Pinwheel - A Thousand Words Thursday

I wonder if she knows that she has chalk on her butt?

Toddler Logic: A pin wheel is obviously a flower so I am supposed to smell it.



For more ATWT visit Jen.

If You Don't Like it Wait 15 Minutes

Living in Colorado certainly has its ups and downs.

Yesterday....

Today...

Do you think Mother Nature got the message I was trying to send yesterday? I hope so, for her sake...

What the...

Excuse me, Mother Nature? I know you are extremely busy but I just need a moment of your time. You see it is April 27th and for some reason there is snow in my backyard.

It must be some kind of mix up because we are already solidly into spring. Spring, not winter.

I am sure you will understand when I say this, ahem, don't let it happen again.

Oh, no. No, no , no I would never threaten Mother Nature. All I am saying is if this happens again, you better watch your back lady!

Ecostore USA $25 Gift Certificate Winner!

Thanks to everyone that entered and participated. I really enjoyed reading all of the wonderful things your are doing to be a little more earth conscience in your home, and I am planning on stealing some of your ideas to use around my house. Also, thanks to EcoStore USA for sponsoring this fun giveaway. Okay so now on to the winner of the Ecostore USA $25 gift certificate....

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers: 2

Timestamp: 2009-04-27 15:16:49 UTC

The winner is:

Under the Influence said...

And I am already following!

April 11, 2009 6:53 PM

Congrats Jo, I will contact you to let you know what information I need from you!

A Birthday Surprise

This week we celebrated my mom's birthday. my mom is an avid softball player and has somehow managed to have a game on her birthday the last 2 years.

A couple of weeks ago my sneaky grandma called to let me know that a bunch of us would be meeting at the softball field where my mom plays to surprise her before her game. Well, I thought this was a great idea, I love surprising my mom. I think I love surprising my mom because, well, I love my mom. The only question I had was what time should we be there.

When we pulled into the parking lot I noticed even more family there than I was expecting, and I was even more excited. Oh, my mom was going to love this! Then I saw the cupcakes that my grandma had made and I was even more excited! This surprise just kept getting better and better.

So this big crowd of people from both sides of my family armed with cupcakes and candles waited for the birthday girl to arrive.

Well, needless to say when she walked up she was pretty surprised.

But little did we know (we as in me, mom and my dad) there was one more even bigger surprise coming. Yep, a bigger surprise than cupcakes!

As Mom was posing with Monkey for this very picture the biggest surprise I have experienced in a while came walking up.

My Sister! My Sister! My Sister! My Sister! My Sister!

Note my moms tears. I love how Monkey is poking her like she is trying to make sure she is the real Aunt G and not some impostor.

Can you tell how happy I was about this particular surprise? FYI for those of you who are new around here: My sister, Colleen, is wonderful and beautiful and my best friend and I love her. No one brings out my fun side like G, and I am pretty sure no one else can bring out my bossy side like her either. On January 3, 2009 at approximately 12:30 pm she got in her car and moved to a whole other state. I hadn't seen her since she left...can you tell I missed her terribly?

Somehow almost everyone in my family managed to keep this little gem a secret from me, and my parents. Even Luke was in on the secret. When I first saw her it was like seeing a mirage in the desert. I just couldn't wrap my brain around how in the world I was seeing my sister in the middle of a softball complex in Colorado when she no longer lives here.

I walked at her like a zombie and was crying before I could get my arms around her. I had such a big knot in my throat I couldn't even speak. Pretty soon my there was a little crowd of us crying because we are "that" family and seeing tears brings on tears.

Isn't my red nose and tear streaked face lovely?

I love my sister. I am so happy to get to spend a bit of time with her. I am teary eyed writing about it. Thanks for having a birthday mom!

Leg Huggers

Restless Mind Syndrome

I think it comes with the change of seasons.

It seems like every couple of months I have a desire to make changes in my life.

Sometimes it is changes like buying a new pair of shoes and starting a new hobby or learning something new. Sometimes it is bigger such as contemplating what I want to be when I grow up and all the places I want to travel to.

When last summer was coming upon us I researched going back to school for a second degree like nobodies business. It was all I thought about and if we asked Luke I am pretty sure he would tell you it was all I talked about. I think I took every career/personality test I could find and I checked out countless piles of books about choosing careers and majors.

Last Fall while trying to quench mt thirst for some "me" time I started a blog. This Blog. Evolving Mommy was started because I need a place for me, and because the seasons were changing so of course I needed to change along with them. Everyday I sat down to write in my little space. I made lists of possible post ideas, put together a notebook to keep all of my blogging things together, started thinking about taking HTML and CSS classes and found myself writing blog posts in my head about everything. Every. Single. Thing. Usually I forgot them before I could actually write them, which was probably for the best because I am pretty sure that they were all really lame.

I know that technically Spring has been here for a while, but it is actually starting to feel like Spring around here and I can feel those familiar feelings stirring inside of me. I am not sure what my focus is going to be this time around I never know until I have already started obsessing about it for a bit. Last spring we had just moved into our house and all I could think about was making my house a home.

Hmmm. Will it be landscaping the backyard, learning a language (after reading some of my previous posts I think I could probably benefit from some English lessons), becoming the Yogi I wish I could be, or will my vegetable garden rule all thoughts.

These quarterly urges to change have their place but usually I don't end up changing anything. All I end up doing is questioning myself and feeling disjointed. I am happy in my life. I love my husband and daughter more than I can say, we live in a nice home in a good town. I have great friends and family. We are all healthy. I am happy, I just have trouble focusing and finishing thoughts. For example this post has taken me far to long to write. I keep starting sentences to get four words into and find out I have forgotten what it was that I was even trying to say.

I am wondering if there is a cure for my Restless Mind Syndrome. Usually it gradually fades away just in time for the next season change. I wish I knew what the triggers are, maybe then I could start to rope in my random seasonal obsessiveness.

Outside

We are looking down the barrel of a 70 degree day around here. I hardly know what to do with myself.

What do people do when the weather is nice? Yes, I live in Colorado where the majority of days are blessed with sunshine but that does not mean it is warm. So now that the sunshine is bringing some warmth with it and leaving the wind in another state (finally! I'm so tired of wind!) we can go outside and enjoy the day.

There is just one problem...

I think I forgot how to play outside. What do people do outside? Somebody send over some instructions stat!

It's Not You, It's Me.

Dear Matt, Meredith, Ann and Al,

I am sorry to say that we will no longer be having our breakfast rendezvous. We have spent a lot of time together and although I value what you have done for my days, it is time for us to part ways. No, there isn't anything you can do. Really, it's not you, it's me.

You see I am one of those people. You know the type, "too cheap to pay for TV," and this whole switch to digital television is really cramping my style. Have you seen how much cable or satellite TV cost? Yikes. I would have to sell my baby on the black market to come up with enough cash to be able to pay Comcast for basic cable every month.

Alright, alright already. I know I can get one of those digital converter boxes, you're right there is more to it than the money. Although the Today show is great and all I really feel like it's just wasting my time with all the celebrity gossip. Hello, Matt and Meredeth I thought you were journalists? Knowing what Britney did, or Lindsay said really isn't news.

Actually most of the time I feel like TV in general is wasting my time. Now that our local TV stations have made the switch to digital signals and our little rabbit ears no longer pick up any signal it is time to say goodbye. Matt, I will miss your nice suits and daily jabs at Meredith. Meredith, I will miss watching you stumble over your words. Ann, can we still be friends because I think I will miss you the most. Al, even though your weren't my favorite and you have a tendency to annoy me I guess I'll still miss your "forecasts," (where you don't really tell me any information at all).

I wish all of you nothing but the best in the future. Please don't worry about me, (I'll still be able to watch Lost, The Office and 30 Rock online) I'll be fine. Maybe someday in the future we will reunite once again but for now I think I might just use this digital nudge to end this relationship to be more productive with my mornings.

With Warm Regards,
Catherine

Stickers - A Thousand Words Thursday

What happens when stickers get into the wrong hands.
She looks so hippie chic. Next thing we know she'll be demanding to be called Moonflower and wearing love beads.

For more ATWT, visit Jen.

Some Days are Like Swiss Cheese

I am on my own this week. Kind of. Luke is here in spirit I am sure. At least I know for sure that he would rather be here than stuck in some lame hotel in Indiana working more hours then he'd like.

It is weird to have him gone. It's his birthday week so it is especially weird to have him gone. That and it is weird to not have to make anything for dinner if I don't want to. Monkey is perfectly happy to dive into a bowl of cereal for dinner, as am I, but that would never fly with Luke.

I think I may have mentioned before that Luke is a meat eater. A big time meat eating, lean protein loving man. Every meal is supposed to have a large portion of lean meat for him to devour. Some nights I try to sneak in soup and sandwich for dinner and he always ends up eating a second meal an hour or two later. Lets just say it is not cheap to shop for food to feed this guy.

But I digress. This post has nothing to do with my grocery bill and everything to do with how people impact our lives. More specifically how Luke impacts mine.

It is easy to forget about what a person means to your life. Yes I love my husband more than I can say, but if I push all that love aside it is interesting to think about how Luke affects my everyday life.

Although I am a pretty independent woman there are holes in my day without Luke, some small and some big. There isn't the sound of the garage door announcing his return home from work every evening. There are half as many dishes in the dishwasher. The toilet seat is always down. When Monkey and I sit down for dinner only a third of the seats at our table are filled instead of half like when Luke is home.

When he is gone I am reminded of all those holes he fills in my day. All those holes that could only fit Luke. I am spoiled with all those spots of Luke that make my day normal and comfortable, warm and happy. Without Luke I am pretty sure my life would look nothing like it does now and that makes me grateful.

Very grateful for what I have.

Very grateful for the present moment and where I am, as well as the future and were I am going, with Luke by my side.

Very grateful that there is a Luke to make such an impact on my everyday, every week, every year. Happy Birthday, Love.

Everytime I go to write something about Maddie Spohr I can't seem to make my fingers and brain get their act together and write something. As a mother my heart breaks thinking about the loss of this beautiful little girl. I don't know the Spohr family but my thoughts are with them.

Little Maddie obviously brought more joy than I can imagine into the lives of the people she touched. She will be missed.

The Easter Bunny Visits Adults?

I have a few simple thoughts to share with you today.

Easter baskets for adults are awesome.


Jelly beans just might be the devil in disguise. I say this because there is a half eaten bag in my cupboard...freshly opened yesterday.

The colored fake plastic grass "stuff" that is sometimes put in Easter Baskets makes me crazy. I'm still finding it scattered around the house in places the Easter baskets we received never saw.

Hope your Easter was hard boiled egg, ham and cinnamon roll filled, which to me means fantastic!

Soy Garlic Marinade

Here is a quick way to add some flavor to dinner. This Soy Garlic Marinade is very versatile and works well on Salmon (pictured below), steak, pork chops and chicken and those are just the things we have tried it on. The great thing about this marinade besides how easy it is to make is that the amount of time needed for marinating is flexible. If you only have time for 15 minutes of marinating you will still get good flavor. The following recipe will be enough for 4-6 servings of whatever meat you are preparing.

As always feel free to experiment. I love to hear about your thoughts and changes too!


Ingredients

1/3 cup soy sauce
2 garlic cloves minced
2 teaspoons dried tarragon
3 tablespoons olive oil
black pepper to taste

Mix ingredients together in a shallow dish with enough space for the meat (pork chops, steak, salmon fillets, chicken breasts, etc). Place meat in dish to marinate. Turn meat when half of your marinating time has elapsed. Meat can be left in marinade for anywhere from 10 minutes to 3-4 hours depending on the level of flavor you want.

Other Recipes you might like:

• Lime Grilled Chicken and Chili Home Fries
  
• Chermoula Marinade
• Spicy Pumpkin Sauce

Ecostore USA Review and *Giveaway*

My husband decided to help me clean up the house this morning. I did not even ask him to help. I went upstairs to clean up Monkey's room and when I came down the kitchen was clean! Then he moved into our bathroom and the living room and tidied up. And last but not least, he dusted! Awesome!

Anyway, Luke loves Windex. Really, I am not sure if he loves Windex but it does seem to be his cleaner of choice, for everything. Windows, counters, sinks, you name it and Luke will spray Windex on it. This is a problem for me because Windex hurts my lungs. There is something about the chemicals in it that really bother me. Come to think of it a lot of big name cleaners bother me. Chemical filled bathroom cleaners make my eyes water, surface cleaners make my hands smell like hash chemicals, and even hand soaps make my skin dry and irritated.

I mentioned recently that I am trying to kick my blah's and a part of my plan to start feeling better is to switch our household cleaners and hygiene products to natural body and earth friendly cleaners. When Ecostore USA asked me to review some of their products it could not have come at a more perfect time.

What Ecostore USA says:

Ecostore USA (www.Ecostore USA.com) loves making a difference in people’s lives. We are passionate about improving the planet and bringing you everyday household products that are safer and healthier for you and your family. Originating in 1993 as a New Zealand-based manufacturer, wholesale distributor and retailer of sustainable household and personal care products, Ecostore USA offers plant-based cleaning products as well as body and baby care products. The guiding principle of our formulations is that the end product must not only be good for the planet, but must also be good for the user. Individual health issues are at the forefront of product development. The Fairground Foundation is a charitable organization created by Ecostore to promote sustainability through on-the-ground action. For more information, visit www.ecostoreUSA.com

What Evolving Mommy Says:

I tested out three different Ecostore products the Pure Oxygen Whitener, Citrus Spray Cleaner, and Lemongrass Soap.


First of all let me tell you that I have fallen in love with the Lemongrass bar soap. It smells so, so yummy, fresh, clean and not fake at all and did I mention yummy? I don't usually use bar soap, I usually use liquid body wash in the shower because bar soaps usually leave my skin feeling filmy and dry. The lemongrass soap did neither of these things. After using it my skin feels soft and clean and I smell so nice too.

I tried the Citrus Spray Cleaner out all over my house. Bathrooms, the kitchen, Monkeys changing table and I really like it. The citrus scent is fresh smelling and not so strong that it leaves your nostrils and lungs feeling burnt. I felt like I got a good clean with this product without having to breath in hash chemicals.

I understand that Bleach can be a great tool for keeping whites white but I am just not into the harshness of it. Between me, Monkey and Luke we have a lot of white clothes in our house. I keep trying to tell people that although white clothes are cute they don't stay cute long when a toddler is wearing them, but for some reason Monkey keeps receiving little white tee's, sweaters and jackets. All of which end up looking brownish and dingy at the very least. I loaded up the washer with Luke's undershirts, Monkey's white tops and the families white socks and tested out the whitener. I was pleasantly surprised to find my load of wash coming out looking brighter and whiter than when they went in. The Pure Oxygen Whitener was not a miracle worker and some stains are just permanent but I was impressed with the change I saw in our clothes and I am thinking of ordering some Liquid Laundry soap too.

Buy It:

You can check out as well as purchase the complete line of Earth friendly Ecostore products on Ecostore USA's website, www.ecostoreusa.com . In addition to that all 185 Meijer Stores also carry Ecostore's products.

Win it:

Ecostore USA has generously offered a $25 gift certificate to one lucky Evolving Mommy reader.

To enter:

• Visit Ecostore USA and leave a comment telling me one thing you would like to try. This is a must and must be done for bonus entries to count.

Bonus Entries:

• Follow this blog and leave a comment letting me know. If you are already a follower just let me know. (*You must be following publicly.)
• Follow me on Twitter AND tweet this contest. Leave me a link to your tweet in your comment.
• Blog about this contest with links to Evolving Mommy and Ecostore USA and leave a comment with the link to your post. OR Email 2 people about this giveaway with links to Evolving Mommy and Ecostore USA. Please copy (cc) me in the email (evolvingmommy[at]gmail[dot]com) and leave a comment letting me know you have done this.
  
• Subscribe to my feed. You can find the subscription buttons at the top of the right sidebar. Leave a comment letting me you have done this.
  
• Leave a comment telling me one thing you are doing to make your house more "green."

The Fine Print:

There are six entries per person possible. Make sure to leave a separate comment for each entry. This contest if open to blogger's as well as non-blogger's. US residents only. Please be sure you leave your email address in your comment unless you have your email address accessible in your blogger profile. If I cannot get a hold of you, you will not win. Entries that do not follow the guidelines will be deleted. The giveaway will close 12:00am April 26, 2009. I will choose the winner randomly and announce the winner on April 27, 2009. The winner will have 48 hours from being announced to respond or an alternate winner will be chosen.


****Update:
Ecostore USA is offering free shipping on orders $25 and up, all this month for Earth month. This is a great opportunity to try Ecostore products.

Also, Malcolm Rands, the founder of Ecostore, will be touring Meijer Stores for the ask Ecoman tour. Malcolm will be available to answer any questions on Eco friendly products. The first 25 moms or dads that ask Malcolm A question will receive an organic Ecostore T-Shirt. There will be entertainment for the kids while mom and dad ask Malcolm ( Ecoman) questions. Listed below is the tour schedule.

4/13 Chicago - McHenry (5-7 PM)

4/18 Detroit - Wixom (5-7 PM)

4/20 Fort Wayne - Illinois Road (5-7 PM)

4/21 Indianapolis - Carmel (5-7 PM)

4/22 Cincinnati - Harrison Road (4-6 PM)

4/23 Grand Rapids - Cascade (2-4 PM)

Is Egg Dye the New Finger Paint?

Monkey had her first Easter egg dying experience last night. I would say it went fairly well for an 18 month old.

The Lesson. Things Started off fairly smooth, and Monkey was soon had multiple eggs piled high in the red dye container.



It was not long though, before the eggs were forgotten and the dying of hands commenced.



By the end creating art on the paper covering the table was deemed more exciting then dipping eggs into colors. Note the blue hand and the yellow hand, I think if the tubs of dye had been left on the table much longer the artist would have gladly colored herself up to her elbows.


Then it was time for the photo shoot with Daddy...

It was a fun night and I am only a little bummed that I did not get to dye any eggs.

Bliss - A Thousand Words Thursday

My favorite flowers. My favorite morning beverage. My favorite electronic device.
Life is good.

For more ATWT visit Jen.

Scrambrain

I recently have be struggling with an addiction and I think it is time for me to come clean and start the recovery process.

No it's not what you are thinking.

Hi my name is Catherine and I am a recovering Scrambaholic.

Let me give you a little background information. Spelling is not one of my strong suites. Baking: yes, sarcasm: yes, over-analyzing:yes, spelling:no. But I can read, very, very well so in a game like Boggle or Scramble, where the words are already there and I just have to find them, I kick-ass.

Facebook introduced me to this internet time suck/addiction known as Scramble a couple of weeks ago. Okay honestly it isn't even really Facebook's fault...it's my friend Gillian's because without her I would never have known about it. Just kidding Gillian, you are only partially to blame.

Have you ever played Scramble? If you have you might know what I am talking about if you haven't I'll give you a little run down.

Scramble is like Boggle. There is a grid of either 16 or 25 letters. You have 3 minutes to try and find as many words as you can using letters that are are directly next to, below, above or catty corner from each other. The more letters the words have the more points you get, the more points you have the happier you are. You can play this game with/against friends or you can play it solo.

They say an addiction is bad when you do it by yourself, well I was playing solo. I would log on to Facebook just to play one game, and 20 minutes later would have to fight myself to just close the page and walk away. "Just one more game, it's only 3 minutes" became my mantra.


Pretty soon my brain was completely Scrambled (okay, even more than normal). I was seeing grids of letter when I would close my eyes to go to sleep, I would try to find hidden words in signs, the pages of books and recipes. Words were popping into my head ... Star, Start, Starts, Started, Starter oh! maybe I could get stat, state and stated if the letters are right, but wait I'm not even playing, I'm cooking dinner!

I was suffering from what I refer to as Scrambrain, which is a very serious and life changing disorder...or something.

I guess a game every once in a while is okay but when letters and words start to take over your brain it might be time to pull the plug. I am starting to move past my addiction and haven't played once today. In reality I think I am kind of over it, it just isn't as exciting as it once was. When I have played in the last few days my head just wasn't in it. Although I am sure I haven't played my last round of Scramble, I think it is time for a break.

Is it totally lame that I was so addicted to Scramble? Maybe. I guess this is how it goes with "new" internet things, I love it for a while and then more on. Just not this blog, I love it and I am sticking with it.

Did you really think you could get rid of me that easily?

Blah Blah Blah

Often times bloggers use their blogs to vent and get things off their chest and maybe get support from others. I get the need for this. Everyone has down times. Everyone has time when things just aren't right or normal or good or even okay.

Well, lately I have been experiencing "the blahs." Now wait before you run away thinking this is going to be another "I'm feeling Depressed" post or a "I hate my life" post, because this post is neither of those. In fact I am quite happy. My husband is employed, my daughter is healthy, my bills are paid, my weight is fine, and I have good friends and wonderful family.

So where do the blahs com into play?

Let me explain. My body is been off lately. I guess I would say I have the body blahs, but in reality that may not accurately describe it. I have been feeling slow, my skin is acting out with dryness and breakouts too, my hair feels limp and oily at time or dry and brittle at others, my joints are stiff, I feel overly tired and I have been getting head aches almost daily.

Off. Different. Weird. Whatever you want to call it, but something just isn't right.

I noticed it about a month ago but I think it has been building for a while. I have been wondering to myself how I can right this wrong, how can I get get back to feeling normal?

After a lot of thought, usually late at night while lying in my bed, I have come up with a few small ideas for how to start to get back in control of things.

As I said before my weight is fine, but I don't like feeling slow and old so I signed up for The Self Challenge about a month ago to help hold myself accountable to working out. The website provides a place to log workouts and meals, keeps track of calories burned and eaten, and gives ideas for workouts and meals. I still don't always workout as much as I would like but, for some reason seeing graphs and charts motivates me. If you are are looking for something to help keep you on track I would suggest it. If you sign up let me know and we can be buddies and help each other out.

I am trying to remember to take my vitamins. I don't like these brittle nails or the bruises that appear out of nowhere. I think a multi vitamin will be helpful on both of those fronts, at least I hope so because I am pretty sure that bruises all over went out of fashion with those "heroine" Calvin Klein models.

I am switching my family over to natural cleaners, soaps and hygiene products. I have said this before but the desire to save money kept me coming back to those chemical filled shampoos, toothpastes and household cleaners. Some of our stuff is already all natural but I am making the commitment to switch us over entirely. I don't think those chemicals, and fake fragrances are helping my skin or hair one bit. I am reviewing some natural cleaners right now and I'll share them with you soon, but if you have any suggestions let me know.

I have not been drinking enough water. Pretty much the story goes that I have been drinking my weight in coffee everyday and barely any water. Hmmm, I wonder why I have been having headaches, my skin is rebelling against me and I'm tired? Um. Duh, Catherine. I am not planning on giving up my coffee, because lets face it I love it too much, I'm just planning to focus on drinking more water in addition to my coffee. Hopefully this will not result in 15 trips to the bathroom in the middle of the night, I am a crazy sleeper without all of the pee interruptions.

Hopefully these steps will help get things back in working order for me. Let me know if you have any ideas. In the mean time it seems like there is a health wave making its way around the blogoshpere. Tena at My Therapy is working to Kiss Her Big Fat Blog Ass Goodbye along with some friends, although I doubt her ass is fat at all. Mom of One at Everyday Mom of One has made her weight and goals public information in an effort to get motivated. Kel from Girl in the Glasses is planning to get her hunkercise on and wouldn't mind a few suggestions or support.

So are you doing anything to improve your health? Or are you perfect just the way you are? If so maybe you can share your secrets to total perfection with the rest of us.

Small Batch White Chocolate Cranberry Walnut Cookies

Small Batch White Chocolate Cranberry Walnut Cookies

2 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons applesauce
1 tablespoon beaten egg or egg substitute
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon whole wheat flour (can also use All Purpose flour)
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup dried cranberries
3 tablespoons chopped walnuts
3 tablespoons white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degree.

Place butter, applesauce, and sugar in a medium sized mixing bowl and beat with a hand mixer on medium speed until creamy. Add the egg and vanilla extract, mix until blended.

In separate bowl mix flour, baking soda and salt. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and stir well. Add in the dried cranberries, walnuts and white chocolate chips and mix until all ingredients are incorporated.

Drop by teaspoon fulls onto cookie sheet to make 8 equal sized mounds of dough. Bake until the cookies are golden brown, about 16 minutes. Remove cookies from oven and cool on wire rack.

Other recipes you might like:

• Small Batch Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
• Small Batch Brownies
• Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
  

Should Have Had it To Go

Luke, Monkey and I spent the afternoon running a few errands and checking out a few stores. I love doing this with Luke because we take turns keeping an eye on the little monster...err, I mean Monkey so that we both can have a little time looking at the things we want to. I got to wander through Barnes and Noble leisurely and Luke took his time looking through Aarons Brother's without having to worry about to our daughter, and what she might be destroying.

It was lovely, and just what I needed. After spending most of every week in my house I love getting out and wandering. In fact if we don't get out of the house on the weekends I get so agitated, grumpy and anxious. The one problem with going out and about is that we always seem to spend money that we did not intend to, that is besides the point of this post though.

On a whim on our way home we decided to stop and have dinner at one of our favorite local neighborhood places. We love this particular restaurant because they serve huge burgers that are cooked just the way you order them, they have several local brews on tap, there is a big fish tank in the center of the place that Monkey can see from almost every table and it is way laid back so it is nice for a family with a maniac toddler....did I mention the burgers were good?

Anyways...After more than 18 months of eating meals with Monkey you would think I would be able to anticipate possible issues. We had experienced some grumpiness and attitude while shopping and should have know that would translate into dinner time grumpiness, attitude, and all out loudness.

I know that it happens to everyone and that kids are bound to act out sometimes, especially in their toddler years, but it is so frustrating when my kid continues to yell and scream and act like the evil twin of my normally very sweet and well behaved child. It is not okay to color on the table on purpose, throw food on the floor, dump milk all over yourself and it is not okay to scream or yell in a restaurant... just in case you were wondering.

Next time I think I'll just send her back to help clean dishes or something so I can enjoy my burger in peace, or maybe we'll just avoid entering a restaurant until she is 18.

Pampers Giveaway *Winners*

The winners have 48 hours to email me their mailing information or I will draw new winners. Thanks for participating and remember to keep spreading the word about the Pampers and UNICEF initiative... 1 Pack= 1 Vaccine!

Fuzzi Bunz Perfect Size Cloth Diaper Review

Tires are Lame

I just got a call called to tell me that two of the tires on our care are half bald. So that means our car gets four new tires and our bank account loses a huge chunk of money we were not planning on parting with.

Normally we are not the type of people to make rushed purchased. I like to think we are frugal but if I am honest with you I think we might be a little too frugal sometimes. We will spend time searching for the best deals before we buy just about anything. Not tonight. Tonight we are rushing into buying tires. I can totally think of other things I would rather rashly spend money on...shoes, plane tickets, spa days...you get the idea. Tires are just so boring, and necessary.

This whole thing started because Luke is going skiing tomorrow and wanted to get the tires balanced and rotated. I guess if I want my husband to survive the mountain drive tomorrow I buy tires today.

The thing that grates on me, besides spending so much money on such an un-fun thing, we just fixed some stuff on our car on Wednesday...when it rains it pours I guess.

So what have you had to spend money on lately that you would rather not have done.

Dancing with the ... Toddlers - A Thousand Words Thursday

We know how to par-tay around here, holla...Raise The Roof


The Robot

Dancing in circles around the competition

"I'll teach you the electric slide..."


Flash Dance

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