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Yeah, we’re that good. Remember, I told you Hispanic and hosting are spelled the same.
Friday night, Leah came over with her family. They had originally intended to help us with unpacking, rearranging and any other tidbits. However, we weren’t ready to actually do anything. Surprise, surprise. Anyways, we cooked them dinner and then just hung out while the kids ran around and Jon and Jason worked on the laundry room.
While we were serving dinner, Leah and Jason commented on how impressed they were (was that right Leah? Or am I tooting my own horn? 😉 ) that our kitchen wasn’t even put together and already we were having company. I even got the go ahead to say “I’m awesome”. Oh yeah…
However, Leah washed our dishes. Which is a sure fire way to get themselves invited back.
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We had been storing our coffee pot on top of the fridge (for lack of counter space) this last week. I know, I know, not the smartest place to put the second most used appliance in the house (it comes in as a close second to the fridge itself). However, with all the painting, moving, rearranging taking place, on top of the fridge was the best option.
On Saturday morning, I reached up to grab the coffee maker. It was just about down when… I realized the cord was wrapped around a glass jar (seriously, what is our deal with putting breakables on the fridge?!). I pushed the coffee maker back up. Then my thumb slipped. Before I even knew what happened, the coffee pot fell, shattering into a million pieces. Apparently, that’s the draw back to wood floors. Of course, both girls are in the kitchen. Immediately I yelled “Don’t move!”. It seemed smart at the time, but only freaked Julia out, causing her to start crying and running toward me. Yep, I’m one smart cookie.
We got the mess cleaned up and everyone was fine. Well, sorta. See, I can’t live without coffee. Ok, ok, that’s not entirely true. I choose not to live without coffee. And in my choice not to live without it, that means I need at least 2-3 cups a day. Honestly though, I’m not addicted. Promise.
Once the fiasco had passed, I tweeted that our coffee pot died (a most gruesome death, being it Saturday morning and all). Later that day, I had a girls’ day out to celebrate Leah’s birthday. During our outing I bemoaned the loss of the coffee pot. I mean, really, what am I to do all week without coffee? While I’m not an addict (I pinky swear), it does seem harsh to force someone to make such a sacrifice.
Then on Sunday afternoon my friend, Kate, sends me a text. She asked if she could stop by later that evening to drop something off for me as a birthday/house warming gift. At 8:15 that evening, she shows up at my door with this:
Oh, bless you Kate! My Monday will be off to a good start because of you!
See, I told you my friends rock!
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Last August we started potty training Julia. Things went smoothly until we went to Tennessee for Labor Day. After a week of sporadic training, Julia came back home very resistant to going on the potty. I spent several months “forcing” the issue, hoping that she’d finally get it and be potty trained by 2. But alas, her second birthday came and went, then Christmas, then New Year’s.
When we moved in with the Abdos we thought we might give training once last go. On January 31, Julia went “pee-pee on the potty”. Afterward, we told the Abdos. Their reaction was priceless. They cheered, danced, sung and hugged Julia. And she was hooked. Since then, she has refused to wear a diaper during the day, has more dry days then accidents, and always asks to “Go tell Abdos” after she goes potty. Sometimes she even has an audience:
I’m with Team Coco
Posted on: March 12, 2010
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I’m not usually one to jump on celebrity bandwagons. I don’t go buy shirts emblazoned with Team Aniston or Free Winona. However, Team Coco is one wagon I’m running for.
In case you’ve been out of touch with the media, Conan O’Brien was kicked out of his Tonight Show slot so that Jay Leno could reclaim his past fan basis. Oh Jay. My dislike for you has grown even more.
You see, I’ve never been a Leno fan. In high school and college, I only watched The Late Show with David Letterman. Never Leno. Never. Call me weird, but I found Jay to be really annoying, so I refused to watch him.
Sometime in the early 2000’s I became a fan of Conan. Then in 2003, Jonathan and I took a trip to NYC (where we arrived literally hours before the Northeast Blackout of 2003 hit). Thanks to some fancy street talk, Jonathan scored us tickets to see Conan the day we arrived. Conan interviewed Al Roker, Shia LaBeouf and the Dandy Warhols played. It was spectacular. And sealed my love of Conan forever.
So, naturally, when Conan took over for Jay, I was thrilled. So long Jay, hello Conan! Of course, this did pose some competition between Conan and Dave (who we’ve also seen live), but I was okay with it – seeing as we always watch the shows on Hulu anyway.
But once NBC announced it’s plan to put Jay back into his Tonight Show slot, I immediately sided with Conan. Conan is now doing a “Legally Prohibited from Being Funny on Television Tour” starting in May. He’ll be in Chicago right after Mother’s Day. I think I want need to go. After all, what it’s a better Mother’s Day gift? And if I don’t get to go, I at least need this shirt:
I use to run like Homer Simpson
Posted on: March 11, 2010
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For weeks, I was ready to give up on my half marathon training. Every time I stepped on the treadmill I dreaded the next 45 minutes of my life. And then something beautiful happened. The sun began to shine and the weather got just a little warmer. So I started running outside. And I love it. It has made all the difference in the world. In fact, I even ran my last long run (7 miles) without listening to music.
I’ve been learning a lot since taking on this new adventure. Here are just a few:
1. Accepting that I am a runner.
I’ve always wanted to be a runner. That girl who can run 6 miles; who has to buy new running shoes, not because she wants to, but because her other ones are worn out from overuse. But, you can want something and never do it. For many years I liked the idea of running, but not the act itself. It is hard, sometimes boring, and always tiring. Now that I’m actually running, I keep thinking “I wish I was a runner.” Every time I run, I think how much easier this would be if I was a true runner. Not some pseudo-runner. Then, after my long run this last weekend, I realized: I am a runner. It was the longest run I’ve ever done. There were plenty of hills, and enough cold melted-ice puddles to wet my shoes through, but I completed it. Without stopping. And I felt awesome by the end. Then some lightbulb went off: What pseudo-runner runs 15+ miles a week? Only real runners do that. I am a runner.
I’ve gone from this:
To this:
2. Using my time effectively.
I’ve been training without music for the last three weeks. In my little world, that’s pretty huge. Four months ago, I couldn’t run a mile without tunes, but now it’s just me, the road and God. I use my time away to really get before God. I sing praises, have prayer time, and just mediate on Him. It’s awesome. I love feeling like I’m training my body and my spirit at the same time.
3. Learning the difference between big and small rocks.
For a while, whether I was running 2 miles or 7 miles, I felt really, really, really nervous right beforehand. I keep thinking “I have to run 2 miles”; “I have to run 7 miles”. It seemed overwhelming and intimidating, making me feel defeated before I ever started. Jonathan started encouraging me to think of it as “I only have to run 2 miles”; “I only have to run 7 miles”, which when compared to 13 miles is nothing (or who knows, maybe 26 miles one day). Since I’ve started seeing my small rocks, the runs don’t seem that bad. Don’t get me wrong, after running for an hour, I’m glad to be done, but at least when I start off I’m not feeling defeated.
4. I may run alone, but I am not training alone.
Training for a half marathon requires a lot of time. Being a wife and mother requires even more time. My family is sacrificing just as much as I am in this whole process. It’s not easy to ask them to give up time through the week and then 1-2 hours every Saturday for me to run. But, they do. And since starting my long runs, it seems like their support has tripled. It’s amazing. And the best part? The support doesn’t stop with just my family. Last week, Shirley bought me a new running jacket for my birthday. I love it. It has pockets in all the right places, is lightweight but still keeps me warm. (Thanks again, Shirley!) I know that come the day of my race, I’ll be able to say “I couldn’t have done it without them.”.
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You read that right. $38.25 to restock my pantry.
Amazing.
I went with Leah to Central Discount Grocery, which is a local discount store about 20 minutes from where we live. They sell expired or past date boxed items for pennies on the dollar. But last year, I decided I needed to get over my pickiness about that sorta thing. And now, I love it! Here’s a snap shot of what I scored today:
I couldn’t fit everything into one picture, so I left out items. In total, this is what I got:
– five boxes of individually packaged sun crystals (raw sugar)
– two boxes of Back to Nature cookies
– two boxes of Immaculate cookies
– four bottles of Classico spaghetti sauce
– two boxes of Back to Nature vanilla wafers
– one bag of rice crackers
– one box of Moon Pies (not the healthy things, but nothing says summer more than moon pies and RC cola)
– two bags of Smart Food popcorn clusters
– one bag of Back to Nature cherry granola
– six boxes of Cascadian Farms granola bars
– four boxes of Cascadian Farms cereal
– two boxes of Mother’s cereal
– four cans of Ro-tel
– two cans of Hunt’s all-natural tomato sauce
– four cans of Hunt’s all-natural dice tomatoes
– six boxes of Earth’s Best sunny day snack bars (granola bars for kiddos)
– two bottles of Annie’s organic BBQ sauce
– one bottle of Spectrum organic ranch dressing
– one bottle of Briannas blue cheese dressing
– one bottle of Welch’s reduce sugar jelly
– two boxes of Nature’s Path organic oatmeal (with cranberries and flaxseed)
– one box of Back to Nature’s cheddar crackers
Whew! Just writing that made me excited!! I don’t know what the grand total would be if I had paid full price, but I’d be willing to bet it’d be close to $150-200. I think Crystal of Money Saving Mom would be proud! 🙂
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Like I shared last week, I love easy recipes. So, when I stumbled upon Easy Chicken & Cheese enchiladas, I knew I had a winner.
Boil chicken, then dice up.
In a mixing bowl, add cream of chicken, sour cream and salsa.
In a separate mixing bowl, add chicken and black beans (my personal addition to the dish).
Add in 1 cup of the salsa mixture with the chicken.
Spoon onto a tortilla along with some cheese. Roll into an enchilada.
Repeat the process until your pan is full. Then top with remaining salsa mixture.
At this point, you can add some extra cheese. Also, I’d suggest covering it with foil, to keep the cream sauce from drying out. Serve with a side salad or some fresh veggies!
Bon Appetit!
I don’t “do” chaos
Posted on: March 9, 2010
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Growing up I can’t recall one time I got in trouble for not cleaning my room. I do remember getting in trouble for rearranging it at 10 p.m.
My older brother would pay me $5 a week to clean his room. Let me tell you, I was sorely under paid . I can say with great certainty, my brother’s room had a lingering smell of dirty socks, mildew and spoiled food every time I cleaned. But I loved cleaning, and getting paid, and so I did it. Plus, during this stage of his life, my brother’s saving account was wadded up $20s thrown about randomly in his room. If I happened upon one (or two, or three) I helped myself to a tip. 😉
In college, I lived with two extremely messy not-so-neat roommates. Thankfully, I did not live with them at the same time, otherwise I’m sure neither of them would talk to me today because I would have been so mad all the time. Well, actually, only one of them still talks to me…. Perhaps the other one couldn’t stand that I would start putting her clothes away, rearranging her side of the dorm room, or organizing all her bathroom stuff. Without asking.
Once I got married, I think most of Jonathan and my first “fights” were about the state of our condo. Jonathan left me with the impression that he was a neat freak when we were dating. Any messes I did encounter, I promptly blamed on his roommates. Aww, love really is blind. But, after the honeymoon was over, I had the horror of discovering that Jonathan isn’t a neat freak. He’s one of those balanced people. You know the ones; they can live in complete order or complete chaos and still manage to function. I am not one of those people.
Then, in November 2007, total chaos came into my life in the form of my sweet (although some times trying) Julia. Quickly I started realizing that children produce more mess than any other roommate I’ve ever known including my amazing husband. And it drives me a little bonkers. I like order, I like clean, I like perfection. Chaos throws me into a weird funk, that results in a bad mood, lack of concentration and a feeling of helplessness.
Yet, slowly I’ve come to terms with chaos. While I don’t do my best with total dysfunction, I’m at a point where I don’t curl up in a corner crying because the bed hasn’t been made in two weeks days. I’d like to say, I’ve even gotten to the point that my kitchen can look like this:
And my living room like this:
And still I manage to survive. And even smile. Sorta.
Green living, Part 1
Posted on: March 8, 2010
- In: Life
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Last Wednesday, I had the privilege of speaking about “Green Living” to about 30 moms. I never realized how big of a topic green living is. Let me tell you, it’s huge. And slightly overwhelming. For the two days leading up to the speech, I started to get a little nervous. The night before Jonathan reassured me that 1) this isn’t a test, 2) people really just want to be entertained, 3) just talk like you’re talking to friends. I took these things to heart and feel like the presentation went really well.
They recorded the audio for the speech and the entire session (also featuring my friend, Leah – it happens to be her birthday so go say hi) will be available online in a couple of weeks. However, I thought I’d do a blog “series” on the three ways our family has gone green.
Why is our family striving to become green? Green living to me is a way to reveal to this world just one more aspect of Christ. Romans 1:19-20 (NLT) says “They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them. For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.” God has revealed Himself to this world through His creation. I want to do my part to ensure that His creation stays healthy and vibrate so that generations from now, people will still be able to see God’s hand through His creation.
One of the first steps we incorporated in becoming green was effectively using cloth.
The first step we’ve taken is using cloth bags instead of plastic bags. I keep cloth bags in my purse, my car and by my backdoor. I do this, so that they are easily accessible when I am going grocery shopping, running errands or even cleaning toys out of my car. I admit, it did take a little time to get use to using cloth bags when grocery shopping. I would forget them at home (still do sometimes!) or not bring enough along for all the grocery items. But, once I started having one on hand in my purse and keeping several in my car, I found it to be much easier.
The second step we’ve taken is using cloth napkins instead of paper towels. Jonathan would go through a roll of paper towels in a week if I didn’t watch out. So, when I purchased a 24 set of wash clothes and banished the paper towels, it was an adjustment to say the least. I love using wash clothes over paper towels: they are so much more absorbent, obviously reusable, and sturdy. I will say this, not all of our guests have been as easy going about using a wash cloth as a napkin. Most people don’t have a problem with it, especially since we’ve been doing it for a while, but in the beginning we did get some weird looks.
The third step we’ve taken is using cloth diapers instead of disposables. I’ve blogged about this topic a lot. I will say 3 things I’ve learned about in the last 18+ months of cloth diapering is: delay solids as long as possible; invest in a diaper sprayer – even if you don’t think you’ll use it you really will; and encourage early potty training. While it took Julia longer to catch on to peeing in the potty, she loved pooping from the first time we gave it a shot at 11 months. And she’s been pooping in the potty exclusively since 20 months. A-mazing.
The fourth step we’ve I’ve taken is using cloth pads instead of plastic pads. If you really want to read up on my “adventure” go here or here. Enjoy! 😉
Stuff Christians Like
Posted on: March 7, 2010
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I mentioned a while back about Jon Acuff over at Stuff Christians Like. He recently released a book, aptly named Stuff Christians Like. I’ll admit, I haven’t purchased it yet. Not to say that I don’t want to, I fully plan on it, once my life is a tad less chaotic. Well, I guess I shouldn’t say less chaotic, that might be never, so when my life is not sporadically neatly lived out of boxes.
At any rate, I think you should really check him out. He just gave everyone a glimpse of his first page. I thought I’d be nice and pass it along.
A Wife Loved Like The Church 
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