 years as a homemaker, I have always battled the clutter. I want things put away. I want things nice and tidy and pleasant to look at. I want a peaceful and calm atmosphere to my home for my family to enjoy. Instead, we live in CHAOS (Can't Have Anyone Over Syndrome). Have you ever met the Flylady? If you are like me and live in CHAOS, she is a great place to start. I am determined to get this homemaking thing right. I try and try to organize and reorganize, but with little to no lasting effects. This time will be different! This time I am approaching this as a lifestyle change. I need to live differently to pull this off. And with four kids tearing up the house on top of my clutter problem, I need to pull this off. I am putting myself out there. I am being accountable to you. Who knows, there could be hundreds of readers checking on my progress daily?! LOL..*snort* So today's post is to just let you know to expect more updates on my progress. I will triumph!

Happy Valentine's Day

2010-02-13T19:26:00.001-08:00

I'm not much of a celebrator of Valentine's Day. I don't exactly have anything against it, but it's not up on my list of favorite holidays. Nevertheless, I would like to take a moment to reflect...

I love my husband. 12 1/2 years together and 10 1/2 of those married has brought a lot of ups and downs. For better or worse, he is my other half. I love you, baby.

I love my kids. Most of the time I am figuratively drowning in complaining and messes to clean up. It doesn't matter though, not when I get those hugs and smiles and "I wuv you"'s. I L.O.V.E. my kiddos!

I love my family. I am so very fortunate to have many supportive family members. They say you can pick your nose and pick your friends but you can't pick your family. Even if I could, I wouldn't want anyone different.

I love my friends. My friends are some of the most amazing women and men that I could ever imagine sharing my life with.

Ok, I got my warm fuzzies out. Now...who do you love?

Honorable mention giveaways.

2010-02-12T18:32:00.001-08:00

There are two more very readable blogs involved in the Simple Media launch. They are also hosting some great giveaways.

First up I would like to mention Simple Homeschool for all of you committed homeschooling moms and dads out there. I am loving these prizes too, but I have not entered to win as I do not currently homeschool. It is definitely worth checking out for the prizes and for the excellent resource that it is, too.

Next up is Simple Marriage. Again, I think this blog is worth subscribing too! I have entered to win for these giveaways. There is a $50 giftcard to Victoria's Secret, a free 1 year subscription to Pear Budget, and a couple's game called A Private Affair: The Erotic Game of Secrets, Plans and Promises for Couples. The fun doesn't stop there but continues with a copy of the author of the blog's book, A Simple Marriage and also a book called Sweeping Her Off Her Feet With Food by Eric Lee.

Simple Organic Launch Giveaway.

2010-02-12T18:22:00.000-08:00

Time is running short on this one. Just one more day to win some great gifts in this giveaway from Simple Organic. Up for grabs is a very nice soap kit from Laundry Tree, a Bummis Organic Cotton Diapering kit, and one Diva Cup of your choice. I have been very interested in trying one of those. The lucky winner will also receive a free custom cereal capsule from [me] & Goji (this is such a cool idea!) and one copy each of Amanda Blake Soule's books. People, these are unbelievable giveaways. Go to Simple Organic now and check it out!

You've gotta check out this giveaway.

2010-02-11T12:41:00.000-08:00

As part of the launch for Simple Living Media, Simple Kids is offering a fun giveaway. A lucky reader will be winning a subscription to The Book of Days, an engaging series of ebooks. That same reader will win a Multi-Play Soccer Station from a creative toy store, HearthSong. Last up for the winner from the Simple Kids site is something on my very own wishlist. Amanda Blake Soule will be giving a copy each of her books The Creative Family and Handmade Home. You can find out more about her fabulous books at her blog, SouleMama. So head over to Simple Kids and enter to win!

This is some giveaway!!

2010-02-10T16:32:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone out there. I have a super fabulous giveaway to tell you about. Head over to Simple Bites to enter this contest. If you win this giveaway contest you walk away with a basket stuffed full of treats galore! Here's what's on the menu... a 25 bean bundle of Bourbon Vanilla beans PLUS a sample of pure vanilla powder from I Heart Vanilla; one Diamond Edge Gourment Electric Knife and Scissors Sharpener from Smith's; one hardcover copy of Blog Aid: Recipes for Haiti; one of each of the following Canterbury Naturals products: Savory Herb and Cheese Tortellini Soup, Old World Sundried Tomato Flatbread, and Northwest Apple Cake Mix.... Oh! And that's not all! Also, the lucky winner will receive a Keurig Platinum Single Serve Brewer KUB70.

Run over there now and enter to win!

Simple Mom giveaway!

2010-02-09T10:29:00.000-08:00

Amazing giveaway prizes at Simple Mom!! A gorgeous pearl necklace from One Pearl, where they donate 100% of their profits to non-profit organizations that benefit children's health and education. A package of 365 overlays from the delightfully talented Ali Edwards. Also, you have a chance to win an annual subscription to the wonderfully simple Seeing the Everyday magazine. Please check out this link to find out more!

The healing power of onions!

2010-02-08T06:08:00.000-08:00

I haven't been posting much lately because our family has been down and out with the sickies. Croup type nastiness all around. It has caused a usual problem for me and I decided that I would share a solution with this first foray back to the blog. I have teeny tiny ears. That means I also have teeny tiny eustachian tubes. When I get a cold or react to seasonal allergies, my tubes fill up with fluid. That fluid causes the them to swell up and get inflamed and they don't get better on their own. Besides feeling like my head is full of water, sloshing around, another side effect is I lose hearing. Right now you could probably speak at normal volume against my left ear and I wouldn't hear it. That rather unpleasant side effect has me craving an onion.

You take an onion and slice it in half. Place each ends of the onion, cut side down on a cookie sheet. Bake it in the oven...this part I'm a bit fuzzy on, at about 350 for just a few minutes. You want the onion as hot as you can stand it without burning. Grab the onion with a potholder and hold it against your ear. This will relieve the pressure of the fluid build up and will begin to drain the fluid. Plus, you are gonna smell great! :o) This is a tried and true temporary cure. I am ready for my onion perfume today. By the way...I have mentioned this to my ENT doctor. Someday I will need tubes, but for now this is my quick relief. He laughed it off and said to use a hot pack against my ear and that "it will do the exact same thing." It doesn't. It feels good and relieves a bit of pressure, but nothing like the onion.

Onions having healing properties. You have probably heard about the awesome goodness of garlic. If you haven't, don't worry, there will be a future post. ;o) Not as many people have heard about the healing power of an onion. Would you like to know more? Find out how onions can lower blood pressure at Foods That Heal: Onion. Find some more healing properties at The Healing Power of Onion.

Happy Birthday X2!

2010-02-03T15:43:00.001-08:00

to our beautiful, bright, FUN niece. Rylee, you are great girlie!
to The Hubby. Today is your day, baby. Hope you have a good one.

This looks like an amazing movie!

2010-02-02T08:25:00.000-08:00

Thanks to iVillage, I have seen a preview for this new HBO movie. For anyone blessed to have an autistic person in their lives, you know what a delight they can be. I can't wait to see this.

Trailer

Valentine card giveaway!

2010-01-30T09:03:00.001-08:00

I am not joking with you. I literally snorted my coffee in an attempt to not spit it out all over my computer screen this morning when I read this. I have to get my hands on this card! :o) This one is my favorite, but there are many more to choose from too. Check out Petit Elefant for the details. Minted is fast becoming my favorite card store.

Puddle jumpers.

2010-01-21T16:12:00.000-08:00

We are late. We really can't deal with getting soaked right now. Do you have to destroy your shoes like that? Ugh!! Some of the many reasons why I am always telling the kids to stay out of the rain and puddles.

Today, I realized it would be a perfect day for jumping in puddles! With their jammies still on, and Baby Doll sporting her favorite cowboy boots, we took the plunge.

I would ask you if you can just see the excitement on their faces, but Duder looks a little bit frightened more than happy. Don't let this photo fool you. They were loving it! Have you jumped in a puddle lately? Take time to "smell the roses." Or, in this case, skip through the water until you get thoroughly wet.

Twaddle free zone.

2010-01-20T13:49:00.001-08:00

I learned a new word today. Twaddle. Charlotte Mason, a pioneer in children’s education during the 19th century, coined this term. I am getting my information here from SimpleMom, one of my favorite places to be online. Twaddle means dumb-downed literature; absence of meaning. Wow. This was profound to me! There have been many times when I have wondered why a book is just so darn good and enjoyable. There have been far too many more times when I wonder why a book isn't sparking the tiniest bit of enjoyment out of me. I am on a quest to find the best twaddle-free books out there to enjoy with my children. I will be starting to post about some of the books out there that I would highly recommend. Books that my children have gotten hours and hours of entertainment out of. Books which stay with me still, to this day. I have no idea if all of these books are award winning stories. I would still like to share with all of you. And I have a request from you. Please, oh please, share some of your favorite stories in the comments section. Let's specify the catagory a bit. The books should be from children's literature to young adult. Leave me a comment and I will be sure to showcase your book. :o)

Z-Man...what a cool dude!

2010-01-19T12:02:00.001-08:00

We wanted to share our news that Z-Man got his first pair of glasses! He didn't realize that he even needed any, but come to find out he really did! He and I have almost the same prescription and I couldn't read anything more than 3 feet away from me. This answers the question why he keeps "forgetting" to copy down his vocabulary words from the board. He says now it's a whole new world! It is so neat to see how excited he is to see things!

Little Mama's strawberry smoothies

2010-01-16T17:48:00.000-08:00

Little Mama is getting to be quite an accomplished cook. I am not a big smoothie fan. I like them well enough, but usually can't stand to drink a whole glass. Little Mama's most recent time in the kitchen produced the best strawberry smoothies E.V.E.R.!

We all had strawberry smoothie mustaches by the end of our little pig out. I know you must be dying to find out what the recipe is now, so I won't keep you waiting any longer. :o) Little Mama was so excited to share this with all of you reading on the blog.

Ingredients:
2 ripe bananas
1 cup frozen unsweetened whole strawberries
1 6-ounce carton vanilla low-fat yogurt
3/4 cup low-fat milk
Fresh whole strawberries (optional)

1. Remove the peel from the bananas and throw away. Place the bananas on the cutting board. Use the knife to cut bananas into chunks.

2. Put banana chunks, frozen strawberries, yogurt, and milk in the blender.

3. Cover the blender with the lid and blend on high speed until the fruit mixture is smooth. Turn off the blender. Pour mixture into the serving glasses. Use the rubber scraper to get all of the drink out of the blender. If you like, top the drinks with whole strawberries. Makes 3 servings.

~~~~

I also had to show a picture of our cute Little Mama putting her Christmas present to good use.

Sharing some great links.

2010-01-13T14:01:00.001-08:00

All I'm saying is this site makes me want another baby. ;o) Faith Inspired Babywear.

This is a new discovery for me, Christian Women Online. I am just looking through this site. I got so excited about it I wanted to share it with all of you.

For the next post...Little Mama's delicious strawberry smoothie! Stay tuned.

Socks.

2010-01-12T10:23:00.000-08:00

When the two year old is frantic to go outside and play and the laundry is not washed, it does not matter if he wears his sister's frilly socks. :)

I love my friends!

2010-01-10T15:46:00.000-08:00

Friday, January 8, I was surprised by my wonderful friends and hubby with a surprise birthday party. I was completely clueless to the moment I saw them and heard "Surprise!" If you want tips on how to throw the absolute best birthday bash, sending them my way and I will get you answers!

The night was awesome. So many laughs my abs hurt the next day! I have gotten my hands on some of the pictures taken that night. I would love to share with you all of the pictures that show what a great time we were having. I haven't had time to ask my friends about posting their pictures, so I will make this post all about me and show myself off.

I did enjoy this fabulous red wine that the Hubby got for me and in some of the pictures I am looking quite silly. I will try not to embarrass myself too bad. Right here, I am enjoying a chocolate martini. Yep, that's right. A chocolate martini. Fantastic, lovely friends. Check. Incredible food (italian garden salad, shrimp pasta, lasagna, french bread and appetizers). Check. So many laughs I was in pain the next day. Check. The best red wine out there and chocolate martinis. Check. What more could a girl possibly ask for? :o)

A big one.

2010-01-08T14:23:00.000-08:00

There is a rumor going around. Something about today being my birthday? My 30th birthday, no less! As if... ;o) You betchya! I joined the 30 club today! Thank you to everyone sending those great birthday wishes. I am having a great day. I started the morning out with Holy Yoga, which I thought was great, went to a good bible study and am now sitting down to vegitate in front of the computer before getting ready to go out on a date with the Hubby.

On a lighter note...

2010-01-06T09:15:00.000-08:00

This seems extra silly following a serious post, but are you up for a laugh? I stumbled across this and laughed so hard I had to share! For those of you who have been hiding under a rock (because even non Twilight fans have been bombarded with Twilight news whether they like it or not), the actor wearing the "Team Edward" shirt is the actor who plays Jacob in the movies.

To Save A Life

2010-01-05T12:40:00.001-08:00

Have you heard about this movie? To Save A Life. I encourage you all to see this movie, and to pass it on. While many stories have a great message, this one undoubtedly does. There was a boy in junior high. A sweet and quiet boy. We talked in the classes we were in together. We could have been better friends if I wasn't so shy. I wonder what excuse everyone else had. The next year he wasn't at school. He ended his life that summer. What could I have done? I could have been a friend. I learned my lesson. I hope to pass on the message.

Are the kids bored?

2010-01-04T14:45:00.000-08:00

Do they like to play on the computer and internet? My kids love to play on the computer. I have several great sites bookmarked that I would like to share with you. Today I am sharing about iKnowthat.com. Any time that I can combine learning and fun, is a great time! Little Mama could use some help with her math. Got that covered at this site. Z-man loves all things science and I am always looking for something interesting for him. Another thing this site has covered. We have been visiting it a lot over break. Hope this link is helpful to you!

Happy New Year! 2010 is going to be great!!

2010-01-04T14:42:00.000-08:00

Pictures of the new 'do!

2009-12-31T15:11:00.000-08:00

As I mentioned before, Baby Doll has a new hairstyle. This time it is not because she decided to cut her own hair. No, mom and dad managed to mess it up all on our own. Thank goodness for Tammy, the best hairstylist a girl could ask for. So, for your viewing pleasure, here she is with before and after pictures.

This and That.

2009-12-31T14:13:00.001-08:00

*sigh* It is the last day of 2009. What a year, but I suppose any of us could say that about any year. I am busy right now trying to think up a new blog background for January. The good news is I found my cell phone, but it hasn't seen the camera cord. And boy oh boy do I need that camera cord! Baby Doll has a brand new hairstyle! We have been cutting her hair for years without any mistakes. So this morning...there was a mistake and an emergency visit to the hair salon. :o) So now my youngest chickadee is sporting a wild, crazy, spunky and very short hairstyle. Hopefully I will be updating you all again later. If I don't make it back, I hope everyone has a wonderfully safe and happy New Year's celebration!

Happy Birthday, Grayson!

2009-12-28T17:52:00.000-08:00

Today I was going to welcome you all back with fun photos of our Christmas. I even have some video! But the camera cord ran away. I think it is having a secret affair with my missing cell phone. So in lieu of our family photos, I will get a jump start on a very special event that will be happening tomorrow. Our nephew is turning 10! Dude, like have a totally awesome birthday!!

Have a great Christmas.

2009-12-24T15:59:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas!!

2009-12-23T14:16:00.000-08:00

Today will be my last post until after Christmas. I wanted to leave you all with one more of my favorite Christmas songs. :)

Holiday siggies

2009-12-21T13:58:00.000-08:00

I love Christmas. It is my favorite time of the year. I have had to restrain myself from making thousands of holiday siggies for myself. Some of my siggies are so much fun, whether I made them or they were made for me that I wanted to share them with all of you. First up is my pride and joy. This is my favorite Christmas siggy mostly because the animation was very difficult to do. Trying to make the same siggy snow and flame was a pain! But I think it turned out nicely and it remains my favorite. : )

Next one up is a great new one that was made for me recently. Graphics can be a blast, especially when you can get Anne to make one for you. Anne is the Community Leader over on Signature Making for Beginners, a great place to get hooked on a very addictive hobby!

For some reason I also love animation in a holiday siggy. It is a great time for falling snow or rotating pictures. Out of my vast collection of Christmas siggies (only a few made the cut for this post) there are just a few without animation.

The pointsetta siggy features one of our favorite picks from our most recent family photo shoot. The next blog post will be featuring all of our favorite shots. There wasn't much added to this siggy, the picture itself was perfection.

Finally we have another one of my siggies that makes me smile every time I see it. This cute girl, a Kate Hanover masterpiece, reminds me of me. If I could find that dress I would SO wear it! A lot...any time of the year. Aren't you glad I don't have a dress like that? Hahaha. So this lady is me in cartoon form. :o)

Which siggy is your favorite?

Celebrate the Day by Relient K, another favorite.

2009-12-17T07:56:00.001-08:00

It is just a road map.........

2009-12-15T11:52:00.000-08:00

I like to bake and cook but I rarely follow a recipe. I think one time I heard Paula Deen say that "a recipe is like a road map". You can take the interstate (and follow the recipe exactly), but if you take a few detours the trip may just be a lot more interesting and that makes the recipe fit your family.

So when I cook I make some detours here and there. Some of the detours are simple - for instance I do not like bell peppers, so I either leave them out or I substitute hot peppers. Sometimes I come up with something that my family thinks is a real winner. Only once or twice have a made something so inedible that they would not eat it and even them it was not wasted as we fed it to the pigs or the chickens.

A recent winner with my family and friends is Sweet Potato Cookies. They started out as an oatmeal spice cookie recipe from a friend but some additions and deletions they have been reinvented to be Sweet Potato Cookies.

Sweet Potato Cookies

¾ Cup butter, softened
¾ cup sugar
½ cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 cup finely shredded sweet potato, uncooked
4 Tablespoons orange juice concentrate
2 cups flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 ½ cups oatmeal
1 cup flaked coconut (I make it a generous cup!)
1 cup chopped pecans

In a large mixing bowl cream butter and sugars. Beat in the egg, sweet potato and orange juice concentrate. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, salt and nutmeg. Slowly add to the creamed mixture and mix well. Mix in the coconut and pecans until just combined.

Drop by the spoonful 2 inches apart onto a greased baking sheet. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes or until firm. Cool on racks.

I hope you enjoy these as much as we do. If you make some detours of your own I would love to hear about them.

Carol - Wyomingmom

A favorite holiday song, What Child Is This?

2009-12-14T18:55:00.000-08:00

Sugar cookies!

2009-12-11T10:40:00.000-08:00

I like free stuff. My computer can tell...poor computer. I have been spending a lot of time downloading some really great scrap kits from the Sugar Cookies Blog Train. I decided I had to share my goodies with any of you that might like to follow along. :)

Dayspring Holiday Giveaway

2009-12-10T12:49:00.000-08:00

SimpleMom is sharing a Dayspring holiday giveaway! Check out the contest here to win three lovely, frosted luminaries of the Nativity.

The Art of Aprons.

2009-12-09T14:37:00.000-08:00

I am a domestic engineer ...or a housewife ...or a stay at home mom ...or a homemaker ...or a housekeeper ...or a cook, or .... You get the picture. :)

"Wearing an apron is just good sense...An apron is domestic armor, shielding our clothing against the splatter and tatter of keeping house. Wear an apron and your guard is up." ~EllynAnne Geisel from APRONISMS * Pocket Wisdom for Every Day.

I had a basic red apron stashed in the far back of my kitchen drawer. After much frustration over the fact that every single one of my shirts have holes right around navel level, I finally fished it out from it's exile. I looked at it suspiciously and slowly slipped it on. Wow! I loved the way it felt, and the way it looked. The best part about it was that it worked. I mean, it kept splatters off my clothes, kept tears from my shirts, and kept my dishtowel nice and handy. How incredibly practical is an apron?! I felt like I had spent years avoiding a stereotype and so avoiding an apron. I now wear my apron off and on throughout the day and always feel my best when I have it on. It is not only my "armor" but an inspiration as well. I feel beautiful and feminine when wearing it. I feel prepared and energetic. I will never be without this friend of mine again!

My apron is a simple red full length apron. I admit to a new obsession. While I love my apron, especially because it is my favorite color, it is plain. That sure serves a purpose...but who wouldn't want a lovely apron like the one pictured above? So now I find myself often sifting through the never ending treasure chest of Etsy. Those ladies are fabulous! Not only do I want to spend any life savings on gorgeous apron after gorgeous apron, I want to break out my sewing machine and start making my own. Nothing has made me look twice at my stowed away sewing machine for quite awhile, so that is saying something. If you know of an apron that you don't think I can resist, please post a comment and tell me about it!

One last tidbit. Aprons are not just for beautiful women. They are for delightful little girls too! The next apron pictured may or may not be wrapped and under our tree waiting for a certain 7 year old..

Swimming cameras and bloating.

2009-12-06T17:09:00.000-08:00

As I heard the plunk, I stood there like a deer in headlights. No...that didn't just happen...my camera did not just leap off the counter, earning a 10 with a dive into the soapy water filled sink. I fished it out by it's strap, staring at it stupidly as the water poured out of it. The camera would be fine, right? No biggie, right? Right, right?!!! Wrong...so very wrong. No more fun and random pictures from me. I will be beside myself without a camera. Until the next one joins our family.

I have come to a realization. If I am bloated about 95% of the month...I don't think it's bloating. Especially when I started noticing this trend soon after all of the Halloween candy was eaten. There was that moment when I was like, "Man, I am always bloated, what's with this?" Time to play some more active Wii tennis is start working out again. I hate bloating. But it is much more tolerable when it only happens 5% of the time. :)

An irritating Life's Truth.

2009-12-04T19:59:00.000-08:00

When I have the time to look for all of the information I wanted to share with you all about making a Jesse Tree, I decide to load up a new Christmas music sampler first. When one has the time and ability to do a project, one is bound to get into an argument with the computer and need a cooling off period. :)

Bits of Health

2009-12-03T09:37:00.000-08:00

It seems that the stomach flu was not finished with us yet. I am finally dragging myself out of bed today. I thought I would share a few things with you in hopes that it will help any of you from going through this nasty bug.

Olive Leaf. Have you heard of this? This really does work! I use the suspension liquid as it can be mixed in juice for the little ones. If you are fighting something, think you might be exposed to something, or are already feeling lousy, then try this out. I pick mine up at my local Sprouts.

Ginger. This is great for a sick stomach. I have sipped plenty of mugs of ginger tea in my time. Tea can be soothing, but if you prefer, you can always get tablets.

These are the two supplements that pop into my mind right now. Do you have any suggestions? Leave a comment!

Vacation

2009-11-30T11:59:00.000-08:00

Hellllooooo!! Long time, no blog! We recently got back from a wonderful trip to visit family over the Thanksgiving holiday. If you can say you had a great time, despite the pukes traveling through the family, then you had a great time!

We had to cancel some of our plans because of illness, but before the puking began, we got to have some outdoors fun. We went from Santa Rosa to Bodega Bay to spend a beautiful afternoon at the beach!

Here is one of our beautiful nieces, Tessa. Isn't she a cutie? I tried to take her home with me, but Aunty and The Hubby were not having any of that. :) You can find Tessa in the dictionary, under adorable.

Even though we were in the midst of icky tummies, we managed a very tasty holiday meal. Turkey, stuffing, gravy, candied yams, wild rice, fruit salad, rolls, cranberry sauce, and I think there was even more that I am forgetting. Oh, and "kid's wine" (aka sparkling cider) too!

The adults got to head out for a date while the kids hung out at home with a couple of babysitters. Yep, it takes a couple of sitters for our combined kids. We saw.....New Moon! Yeah, I am one of those people. In my defense, so is The Hubby. We also enjoyed some great sushi that day. It has been over a year since I got me some raw fish and it was great. And yet another highlight of the trip? We stopped by a vintage clothing store! That is soooo my thing. Check out my new hat.

I hope that you and yours had a wonderful holiday week. I look forward to posting more often now that I am back home.

Lisa Leanard giveaway from SimpleMom!

2009-11-19T08:42:00.000-08:00

SimpleMom is hosting a $50 holiday giveaway from Lisa Leonard! Check this fabulous opportunity out HERE.

Pumpkin Roll

2009-11-19T06:49:00.000-08:00

I love living in Germany. I really do. We've been able to see so many neat places and share in so many cultural traditions since we arrived. It's been an amazing experience.

There's always That Thing, though. You know? That one Thing that you wish was just the way it was when you grew up.

I can deal with the rain. I don't mind that the kids only go to school until 1:00. It doesn't bother me that I spend half my time driving going 5 mph behind a bicycle. But I really wish my oven was bigger than two cubic feet inside!

I told you all that I've been all about pumpkin recently. So naturally, I peeled the label off the Libby's 100% pure pumpkin to see if there were any yummy recipes on the inside. Lo and behold, I found the recipe for a pumpkin roll! Oh my word! Pumpkin AND dessert! Two of my most favorite things in the world!!! I dutifully went out and bought a jelly roll pan, so excited to get to make my first roll cake. I carefully collected all of the ingredients at the commissary and assembled them on my counter. I was ready. This was going to be good.

Step 1. Preheat oven to 375*F. OK, so I have to translate the temperature into Celsius. I'm used to that. No problem. Check.

Step 2. Grease 15 x 10 inch jelly roll pan; line with wax paper. Grease and flour paper. YAY! My new jelly roll pan! ... But wait. ... Why are the edges of my jelly roll pan sticking out over the edges of the stovetop? Huh. If the jelly roll pan won't fit on the stovetop... DARN IT! I tried to fit that pan in front ways, back ways, tilted, and upside down. (OK, so I really didn't try to fit it in upside down, but I tried everything I could think of.) There was no fitting that thing in that oven.

Step 2a. Find a new way to bake the roll cake so I can still make the dessert. Two casserole dishes? OK. Might work. Let's give it a shot!

And so this is how I came to know that not only can you bake this cake in a 15 x 10 inch jelly roll pan, you can also bake it in a larger-than-13x9 inch casserole dish plus a smaller-than-13x9 casserole dish. Sorry I can't be more specific, but that's about as clear as I can make the sizes of the dishes I used. :)

Here is a link to the recipe and directions. This cake was SO worth the effort. It got rave reviews at the church meeting where I took it to share. I hope you can enjoy this recipe!

Libby's Pumpkin Roll - http://www.verybestbaking.com/recipes/detail.aspx?ID=32372

Free Digiscrap site.

2009-11-18T10:01:00.000-08:00

Here is a quick post for the day. As I was looking through digiscrap freebie sites, I thought I would share with all of you! I am getting ready to design our December blog background. I very rarely purchase a kit and so I have found some useful places to get some great freebies. And today, for your viewing pleasure I present DigiScrapDepot.

I would also like to ask a quick question. What is your favorite part of holiday decorations? Snow? Santas? Nativity? Christmas trees? Please let me know through the comments. :o)

Please welcome our Guest Mom, Kara!

2009-11-17T07:38:00.000-08:00

Thanks for letting me be part of your blog, Mandy! I have really enjoyed getting to know you through the Unassisted Childbirth board on iVillage. You have done such a wonderful job leading that group, and I'm excited to see what a fantastic blog you have put together!

I am Kara, wife to Tom and mom to Connor Thomas (8), Kadyn May (5), and Avery Claire (3). I live in Germany and work part time for our church. Tom and I have been married ten years and have lived
in nine different houses over three continents since we said, "I do." My life is one big adventure!

One of my favorite parts of the fall season is the wonderful comforting foods that go along with autumn! This year I have been all about pumpkin. You can tell from the color alone that pumpkin is packed with nutrients. One cup of raw pumpkin contains only thirty calories and just a tenth of a gram of fat yet it boasts levels of calcium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, K, iron, folate, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, and Vitamins C, B6, B12, A, and E! I have been adding pumpkin to everything lately - oatmeal, cottage cheese, yogurt, pancakes, waffles, cake, soup...the list goes on. I thought I'd share my pumpkin pancake recipe, which has been a huge hit here.

Pumpkin Pancakes
Mix:
1 1/4 c buttermilk (I use low-fat.)
1 egg
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1 t baking powder
2 T oil (I use canola.)
1 t cinnamon
1/2 t nutmeg
1/2 t cloves
2 T honey
1/2 c pumpkin puree
1/4 c ground flax seed
1 1/4 c whole wheat flour

We love these pancakes with whole wheat flour but I'm sure they would work with all-purpose flour as well. The flax seed is optional, but gives the pancakes a good nutty flavor and adds some Omega 3s to the mix. You can add in nuts as well - pecans are fantastic! - but my kids don't care for nuts in their pancakes.

Every Monday is Pancake Day for us and this recipe has been gobbled up for the last two weeks. I hope you enjoy it as much as we have!

Pregnant in America

2009-11-14T08:08:00.001-08:00

It is time for me to get up on my soapbox and tell you all about a cause that I am passionate about. Childbirth. I am not going to sit here at my computer and tell you exactly how you should give birth. Who am I to decide that for you? That is your decision. I do urge you to be informed. Below is a preview for a documentary called Pregnant in America. I watched it last night. I was burning with anger over what our nation, insurance companies, and medical practices are doing to us. This information is not new to me. I wanted to share it with all of you, in case it is new to you. This is very worth watching! You can buy the video or rent it through a video store.

Another birthday celebration.

2009-11-13T13:04:00.000-08:00

Happy 40th Birthday, Sesame Street! YOU.ARE.AWESOME!

Pumpkin carving

2009-11-12T08:54:00.000-08:00

Halloween is over until next year. The kids are already dreaming about what the next costume will be. For us, pumpkin fun isn't over yet, though! We still have November to have fun. Good thing too, because I am just now sharing our pumpkin carving pictures. The Hubby is the master artist in the family. He carved out four sides to the same pumpkin.

I am about to share our super secret carving technique. First, the kids draw their faces on the pumpkins with washable crayola markers.

Then their dad takes a look at their creation and erases it. The kids' drawings are usually not to the right size for the pumpkin. Then The Hubby gets to work. And that's it!
First up we had Z-man with his cyclops. Second we have Little Mama with her pretty face. Baby Doll follows with her dimples. Finally, Duder with Spiderman's spider.

What did you carve your pumpkin like?

2009-11-11T11:56:00.000-08:00

Remembering all of our servicemen and women this day. Thank you for all that you have done and continue to do.

Bountiful Baskets

2009-11-10T09:23:00.000-08:00

Do you buy organic? Where do you get your veggies and fruits from? Have you ever bought fresh from a local farmer? There is a wonderful, local program here called Bountiful Baskets. It has now expanded from Arizona to Utah, Idaho and Washington as well. This group is volunteer based. You sign up, find a local pick up site, make a contribution ($$) and go every other week to pick up a laundry basket full of locally grown, very fresh produce! Financially it is a great deal, and your taste buds will thank you too! Thanks to Bountiful Baskets I have tasted the very best tasting strawberries ever. I have never had them that fresh before.

In addition to a basket full of produce, there are extras available for a little more cost. Do you see all of the lovely food in the basket above? That was my conventional basket this last weekend. I got tomatoes, lettuce, spinach, avocados, spaghetti squash, onions, corn on the cob, cucumbers, bananas, cantaloupe, apples, kiwi and oranges. I paid $10 extra and got 5 loaves of the yummiest bread I have ever tasted. I picked the honey oat variety, and there was also a cranberry bread and a sourdough bread to choose from. Finally, I opted to get the Italian pack too. I got more spinach, fresh basil, mushrooms, squash, onions, Italian parsley and garlic.

I have to tell you, if this is offered in your area, I would recommend trying it out! You get a great deal on produce, it is very tasty and you are helping out local farmers!

What to do when one is late...

2009-11-09T07:21:00.000-08:00

My perspective: I let the extra tired camper sleep in a little bit this morning, but as a result we were running late to school. The first warning bell had rung and the kids needed to hustle to get to class this morning.

Little Mama's perspective: She was tired and slow, and why rush even if she is running late to school? This would be the perfect time for her to very slowwwwwwly make sure she hops over ever single crack in the sidewalk on the way through the school gates.

And another truth for today...

I am just too damn old to be sleeping on the ground! Mommy must have a blow up mattress or mommy cannot walk the next day. : )

Happy Birthday, Shanna!

2009-11-06T12:14:00.000-08:00

I want to wish my sister-in-law, Shanna, a very happy birthday today!

Thinking Christmas.

2009-11-06T12:07:00.000-08:00

SHHhhhh! I'm going to spill the beans on some Christmas presents. My kids are getting magazine subscriptions for Christmas this year. Have you ever heard of Cricket, ladybug or Ask? Check these out. They were highly recommended to me and I must say that I have been very impressed. So if you are thinking about what to get the kids, I am passing on the recommendation for these.

So speaking of Christmas...is anyone stressed over the holidays yet? I start my seasonal shopping and preparing in June. And so what if my kids don't want to listen to Christmas songs in the summer? Since I am a HUGE fan of Christmas, I am always ready for it. This year I have been following simple mom's 12 weeks to a peaceful Christmas to work on preparation. I will be sharing some ideas from simple mom and others on enjoying holiday cheer.

Ready for a giggle?

2009-11-05T12:35:00.000-08:00

I am sorry that it has been a bit since my last post. It has been a rough couple of days. Between life, parenthood and facing the dentist, I thought I could use a laugh today. So today's post is a joke that my mother-in-law told us.

One day, after nearly an eternity in the Garden of Eden, Adam dials up God and says; "Lord, I have a problem"

"What's the problem, Adam?" God replies.

"Lord, I know you created me and have provided for me and surrounded me with this beautiful garden and all of these wonderful animals, but I'm just not happy."

"Why is that, Adam?", comes the reply from the heavens.

"Lord, I know that you created this place for me, with all this lovely food and all of the beautiful animals, but I'm lonely." "The sheep and I do not speak the same language."

"Well Adam, in that case I have the perfect solution. I shall create a WOMAN for you"

"Forgive me, Lord, but what is a WOMAN?"

"This WOMAN will be the most intelligent, sensitive, caring and beautiful creature I have ever created. She will be so intelligent that she can figure out what you want before you want it. She will be so sensitive and caring that she will know your every mood and how to make you happy. Her beauty will rival that of the heavens and earth. She will unquestioningly care for your every need and desire. She will be the perfect companion for you." Replies the heavenly voice.

"Sounds great to me." says Adam.

"She will be great, as is with all things I create, well except for the Platypus, but Adam.........."

"Yes Lord."

"This is going to cost you."

"How much will this WOMAN cost me Lord?" Adam replies.

"She'll cost you your right arm,..... your right leg,..... an eye and an ear."

Adam ponders this for some time. Then with a look of deep though and concern still etched on his face Adam says, "Ehhhh, what can I get for a rib?"

Happy Halloween!

2009-10-31T13:07:00.001-07:00

Happy Halloween! I hope everyone out there is having a really great weekend. We got a head start on celebrating yesterday by attending one fantastic party! Costumes, pizza, friends, a scavenger hunt and launching apples out of a three person water balloon slingshot - who could ask for a better night?!

The Jawa (aka Z-man), Princess Jasmine (aka Little Mama), Supergirl (aka Baby Doll) and Spiderman (aka Duder) finally had the moment that they have been waiting a year for. ..dressing in their costumes! And I had the moment that I have been waiting a year for...
dressing in my costume! I love dressing up for Halloween. I think I have tons more fun with it now than I ever did as a kid. What do you think? Do I make a good Pink? I learned a few important things last night. First, I love my hair spiked in a mohawk. Second, I love the very bright pink lipstick I am wearing. Third, I love the nose ring! Seriously, don't be surprised if you see me sporting one or all of these in the future. I have found myself! I might do without the pink hair dye in the mohawk and the shoes that are responsible for me not being able to walk today.
I know, I really should have warned you with some sort of intro. Are you ok? Do you need a moment to calm down? I swear, this is the Hubby's best Halloween costume since he borrowed Ciena's bra in high school and went as a hooker! The only thing that would have made it better would have been the vinyl bodysuit. We just couldn't find it on such short notice. And for anyone interested in knowing, yes the Hubby was really going to dress as the Little Mermaid. The $120 price tag that went along with it wasn't worth the laughs for us. Maybe next year. Keep your fingers crossed. : )
To recap, my kids are adorable. We all had lots of fun and are looking forward to more. My only regret from the evening was not having a video camera on me to catch Duder booking it across the field in his little Spiderman costume, trying to catch one of the launched apples. The Hubby is just about finished carving the four faced jack-o-lantern, so I had better go help him out with the last few parts so I can claim I did it. : )

A Life's Truth entry thanks to Avery.

2009-10-28T14:52:00.000-07:00

Nothing, and I mean nothing will start your day out well better than blasting the theme from Superman through the house. That was Baby Doll's request. I challenge you to do it and try to keep a straight face! I kept my smile all morning, even after sitting down on a peed on toilet seat. Now, that means Superman is inspiring. I think Baby Doll was getting her Halloween persona (Supergirl) ready for this weekend.

Trying Carol's Pumpkin Pie Smoothies

2009-10-28T10:40:00.001-07:00

Little Mama and I got down to some business yesterday afternoon and tried out Carol's yummy sounding Pumpkin Pie smoothies. Any excuse to be in the kitchen is good for her. She isn't wearing it here, but she usually begs me to wear my apron while cooking. Little does she know that she has her own custom made apron wrapped up at the top of my closet, waiting for Christmas!

And here we have our tasty ingre- dients, all ready to be blended. Plain yogurt (we will try vanilla next time), cinnamon, canned pumpkin, brown sugar, nutmeg and something else which I can't remember without looking back at the blog. It even looks good there, doesn't it? Look at all that brown sugar...you just can't go wrong with brown sugar! Now to mush it all up.

Ready for the sampling. Baby Doll, what do you think? She loved it and sucked down half her cup so fast I'm surprised she didn't suffer from a severe case of brain freeze. Then she sat for a moment, let out a great belch and announced that she was full. She decided she didn't like it (I think because she drank it too fast and got a very full tummy) but yet still requested it again for breakfast this morning.

Z-man, what do you think of it? Woah! That good?! Great big thumbs up from my pickiest eater. This stuff has gotta be good! Thanks again, Carol, for sharing with us! If any of you try this, please do leave a comment to tell us what you think!

Introducing our first Guest Mom!

2009-10-27T06:49:00.000-07:00

Mandy asked me to be a guest here to celebrate her blog launch. Let me start by saying I am honored that she thinks I have anything important to say. It is also funny that she thought I would know how to post to the blog. You see, when she told me that she was starting a blog and asked me to take a look I did. Then I had to ask how to follow her. So when I got logged in to follow her, I discovered that some time back I had started an account for a blog, but I never published anything because I just could not figure it out. Maybe if Mandy helps me out one day I will have my own blog and she can be my guest.

I am a home schooling mom of 3 great boys. My oldest boy, JJ, is 11 and involved in 4-H and several sporting activities as well. McP is a wild 4 year old that wants to do everything his older brother does. Most of the time that is a good thing. Then there is my surprise little 6 month old Hamster who can't wait to mix it up with his older brothers. We have a small acreage property with a few animals and we enjoy gardening. In addition to my love of gardening, the boys also enjoy cooking with me and we like to experiment in the kitchen a bit.

I lived for 36 years in Florida and we moved to rural Wyoming 3 years ago. It is a slightly shorter growing season in Wyoming and gardening here has been a challenge, but I think we are making headway. For the last 3 years JJ has tried growing pumpkins. He wants to grow all kinds of pumpkins and winter squash but especially the elusive Dill's Atlantic Giant pumpkin. So this year we planted seeds and as a back up we also planted a few started plants from the local garden center. Plus over the winter of 2008-2009 the dogs scattered some seeds of a pumpkin that my husband had just chucked out the back door when it started going bad. So this year we had lots of pumpkin plants and a bumper crop of pumpkins - including a 55+ pound Giant Pumpkin. Certainly not a record breaker, but the biggest we have ever grown and good enough for JJ to win the biggest pumpkin at the farmers market! Just to brag McP entered a winged gourd that he grew and he won for best squash (non-pumpkin).

I will be honest here that my experience cooking with pumpkin has been limited to opening a can of Libby's real pumpkin and baking a pie. I was not even sure how one prepared fresh pumpkin. Thanks to the internet I found that cooking a pumpkin was really quite simple. My preferred method is baking, but it can also be boiled or even microwaved. SO are you ready to cook a pumpkin or several?

The trickiest part of preparing pumpkin (or any winter squash) is cutting it! You can use a sharp knife or run out to the garage and get your husbands electric saw (I will wait for you!). Just wash off the blade when you are done, we won't tell him you used it. Now that the pumpkin is cut in half, scoop out the seeds and set them aside. You can eat the seeds raw or roast them. Or if you do not want to eat them at least put the out for the birds.

Find one or more shallow dishes in which to bake your pumpkins. Place the pumpkins cut side down and add about 1 inch of water to the dish. I like to cook several at one time. Set your even at about 350 and go put your feet up for a bit - I like to check in on my pumpkins about every 20 minutes and add additional water as necessary. How long it takes to cook in part depends on how large and how many pumpkins you are cooking. When the shell feels soft it is done. Take it out and let it cool. Once cool you can scoop out the yummy pulp, puree in the food processor and use it for soup, baked goods and even a healthy smoothie. I am finding that freezing in 1 or 2 cup increments works great for later use.

So how about that healthy, but yummy Pumpkin Pie Smoothie. Your kids will think it is dessert, but you will fool them!

2 cups cooked fresh pureed pumpkin
2 cups yogurt (Plain or vanilla)
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
Dash of ground cloves
1/3 cup brown sugar (or to taste - probably would use less if you use vanilla`yogurt) or honey
A few ice cubes

Blend in blender and enjoy.

Now you tell me that you did not grow pumpkins this year and you did not pick one up at the farmers market. Well that is okay too, just grab a can of pumpkin off the pantry shelf. You smoothie will still be nutritious, but it may be a little thicker than above. Just add some extra ice or a splash of milk. I hope you enjoy and if you have any interesting ways you use pumpkin I would love to hear them as I have many more pumpkins to cook yet. I need to get some cut now though before my husband gets home and discovers that I am using his saw.

Til next time -----

WYOMOM (aka Carol)

School Carnival

2009-10-26T15:00:00.000-07:00

Fun, Fun, Fun...
The kids have been crying and begging for weeks to go to the school carnival. There might be some great parents out there that positively jump up and down with eager anticipation of such an event. We aren't among you. I went a little more willingly then the Hubby, whom we practically had to drag out the door kicking and screaming. Naah, he was a great sport too. There is just something about a crowded and loud area that is not that exciting for us...oh yeah, because it is just like home! : ) Duder hung out on daddy's shoulders all night long and had a good time. We tried to volunteer the Hubby for the dunk tank, but it wasn't open when we got there. Raise your hand if you would have liked to have seen that? One, two...hold on, is there anyone out there that didn't raise their hand? Haha

Baby Doll quite enjoyed herself. The highlight of everyone's evening was the cotton candy. And I ask you, why not overload on florescent blue sugar right before bed? Looks a bit like she just ate the Blob from Monsters vs. Aliens to me.

Finally, Z-man and Little Mama got out a little aggression with each other. Here is my tip for the day. If you have two ornery siblings that won't give each other any peace, put them in a big bouncy arena with giant boxing gloves. I guarantee they will come out smiling and wondering if they can beat the crud out of each other again!