tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19546141883455103392024-03-05T04:01:20.885-07:00Laughing Through the ChaosUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger256125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1954614188345510339.post-92014004671785906602010-07-22T16:42:00.003-07:002010-07-25T20:20:46.126-07:00Serenity now, insanity later.We just got back from what I would definitely call <i>the</i> most relaxing vacation I've ever had. I can't remember the last time I'd felt so relaxed. It was easy for us to go because Kaylee is so attached to all of her grandparents and practically pushes us out the door when we drop her off. We knew she'd have a great time with them, and vice versa, so we had no worries about being away.<br />
<br />
Plus, there's something to be said about just having time as a couple and not having to worry about changing diapers or trying to deal with a breakdown over whether or not we should really watch Barney or the Wiggles or Veggie Tales. You know, the big, big, taxing, stressful life decisions that two-year-olds struggle with...<br />
<br />
I was so excited to go out to restaurants and not have to worry about public meltdowns, bathrooms with no changing tables, or not being able to fully enjoy a meal<i> not </i>cooked by me while enjoying an actual intelligent, adult conversation because a certain someone was dead set on escaping the high chair and subsequently chucking crushed Saltine crackers off the table. *Deep breath*<br />
<br />
We got to the bed and breakfast and I start settling in, unpacking, and being so delighted at the fact that, at least for a couple days, life could be a <i>little</i> bit like it used to be. Just the two of us.<br />
<br />
You know how you always hear parents talking about how they finally get to go out on a date without their kids, but then all they end up talking about is the kids? I knew we'd miss Kaylee, and of course we'd think about her and talk about her, but what I didn't realize was the little things during our trip that would bring her to mind. As I unpacked, and throughout our trip, I found things.<br />
<br />
Things like this...<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieRB_B3RtswcxopnQ6NugKp6gqc7Wr0TkT5z7opCQTo5_tRLV7wxdFsH8IiqP_9oG7DFGDjNzOzZKlw2sY2sw6_hbjWSS3tLkYZvEAAe_jFhWfO-rDGlKo680TYTcFhXkhwIFZQoXT6kE/s1600/glittershoe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieRB_B3RtswcxopnQ6NugKp6gqc7Wr0TkT5z7opCQTo5_tRLV7wxdFsH8IiqP_9oG7DFGDjNzOzZKlw2sY2sw6_hbjWSS3tLkYZvEAAe_jFhWfO-rDGlKo680TYTcFhXkhwIFZQoXT6kE/s320/glittershoe.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiveHWxf7efmSaWFJ0XI5CviJFZCahRGx5Ek3CzLZvbRcS6b3JDrUkv-yLlFk38WTUq1Y2ifPu4KsASBq4kL4kyS4a9Z05MVlhHZwfhs1ZBqPxD8uX1p8qZJx-z0XUVvSMVd-Xr7X6zUrY/s1600/glitter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiveHWxf7efmSaWFJ0XI5CviJFZCahRGx5Ek3CzLZvbRcS6b3JDrUkv-yLlFk38WTUq1Y2ifPu4KsASBq4kL4kyS4a9Z05MVlhHZwfhs1ZBqPxD8uX1p8qZJx-z0XUVvSMVd-Xr7X6zUrY/s1600/glitter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiveHWxf7efmSaWFJ0XI5CviJFZCahRGx5Ek3CzLZvbRcS6b3JDrUkv-yLlFk38WTUq1Y2ifPu4KsASBq4kL4kyS4a9Z05MVlhHZwfhs1ZBqPxD8uX1p8qZJx-z0XUVvSMVd-Xr7X6zUrY/s1600/glitter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiveHWxf7efmSaWFJ0XI5CviJFZCahRGx5Ek3CzLZvbRcS6b3JDrUkv-yLlFk38WTUq1Y2ifPu4KsASBq4kL4kyS4a9Z05MVlhHZwfhs1ZBqPxD8uX1p8qZJx-z0XUVvSMVd-Xr7X6zUrY/s1600/glitter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>Lovely golden glitter glue on the bottom of my Nikes, which (I'm willing to bet my life on this) appeared as I was trying to prevent this... <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiveHWxf7efmSaWFJ0XI5CviJFZCahRGx5Ek3CzLZvbRcS6b3JDrUkv-yLlFk38WTUq1Y2ifPu4KsASBq4kL4kyS4a9Z05MVlhHZwfhs1ZBqPxD8uX1p8qZJx-z0XUVvSMVd-Xr7X6zUrY/s1600/glitter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiveHWxf7efmSaWFJ0XI5CviJFZCahRGx5Ek3CzLZvbRcS6b3JDrUkv-yLlFk38WTUq1Y2ifPu4KsASBq4kL4kyS4a9Z05MVlhHZwfhs1ZBqPxD8uX1p8qZJx-z0XUVvSMVd-Xr7X6zUrY/s320/glitter.jpg" /></a></div><br />
...from getting any worse (thats' the same golden glitter glue - on my hardwood floors).<br />
<br />
To be honest, I left that glitter glue on my floor for a while. I actually thought it was kind of cute. But I never realized I had glitter glue on my freaking shoes until I was unpacking on our trip. That one thing brought back such a fun little memory. And let's not forget the spare (clean, of course) diaper I found in my purse or half the plastic Easter egg that was also floating around in there.<br />
<br />
As if being away from her in itself wasn't enough to make me think about Kaylee, I had cute little things like this popping up the whole time we were gone.<br />
<br />
So the trip was awesome, and it was a much-needed getaway because I have a hard time sitting still, and this trip reminded me how important it is to actually do just that. Sit still. Sit still and do absolutely<i> nothing</i>.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwECFFOEEgdjZ_yzfstcu1uzHN6wx9qm2rvpa6WdzTPU7BPKiUCLJ3ut9yTGK5GLyjQzvH6dTfVUrL7QswcEcPsaMc8XYeh3qboTeptXZOOQoaY6dHk5oA3bXvgnuxgomRDWBd4yy2kOY/s1600/monsoon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>I even put down my book a few times when I was sitting outside, just to take it all in. All that fresh, quiet country air with cute little chirping birds...<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyE3SanISSldQSl7ZN9seLP1V5NHHljPS1mDoHMceZGKRjtpHHK_qIRu4x_XQJdChYyiThXYbKRLPlqZB1cWDqjlKi-_L1zdpiGv0IEKk75oWhr4fZwLIs37OIPE7zSiftlRH77LHW6Hs/s1600/serenity.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyE3SanISSldQSl7ZN9seLP1V5NHHljPS1mDoHMceZGKRjtpHHK_qIRu4x_XQJdChYyiThXYbKRLPlqZB1cWDqjlKi-_L1zdpiGv0IEKk75oWhr4fZwLIs37OIPE7zSiftlRH77LHW6Hs/s320/serenity.jpg" /></a></div><br />
...little bunny foo-foos hopping everywhere...<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUYVyy8qlohSjYJBtar9I0Dv7S1-UTnMuqvAKNry7Pe33kxfRmKuZ1T5oyhxuUHVOELRCmcDmzL7XWkNM8H7vQTo9DyEDiwZSMnLzBDlSRUff_OHUVITUsWLA84cmBPoekWpWaK2IbVBQ/s1600/bunny.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUYVyy8qlohSjYJBtar9I0Dv7S1-UTnMuqvAKNry7Pe33kxfRmKuZ1T5oyhxuUHVOELRCmcDmzL7XWkNM8H7vQTo9DyEDiwZSMnLzBDlSRUff_OHUVITUsWLA84cmBPoekWpWaK2IbVBQ/s320/bunny.jpg" /></a></div><br />
...the butterflies...<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii9DrPAzIaC7VHKAMx4KMw0sIumLrkS5pDCbyRySSXFKegAbGd-oIiyvY7K2JYiGTqjs3kq8yfcr1RglJ5eSrCpSIPqoK-34-mOjc_N8zWbG0Dqce8yYFgo3JuqaEu7NGmssND1O43pnA/s1600/butterfly.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii9DrPAzIaC7VHKAMx4KMw0sIumLrkS5pDCbyRySSXFKegAbGd-oIiyvY7K2JYiGTqjs3kq8yfcr1RglJ5eSrCpSIPqoK-34-mOjc_N8zWbG0Dqce8yYFgo3JuqaEu7NGmssND1O43pnA/s320/butterfly.jpg" /></a></div><br />
...the incredible views...<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwECFFOEEgdjZ_yzfstcu1uzHN6wx9qm2rvpa6WdzTPU7BPKiUCLJ3ut9yTGK5GLyjQzvH6dTfVUrL7QswcEcPsaMc8XYeh3qboTeptXZOOQoaY6dHk5oA3bXvgnuxgomRDWBd4yy2kOY/s1600/monsoon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6A4IHBwlZiLb5wGuWAWULRvulpqYwnwy3SU9aVbr1oDEalYBgSzokRSRc2pSvzxpq_aql75HmjXpDtriEZm8hkTTPDYzyxi3YW-Dojkf6PTKdZS2LsbjRZos7t3NJkcoUHaj4GHpQrwE/s1600/view.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6A4IHBwlZiLb5wGuWAWULRvulpqYwnwy3SU9aVbr1oDEalYBgSzokRSRc2pSvzxpq_aql75HmjXpDtriEZm8hkTTPDYzyxi3YW-Dojkf6PTKdZS2LsbjRZos7t3NJkcoUHaj4GHpQrwE/s320/view.jpg" /></a></div><br />
...the red adirondak chair that oh-so-badly wanted to make my home its own...<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXvSTB99RseD2N8Y1poDqHUZUO0bqFlgAHXZTwN93J8cvc08PprK7shrdjKxFMIQ5nDeQDTRxxVIsfWr2UL60DBB5c6wLrIEboZMJsDzbwjMN8iXCgQcj6MBzOuZ40IG2MomhX5VYhWjI/s1600/adirondak.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXvSTB99RseD2N8Y1poDqHUZUO0bqFlgAHXZTwN93J8cvc08PprK7shrdjKxFMIQ5nDeQDTRxxVIsfWr2UL60DBB5c6wLrIEboZMJsDzbwjMN8iXCgQcj6MBzOuZ40IG2MomhX5VYhWjI/s320/adirondak.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN7huZLauox3yk4ytqBt2-6hnuxk_b8SgLbNxH_sGidEoOd4-AY6c_8ReNwM9q9VnVdO0bIiQW15HA1KlGxuKU4ffSq0eioUsruYcmWhsM0_OQPEG22iBtjuaSAyR6zQWXY5iNkzTgHrE/s1600/stairstepper.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</a></div>and the Jack La Lanna stair stepper placed directly beside it (wth, right???)<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN7huZLauox3yk4ytqBt2-6hnuxk_b8SgLbNxH_sGidEoOd4-AY6c_8ReNwM9q9VnVdO0bIiQW15HA1KlGxuKU4ffSq0eioUsruYcmWhsM0_OQPEG22iBtjuaSAyR6zQWXY5iNkzTgHrE/s1600/stairstepper.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN7huZLauox3yk4ytqBt2-6hnuxk_b8SgLbNxH_sGidEoOd4-AY6c_8ReNwM9q9VnVdO0bIiQW15HA1KlGxuKU4ffSq0eioUsruYcmWhsM0_OQPEG22iBtjuaSAyR6zQWXY5iNkzTgHrE/s320/stairstepper.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<br />
...the bellowing cows, and the far-off monsoon storms - oh, those fabulous monsoon storms with all their lightning and thunder! <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwECFFOEEgdjZ_yzfstcu1uzHN6wx9qm2rvpa6WdzTPU7BPKiUCLJ3ut9yTGK5GLyjQzvH6dTfVUrL7QswcEcPsaMc8XYeh3qboTeptXZOOQoaY6dHk5oA3bXvgnuxgomRDWBd4yy2kOY/s1600/monsoon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwECFFOEEgdjZ_yzfstcu1uzHN6wx9qm2rvpa6WdzTPU7BPKiUCLJ3ut9yTGK5GLyjQzvH6dTfVUrL7QswcEcPsaMc8XYeh3qboTeptXZOOQoaY6dHk5oA3bXvgnuxgomRDWBd4yy2kOY/s320/monsoon.jpg" /></a></div><br />
But, from the moment we drove up to that cozy little place...<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhutWglUS5cAIncncNe4DVQ6b0etkFyq96Rqz5HXbCj0ubHcoAFNMYEkwpNNF0hfA7gKDC6zMoxBINRbzS1dWvOUf8JFC3ZbLooL_uZzlPSo8O7WekUuMLccewOU6ssBXj2oBrHm3_Dxok/s1600/bandb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhutWglUS5cAIncncNe4DVQ6b0etkFyq96Rqz5HXbCj0ubHcoAFNMYEkwpNNF0hfA7gKDC6zMoxBINRbzS1dWvOUf8JFC3ZbLooL_uZzlPSo8O7WekUuMLccewOU6ssBXj2oBrHm3_Dxok/s320/bandb.jpg" /></a></div><br />
...I knew I better enjoy every single second while it lasted because as soon ask I got home, I'd see the laundry that hadn't been done, the bills that needed to be paid, and it would be time to referee time-outs and to be on diaper duty again. I knew the peace would be fleeting.<br />
<br />
I braced myself when it was time to leave. I still felt relaxed, but I'd have been kidding myself if I thought it would continue once we got home. I couldn't have been reminded of that more clearly than this morning.<br />
<br />
As soon as Kaylee walked out the door from story time at the library where she behaved perfectly, it was mere moments before I was ready to shout, "Serenity nooooow!" (Seinfeld fans, there's a treat for you at the end...) because she turned into an absolute crazy person.<br />
<br />
Seriously. You can even ask my dear friend's five-year-old who said something to the effect of, "I don't know if she has brakes, but she sure has a gas pedal!" <br />
<br />
While the serenity was nice while it lasted, I am glad to be back home with my little firecracker, even if the serenity is a bit lacking for the time being.<br />
<br />
Plus, the view of the monsoons from my front porch isn't so bad, especially when I consider that what seems, at times, like insanity at home really isn't so crazy afterall. It's actually quite enjoyable.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7_gi7cngmcHM8QCDrv_R62yqGBIAbkNxuTmOpADxL3o2LjC5hr9eIQWSMXGUVATpU9Cvp0limjMEzj55KwWWHO-QPpZ66ZzGJhOOUZL3RwG9RPQYykNUEDXrhbmcvay-0ZXOy7qNe25s/s1600/crazy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7_gi7cngmcHM8QCDrv_R62yqGBIAbkNxuTmOpADxL3o2LjC5hr9eIQWSMXGUVATpU9Cvp0limjMEzj55KwWWHO-QPpZ66ZzGJhOOUZL3RwG9RPQYykNUEDXrhbmcvay-0ZXOy7qNe25s/s320/crazy.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<br />
***<br />
<br />
And, for any of you who cannot get the image of past Seinfeld episodes out of your head after reading, "Serenity nooooow!" this is for you...<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<object height="385" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/5513mXmQbw4&hl=en_US&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/5513mXmQbw4&hl=en_US&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1954614188345510339.post-40389213432534747552010-07-08T21:41:00.002-07:002010-07-22T18:00:14.257-07:00There's a hole in my bucket, Dear Liza, Dear Liza.Since I've been out of the blog world for what seems like so long, I forgot until just now that today is Writer's Workshop with <a href="http://www.mamakatslosinit.com/">Mama Kat </a>. One of the prompts this week was to write out your bucket list - 100 things you want to do before you turn 100. I easily came up with 50 before my brain decided it was time for me to go to bed. Actually, as soon as I wrote the above sentences, I remember that I want to have a chicken coop - hence, #51, which then led to numbers 52 and 53. I'm sure I'll come up with more later. But, this is a pretty good start.<br />
<br />
1. Learn to swim.<br />
2. Find a type of sushi that actually tastes good.<br />
3. Go to Italy.<br />
4. Once I can actually swim, swim in the ocean.<br />
5. Learn to grill food on the bbq.<br />
6. Plant and harvest a garden.<br />
7. Learn to drive a stick shift.<br />
8. Get my BSW license.<br />
9. Become an obstetrics social worker.<br />
10. Have another baby.<br />
11. Take my daughter to the places I grew up.<br />
12. Ride a hot air balloon.<br />
13. Drive a convertible. <br />
14. Go to grad school.<br />
15. Learn to play the violin.<br />
16. Move to a house with a fenced in back yard that my child can actually play safely in.<br />
17. Take a painting class (preferably a Bob Ross class - seriously)<br />
18. Take a pottery class.<br />
19. Read all of Barbara Kingsolver's books.<br />
20. Ride in an authentic gondola. With an authentically handsome gondolier.<br />
21. Find a really, really good wine that I love.<br />
22. Become a public speaking advocate/educator for postpartum mood disorders (in the works)<br />
23. Go to a new bed and breakfast every year.<br />
24. Go on a horseback ride in the woods.<br />
25. Buy a pair of totally hot pink high heels, and actually learn to walk in them. Without breaking my ankles.<br />
26. Successfully stop biting my nails. For good.<br />
27. Answer the door with my husband as he holds a shotgun while letting Kaylee's first boyfriend in the house to meet us for the first time.<br />
28. Win a radio contest.<br />
29. Adopt a family at Christmas.<br />
30. Play bingo with old people.<br />
31. Show my husband Mt. Rushmore when the faces are not completely covered in fog.<br />
32. See a crazy meteor shower.<br />
33. Watch lightning bugs.<br />
34. Buy a buttload of lady bugs and let them go in my future garden.<br />
35. Stay up half the night finishing my child's science fair project the night before it's due, just so I can truly appreciate what I put my own mom through.<br />
36. Go on a weekend getaway with my very best girl friends.<br />
37. Spend entire day. ENTIRE day at a spa. Pedi. Mani. Massage. Facial. The works.<br />
38. Get published. In something other than Blogger or a college newspaper.<br />
39. Own a hammock.<br />
40. Play a game of Super Mario Bros. 3 without uttering a single cuss word.<br />
41. Get a cat.<br />
42. Figure out a way to not be allergic to cats.<br />
43. Raise a happy, confident, assertive, brave little girl.<br />
44. Touch a dolphin.<br />
45. Introduce Kaylee to all of her great-grandparents.<br />
46. Participate in a "Beat the Blues" walk for postpartum mood disorders awareness.<br />
47. Go to New York City.<br />
48. Teach Kaylee how to fish.<br />
49. Camp at the bottom of the Grand Canyon.<br />
50. Make baking soda volcanoes with Kaylee.<br />
51. Have a chicken coop and sell fresh eggs to my friends and family. <br />
52. Take a self defense class.<br />
53. Try at least one new recipe every month. <br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.mamakatslosinit.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="Mama's Losin' It" src="http://i913.photobucket.com/albums/ac331/mamakatslosinit/poodle4.jpg" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.mamakatslosinit.com/" target="_blank"><br />
</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1954614188345510339.post-59002529539323887872010-07-08T16:59:00.000-07:002010-07-08T16:59:11.693-07:00A summer of booksI've been zipping through books like crazy this spring and summer, and because the beautiful <a href="http://sevenclowncircus.com/">Angie</a> asked, I decided to share some of my favorite books that I've read these past couple months.<br />
<br />
If you're looking for a light, easy, very fast read and you're a fan of authors like Fannie Flagg, definitely check out <img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=laugthrothech-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0307395022" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" />Looking for Salvation at the Dairy Queen by Susan Gregg Gilmore. I'm a <i>huge</i> Fannie Flagg fan. If I ever had another life, I'm pretty sure I was a Southern girl in it. I love the vernacular, the culture, the accent - all of it. This book is absolutely charming. You'll fall in love with the characters, and the writing style is just delightful. I think I read it in a single day.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Looking-Salvation-Dairy-Queen-Novel/dp/0307395022?ie=UTF8&tag=laugthrothech-20&link_code=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969" imageanchor="1" target="_blank"><img alt="Looking for Salvation at the Dairy Queen: A Novel" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=0307395022&tag=laugthrothech-20" /></a> <br />
<br />
I know I'm way behind the times on this one, but I just read Marley and Me. I can't see the movie because I don't want to cry. Plus, I'm big on reading the book before I see the movie. This, again, was a really easy, quick read, and it's not just a story about a dog. I just fell in love with the family in this book. I was expecting to finish the book and be all sad, but I wasn't. It's such a positive story. Loved it.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Marley-Me-John-Grogan/dp/B0010XOLH4?ie=UTF8&tag=laugthrothech-20&link_code=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969" imageanchor="1" target="_blank"><img alt="Marley & Me" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=B0010XOLH4&tag=laugthrothech-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=laugthrothech-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B0010XOLH4" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" /><br />
<br />
Next up? Julie and Julia. LOVED this book. Saw the movie first, actually, and I was a big fan. But, I really liked the book even better. Julie Powell is hysterical - she's one of those authors where you can tell she writes just like she talks. This book was highly entertaining and a really fun, easy read.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Julie-Julia-Recipes-Apartment-ebook/dp/B000FCKHA6?ie=UTF8&tag=laugthrothech-20&link_code=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969" imageanchor="1" target="_blank"><img alt="Julie and Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=B000FCKHA6&tag=laugthrothech-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=laugthrothech-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B000FCKHA6" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" /><br />
<br />
I mentioned a while back I was struggling with the whole concept of church (still am, but I'm making some forward strides...). I recently read If the Church were Christian, and it was very fitting for my struggles. It deal with some of my huge frustrations with the church in general, and it focused on how different church would look if people actually acted the way they supposedly believed. I didn't agree with everything in the book, but I really, really liked the overall concept, and I feel like the author made some excellent points. Very thought-provoking. It was also a really quick read - I think I read this one in a day as well.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/If-Church-Were-Christian-Rediscovering/dp/0061698768?ie=UTF8&tag=laugthrothech-20&link_code=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969" imageanchor="1" target="_blank"><img alt="If the Church Were Christian: Rediscovering the Values of Jesus" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=0061698768&tag=laugthrothech-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=laugthrothech-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0061698768" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" /><br />
<br />
I've recently read two books by Jennifer Weiner. Wasn't a huge fan of Good in Bed, but Little Earthquakes was definitely something to write home about. I got into the book very quickly, and I could definitely relate to it at this point in my life. It was all about adjusting to life as a new mother. It was a refreshing read.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Little-Earthquakes-LITTLE-EARTHQUAKES-Paperback/dp/B001TOOJPS?ie=UTF8&tag=laugthrothech-20&link_code=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969" imageanchor="1" target="_blank"><img alt="Little Earthquakes [LITTLE EARTHQUAKES] [Mass Market Paperback]" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=B001TOOJPS&tag=laugthrothech-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=laugthrothech-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B001TOOJPS" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" /><br />
<br />
And most recently...I've broadened my horizons into the romance novel genre. I was given the opportunity to review a new trilogy by Tessa Dare, and I'm hooked. The first in the trilogy is One Dance with a Duke, and the second one is Twice Tempted by a Rogue. While I liked the first one better, I must admit I can't wait to read the third one. I won't go into too much detail because I'll actually be reviewing the second book later this month and giving away the entire trilogy. I was expecting a bit of smut and a generic storyline. But really, the books have a few steamy scenes here and there with really good story lines, surprisingly enough.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/One-Dance-Duke-Tessa-Dare/dp/0345518853?ie=UTF8&tag=laugthrothech-20&link_code=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969" imageanchor="1" target="_blank"><img alt="One Dance with a Duke" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=0345518853&tag=laugthrothech-20" /></a> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Twice-Tempted-Rogue-Tessa-Dare/dp/034551887X?ie=UTF8&tag=laugthrothech-20&link_code=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969" imageanchor="1" target="_blank"><img alt="Twice Tempted by a Rogue" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=034551887X&tag=laugthrothech-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=laugthrothech-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=034551887X" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" /> <br />
<br />
I'm currently reading The Poisonwood Bible, and next up after that is a Philippa Gregory book.<br />
<br />
Read any good books this summer?<img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=laugthrothech-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0345518853" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1954614188345510339.post-18723890975274939382010-07-06T18:16:00.000-07:002010-07-06T18:16:09.590-07:00Jumping back inAfter a nice, long break from the blogging world, I finally decided it's time to start writing again.<br />
<br />
I've had a lot of things that needed my attention and focus, so I chose to give the blog a bit of a rest so I could put all my energy where it really needed to be.<br />
<br />
Like...<br />
<br />
Making sure my child doesn't break her neck while moving the dining room chair to the back of the couch in order to show me her sweet new skill of doing a summer sault from the chair onto the couch. (And I thought putting her in gymnastics was a good idea...)<br />
<br />
Facilitating approximately 85,276 time-outs and 46,724 tantrums - 26,000 of which were in public (terrible two's are the bees knees, folks).<br />
<br />
Going to therapy. Oh my GOSH I am such a huge fan of therapy now. I think everyone should go. Just for fun. Seriously. My therapist can work wonders in just 50 minutes. <br />
<br />
Reading like a fool. <br />
<br />
Supervising my child while she dangles off the kitchen counter, hanging by her tiny little fingers.<br />
<br />
Cooking up some delicious goodness in my kitchen.<br />
<br />
Trying to make sure I don't turn my head long enough for Kaylee to climb up on the dining room table where she subsequently squeals and does a crazy combination of dancing and stomping. <br />
<br />
Working, working, working. Have I mentioned I've been working my butt off?<br />
<br />
Enjoying my little family. Dennis has a part-time job this summer, but we have had some great days together - going to the park, the zoo, Costco, whatever. It's been so nice to just relax and spend time together.<br />
<br />
The writing bug just left me for a while. It was time for me to dig a little deeper and deal with some of my own junk. On my own. And I just didn't feel like putting it all out there.<br />
<br />
So, I'm back. Hopefully on a more regular basis.<br />
<br />
And, some goodies to look foward to...a guest post from Dennis in the near future, and a couple book giveaways - one of which is a fabulous romance trilogy, and the other is the new cookbook by Aviva Goldfarb which has quickly risen to the VERY top of my all-time-favorite cookbooks. Ever. So healthy, so easy, and SO yummy.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1954614188345510339.post-7714667818620315072010-05-09T11:15:00.003-07:002010-05-09T11:17:58.603-07:00My letter to new mothersToday, you can find me hanging out over at Katherine Stone's blog, <a href="http://www.postpartumprogress.com/">Postpartum Progress</a>. She's kind of a big deal.<br />
<br />
She writes the most widely-read blog in the U.S. on postpartum depression, and she is a tenacious advocate for women who suffer from postpartum mood disorders. Katherine is a survivor of postpartum OCD, and her blog is all about promoting awareness, education, and info on the latest research, programs, and legislation.<br />
<br />
She's fiesty and she's honest, and she is an amazingly inspirational woman who works tirelessly to shatter the stigmas that surround postpartum mood disorders.<br />
<br />
I think I probably nearly peed my pants with excitement when she invited me to be a part of the 2010 Mother's Day Online Rally for Moms' Mental Health. It's an event in which she posts a new story every hour on the hour from survivor moms, social workers, nurses, doctors, and experts about postpartum mood disorders. Each post is a letter to new moms, and I am honored beyond words to be included with so, so many amazing women.<br />
<br />
So, please go check it out..here's the link to my letter to new moms - <a href="http://www.postpartumprogress.com/weblog/2010/05/sera-on-healing-from-postpartum-depression.html">Sera: On surviving postpartum depression</a><br />
<br />
And while you're there, please check out all of the other amazing stories that you will find as part of today's rally.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><b>And may all of you mamas be ridiculously spoiled this Mother's Day. You deserve it. </b></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1954614188345510339.post-70597945632703723752010-04-28T22:07:00.003-07:002010-05-06T19:30:31.951-07:00From sleepless nights to potty training: Reflections on my two-year journey as a motherIt's the night before my sweet little Kaylee Bug turns two years old.<br />
<br />
I came in here to write after spending a short while with her before bed, where we read her favorite new book - <i>Ladybug Girl</i>, and she asked to say her "pears" (prayers) - prayers in which she frequently thanks Jesus for things like Captain Feathersword from The Wiggles, as well as other important things like candy, Costco and Grandma.<br />
<br />
After the reading of the book (and my refusal to read the book again), the pears, and the stalling, I succumbed to her request of "Mommy yay down, too?"<br />
<br />
So, this little mommy yayed down, too. <br />
<br />
And, in those little moments, I realized how far we'd come in two years.<br />
<br />
We made it through postpartum depression and anxiety, an overwhelming sense of when in the <i>hell</i> am I going to figure this whole motherhood thing out (answer = uh, <i>never)</i>, very sleepless, unpredictable nights, the horror of teething, so many firsts, so many laughs and tears and holycrapIamgoingtoLOSEit moments.<br />
<br />
We've made it through so much. And while I will always remember those really, really hard times - the belief that I would literally never sleep again, the terrifying panic and worry, the worse-than-contractions-kind-of-pain I had after giving birth, the insane sleep deprivation, the unbearable irritability, our 9-month battle with breast feeding, Kaylee's refusal to take naps for her first 12 months of life, multiple trips to the ER and a stay in the children's hospital, and did I <i>mention</i> the sleep deprivation? - I can honestly tell you that I don't have anywhere near the vivid imagery of those events that I did months ago. The emotional pain of those struggles fades more and more as time goes on, believe it or not, and I thank God for that.<br />
<br />
When I look back on the last 2 years, those really sucky moments are not what stands out most to me anymore. For the longest time, I couldn't get past those haunting memories. I felt like they were so deeply etched in my mind, and for the longest time, I had a hard time believing things would get much better, or that it would ever become easier for me to look back and <i>not</i> have those be the most dominating memories I had of being a mother.<br />
<br />
Will I ever completely forget what that junk was like? Oh, <i>heck</i> no. I will always remember how real and how difficult those days and months were. But now, I'm able to see myself as an even tougher woman for actually surviving all that. Those were bumps in the road that helped me grow, helped me learn more about myself, and helped to stir up a passion in myself to help other women who are either in that boat now or who have been there in the past.<br />
<br />
Now, when I play that little slideshow in my head of the past 2 years, I see things like Kaylee taking her first steps in our office, and then later that night, taking more steps out in the living room after Dennis bribed her with a cookie.<br />
<br />
I see her enjoying her first bite of cake, courtesy of my Dad.<br />
<br />
I see her running all the way across a soccer field, just to get to the dirt border around the outside so she can play in the dirt and rocks instead of the soft grass.<br />
<br />
I see a little girl who decided all on her own that it was time to start potty training, and who pretty much always thinks it's okay to just sit all the live long day on the toilet and "go potty more!" only to get off the toilet, state matter-of-factly, "Don't pee on da floor" and then proceed to pee on the floor. <br />
<br />
I see her jacking a can of V8 out of the fridge and toting it around pretending to drink out of it as she walks around the house, and then saying, "Ahhhhh" after she's finished with her pretend drink.<br />
<br />
I see a little girl who knows her ABC's and sings the Ippy Pider (Itsy Bitsy Spider) song all on her own.<br />
<br />
I see a little girl who uttered, "Dammit!" in Wal-Mart today after I dropped a box of pasta off the shelf. <br />
<br />
I see all the times Kaylee's face lit up each and every time Uncle Colin and Sarah came home from college after she'd gone months without seeing them.<br />
<br />
I see my spunky little smiling, energetic, funny, smart, absolutely <i>beautiful</i> baby girl.<br />
<br />
And, finally, I see myself as a damn good mother.<br />
<br />
I no longer see a failure who still can't keep the house clean, who occasionally swears and loses my patience and struggles to stay sane some days. I no longer see a mess of a mom who never had it together.<br />
<br />
Now I see a woman who balances a marriage, a job, friendships, family, being a mother, and trying to have some time to myself, among other things like oh, paying the bills and planning meals and countless other super-fun responsibilities.<br />
<br />
I see a woman who still swears and loses my patience and struggles to stay sane, but now I see that as <i>normal</i>, rather than seeing it as a character flaw. I still don't have it together many days, and I know I will never "arrive" at a place where I'll have it all together. That'd be a load of crap. I see a mama who does her best and who realizes, more often than not, that that's all I can do.<br />
<br />
Forget the pressure to be the perfect mother, to have a clean house, and to be Pollyanna. Screw than, man. It's just not me. <br />
<br />
I see the way my daughter has turned out, and I know I've done okay. And I know I <i>will </i>do okay. <br />
<br />
While I may not be proud of everything I do and the way I react to everything, I realize that's just fine. And I realize that my daughter needs to see that. She needs to see her mama as <i>human</i>. As imperfect and sometimes messy. As one in need of a daily happy pill and some time to myself, and a good, healthy dose of Grey's Anatomy once a week.<br />
<br />
We made it.<br />
<br />
We made it two years. And while she tries my patience like no other, she just keeps getting more fun.<br />
<br />
Fun enough to give me the crazy notion that it's finally time to do this whole thing over again.<br />
<br />
God help me...Unknownnoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1954614188345510339.post-27814428266674198432010-04-15T11:58:00.002-07:002010-04-15T14:25:19.713-07:00The day my kid said "Dammit."It's a day all of us parents dread. We hope and pray it won't happen to us, but deep down, we all know it's just a matter of time.<br />
<br />
It's the day our child says their first cuss word. You swear up and down you'll watch your mouth around your child and you will not be <i><b>THAT</b></i> parent, the one whose child says bad words.You vow to be a better parent than that. You will always set a good example. That's what you tell yourself.<br />
<br />
But, really - that's probably what you <i>told</i> yourself. Before you had kids. Because before we have kids we all swear there are certain things that we'll never allow, but then we end up allowing them anyway, because you learn to pick your battles, and you learn that while Barney may inspire you to chuck things through your picture window, he can also be your best ally when it comes to taking a shower or getting 30 minutes of quiet time to yourself when you're standing on the brink of insanity.<br />
<br />
So, some months ago, one of us opened the hall closet only to find that a crayon had been shoved under the door such that when we opened said door, the crayon scraped a huge streak of color across our lovely hardwood floors. The adult in question uttered, "Dammit!" upon seeing the bright red streak on the floor. Pretty much immediately, Kaylee said it, too. Plain as day.<i> Great.</i><br />
<br />
Dennis tried to fool her into thinking it was "rabbit" and not "dammit" that actually came out.<br />
<i> </i><br />
Then came an oh-so-innocent sounding string of, "Dammit! Rabbit. Dammit. Dammit. Rabbit. RABBIT!"<br />
<br />
Not exactly a redemption there, folks.<br />
<br />
At first we really reacted to it. "No, Kaylee! We don't say that!" and on and on. We tried to correct her, but we found it actually made the situation even worse. She loved the reaction, and she'd just cock her head to the side, turn up the cuteness by about 76 notches, smile that irresistible smile and then <i>whisper </i>it..."Dammit?"<br />
<br />
So, we changed gears. We consciously made the choice to become terrible parents by actually deciding to ignore her when she said it. I know! Despicable, right? If you want to take away my nomination for Mother of the Year, I'm sorry to tell you you're too late. I'm pretty sure I lost it on January 1st (dammit).<br />
<br />
Anyway, ignoring it has seemed to work best. But, we can definitely tell when Kaylee's about to say it. She'll say, "That's a bad word! Don't say that!" And then we know a tiny little "dammit" is just around the corner.<br />
<br />
Now, don't get me wrong - I'm not writing about this because I'm all proud of my child's newly expanded vocabulary. <br />
<br />
I'm writing about this because I'm not perfect. Dennis isn't perfect, and we don't have a perfect child. <i>We're just doing the best we can</i>, and if that means that our nearly-two-year-old sometimes utters "dammit" (always in perfect context, by the way...), then oh well.<br />
<br />
We feed her. We love her. We bathe her. We play with her. We do the best we can.<br />
<br />
And that's good enough for me.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">This post is loosely based on writing prompt #4 from Mama Kat's Writer's Workshop, going on all day long over at <a href="http://www.mamakatslosinit.com/">Mama's Losin' It</a>. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.mamakatslosinit.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="Mama's Losin' It" src="http://i913.photobucket.com/albums/ac331/mamakatslosinit/poodle4.jpg" />.</a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1954614188345510339.post-74027398555026651412010-04-14T14:44:00.000-07:002010-04-14T14:44:52.778-07:00Little bit of this, little bit of that.I hate it when so much time goes by without writing, but it's been happening more and more, and I think it's just the nature of where I'm at in life right now. There's certainly no shortage of things to write about, but I just haven't taken the time to sit down to form the thoughts into words.<br />
<br />
Kaylee and I have been spending less time at home during the week and more time out doing things. She is just in love with the zoo (as am I), and slowly, but surely, she's getting used to sitting on the tiny benches at story time long enough to actually listen to the story. This weekend will be her first gymnastics lesson also.<br />
<br />
She's just changing so fast that I can hardly believe she'll be two at the end of this month. She's taken it upon herself this last week or so to start using the potty, which is freaking <i>awesome. </i>Hellooo! Still not out of diapers, but definitely very, very interested in the potty, so that's pretty darn big. We're also back in our habit of hitting the Mommy and Me exercise class, which does wonders for my mood and my overall sense of well-being.<br />
<br />
I'm still a Martha Stewart in training, cooking up more yummy stuff. I've got several pictures ready so I can share some new ideas with you. I'm also still loving reading, although I'm not able to get through books so fast at the moment with all that's going on.<br />
<br />
So - nothing earth shattering going on over here. Nothing super witty to say. Just feeling the itch to write some more. That's all.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1954614188345510339.post-88805586534134820632010-03-30T20:35:00.002-07:002010-03-30T20:37:39.941-07:00Wordful Wednesday - Just one of several looks that get her out of trouble...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiLwWi5Uii0kT8EO2-yFus1TBcNlCP9gAvuBUOR5rtS4e_XWbbv39up1vohfx28DG8FAC1VVrmVIrRm5ExQAAafIhjo3prZ_4gwBmxkY9QLyOZE9pjAC90LhY55SjeN_GRttzo9ngCXcY/s1600/blush2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiLwWi5Uii0kT8EO2-yFus1TBcNlCP9gAvuBUOR5rtS4e_XWbbv39up1vohfx28DG8FAC1VVrmVIrRm5ExQAAafIhjo3prZ_4gwBmxkY9QLyOZE9pjAC90LhY55SjeN_GRttzo9ngCXcY/s320/blush2.jpg" /></a></div>There are just so many things I love about this picture. Where to begin?<br />
<br />
1. The cropping action. I busted out my sweet cropping skills on this one. So, you really have no idea how messy this room was when I took this picture. Ha!<br />
<br />
2. The ensemble. Kaylee remains stubborn in her fashion choices. Even though this picture was taken in the morning, this is the outfit she <i>insisted</i> on wearing to bed the previous night. Let's discuss. Okay...we've got purple pony sweatshirt, black knit tights (which were not orginally paired together for her outfit, by the way...) and her pink and brown Sketchers. Beautiful, no? And yes, she slept in the shoes.<br />
<br />
3. The makeup application skills. Sure, she got some makeup on her shirt. And her tights. And all.over.my.FLOOR! But, I have to give this girl some props for her mad skills in makeup application. Would you just look at the precision of the blush on the cheekbones? Just like Mary Poppins - practically perfect in every way. Seriously. She doesn't miss a beat when she watches me put it on every morning. She knows exactly where that makeup goes, people.<br />
<br />
3. The bedhead. Oh, the crazy bedhead. My child finally has enough hair to have crazy bedhead!<br />
<br />
4. The look. Really, do I need to offer an explanation for why I love the look? It kept her out of timeout for getting into my makeup - little stinker... <br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">This post is a part of Wordful Wednesday, hosted by Angie at <a href="http://www.sevenclowncircus.com/">7 Clown Circus</a>. Go check her out! </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/%E2%80%9Dhttp://www.sevenclowncircus.com/%E2%80%9D" target="”_blank”"> <img border="”0″" height="”125″" src="http://sevenclowncircus.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/sevenclownbutton.jpg" width="”125″" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1954614188345510339.post-67535568156422585212010-03-30T08:11:00.001-07:002010-03-30T08:12:15.255-07:00Fighting the blahs.All I want to do today is just stay home, put on a marathon of Barney for Kaylee, and read a book. I started a new one last night by Jennifer Weiner called Little Earthquakes, which was a recommendation from a friend. I'm already hooked and don't want to put it down.<br />
<br />
I'm just feeling lazy and unmotivated and not wanting to get out of my cushy robe to do much of anything. I know we all have our days like that. <br />
<br />
But, it's sunny outside. Spring is in the air (and everything in bloom is making me want to scratch my eyes out because my allergies are ALSO in full boom). My child thrives on fresh air. I miss the girls at our Mommy and Me exercise class, and I haven't gone to the gym in ages.<br />
<br />
So, at some point in the next 62 minutes, I'm going to wash my face, put on a dash of makeup in an attempt to hide my puffy allergy eyes, put on my workout clothes, load Kaylee up in the car, and prepare myself for getting my butt handed to me in our boot camp class for an hour <br />
<br />
Because I know it will do both of us some good. I'll feel energized and refreshed and hopefully it will jump start my workouts again.<br />
<br />
Plus, when I was changing Kaylee's diaper after she woke up this morning, I asked her what she wanted to do today, and said, "Go to zoo? See da bear?" And...I just can't bear to keep her cooped up in the house all day after such a cute request.<br />
<br />
So, the gym and the zoo it is.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">(Written on 3.29.10)</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1954614188345510339.post-57959229580630137492010-03-27T15:16:00.005-07:002010-03-27T15:21:02.343-07:00iRead. iCook.It's an understatement to say that my whole life changed when Kaylee was born. While I was navigating the waters of my early months with her, there were lots of things in my life that I let go - like daily showers, getting outside regularly, housework - the usual things that take a back burner when a new baby comes on the scene. I could only juggle so many things, and unfortunately, one of the things I dropped for several months was reading for fun.<br />
<br />
Last year I really got back into reading, and I tried hard to always have a book going on my nightstand. Reading has always been my favorite before-bed ritual. It slows my mind down, calms me, and if I read until my eyelids become heavy and I can't keep them open any longer, I usually sleep really well.<br />
<br />
In 2009 I read 19 books. And, while I usually tend to stick to fiction, just for the simple fact that I love getting lost in a good story - something that's totally made up, I started getting into more non-fiction books last year. Memoirs, biographies, books about health - just broadening my horizons.<br />
<br />
So far this year, I've already read 17 books, so I know I'll surpass last year's number of books read by quite a lot. I'm continuing to try and read a good variety of books. This year it's been everything from biographies to chick lit, to adventure, to just plain fiction.<br />
<br />
I'm so glad I eventually brought myself back to rekindle one of my very favorite past times. I find myself reading, and being so excited about the other books that I want to read, that it seems I just can't read my current book fast enough.<br />
<br />
I'm currently on a little kick about reading about polygamy, and I'm finding it absolutely fascinating. At the bottom of this post, I'm including a link where you can view all the books I read in 2009 and all the books I've read so far in 2010. I've rated all of them, and some I've even written quick little reviews about.<br />
<br />
I've got a couple books lined up for some blog book tours that I'll be sharing my reviews with you on (one includes a giveaway, which I'll announce tomorrow), and I also hope to highlight some of my favorite books from last year and this year.<br />
<br />
Along with more talk of books and reading, there will be some more cooking and food talk, too. I still have a couple giveaways that I meant to include in Food Week, and I also have another food-related post I've had in the works. In addition to that, I've taken some pictures of a couple of the recipes I shared during food week - included especially for those of you who said you're visual and want pictures! And since I kicked off Food Week, I've found another recipe that we are absolutely crazy about around here, and I'll be sharing that, too.<br />
<br />
I'm hoping that rather than having themed weeks, I'll just share stuff about books and cooking in more of an ongoing way. I didn't like being limited to talking about just food for a whole week.<br />
<br />
So, that's that. Come back tomorrow for a review on one of my most recent reads - a copy of the book will be up for grabs for one lucky reader!<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;"><embed flashvars="id=3208293&shelf=read&title=Sera's bookshelf: read&host=www.goodreads.com&sort=date_added&order=d&params=amazon,,dest_site," height="300" quality="high" src="http://www.goodreads.com/images/widget/widget2.swf" width="190" wmode="transparent"></embed><br />
<br />
</div><div style="display: none;"><div style="-moz-border-radius-bottomleft: 10px; -moz-border-radius-bottomright: 10px; -moz-border-radius-topleft: 10px; -moz-border-radius-topright: 10px; border: 1px solid rgb(215, 215, 215); margin-bottom: 4px; padding: 10px; width: 165px;"><span style="color: #aaaaaa; font-style: italic;">Sera's bookshelf: read</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6839955-balancing-acts" style="float: left; padding: 2px;" title="Balancing Acts"><img alt="Balancing Acts" border="0" height="70" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51RSgjeC0uL._SL75_.jpg" width="50" /></a><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/990879.Behind_the_Smile_My_Journey_Out_of_Postpartum_Depression" style="float: left; padding: 2px;" title="Behind the Smile: My Journey Out of Postpartum Depression"><img alt="Behind the Smile: My Journey Out of Postpartum Depression" border="0" height="70" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1180038577s/990879.jpg" width="50" /></a><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10908.Harvesting_the_Heart" style="float: left; padding: 2px;" title="Harvesting the Heart"><img alt="Harvesting the Heart" border="0" height="70" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166338965s/10908.jpg" width="50" /></a><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/818811.Escape" style="float: left; padding: 2px;" title="Escape"><img alt="Escape" border="0" height="70" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1178663788s/818811.jpg" width="50" /></a><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2767052.The_Hunger_Games" style="float: left; padding: 2px;" title="The Hunger Games (Hunger Games, #1)"><img alt="The Hunger Games" border="0" height="70" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1267255754s/2767052.jpg" width="50" /></a><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2195289.I_Was_Told_There_d_Be_Cake" style="float: left; padding: 2px;" title="I Was Told There'd Be Cake"><img alt="I Was Told There'd Be Cake" border="0" height="70" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1255587590s/2195289.jpg" width="50" /></a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/3208293-sera-goldsmith" style="color: #aaaaaa; font-size: 0.9em;">More of Sera's books »</a></div></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/3208293-sera-goldsmith" target="_blank"><img alt="Sera Goldsmith's book recommendations, reviews, favorite quotes, book clubs, book trivia, book lists" border="0" height="32" src="http://www.goodreads.com/images/widget/widget_logo.gif" title="Sera Goldsmith's book recommendations, reviews, favorite quotes, book clubs, book trivia, book lists" width="190" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1954614188345510339.post-40130583051113980132010-03-22T18:47:00.001-07:002010-03-22T20:31:23.448-07:00Pickin' up where I left offSo...I definitely bit off more than I could chew with my attempt at the whole Food Week thing a couple weeks ago. Sure, I got an awesome interview with cookbook author Aviva Goldfarb, put up some fun, yummy recipes and got some great feedback from some of you on them, but two of my planned Food Week days never happened.<br />
<br />
I had a Pampered Chef party at my house at the end of that particular week, and it was so much stinking FUN. It was the first time since Kaylee was born that I had an actual group of girl friends over for a party. It was such a wonderful feeling to have my house full of some of my closest friends and my family. So...needless to say, I spent a ton of time getting ready for that.<br />
<br />
Then...Spring Break arrived, and Dennis had an entire week off from work. So, I neglected the blog, and I let the rest of my Food Week go down the crapper. But, I kept my family first, so that's that. We'll just pick up right here and finish things off.<br />
<br />
So, one of the things I had planned was to share three great foodie giveaways with you all. One of them expires this Friday - as in, I must give your address to the company by THURSDAY or there will be no giveaway. I definitely dropped the ball on that one.<br />
<br />
Right now, I'm home by myself, so I'm just going to get this particular giveaway up, and the other two will go up sometime later this week. Because - hello! I am home. BY. MYSELF.<br />
<br />
So, be sure to check out the next post about the Fiber One gift pack that's up for grabs. Be sure to enter - your chances are probably going to be good since there's only a couple days left!<br />
<br />
And the other topic I never posted on? Money-saving ideas, especially related to buying and eating fresh produce. That'll be up later this week, too.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1954614188345510339.post-19466330911504618822010-03-11T15:20:00.000-07:002010-03-11T15:20:50.563-07:00How to be a rock start in your own kitchen: Part Three<div style="text-align: center;"><i>Welcome to day five of Food Week on Laughing Through the Chaos - click the links below to catch up if you need to</i>!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://laughingthroughthechaos.blogspot.com/2010/03/its-food-week-on-laughing-through-chaos.html">Sunday </a><br />
<a href="http://laughingthroughthechaos.blogspot.com/2010/03/stale-marshmallows-exploding-pie-dishes.html">Monday</a><br />
<a href="http://laughingthroughthechaos.blogspot.com/2010/03/chart-toppers-my-top-10-favorite.html">Tuesday</a><br />
<a href="http://laughingthroughthechaos.blogspot.com/2010/03/chart-toppers-10-food-blogs-websites.html">Wednesday </a><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: left;">As we've been trying new recipes this year, we've discovered some that ended up in the trash after one bite, some that weren't bad, and some that we were just totally crazy about. The following are some of our favorites from our many new adventures in cooking. I hope you enjoy them!<br />
<br />
<a href="http://laughingthroughthechaos.blogspot.com/2010/03/spicy-turkey-bean-chili.html">Spicy Turkey Bean Chili </a><br />
<a href="http://laughingthroughthechaos.blogspot.com/2008/08/oven-crisp-potato-wedges.html">Oven-Crisp Potato Wedges </a><br />
<a href="http://laughingthroughthechaos.blogspot.com/2008/08/low-fat-oatmeal-banana-bread.html">Low Fat Oatmeal Banana Bread </a><br />
<a href="http://laughingthroughthechaos.blogspot.com/2008/08/microwave-apple-and-pear-crisp.html">Microwave Apple and Pear Crisp </a><br />
<br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1954614188345510339.post-29434130129108115932010-03-11T14:57:00.001-07:002010-03-11T14:57:47.860-07:00How to be a rock star in your own kitchen: Part Two<div style="text-align: center;"><i> </i><i>Welcome to day five of Food Week on Laughing Through the Chaos - click the links below to catch up if you need to</i>!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://laughingthroughthechaos.blogspot.com/2010/03/its-food-week-on-laughing-through-chaos.html">Sunday </a><br />
<a href="http://laughingthroughthechaos.blogspot.com/2010/03/stale-marshmallows-exploding-pie-dishes.html">Monday</a><br />
<a href="http://laughingthroughthechaos.blogspot.com/2010/03/chart-toppers-my-top-10-favorite.html">Tuesday</a><br />
<a href="http://laughingthroughthechaos.blogspot.com/2010/03/chart-toppers-10-food-blogs-websites.html">Wednesday </a></div><br />
<i>On making my first "gourmet" meal...</i><br />
<br />
Glaze of Glory Pork Tenderloin<br />
<br />
This is a recipe I adapted from Gourmet magazine. The original recipe is by Paul Grimes and it included a fancy shmancy salad and some salad dressing to serve along with the pork. I never cooked that, so I'm omitting it here. I also made a slight modification to the pork tenderloin based on our family's tastes.<br />
<br />
The first time I had this was during a girl's night at a friend's house. I bit into this juicy pork and pretty much thought I'd died and gone to heaven. It was that good. Seriously? One of THE best things I have ever tasted in my life, and it was SO easy to watch them make (I was in charge of potatoes and dessert).<br />
<br />
I decided to brave it on my own when we had some family come and visit us in February from out of state. I don't think I've ever cooked for so many people, so I was a little nervous about it turning out right. They raved about it. They asked for the recipe, and they had seconds.<br />
<br />
This seriously tastes like a gourmet meal you would get at a restaurant.<br />
<br />
It goes great with the Oven-Crisp Potato Wedges and a side of steamed veggies (my personal favorites to go with this meal are asparagus and broccoli).<br />
<br />
Dennis told me this was the best dinner I have ever made. That being said, you definitely need to try this, and I promise - it is SO easy!<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Ingredients</span><br />
<br />
For pork:<br />
<br />
2 tsp. salt<br />
1/2 tsp. black pepper (I prefer the course ground pepper)<br />
1 tsp. ground cumin<br />
1 tsp. chili powder<br />
1 tsp. cinnamon<br />
2 pork tenderloins (2 1/4 to 2 1/2 lbs total - Costco has these for a GREAT price!)<br />
2 Tbsp. olive oil<br />
<br />
For glaze<br />
<br />
1 c. packed dark brown sugar (all I had was light, and it worked just fine)<br />
2 Tbsp. finely chopped garlic (I substituted the jarred, minced garlic)<br />
*Original recipe also listed 1 Tbsp. of Tabasco, but we omitted this ingredient<br />
<br />
Directions:<br />
<br />
-Preheat oven to 350.<br />
-Sit together salt, pepper, cumin, chili powder, and cinnamon, then coat pork with spice rub.<br />
-Heat oil in an ovenproof 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until just beginning to smoke, then brown pork, turning, about 4 minutes total. Leave pork in skillet.<br />
-Stir together brown sugar, garlic, and Tabasco (if you choose to add that ingredient) and pat onto top of each tenderloin. Roast in middle of oven until thermometer inserted diagonally in center of each tenderloin registers 140 degrees F, about 20 minutes. Let pork stand in skillet at room temperature 10 minutes (temperature will rise while standing).<br />
<br />
NOTE: I did not put my skillet in the oven. I transferred the pork to one of my Pampered Chef stoneware casserole dishes. Also, at 140 degrees, the pork was still pink in the middle, so I went with the recommended internal pork temperature listed right on the meat thermometer, which - I do not presently have in front of me, so I'll just go ahead and let you refer to your own meat thermometer. Or Google. Whatever.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1954614188345510339.post-60576085958339070792010-03-11T14:53:00.006-07:002010-03-11T14:55:35.454-07:00How to be a rock star in your own kitchen: Part One<div style="text-align: center;"><i>Welcome to day five of Food Week on Laughing Through the Chaos - click the links below to catch up if you need to</i>!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://laughingthroughthechaos.blogspot.com/2010/03/its-food-week-on-laughing-through-chaos.html">Sunday </a><br />
<a href="http://laughingthroughthechaos.blogspot.com/2010/03/stale-marshmallows-exploding-pie-dishes.html">Monday</a><br />
<a href="http://laughingthroughthechaos.blogspot.com/2010/03/chart-toppers-my-top-10-favorite.html">Tuesday</a><br />
<a href="http://laughingthroughthechaos.blogspot.com/2010/03/chart-toppers-10-food-blogs-websites.html">Wednesday </a></div><br />
<br />
<i>On making my first souffle...</i><br />
<br />
This recipe was was one of the very first I tried after deciding to broaden my horizons with new recipes and new ingredients. I didn't even know what a "souffle" was until I saw the movie,<i> Julie and Juli</i>a. Now, every time I see the word souffle, I hear, "<i>I'iiiim</i> Julia <i>Chiiiild</i>" in my head. I checked out the ingredients, thought it sounded like they'd taste good together, and figured the directions looked simple enough, so I gave it whirl.<br />
<br />
The recipe says bake until "puffed and golden," but, having never made a souffle before, the high level of puffiness was pretty much freaking me out. It looked like it was about to explode all over the inside of the oven. So, I do what any novice cook does - I jumped on Google real quick, where I quickly found out that, not only is it actually a pretty big deal to make a souffle, but the crazy stuff going on in that oven was actually normal.<br />
<br />
Anyway - apparently, souffles can be a bit tricky to make. Had I known that, I probably would have chickened out and say, "Hey, honey. Looks like it's Cheerios and toast for dinner again," but I'm so glad I was ignorant up to that point because this is one of my proudest kitchen creations EVER. I made a souffle! And it tasted amazing, and Dennis even <i>loved</i> it! Oh, happy day.<br />
<br />
It's great for breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner - anytime, really, and the leftovers taste great the next day. <br />
<br />
Apple Pancake Souffle<br />
A modification from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Weight-Watchers-Simply-Best-Prizewinning/dp/0028619404?ie=UTF8&tag=laugthrothech-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Weight Watchers' Simply the Best : 250 Prizewinning Family Recipes</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=laugthrothech-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0028619404" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" /><br />
<br />
Ingredients<br />
<br />
1 cup + 2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour (I used whole wheat flour)<br />
3 Tbsp. sugar<br />
1/2 tsp. salt<br />
1/2 tsp. cinnamon<br />
2 c. fat-free egg substitute<br />
2 c. skim milk (I used 2%)<br />
1 tsp. vanilla extract<br />
2 Tbsp. unsalted stick margarine (I used butter)<br />
6 apples, peeled and thinly sliced (my food processor saved me a lot of time by slicing the apples for me - I also used Granny Smith apples)<br />
3 Tbsp. firmly packed light brown sugar<br />
<br />
1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.<br />
<br />
2. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, salt and cinnamon; make a well in the center. Add the egg stubstitute, milk and vanilla; whisk until thoroughly combined.<br />
<br />
3. Place the margarine in a 13 x 9" baking dish; place in the oven until the margarine is melted and sizzling, about 3 minutes. Add the apples and mix gently to coat. Bake until th e apples are heated through, about 5 minutes (just an FYI, I forgot this step the first time, and it didn't make any difference at all). Pour the egg mixture over the apples; sprinkle with the brown sugar. Bake until the souffle is puffed and golden and a knife inserted int eh center comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Serve at once.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1954614188345510339.post-26509627524425875632010-03-10T14:35:00.002-07:002010-03-10T14:36:20.086-07:00Chart Toppers: Top 10 food blogs & websites you don't want to miss<div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Welcome to day three of Food Week on Laughing Through the Chaos - click the links below to catch up if you need to</i>!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://laughingthroughthechaos.blogspot.com/2010/03/its-food-week-on-laughing-through-chaos.html">Sunday </a><br />
<a href="http://laughingthroughthechaos.blogspot.com/2010/03/stale-marshmallows-exploding-pie-dishes.html">Monday</a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://laughingthroughthechaos.blogspot.com/2010/03/chart-toppers-my-top-10-favorite.html">Tuesday</a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">In no particular order...</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><u>10 food blogs & websites you don't want to miss</u></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div></div><ol style="text-align: center;"><li><a href="http://www.joythebaker.com/">Joy the Baker</a></li>
<li><a href="http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/">A Year of Slow Cooking</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.myfirstkitchen.net/">My First Kitchen</a></li>
<li> <a href="http://thepioneerwoman.com/">Pioneer Woman </a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.bakerella.com/">Bakerella </a></li>
<li><a href="http://thepioneerwoman.com/tasty-kitchen/">The Tasty Kitchen</a></li>
<li><a href="http://stonegable.blogspot.com/">Stone Gable</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.thescramble.com/">The Scramble</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.allrecipes.com/">All Recipes</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.hungry-girl.com/">Hungry Girl</a></li>
</ol>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1954614188345510339.post-31721752706725097292010-03-09T08:13:00.000-07:002010-03-09T08:13:50.552-07:00Chart Toppers: my top 10 favorite cookbooks {at the moment...}<div style="text-align: center;"><i>Welcome to day three of Food Week on Laughing Through the Chaos - click the links below to catch up if you need to</i>!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://laughingthroughthechaos.blogspot.com/2010/03/its-food-week-on-laughing-through-chaos.html">Sunday </a></div><a href="http://laughingthroughthechaos.blogspot.com/2010/03/stale-marshmallows-exploding-pie-dishes.html">Monday</a></div><br />
Later this week I'll be bustin' out some of my favorite recipes to share with you (some new, some old), so I thought it was only appropriate that we talk about cookbooks and other places I find my recipes before we actually check out the recipes themselves. Today it's all about the cookbooks. Tomorrow I'll share my favorite food blogs, websites, and iPod/iPhone apps related to food.<br />
<br />
I broke all these bad boys up into categories in case you're looking for something specific. I received many of my cookbooks as gifts, some I bought online, and others were borrowed from friends or checked out from the library.<br />
<br />
When it comes to buying cookbooks, I highly recommend checking out local used bookstores or checking online for the best deals. I'd say close to 90% of the time I buy books online, I buy them on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/">Amazon.com </a>because you can get used copies in good condition for super cheap. Another great site I bought books from in college is <a href="http://half.com/">Half.com</a>, where you'll also find great deals on books. Or, better than paying <i>anything</i>, go to your library and borrow the book, or ask friends if you can peruse their cookbook collections and borrow from them.You don't need to spend a bunch of money to get good ideas for recipes.<br />
<br />
The most special cookbook I have was given to me by mom mom as a wedding gift. She compiled recipes that have been in our family for years, got recipes from Dennis's mom that were his favorites, and she had Dennis's sister illustrate it. I remember looking through it the first time, seeing some recipes and realizing it had been years since I'd eaten some of them, but they instantly brought back great memories of my child hood and the creative ways my mom would prepare foods for us. The book itself is something I'll always treasure, with many personal touches from my mom thrown in throughout the book. It's something that I will one day add to and share with Kaylee. I just couldn't include a post about cookbooks without mentioning it.<br />
<br />
<br />
So, here are some of my favorite cookbooks, with little tidbits about why I love each of them. <br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><u>Healthy </u></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Weight-Watchers-Simply-Best-Prizewinning/dp/0028619404?ie=UTF8&tag=laugthrothech-20&link_code=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Weight Watchers' Simply the Best : 250 Prizewinning Family Recipes" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=0028619404&tag=laugthrothech-20" /></a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/WomenHearts-All-Heart-Family-Cookbook/dp/1594867968?ie=UTF8&tag=laugthrothech-20&link_code=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="WomenHeart's All Heart Family Cookbook" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=1594867968&tag=laugthrothech-20" /></a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Lisa-Lillien-Hungry-Under-Paperback/dp/B0030K9D3C?ie=UTF8&tag=laugthrothech-20&link_code=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="by Lisa Lillien Hungry Girl 200 Under Paperback" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=B0030K9D3C&tag=laugthrothech-20" /></a></div><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=laugthrothech-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=1594867968" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" /><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=laugthrothech-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B0030K9D3C" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" /><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=laugthrothech-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0028619404" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" /><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=laugthrothech-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0972241809" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" /><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/WomenHearts-All-Heart-Family-Cookbook/dp/1594867968?ie=UTF8&tag=laugthrothech-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">WomenHeart's All Heart Family Cookbook</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=laugthrothech-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=1594867968" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" /> </div><div style="text-align: center;">by Kathy Kastan and Suzanne Banfield</div><br />
This is a cookbook I checked out from the library. While I didn't find a bunch of recipes that I thought our family would particularly like, I would be tempted to buy this book just for all the reference material at the beginning. The whole first part of the book lists many, many heart healthy foods and discusses the health benefits of each. I learned <i>so </i>much in those pages.I was fascinated by how powerful a role our food choices play in our health. There are so many foods that have been shown to prevent diseases, so it was just more motivation to continue preparing healthy meals from scratch.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Hungry-Girl-Under-Recipes-Calories/dp/0312556179?ie=UTF8&tag=laugthrothech-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Hungry Girl: 200 Under 200: 200 Recipes Under 200 Calories</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=laugthrothech-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0312556179" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" /> </div><div style="text-align: center;">by Lisa Lillien</div><br />
Hands down, this is <i>the </i>best cookbook ever. I am absolutely in LOVE with it, and there are still oh-so-many recipes I'm dying to try but still haven't had the chance to. Every recipe in this book is under 200 calories, and the Weight Watchers Points values are also listed on the <a href="http://www.hungry-girl.com/">Hungry Girl website</a> for each recipe. This book has it <i>all. </i>Snacks, desserts, breakfast, lunch, dinner, appetizers, drinks - holy bananas, it's phenomenal. Lisa takes everybody's favorites like french toast, cinnamon rolls, cookies and cakes, and changes them up to be healthy. You'd expect them to taste nasty with so few calories, but I am in awe of how delicious and decadent her recipes are. Kaylee is crazy about the banana pancakes from this book. I make a big batch and freeze them, and they make a really quick and healthy breakfast for her. If you pay full price for any cookbook, make it be this one.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Weight-Watchers-Simply-Best-Prizewinning/dp/0028619404?ie=UTF8&tag=laugthrothech-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Weight Watchers' Simply the Best : 250 Prizewinning Family Recipes</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=laugthrothech-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0028619404" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" /></div><br />
One of my coworkers let me browse through this cookbook, and I found some absolutely <i>amazing</i> recipes. I've done Weight Watchers in the past, and really enjoyed some of the recipes on their website, so I had high expectations and I was not disappointed with what I found in this cookbook. Again - all sorts of things from muffins to cakes, fish, soups, poultry - something for everyone. All nutrition information is listed, and since it's Weight Watchers, you know all the recipes are healthy. All too often I look through cookbooks and only find a few recipes that seem worth trying, but not this one. This is one I hope to buy soon because it is filled with so many recipes that just sound amazing!<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><u>Crock Pot/Slow Cooker</u></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Fix-Forget-Cookbook-Feasting-Cooker/dp/1561483176?ie=UTF8&tag=laugthrothech-20&link_code=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=laugthrothech-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=1401310044" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=1561483176&tag=laugthrothech-20" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=laugthrothech-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=1401310044" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" /></a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Make-Fast-Cook-Slow-Everyday/dp/1401310044?ie=UTF8&tag=laugthrothech-20&link_code=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Make It Fast, Cook It Slow: The Big Book of Everyday Slow Cooking" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=1401310044&tag=laugthrothech-20" /></a><a href="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=1561483176&tag=laugthrothech-20" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Fix-It and Forget-It Cookbook: Feasting with Your Slow Cooker" border="0" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=1561483176&tag=laugthrothech-20" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=1561483176&tag=laugthrothech-20" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Make-Fast-Cook-Slow-Everyday/dp/1401310044?ie=UTF8&tag=laugthrothech-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Make It Fast, Cook It Slow: The Big Book of Everyday Slow Cooking</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=laugthrothech-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=1401310044" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" /> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">by Stephanie O'Dea</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Ok, so I don't actually own this cookbook - YET, but I want it really, really bad. You may have heard of <a href="http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/">The Crockpot Lady</a>. She used her crockpot every day for a year, and wrote a blog to chronicle the whole thing. This is a book filled with some of those recipes. Her blog is amazing, and she includes pictures of all the ingredients and the finished product. She's a mom, so you won't find any crazy, off-the-wall ingredients, and all of her recipes are gluten-free. On her website (<a href="http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/">http://crockpot365.blogspot.com</a>), she talks about how she tries to limit the amount of sodium, fat, and processed foods that she and her family consume. This is another cookbook I know you wouldn't regret buying. Her stuff is deee-licious.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Fix-Forget-Cookbook-Feasting-Cooker/dp/1561483176?ie=UTF8&tag=laugthrothech-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Fix-It and Forget-It Cookbook: Feasting with Your Slow Cooker</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=laugthrothech-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=1561483176" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" /> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">by Dawn J. Ranck and Phyllis Pellman Good</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">One of my aunts sent me this cookbook in 2005 after I'd written an email about the crock pot being my "new best friend." This book has over 800 crock pot recipes, submitted from people all over the country. Like many of my other favorite cookbooks, I love the incredible variety this one has! It's not just crock pot soups or pot roasts (although there are plenty of those recipes listed) - there's dessert, breakfast, appetizers, veggies, beverages and more. One other thing I love about the book is that there are so many variations on similar recipes that if you don't like one particular pot roast, you're bound to find another one that suits you better. There are also handy little crock pot tips throughout the entire book. </div> <img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=laugthrothech-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=1561483176" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" /><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=laugthrothech-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B001TLDIJY" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" /><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=laugthrothech-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0471767824" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" /><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=laugthrothech-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=034551629X" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" /><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=laugthrothech-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0600592839" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" /><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=laugthrothech-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B002BGEIEU" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" /> <br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><u> Reference Cookbooks</u></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Betty-Crocker-Cookbook-Everything-Today/dp/0471767824?ie=UTF8&tag=laugthrothech-20&link_code=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969" imageanchor="1" target="_blank"><img alt="Betty Crocker Cookbook: Everything You Need to Know to Cook Today (Betty Crocker Books)" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=0471767824&tag=laugthrothech-20" /></a> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Betty-Crocker-Cookbook-Everything-Today/dp/0471767824?ie=UTF8&tag=laugthrothech-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Betty Crocker Cookbook: Everything You Need to Know to Cook Today (Betty Crocker Books)</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=laugthrothech-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0471767824" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" /> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Dennis's mom gave us our Betty Crocker cookbook shortly before we were married. This serves as one of the main cooking references in my kitchen. If I haven't heard of a specific method of cooking before (i.e. blanching), or if I decide to be all brave and try a new vegetable, but have no idea how to cook it, I bust out Big Betty. There are handy tables that list different methods for cooking veggies, tips on selecting good produce and suggestions about how to store foods properly. The back cover has a chart for emergency substitutions if you happen to be out of a vital ingredient. I use this cookbook primarily for reference, and not so much for recipes, but it's an invaluable reference book in my kitchen as is evidenced by the many food splatters that adorn its pages.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><u>Babies/Children</u></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Miracle-Foods-Kids-Super-Nutritious-Children/dp/0600592839?ie=UTF8&tag=laugthrothech-20&link_code=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Miracle Foods For Kids: 25 Super-Nutritious Foods to Keep Your Children in Great Health" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=0600592839&tag=laugthrothech-20" /></a><a href="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=B002BGEIEU&tag=laugthrothech-20" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Healthy Meals for Babies and Toddlers" border="0" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=B002BGEIEU&tag=laugthrothech-20" /></a></div><div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></div><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Miracle-Foods-Kids-Super-Nutritious-Children/dp/0600592839?ie=UTF8&tag=laugthrothech-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Miracle Foods For Kids: 25 Super-Nutritious Foods to Keep Your Children in Great Health</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=laugthrothech-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0600592839" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" /> </div><div style="text-align: center;">by Juliette Kellow and Sunil Vijayakar </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">This was a Christmas gift from my mom. I've always struggled with feeding Kaylee, and she's pretty tiny, so for the longest time I worried about whether she was getting enough nutrition and if I was choosing the right foods for her. It's so important to me that I instill healthy eating habits with her at a young age. My hope is that she'll develop a love for healthy foods including a variety of fruits and veggies. But, like many kids her age, she can be picky, and she's regularly practicing her ability to say things like, "I no yike it" before she's even tried it, so I have to get creative. This book is absolutely packed with healthy recipes, menu plans for different age groups, information on why kids need certain nutrients, how you can present the same foods in different ways to try and get your kids to eat them, and of course - recipes. The book focuses on "miracle foods" - things like blueberries, kiwifruit, eggs, yogurt, sweet potatoes, avocados, etc. The book discusses how these particular foods can help our kiddos protect themselves against future heart disease, diabetes and other illnesses, as well as the immediate benefits they offer, like helping to prevent things like constipation and anemia. I think all caregivers of children can benefit immensely from this book, and it would make a great gift for expectant or new moms as well.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Healthy-Meals-Babies-Toddlers/dp/B002BGEIEU?ie=UTF8&tag=laugthrothech-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Healthy Meals for Babies and Toddlers</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=laugthrothech-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B002BGEIEU" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" /> </div><div style="text-align: center;">by Valerie Barrett</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">This was another gift from my mom. This book is also filled with <i>great </i>resource information regarding allergies and intolerances, appropriate serving sizes for children, tips on cooking, freezing and reheating homemade baby food, and even ideas for for babies who are on vegetarian diets. The book is broken into age-appropriate recipes and meal ideas for babies and toddlers at each stage of their development. The photography in this book is gorgeous and sooo cute! The tiny little kid portions and utensils are just adorable. This is another fantastic resource for anyone with kids.</div><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><u>Refreshments</u></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Smoothies-Ice-Treats-Lindsay-Barnes/dp/0972241809?ie=UTF8&tag=laugthrothech-20&link_code=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969" imageanchor="1" target="_blank"><img alt="Smoothies & Ice Treats" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=0972241809&tag=laugthrothech-20" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Smoothies-Ice-Treats-Lindsay-Barnes/dp/0972241809?ie=UTF8&tag=laugthrothech-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Smoothies and Ice Treats</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=laugthrothech-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0972241809" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" /><br />
by Lindsay Barnes and Amy Shawgo</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">My mom got me this cookbook a few years back at Kohl's during one of my smoothie kicks - I definitely go in spurts with the smoothies. One of the authors, Lindsay, is also a nutritionist, so the first part of the book has some basic nutrition information and discusses the health benefits of several foods. The rest of the books has a crazy variety of smoothie recipes. I'm talking everything from smoothies for athletes, for stress management, for men, women, children, breakfast, lunch, dinner - even special occasion smoothies. Love this book.<br />
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Please leave a comment tell me what your favorite cookbook is! </div></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1954614188345510339.post-77317467972498413672010-03-08T10:52:00.003-07:002010-03-08T11:37:29.719-07:00Stale marshmallows, exploding pie dishes, and dinner on the table by 7: A conversation with cookbook author, Aviva GoldfarbSure, we’d all love to have a nice, hot, healthy meal on the table for our families each night, but – in reality – we all know that’s about as achievable as me trying to figure out a way to stop eating the three boxes of Thin Mints that are currently shoved way in the back of my refrigerator.<br />
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We’ve got so much on our plates, and if your dinner rotation looked anything like ours used to (a repetitious cycle of spaghetti, bean burritos, scrambled eggs, and cereal), you understand that all the preparation and planning to create homemade recipes with fresh ingredients can be overwhelming.<br />
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I feel lucky I have time to shower most days, let alone successfully plan a menu and make a grocery list. If you ask me, it’s one of the biggest challenges I face as a wife and a working mother, and I’m willing to bet my three boxes of Thin Mints that a majority of you feel the same way.<br />
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Enter…Aviva Goldfarb. She’s a wife, mother of two, cookbook author, owner and CEO of <a href="http://www.thescramble.com/">The Six O’Clock Scramble</a>, and an active participant with such organizations as <a href="http://www.oxfam.org/">Oxfam</a> and <a href="http://healthychild.org/">Healthy Child</a>, working to promote awareness about creating healthy environments for our children and putting an end to hunger and poverty. <br />
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And, not surprisingly, she’s been in your shoes. She knows what it’s like to try and negotiate the aisles of a grocery store with children in tow. She’s had nights where she wondered what in the world she should cook for her family. She’s been tired and exhausted, and she’s even blown stuff up in her kitchen, for crying out loud.<br />
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She’s been featured in “O” magazine, Real Simple, Redbook and Shape (to name just a few), and I am <i>so</i> very excited that you get to hear from her today!<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Stale marshmallows, exploding pie dishes, and dinner on the table by 7: </i></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i>A conversation with cookbook author, Aviva Goldfarb</i></b></div><br />
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Sera: How have your cooking habits changed since you became a mom?<br />
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Aviva: <i>Oh, pretty much completely. Actually, I have always been interested in healthy food, but before we had kids I didn’t mind so much running around to find special ingredients or making an elaborate meal. But once the realities of parenting set in, I needed really practical recipes, and had to tone down some of the spiciness for a while, although now our 12-year-old son loves spicy food (our 10-year-old daughter is just starting to like them.) Also, going to the grocery store wasn’t as much of a chore before we had kids, although I never loved shopping daily. But now I try to keep errands to a real minimum and plan for a whole week of meals and snacks at once.</i> <br />
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Sera: How do you handle the days when you're rushed, tired and too hungry to spend a bunch of time preparing a healthy meal?<br />
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Aviva: <i>Do you mean every day? That’s pretty much what you’re describing for us moms, right? That’s why I find that it’s essential to have a plan so you already know what you’re making for dinner and you know you have all the ingredients needed. What holds many people back from making dinner isn’t the cooking itself, it’s the planning or making decisions every day at dinner time about what to make and then trying to scrounge together the ingredients for it. Also, stick to simple meals that don’t take too long to make and don’t have too many ingredients. You can make such wonderful food from a few fresh and healthy ingredients, there’s no need to go to all that trouble and expense!</i><br />
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Sera: What are some of your favorite non-healthy splurges, whether they are from a restaurant, a box, or something you come up with on your own?<br />
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Aviva: <i>Well, in terms of meals, I love cheese and could make a whole meal out of it, but I try to resist, and also love a great slow-cooked beef like brisket or homemade corned beef. Once in a while a piece of fried chicken is a treat, too. My strange dessert obsession is stale marshmallows, but I also love chocolate and would eat a lot of candy if it was healthier and calorie free.</i><br />
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Sera: Is there one particular recipe from your cookbook that is a staple in your household, one that everyone just loves?<br />
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Aviva: <i>My daughter loves simple pasta like Celia’s Simple Spaghetti from my upcoming cookbook (basically spaghetti with olive oil, garlic and cheese), my son loves steak and baked potatoes, and my husband loves my spinach enchiladas. If my family could have steak and baked or mashed potatoes every week they would probably be thrilled, and we all love my husband’s homemade pizza, which he makes a couple of times a month. I like a lot of variety so I’ll eat any of it happily, but I really love lots of vegetables with my food, and I’m kind of crazy for fresh roasted beets, especially with oranges and goat cheese.</i><br />
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Sera: What is your personal favorite recipe from your cookbook?<br />
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Aviva: <i>Wow, I think it’s impossible for me to choose! I got into my business partially because I love experimenting with food and could eat different meals every day of the week. But the Grilled Baby Back Ribs with Pineapple Glaze are pretty awesome, and I love the Grilled Caramelized Ginger Salmon and the Mango and Black Bean Salad.</i><br />
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Sera: What inspired you to get involved with the non-profit organizations you work with, and how can people get involved?<br />
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Aviva: <i>I grew up in a family that always found ways to give back so it’s kind of a way of life for me, and I feel like we are so terribly fortunate to have all of our needs met when so many are suffering. I guess that I feel that we who have so much have an obligation to give back in as many ways as we can, but I also find that doing so brings great happiness and satisfaction, because it puts life in perspective and helps us realize what is important. It’s also important when you’re trying to raise kids in world that everyone around them has so much, that they also see how little others have and how we can help them. I was very proud of my son this month. For his bar mitzvah this month rather than giving him gifts, he asked that people make donations to an organization called Nothing But Nets that provides malaria nets for people in third world countries.</i><br />
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Sera: Who inspires you to cook?<br />
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Aviva: <i>Probably my family because I want to feed them healthy meals and help them appreciate good food and where it comes from. Also my mom because she always made the most wonderful dinners for our family when we were kids and it really had an impact on me and helped me realize how important that effort and that time together is.</i><br />
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Sera: Aside from your own, which blogs and/or cookbooks do you read or refer to the most?<br />
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Aviva: <i>Well of course I love Laughing Through the Chaos! I don’t read tons of blogs, although I’m kind of a Twitter fanatic, so if you count micro blogging that I guess I do follow a lot of people. I love Epicurious.com for research and fantastic recipes, and in terms of cookbook authors, I admire Mark Bittman (The Minimalist), Ina Garten (Barefoot Contessa), and I worship Mollie Katzen, the author of the original Moosewood vegetarian cookbooks.</i><br />
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Sera: Please tell us more about how we can waste less by doing fridge and/or freezer makeovers.<br />
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Aviva: <i>A well-stocked freezer is my secret trick to getting through a week of homemade meals without making extra trips to the grocery store. It can be my safety net for those nights when I’ve run out of planned meals but don’t have time to get back to the store. I also keep extra veggies or side dishes in my freezer to quickly round out or expand meals I’m making. I find many people conceal hundreds of dollars of food in their freezers without realizing it. Without a plan to use what’s in there, all that valuable food can go to waste! So, I recommend that people “shop” in their freezers weekly to save money on your grocery bills. Here are some of the foods that I like to keep stocked in my freezer:</i><br />
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<i>· Frozen vegetables for sides and main courses— our favorites are broccoli, chopped spinach, edamame, peas, and corn, but we like to branch out occasionally</i><br />
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<i>· Easy and healthy side dishes like Asian dumplings, pierogies, potato or broccoli pancakes - we like Dr. Praeger’s, and even fresh bakery bread· A prepared meal or two—we love Amy’s or Trader Joe’s frozen pizza, Boca Burgers and Gorton’s grilled shrimp entrees</i><br />
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<i>·Frozen lunches for those days we don’t have leftovers to pack for lunch—we enjoy Trader Joe’s or Kashi single-serving entrees</i><br />
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<i>·Frozen fruit for smoothies and snacks, such as strawberries, mangos and blueberries.</i><br />
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<i>· Low fat ice cream, of course! (We favor Edy’s Slow-Churned and Skinny Cow frozen cones)</i><br />
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Sera: I love that you and your entire family sit down together every night to eat at 7. Do you and your family have any fun traditions you do during dinner time?<br />
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Aviva: <i>Eating dinner together such an important part of our family life. It’s the only time we’re all in the same room at the same time with no electronic distractions, and sometimes the only time we all even make eye contact! These days the kids help nearly every day with the cooking or setting the table, clearing and loading the dishwasher. We also have some great discussions and play some great games. In one game our kids call Dr. Know It All for some reason, each person says one word and we go around the table and try to create a story, but of course the plots and characters are always crazy.</i><br />
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Sera: Any fun kitchen/recipe disasters you'd be willing to share?<br />
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Aviva: <i>All the time! Since I’m always testing new recipes sometimes it seems like nothing comes out well for an entire week, and then we’ll have a week of spectacular meals. But the worst one I can remember is the time that I accidentally set a glass pie dish on a hot burner on Thanksgiving and it exploded. We had to toss the soup, too, because we weren’t certain that it didn’t have glass shards in it.</i><br />
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Sera: What advice do you have for moms who realize they forgot to plan for dinner and have no idea what to make?<br />
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Aviva: <i>Eggs and beans are your friends! You can easily make a frittata or omelet or even Scrambled eggs with toast, bagels and/or hash browns, or even just with some fruit. With beans and tortillas you can make super healthy and quick burritos. Both are inexpensive, flexible and healthy proteins. But next week take 10 or 15 minutes to plan out some meals in advance and make a grocery list before heading to the store. Your evenings will be infinitely more relaxing and probably healthier and cheaper, too.</i><br />
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Sera: Your new cookbook "SOS! The Six O’Clock Scramble to the Rescue: Earth-Friendly, Kid-Pleasing, Dinners for Busy Families" talks about earth-friendly recipes. This is not a theme I've ever seen in a cookbook. What can readers expect in terms of "earth-friendly"? Are you talking about organic foods, or how to produce less waste? Do tell!<br />
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Aviva: <i>I’m so excited about this book, Sera, and it’s finally coming out next month! The new book is still full of easy and healthy family-friendly recipes, but it’s got a new twist. I’ve realized that weekly planning and eating seasonally are actually better for the earth, in addition to being better for our families. So in this book I talk about how families can reduce their environmental impact through smart dinner-time choices, like eating seasonally, buying more organic foods, eating more meatless meals and using sustainable seafood, and eliminating food waste (according to the New York Times, a family of four will throw out an average of 24 pounds of fruits and vegetables per month, or by another estimate, 15 percent of their groceries). I even talk about how to grow some of your own herbs and veggies, and how easy it is to compost your scraps, which is also one of the best things we can do for the environment. I hope you have a chance to check it out!</i><br />
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To hear more from Aviva, check out this video:<br />
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<i>*** </i><br />
Follow Aviva on Twitter: <a href="http://twitter.com/thescramble">@thescrambler</a><br />
Become a Facebook Fan: <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Six-OClock-ScrambleAviva-Goldfarb/96498995043">The Six O'Clock Scramble/Aviva Goldfarb</a><br />
Nothing But Nets website: <a href="http://www.nothingbutnets.net/">http://www.nothingbutnets.net/</a><br />
Aviva's books:<br />
<iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=laugthrothech-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=0312578113&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe><iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=laugthrothech-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=031233642X&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe><br />
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<a href="http://www.thescramble.com/"></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1954614188345510339.post-78672137229182616382010-03-04T08:00:00.000-07:002010-03-04T09:36:52.321-07:00Junk in the trunk.<div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;">This is not an easy conversation for me to have on my blog. In fact, I wrote the majority of this post nearly a month ago, and I've just been sitting on it, making sure I want to put it out there.<br /><br />But ultimately, after having a good amount of time to mull it over, I've decided it's going up because is something I feel really compelled to write about. To be honest, it's probably more for my own therapeutic benefit than anything else, but also because I think it's really important for us to constantly be looking at our lives and making sure that we're dealing with our "junk" because when we carry around things that aren't resolved, it starts to affect our lives in ways we'd never imagine.<br /><br />For years, I've been able to fly under the radar without these particular issues not seeming to affect my life all that much. But, I can now see that ever since Kaylee was born, these issues have been trying to push their way to the surface. I have this fear that the same things that happened to me, the same harmful ideas and concepts that were ingrained in my head as a kid and young adult, will somehow get to my child as well.<br /><br />For now, I'm keeping things pretty general. Maybe down the road, as I figure things out a little better, I'll share more, but I figure this here is a good place to start.<br /><br />About a month ago, <a href="http://laughingthroughthechaos.blogspot.com/2010/02/ill-take-diarrhea-of-mouth-with-side-of.html">I wrote a post about how I hadn't been sleeping well</a>. I couldn't, for the life of me, figure out why, until I had two pivotal conversations - one with my mom, and one with a friend that prompted me to start digging a little deeper. She helped me realize that maybe my brain was literally giving me a wake-up call in the night, saying, "Yo! Sera! There's stuff in here you need to deal with!" She thought that maybe, if I could pinpoint whatever that was, I might be able to sleep better again. And she was right, because I've been sleeping like a log ever since I figured out what was bothering me.<br /></div><br />So...here's the post I began writing on February 9, 2010.<br /><br />*****<br /><br />I think I've finally figured out what's been keeping me up at night for weeks on end.<br /><br />After talking with my mom yesterday, it seems that I can pinpoint the time when the sleeplessness began, and now it's all making sense to me.<br /><br />Not long after Kaylee's ear surgery, we made the choice to keep her out of the church nursery to limit her exposure to illness during the cold/flu season. Her immune system was shot after 2 months of heavy-duty antibiotics, and we didn't want her to end up in the hospital again. So, I began staying home with her on Sundays while Dennis went to church.<br /><br />Stepping back from church gave me the opportunity to really look at some things in my own life. I've been going to church since I was a baby, but not long after Kaylee was born, I realized I had been having less and less interest in church, and I wasn't quite sure why. It's always been a big part of my life, and growing up, it's where I formed my identity, so to have these thoughts of wanting to step back from it for a while seemed weird to me.<br /><br />Unfortunately, many aspects of my identity were skewed as a result of some ideologies I learned in the churches I went to.<br /><br />Because of what I was told over and over during my younger years in church, I've been spending my life trying to live up to expectations that are nothing short of impossible. I've had an all or nothing mentality. I've driven myself to the edge with anxiety and worry and panic because I haven't been able to achieve perfection and the ideal image of who I thought I should be.<br /><br />I've lived in constant fear of being judged, not being liked, not being good enough, and not making other people happy, and the things I was lead to believe in church ultimately set me up for some really unhealthy perceptions of myself later in life.<br /><br />I was led to believe a whole series inaccurate things about myself...what it means to be a woman, a mother, a wife, and a Christian.<br /><br />What I was told all those years ago has set me up to have these underlying themes of guilt and shame throughout my life, even when they were completely and utterly unnecessary and unfounded.<br /><br />The intellectual part of my brain knows that I was lied to, that I unabashedly trusted people who never deserved my trust and who did nothing but hurt me in return.<br /><br />It's just taking me some time to accept the fact that the things I learned in church as a young, trusting, impressionable girl have left a tremendously deep footprint on my heart, and it's not one of those footprints in the sand that's light and pretty - it's like a footprint from a big old nasty heavy boot with steel toes.<br /><br />Being away from church for a while and having time to really think about some of the not so great behind-the-scenes stuff that all churches have (I don't care how "great" a church is - they've all got junk. They're run by people, and none of us are perfect) it's just made old memories fresh and raw, and it's just made me all kinds of angry and ticked off. I can look back on things with a different perspective and see how blinded and naive and vulnerable I was.<br /><br />The only place I know to go from here is - well, to counseling, to be honest with you. Trying to get my head and my heart on the same page is a rather difficult thing. I'm a much stronger, more confident, and way less naive person than I was back then, but I need somebody neutral to help me figure this stuff out.<br /><br />I'm comfortable in my faith, and I believe that God accepts me as I am, and that He doesn't want me to live in shame, fear, or guilt. I know those things, but it doesn't change some of the things that happened to me over the last 20 years. It doesn't change the fact that people - who claimed to be doing God's work - did and said things to me that I will never, ever forget, and that will always, <span style="font-style: italic;">always</span> hurt me.<br /><br />I just know that now, at the slightest sign of being hurt by people who claim to be Christian and doing "God's work" - all I want to do is run. I want to protect myself from ever being hurt like that again. And I'm trying to find the balance between protecting my daughter from those very things, while - at the same time - teaching her about our faith in an accurate light.<br /><br />There's still a lot for me to figure out, so I'm just going to end here. I certainly welcome your comments and your stories and your experiences. Let's just keep things friendly, ok? Any mean or nasty comments will not be published.<br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:85%;">(This post is a part of Mama Kat's Writer's Workshop taking place every Thursday over at <a href="http://www.mamakatslosinit.com/">Mama's Losin' It</a>.)</span><br /><br /><a href="http://www.mamakatslosinit.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://i913.photobucket.com/albums/ac331/mamakatslosinit/poodle4.jpg" alt="Mama's Losin' It" /><br /></a></div><a href="http://www.mamakatslosinit.com/" target="_blank"><br /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1954614188345510339.post-91976945225579354652010-03-03T14:46:00.014-07:002010-03-03T20:25:30.309-07:00Wordful Wednesday - Sayonara, sucker.I hate to jinx this glorious situation, but I think it's finally safe to say that we've done away with the pacifier for good.<br /><br />I told Dennis about all the talk of cutting part of the pacifier off with scissors (thanks again for all of your ideas and stories), and the moment we decided to dive in head first and DO THIS THING, he went to the kitchen and just flat out whacked that sucker in half. I was thinking more along the lines of a not-so-obvious cut in the end of it, but I didn't give him precise instructions, so...we just went with it.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLpWyJs3V-cgP8NSSvpCyAmoGM6CNo9xXaEC-H_-SmxrrICqZg2BAbz1VyYf5VEROTr2ATAuewgoGC0zAA3w4NUrAWnt8GXNbCLDM99pS37BxrVEmVUeWm5TFgAWsw7x7HNnTn5_rJVXU/s1600-h/paci.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 258px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLpWyJs3V-cgP8NSSvpCyAmoGM6CNo9xXaEC-H_-SmxrrICqZg2BAbz1VyYf5VEROTr2ATAuewgoGC0zAA3w4NUrAWnt8GXNbCLDM99pS37BxrVEmVUeWm5TFgAWsw7x7HNnTn5_rJVXU/s320/paci.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5444610530388250050" border="0" /></a><br /><br />She put it in her mouth, scrunched up her little eybrows, took it out and looked at us like, "Dude! WHAT the?!?"<br /><br />This was followed by a series of putting it in, taking it out, putting it in, taking it out.<br /><br />And then...oh, then all hell broke loose.<br /><br />She utters this long string of thoughts, and we began to wonder if we pretty much made the biggest mistake ever...<br /><br />"It's broke! What happened? Fix it! Daddy?!?! FIX it! What happened! Mommy? Kiss it!"<br /><br />Because Daddy fixes things, and I kiss her owies. But, Daddy wasn't going to fix this, and no amount of kisses from me would make it all better.<br /><br />BREAK. my. HEART!<br /><br />Into a million little <span style="font-style: italic;">pieces.</span><br /><br />I think it would be safe to say that Dennis and I were both fighting back tears.<br /><br />You'd have thought we just told her the Wiggles were checked into rehab and wouldn't be released for 28 more days. She took it that hard.<br /><br />The kid was devastated with a capital D. And her tears weren't part of a fit or a tantrum - it was pretty much just pure heartbreak.<br /><br />You better believe we were questioning our decision. I'm freaking out thinking my child is going to end up in therapy someday because I gave her a broken pacifier. Please. Give me a break, right? But her big old alligator tears did that big of a number on me.<br /><br />Once she calmed down later that night, she'd occasionally pick it up, put it in her mouth once, and then set it down and say, "It's broke." And that was that.<br /><br />Getting her to bed was nothing short of a miracle, but she eventually went to sleep. And so did we.<br /><br />And we all woke up the next morning and lived to tell the tale.<br /><br />Since then, we've left some of the broken ones around the house and she just keeps telling us they're broken, but that's it. No tears. No sadness. As if it's no big thing.<br /><br />The one significant change is that now, for breakfast each morning, she tells us matter-of-factly, "I need a cookie." Maybe she's dealing with it in her own special way like so many of us girls do. Cookies.<br /><br />So, one really rough night, and a few days and at least an entire box of Thin Mints (we all remember <a href="http://laughingthroughthechaos.blogspot.com/2009/03/things-are-about-to-get-ugly-around.html">the depths I'll go to for my Thin Mints</a>, right?) later, we're no worse for the wear.<br /><br />We've conquered one huge struggle, and now we just wait for the next one that's lurking it's ugly head around the corner, waiting to pounce on us.<br /><br />But, I've got a box of Thin Mints hidden in the freezer, so we are good to go, people. Good to <span style="font-style: italic;">GO</span>.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><br />(This post is a part of Wordful Wednesdays, hosted by Angie at <a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.sevenclowncircus.com">7 Clown Circus</a>.</span>)<br /><br /><a href="http://www.blogger.com/%E2%80%9Dhttp://www.sevenclowncircus.com/%E2%80%9D" target="”_blank”"> <img src="http://sevenclowncircus.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/sevenclownbutton.jpg" border="”0″" height="”125″" width="”125″" /></a><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1954614188345510339.post-65035833187951970092010-02-23T19:26:00.004-07:002010-02-23T19:42:44.426-07:00Oh, how she breaks us down...A few weeks ago Dennis and I began having the conversation about when to nix the pacifier. The consensus was to try and do away with it when Kaylee turned 2 (which is just around the corner).<br /><br />We also agreed that it may very well be harder on <span style="font-style: italic;">us</span> than it is on <span style="font-style: italic;">her</span>.<br /><br />The pacifier (which she fondly refers to as her "night-night") is an instant silencer 97.6% of the time. It saves me from public embarrassment in restaurants, grocery stores, and the library. It helps her go to sleep. It seems to be the magic ingredient that gets her to take naps.<br /><br />And it is also her own sad little version of crack cocaine.<br /><br />Recently, we've noticed she's taken up <span style="font-style: italic;">quite</span> the attachment to the dearly beloved night-night - moreso than usual. We suspected that maybe she senses the end is near, and she better take what she can get before it's taken from her.<br /><br />So - today, as she asked for it for pretty much each and every waking moment, we realized we should probably nip this thing in the bud before the big birthday. It's really getting pretty pathetic. Our rule used to be "only when you're sleeping," but our little manipulator broke us down at some unidentifiable point (I'm guessing during an illness or a way-too-frigging-long car ride), and we bent the rules.<br /><br />We decided, in a decision that was nothing short of impulsive, that tonight would be the night. I told Dennis she would break us.<br /><br />And break us she did.<br /><br />We had about a 20 minute car ride that consisted of complete and utter drawn out wailing and screaming and sobbing and the most pathetic, tearful scream of, "I. NEED. my. <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">NIGHT-NIGHT</span>!"<br /><br />Over. And over. And over. Again.<br /><br />Sometimes all Dennis and I could do was to simply look over at each other and burst into laughter. She sounded so very desperate and needy.<br /><br />And her screams were beginning to break down our very cores.<br /><br />Dammit!<br /><br />We got in the house, Dennis tried to calm her down by cuddling with her on the couch, but nothing would do the trick. We decided to cave.<br /><br />I dug a pacifier out from one of the multiple pockets of my newly purchased Destructed Khakis from Old Navy (so stinking comfy!) and tossed the pacifier to Dennis on the couch. He dropped it, and then pointed it out to Kaylee and told her to go get it.<br /><br />She scurried over to it, squatted down on the floor, and just stared at it, probably thinking something along the lines of, "Where have you BEEN all my LIFE! I freaking LOVE you!" Then she promptly popped that sucker in her mouth and carried on as usual.<br /><br />Instant transformation. Nothing but smiles and songs and cute little jibberish like, "Don't hit Mommy! Mommy loves you!" and "I need candy" and "Hee-haw, hee-haw, hee-haw" the rest of the night.<br /><br />20 minutes. We didn't last more than 20 minutes.<br /><br />We need serious help.<br /><br />I am soliciting your advice. Tell me your tried and true methods of nixing the binkie. Sooner, rather than later - please???Unknownnoreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1954614188345510339.post-91500542426798693722010-02-09T14:36:00.009-07:002010-02-09T14:56:20.111-07:00Well, we're official members of the Poop is Fun to Play With ClubI can't believe it's taken us 22 months to officially earn our membership into this prestigious club. Sure, Kaylee had <a href="http://laughingthroughthechaos.blogspot.com/2008/11/well-thats-just-crap-tastic.html">the whole episode when she was about 6 months old where she crafted a beautiful poop painting with her toes</a>, but it wasn't until about 15 minutes ago that she inducted herself into the Poop is Fun to Play with Club.<br /><br />I was sitting here, enjoying the fact that I could actually blog because Kaylee was quietly napping. I was working on some details for an upcoming food-themed week on the blog full of recipes, tips, giveaways and healthy, money-saving ideas. I was also trying to figure out how to tell you about the great books (11 so far) that I've read this year. So, I hear her start to fuss, but I let her be because it wasn't time for her to get up yet, and she was just whining a little bit.<br /><br />Well, the whining quickly turned into a full blown fit, and I'm thanking my lucky stars I went in there at the precise moment I did or I fear that Kaylee would've facilitated her very own Extreme Nursery Makeover: Poop Edition.<br /><br />I walk in and she's clutching her diaper - which is <span style="font-style: italic;">not </span>on her body, and she's quietly saying, "Diaper off...diaper off."<br /><br />Yes, my little baby genius. You are right. Your diaper is off. And your bed has poop on it. And you are <span style="font-style: italic;">playing </span>with your poop. And I am totally grossed out.<br /><br />So, the plans about food week and the ideas about sharing my must-reads with you had to wait.<br /><br />I thought perhaps I could finish some of my thoughts by letting her watch Barney on the portable DVD player here in the office. But, she knows how to change it to Spanish now, and if there's anything more annoying than Barney, it's Barney and his obnoxious little pals singing in Spanish, so I'm afraid that's the end of my writing for today.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1954614188345510339.post-16251638948466825652010-02-05T17:28:00.005-07:002010-02-05T17:49:23.009-07:00Because we can only take so much of Barney and the WigglesKaylee's been sick since about Tuesday (doctor said it was nothing more than a cold), and when she's sick, we let her watch about as much TV as she wants. Often, it's all that will calm her down.<br /><br />Isn't it amazing how the very things that irritate us the most right now (uh...Barney and the Wiggles) can be so soothing to her?<br /><br />Dennis and I can only take so much. Seriously. So, we've gotten to the point of just being totally ridiculous.<br /><br />We can either nix the videos altogether, or we can have one crying, whiny, cranky kid who just needs a dose of Barney or the Wiggles to make the world a better place again.<br /><br />We'd rather have a happy child.<br /><br />So, what do we do? We put the videos on and then start dancing like idiots - I mean totally over-the-top, worse than Steve Urkel dancing.<br /><br />Laugh all you want. It's our way of dealing with it. Parents do some crazy crap when they get an overconsumption of annoying toddler programs. Some turn to booze. Some might take up crack. Others might run away from home or join the circus. Anything to get away.<br /><br />Us? Well, we dance until we have sufficiently irritated our child - just so she has a taste of the irritation that we, ourselves, experience. We start to dance and after we've gotten obnoxious enough for Kaylee to peel her eyes away from the TV, she notices us and gets a terrified look on her face and begins screaming a frantic, "NO! No-no-no! No! NO!"<br /><br />And then we laugh until it hurts.<br /><br />Because laughing is better than crack cocaine, folks.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgljWSpO-ftQjxflANJBj2YVdECZYbFC1ZkSeURwuYB0xYFDiJoBZ1aAnWpgv6Kwg04CnOvqcvwyLQkZm0lIPG6Ix4ZrUuLS1Z8G5zty8MBxAqK6HILzaHPyJnffqg9PYmQfDyh-bjsHfQ/s1600-h/the-wiggles-pic.gif"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgljWSpO-ftQjxflANJBj2YVdECZYbFC1ZkSeURwuYB0xYFDiJoBZ1aAnWpgv6Kwg04CnOvqcvwyLQkZm0lIPG6Ix4ZrUuLS1Z8G5zty8MBxAqK6HILzaHPyJnffqg9PYmQfDyh-bjsHfQ/s320/the-wiggles-pic.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434925730006906194" border="0" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1954614188345510339.post-37980925823282523492010-02-03T12:22:00.013-07:002010-02-03T13:12:53.510-07:00I'll take diarrhea of the mouth with a side of insomnia for 200, Alex.When I talked about <a href="http://laughingthroughthechaos.blogspot.com/2010/01/living-with-priorities-and-without.html">getting my priorities straight and not feeling guilty</a><a href="http://laughingthroughthechaos.blogspot.com/2010/01/living-with-priorities-and-without.html"> if certain things (i.e. the blog) had to take a back burner</a>, I really didn't think I'd go two weeks without writing at all. But, I did. And I survived. And so did you. And here we are again.<br /><br />I haven't written much because - well, I'm tired. Seriously tired. As in dragging all day and feeling like I could take a nap at any given moment, and frankly - I haven't had the brain power to write anything that really makes sense.<br /><br />So, instead, I've been reading a lot. Reading books by people who were, at one point, getting enough sleep to write interesting and entertaining things that actually made sense. (I'll be doing a post about some of the great books I've been reading at some point in the hopefully-not-too-distant future...)<br /><br />I'm working with my doctor to get this sleep thing figured out so I can feel like a normal person again. For several weeks, I'd fall asleep with no problem at all, but I'd wake up pretty much every two hours on the dot. Can we say <span style="font-style: italic;">annoying? </span>Ugh.<br /><br />Then my doctor switched me to a different antidepressant (<a href="http://laughingthroughthechaos.blogspot.com/2008/11/welcome-to-chaos.html">fondly known in this house as ABPs for any of you newbies out there</a>) that didn't put such a huge dent in our budget that I had to wonder...hmmmm, do we buy mama's happy pills and wipe our butts with newspaper this month, or do we buy toilet paper and skip the pills?<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Joking...<br /><br /></span>About the toilet paper thing, anyway. We've never really had the meds vs. toilet paper dilemma, but seriously, what I was on was crazy expensive<span style="font-style: italic;">, </span>so<span style="font-style: italic;"> </span>we decided to give something else a try. Plus, I think Dennis and I would both agree that we'd take out a second mortgage on the house and give up the internet, TV and chocolate if it meant I could keep my ABPs.<br /><br />Now, I was having the sleep trouble even before I started the new stuff, but now, instead of waking up every two hours, I fall asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow at 10, but I wake up anywhere between 1 a.m. and 3 a.m. and <span style="font-style: italic;">never fall back asleep</span>.<br /><br />It's torture.<br /><br />So, we're decreasing my meds for a week to find out if that change alone will improve my sleep while still managing my anxiety/depression. Oh, how I love the waiting game!<br /><br />But, in the meantime, I have a prescription for what I hope is something wonderful - Ambien, my friends.<br /><br />Unfortunately, though - I'm on call at work for the next two nights, so it's like someone is dangling a Kit Kat bar in front of my face and every time I think about having a bite, they snatch it away...I've got the prescription in my hot little hands, but I don't suppose driving into work at 2 a.m. to deal with a psych patient while I, myself, am under the influence of Ambien would be a fantastic idea. So, two more nights and then hopefully I'll get a solid 8 hours in a row thanks to yet another little pill that will hopefully contribute to my happiness.<br /><br />So - on top of this whole I'm not frigging SLEEPING thing, Kaylee got sick last night.<br /><br />Crappity, crap, crap.<br /><br />Congestion, nasty cough, snot, crankybuttedness, the whole 9. And I freaked out. It drug up everything we went through <a href="http://laughingthroughthechaos.blogspot.com/2009/09/wordful-wednesday-shes-my-brave-little.html">when she was so sick and ended up in the hospital</a>, when <a href="http://laughingthroughthechaos.blogspot.com/2009/09/enough-already.html">she got sick again just after being released from the hospital</a>, facing <a href="http://laughingthroughthechaos.blogspot.com/2009/09/mama-bear-in-me.html">doctors who didn't understand the severity of her recurrent illness</a>, and <a href="http://laughingthroughthechaos.blogspot.com/2009/09/great-success.html">eventually taking her in for emergency surgery</a>. That whole thing began with a simple ear infection gone really, really bad, so you know there was a part of me that was wondering if it might happen again.<br /><br />This is the first time she's been sick since her surgery, and I know kids are more prone to ear infections when they've got colds. So, I'm just praying it doesn't get worse.<br /><br />In other news (hey, I go two weeks without writing - you can pretty much count on getting a smorgasbord of random thoughts that I've had bottled up for 14 days...), <a href="http://laughingthroughthechaos.blogspot.com/2010/01/living-with-priorities-and-without.html">the whole cooking healthy meals with fresh ingredients</a> thing is still going really well. I continue to try new recipes, and Dennis is patiently going along with it.<span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span></span></span></span>I know it's gotta sound crazy, but I have found that I love the mindless monotony of chopping vegetables. Isn't that ridiculous? But I'm being serious! I get so excited when I've got an entire meal that's cooked and I realize that I chopped every little carrot and potato and bell pepper.<br /><br />It's the little things, ya know?<br /><br /><a href="www.mamakatslosinit.com">Mama Kat</a> occasionally does a feature on her blog called something to the effect of "What's for Dinner?" where she has pictures and/or video of the ingredients she uses and how to make a certain recipe.<br /><br />I'm pretty seriously contemplating a food-themed week coming up soon here with some ideas for healthy yet delicious cooking<span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span></span></span></span><span><span><span><span>based on some of the recipes we've tried and loved, and some of the ways we're saving money on the good stuff</span></span></span></span><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;">. </span></span></span></span>And, of course I'll have a couple giveaways to go along with all of my sage advice. Ha ha ha.<br /><br />And, that's probably enough for now. This is why I shouldn't go 2 weeks without posting - I get diarrhea of the mouth and can't shut up. So, if you're still reading, do what Kaylee does when she coughs, and pat yourself on the back. You deserve it.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1954614188345510339.post-12263370044928909182010-01-19T21:47:00.007-07:002010-01-21T07:09:16.249-07:00Living with priorities and without regretsI've had a significant amount of time off from work this month (not by choice), and while it made me apprehensive at first due to the fact that I'd be wondering how we might make ends meet, I am now SO grateful for it. And wouldn't you know...I was able to get extra shifts and we'll be just fine.<br /><br />I haven't been blogging as much lately because I'm trying to keep my priorities in line. Writing is something I'll always need to do. I have to get things out, and I want to be able to look back on all my posts someday to remember all the little things that may otherwise be forgotten. Part of me feeling peaceful about where my priorities are has meant less time on the computer, less time reading blogs, less time blogging, less time commenting. And while I felt some guilt about that initially, I decided to just get over it.<br /><br />Right now, I've got no regrets about how I spend my time. I'm playing with my daughter, taking her out on errands with me, teaching her things, learning things from <span style="font-style: italic;">her</span>, making time to exercise and to - (are you sitting down?) cook healthy, wholesome foods for my family. We're talking fresh fruits and veggies, high protein, low fat, limited processed stuff and recipes we've never tried before. I know. What has come over me? I now spend more time reading books than I do on the computer, and that is one change that I am so glad I made. I've already finished 4 books this month, and I hope to finish one more by the end of the month.<br /><br />Kaylee is just more of a sponge every single day, and she's cracking us up so much. From asking us, "What happedid?" during a commercial on one of her shows, or during the very short break between songs on a CD, to blaming her own farts on Dennis, we are just loving this stage of being parents. And yes, she seriously blamed a fart on Dennis. How can a child who is not even two yet even know that's an option? She farted the other day and then said, "Daddy FART!" and started laughing.<br /><br />She now sings her ABCs up to the letter K, knows her colors, and counts to 9 (I know, budding Baby Genius over here).<br /><br />My parents were incredible teachers to us growing up. They took every opportunity to help us learn about ourselves and the world around us. It just really instilled a love of learning in me, and I've always looked forward to the time when I could pass that on to my own children, and now I'm seeing the results of it.<br /><br />I feel like this time - right now - is what I envisioned when I pictured motherhood. This interaction, this bonding, and the joy and laughter she brings to us (coupled with, of course, an overwhelming sense to protect her, to worry about her, and to be overcome by frustration with her, at times) - this is what I wanted. At the beginning, I just didn't realize it might take so much time to get here.<br /><br />Of course there have been good moments at all the stages of her life, but it was so hard for me to just relax and enjoy things for such a long a time at the beginning. There was a mean, nasty adjustment period I hadn't counted on. I didn't realize that, at first, there would be so little sleep and so much stress. I expected so many fun times right away, but that's not how it works.<br /><br />And what I didn't realize is this time - right now - is like the ultimate prize for surviving the first few months.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com11