Archive for March 2011

Thursday, March 31, 2011

AP Photo/ K. Djansezian

Clearly, I don't know my readers. The man pictured above is the Sugar Bear himself, Suge Knight. Co-founder of Death Row Records and a main player in the East Coast/West Coast rap feud of the 90's. There you go. Confusion no more.





This is me reaching out to Mother Nature: Please make it warmer.  The kid's winter clothes are done and I'm not buying more. The shirt that Vaughn has on above fit her as a dress a mere couple of months ago. I've tossed 5 pairs of Vance's pants because of holes in the knees. Soon he'll be pantless. And chilly. 

















Tuesday, March 29, 2011

I not Suge Knight!

Vaughn has had a lot of nicknames. In utero, we called her Rosie Barceleona, which was quickly shortened to Rosie B. Then Baby Girl came around and lasted well into her first year of life.

From that point on the list has grown to silly levels. A List!

Vaughnie
Vaughn Vaughn
Vaughnie Bell
Vaughn Bell
Miss Bell
Vaughnie Bell-a-Roo
Vaughn-a-Roo
Vaughn-a-Rooskie
Big Lady
Big Lady Love
BLL
Lou
Little Lady
Lovely Lady
Lovely Lou
Sweetie
Sweets
Birdy
Birdy Loo
Tweets

Excessive, I know. We're looking into getting a new hobby.

We've been trying out a new nickname and it's not going over too well.


Guess we'll cross that one off the list.

Have a great Tuesday!

Monday, March 28, 2011

Right shoes, wrong outfit



On Saturday, after they boys went to get haircuts, we all ventured out together. We went to eat lunch then afterwards went to buy new running shoes for myself.

Upon entering the store it was quite apparent that my outfit no longer made sense.

Turns out, one normally wears exercise gear to do this. That's okay. I owned it while giving my shoes a few test runs outside of the store, in the snow, in a zebra striped dress, and side-zip leggings.

At this certain store you don't pick the shoe, the shoe picks you. Kind of like Harry Potter at the magic wand store. It was looking like the red and white ones were my match and I wasn't very happy because they were ugly. My shoe sorcerer could tell what was going on and disappeared into the back for a good 5 minutes. She then came out with the holy grail of running shoes. They fit my foot perfectly. And they were pink, white, and gray.

Lesson learned: Never settle.

Have a great Monday.

Friday, March 25, 2011

Doodleoo's



If our neighbor's house was that charming I wouldn't mind one bit that their Christmas lights are still up.
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We're big doodler's and colorers (I don't think those are real words) around here. That's the kids go to activity around the house. The hutch in our kitchen is crammed full of their supplies and is organized so that they can get everything out themselves. I think they like the independence of it and it's easier on me for the obvious. Each kid has a drawer for their own stuff, so they know where it belongs and can even put things away by themselves. It's a win win.

You can tell what's going on in the week by looking at the doodles and the drawings. Through the magic of computers I color enhanced my doodles. Here we go:
  • Our neighbors really do have their Christmas lights up. I've been thinking about sneaking over at night and taking them down.
  • The purse looking things are an upcoming project of mine. They're not purses. More about that later.
  • I have a lot of Shrinky Dink sheets and have been wanting to do something with them. Necklaces?
  • Oh, Hi! It's just me.
  • We've had rabbit roadkill right in front of our house for the past few days. It's a sad affair and as Vaughn says, "Poor, bunny wabbit..."
  • I've also been trying to think of new felt hair clippies to make for Vaughn.
  • Vance and I like Ed Emberley's drawing books. Cute and easy line drawings. "Frank" is one of his "weirdo's".
  • The kids love fruit and lately they're on an apple and kiwi kick. The pears didn't look so hot at the store yesterday, so I passed.
So there you go. That's a snapshot of our week. Exciting stuff, I know. Have a great weekend!

Thursday, March 24, 2011

Controversy at dinner: Chicken with White Beans and Tomatoes

Chicken with white beans and tomatoes

Photo credit: Sang An & Real Simple

I thought the Quiche in a Cup from last week caused some ruckus, but turns out it was nothing compared to this recipe. Complete turmoil for the children.

First things first, here's the basic recipe from Real Simple: Chicken with White Beans and Tomatoes. I stumbled onto this recipe. I knew I had chicken, white beans, and tomatoes so I did a quick Google search for those 3 things and this popped up. This is my style more often than not. It's like magic! Oooohhhhh, aaaahhhhhh!

I did do mine a little differently though. I marinated skinless chicken breasts in EVOO with salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, basil...whatever sounded good at the time. I sauteed half of a chopped onion, 3 cloves of garlic, then browned the chicken on both sides. I took it off the heat, added a bit of vegetable stock to keep things saucy, the rinsed beans and a can (or so) of diced tomatoes. Into the oven it went for about 45 minutes at 425 degrees.

With all the moaning, wailing, and fake dry heaving that was going on from the kids I forgot to take a picture. Mine looked a lot like the above picture, but my beans were a little darker in color due to the vege stock and the canned tomatoes that I used. The chicken was overdone but the beans were fantastic! I'll definitely use this recipe again to make the beans alone. Pair them with a salad and we're good to go! That's more my style, anyway.

Vaughn: After we convinced her it was chicken, she ate it. The spices on top threw her off - she prefers everything plain. She normally likes beans, but wouldn't touch these.

Vance: I knew he wouldn't want to touch the chicken, but he likes white beans, tomatoes, and green beans (which were a side). He wouldn't try one bite of anything, so in Soup Nazi style, "No dinner for him!" Pouting, slouching, and whimpering ensued. He's a stubborn cuss.

Justin and I: Big thumbs up!
Vance used to be a good eater. When he turned 3 he started to get a little picky, but it's never been this bad. I'm convinced this is a phase and even though it's highly annoying I'm gonna keep on keeping on, if you know what I mean. We can't eat pizza or bean quesadillas every night.

No idea what's on the menu for tonight. What are you having?




Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Jr. Realtor

Things have been all business around here lately. Time for some fluff.


Our house has been on the market for a little less than a month now. Feedback is always, "Shows beautifully!" "Great house!" "Well priced!", but no serious offers. One contingent offer, but we're not wanting to go that route this early in the game. Fingers still crossed that our buried St. Joseph is working his magic.

I guess it's good because we haven't found a house that we like yet. We went to look at some on Saturday and Vance loved it. "This is a nice space." "I like these cabinets". "Is the next one going to be on a cul-de-sac? I'd like to be on a cul-de-sac." When we'd get into the car after leaving a house he'd ask our thoughts one by one. Vaughn liked that the first house had a princess play kitchen.

A cul-de-sac would be nice, I agree with Vance, but nearby playmates for the kids is also high on the list.

Vance has clearly been watching too much HGTV with us.

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It's Wednesday, which means it's Survivor and pizza night. Wanna know what else I'm excited for tonight? Having one of these:


Friends of ours went to Madison for the weekend and brought back some Spotted Cow for me. It's my favorite beer and it's been about 6 months since I've had one. Someone remind me when Happy Hour starts!

Have a great day!

Monday, March 21, 2011

National (not really) Take A Risk Day


It's not about showing off the cutest and best thing you've made. It's more of showing off something that's imperfect, but still being glad that you took the risk to even try it.

Here's mine:


It's a largish painting that I did for Vaughn's room. It started out as something completely else. That idea didn't work, the next one didn't work either. Nor did the next idea. I was ready to toss it. I'm sure Justin was ready to not see it on the dining room table.

I have a hard time finishing projects or even starting projects for that matter. Either I get so frustrated that it's not working out as planned that I chuck the entire thing or I think of all the different ways a project could be done and I can't commit to one, so I never even begin. Both ways leave me with the same result: no final product.

Enough was enough. Even knowing half way through that it wasn't going to be what I wanted it to be, I promised myself that I would stay on course and finish it. And I did. And it felt good.

So, again, not even close to be happy with this, but it's fine. When I get another idea I can rip off the letters, sand it down, and start again. No harm, no foul.

My process, explained quickly: I drew a bird and made a stamp from it. I painted the background white, then mixed a light pink for the birds. (I added glaze to the light pink to give it transparency and shine.) I bought the letters and painted them a darker shade of pink. (Vaughn actually said that to me one day while outside swinging.) I glued them on using Elmer's all purpose glue.

What hasn't worked for you lately???


Friday, March 18, 2011

St. Patrick's Day



Yet again, we were unsuccessful at trying to catch a leprechaun.

According to Vance, there was a flaw in our design. The ruler that was propping the box up was too big. When the ruler fell, the box landed on top which left a space so that the leprechaun could slip out.

This stage of the game will never get old for me. We have so much fun using our imaginations around here. I've been trying to make the most of everything since you never know when they'll grow up and stop believing. This week, wet footprints on concrete were made by leprechauns. When they disappeared the kids marveled in the magic of it all.

If we were lucky enough to catch a leprechaun Vaughn wanted to name it Salam. I'm pretty sure she just shortened 'salami' to get that idea. She loves her cured meats.

We baited our trap with one orange Tic Tac, one yellow sucker, and two marshmallows. The little man took the bait and left behind 2 green necklaces and 2 lucky pennies.

I downloaded the lucky penny design from Pumpkin Petunia. It's adorable and such a good idea. Vance has been on break for 2 weeks now, so I haven't had any time away from my little buddy to shop for leprechaun gifts. I printed out the template on white paper then glued it onto green card stock. I shined the pennies (with ketchup! my MacGyver trick of the day!) and used just a drop of hot glue to adhere them onto the paper. The necklaces were recycled from a stash of St. Patrick's Day stuff from last year's parade.

The last picture of Vaughn up there is a little goofy, but it shows how cute her shirt came out.

Hope you all had lucky days!


Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Controversy at dinner: Quiche in Cups



I got this idea from Cooking with My Kid. It's a great site, check it out.

Go there for the full recipe, but here's the basics:

6 whole eggs, 6 egg whites. 3/4 cup (ish) of milk, salt and pepper, and steamed, chopped broccoli. (Choppin' broccoliiiiii....couldn't resisit.) Oohh, forgot to mention the cheese on the graphic above. Mix in whatever cheese you like, just a handful. I used a monterey jack and cheddar mix. Pour into greased mugs and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Pull them out, sprinkle a bit more cheese on top and bake for another 10 minutes or so. You're looking for a brownish color and no jiggle. This amount of mixture made 4 mugs and 1 ramekin.

Justin and I didn't think they were too bad. Not great, not horrible. Something different. It was basically like eating an omelet....but in a cup. Vaughn ate a few bites but played with it mostly. Vance DESPISED this. Wouldn't even try it. Quite a scene was made on his part in regards to this poor defenseless, crustless quiche.

He likes broccoli, eggs, and cheese. It's silly that he wouldn't even try one bite. (This is what happens when extreme stubbornness lies deep within both sides of the family. It has melded into one being.) I thought the kids would get a kick out of eating from a coffee mug, but no.

This was our latest controversy at dinner. I'm sure we'll have another one real soon.

In the mean time, do you think your kids would eat this?

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Is this heaven? No, It's La Playa.

There's a difference between a vacation and a family vacation.

This isn't new information. We all know this.

Family vacations are about survival and not loosing your cool in a public place. Total relaxation begins when you return home and you can breath a sigh of relief that its over.

That being said, we were very thankful for the opportunity to slip out for a kid-free dinner while on our family vacation. We asked ourselves is this heaven? And a whispering voice said, "No, it's La Playa".

La Playa has been a special place for our family ever since my brother and his wife were married there over a year and a half ago. It's the perfect mix of charming, laid back beachy and upscale, formal atmosphere. At night you can sit around the fire, wiggle your toes in the sand, watch the tide roll in, have a drink, and even make s'mores. (After buying the kit in the gift shop they'll be the most expensive s'mores you've ever eaten, but it's all about the experience, right? And it occupies the kids, something that most parents will pay a premium for.)


Every trip we take with the kids seems to get easier. Last year when we were in Florida we were ready to leave earlier than scheduled. We had had enough "fun". This year, we could have stayed a few more days. Baby steps.

Even with the airline losing the kids car seats, foreign objects landing in one kid's eye, and a random 24 hour vomiting producing bug for another kid it was our best family vacation.

Yet.




Monday, March 14, 2011

Make this: Shamrockin' T-Shirt

I love freezer paper. It's amazing stuff.

I saw the "pinch proof" t-shirts at Skip to My Lou and knew that I wanted to make the kids t-shirts for St. Patrick's day. I tried explaining what pinch proof meant to Vance and he just wasn't getting it, so I came up with my own design.

Here's the final t-shirt, drying. I'll have to update with a picture when it's ready to wear.



What you need: A t-shirt, Tulip soft fabric paint, a paintbrush, freezer paper, and an iron.

Here's my drawing. Trace this onto the paper side of the freezer paper.


I've entered a ton of giveaways for the Silhouette machine and no luck, so I had to use an exacto knife to cut everything out. (I pouted while I wrote that sentence.)


Iron the freezer paper down onto your t-shirt, waxy side down, paper side up.


Paint. Vance helped with this step. Make sure your coats are even and try not to glob it on. Be careful with the edges so you don't get any seepage.


Peel the freezer paper off while the paint is wet. Allow to dry and follow directions on the back of the paint bottle for finishing. (Some brands require an ironing to set the paint.)


Overall, I was really excited about these. I did have one bleed through, but it's hardly noticeable. The kids chose the sparkly paint and I'm glad they did - it's fun! The paint is also soft and not stiff like the puffy paint that I used to use years and years ago. I'll definitely be doing more of these in the future. Oh, the possibilities!!!

P.S. I did a quick one for Vaughn, just a simple shamrock. The store didn't have t-shirts that were her size, so this is just an old one from last summer.


Happy (almost) St. Patrick's day! You still have time to make one!




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Thursday, March 10, 2011

Birds of Florida

Old birds. Feathered birds. There's all types of birds in Florida and we did more than our share of watching species from all categories while visiting.

Here's this little guy who was scoping out our sandcastle. Vance and Vaughn both love the beach. Next visit we'll have to spend even more time there.


This is Vance's bird. He spotted it out the window one morning while the bird was busy making its nest. We had fun checking in him. Or her. It's hard to tell.


This next one was a first for me. It's a horrible picture, but it's the best one that I could get. It's an immature bald eagle. We had a great time watching it, looking at it through binoculars, and Googling the heck out of it trying to figure out what it was. The legs on this thing are crazy. There's no skinny bird legs here! The best way to describe it is that it looks like it's wearing pants. If I had time I'd find a picture online to show you. If I find one later I'll update.


I didn't get a picture of the osprey that entertained us for a good 30 minutes or so. They look similar to hawks and I guess this one was seriously hungry because we watched it catch at least 3 fish. It's pretty amazing to watch the process. The circling, how it appears to stop in mid-air to dive down and pluck the fish right out of the water. Fun fact: osprey's mate for life. Awww....

And then there's this type of bird which speaks for itself:


I told you there were all types of Birds in Florida.

Have a great Friday!

It's over?

The kids are acting out how I'm feeling today.


I'm rubbing my eyes because it's too early and scratching my head thinking, "Is vacation really over?"

I'm afraid it is. Back to the grind today.

(Gimme a second to open the shades)

Oh, and wonderful. It appears to be windy, gray, and cloudy.

I'll be back later to discuss Florida. It was a great little getaway.




Wednesday, March 09, 2011

I know I've been distant lately.

I want you to know that I haven't stopped loving you.

It's not you. It's me.

You see...It's just that....
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.
.
.
.
.
.
.
We've been at the beach!


Begrudgingly, our bags have been packed and we're heading back to reality today.










Friday, March 04, 2011

Make this: Antipasto Bake


I goofed. I thought this past Tuesday was Fat Tuesday so I made this for dinner. Guess I can make it again next week!

Yes, the pictures aren't the best, but this stuff is good. Not good for your diet, but good for your taste buds.

Here's the basics:

1. That's one can of crescent rolls, rolled out and smooshed together. You're supposed to use a 9x13, but I used a smaller dish. Bake this at 350 for about 6 minutes.

2. I used different lunch meats than what the recipe called for. (Called for turkey, ham, salami, and pepperoni) I put a layer of provolone cheese, then a layer of turkey, then a layer of salami, then cut pieces of roasted red peppers (dry them on a paper towel first so they don't make the crust soggy), then a layer of mozzarella. Next time I'll add more cheese and possibly a layer of pesto or spicy mustard. Beat 3 eggs with 5 tbsp. parmesan cheese and pour 3/4 of it on top.

3. Cover everything up with another can of crescent rolls and pour the remaining egg mixture on top.

4. Bake uncovered at 375 for 15 minutes, then cover for the last 20 minutes or so. Let it cool for at least 10-15 minutes so that it stays together when you cut it.

There's so many different recipes for this out there. Here's one that I loosely followed. (I used the tips from the second reviewer, so take a look at that if you do make this.)

Justin and I loved it. We normally don't eat meat and cheese sandwiched between crescent rolls, so that could be a reason why we thought it was so good. It was a nice change from our usual healthy menu. The kids didn't eat much of it because they're weirdos. I think this would be good with phyllo dough too.

I'm in a hurry - Have a great weekend!


Wednesday, March 02, 2011

Honoring The Doctor: Make some Oobleck

We love Dr. Seuss. Today was his birthday, so I made oobleck for the kids. (He wrote a book called Bartholomew and the Oobleck. Sad to say, I've never read the book.)

Oobleck is the weirdest stuff. It's solid and a liquid at the same time. I'm sure that defies one of Newton's laws...


Mix 2 cups of corn starch and 1 cup of water.


It's hard to tell from the pictures, but I'll try to explain. Looking at it, it looks as if it's liquid. If you move the bowl around it moves around. But when you push down on it or hit the surface with your hand quickly it reacts like a solid.


Crazy stuff.


It kept the kids entertained for, oh, 4 minutes. I think they would have lasted longer if I had separate bowls for each of them. They kept wiping it on each other's hands and I stopped the madness before it escalated.

We're trying to sell this house and I hear that wall and ceiling splatters are bad for resale.

Anyways...This is how we tipped our hat to Dr. Seuss.

Tuesday, March 01, 2011

Drama

These are Princess Aurora's perfume bottles:


I have no idea why they are that small. Yes, they're definitely proportionate for the teeny tiny vanity that they belong on, but come on. What child can keep track of toys that are a bit bigger than a grain of rice?

And since I'm a bit new to The Princess Regime, what's Princess Aurora's story? She's known as Aurora. And Briar Rose. And Sleeping Beauty. Any other aliases? Is she on the lam?

Is she behind this?


This is Princess Ariel's hand.

Girls. Always drama.


 

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