Now that the evenings are cooler (or shall we say, "coolish"), I'm retiring some of my grilling and salad recipes for something a little more satisfying and hearty. Perhaps it's pregnancy cravings, but I think it's just time. Time for good food. Comfort food. Oh, and I guess it can be healthy food too.Here's another installment of my promise to share more vegetarian menus. The barley dish ...
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My new pet Shark
I value a clean house. I don't necessarily enjoy the act of cleaning. But one of my favorite moments is sitting down on the couch with a cold glass of water after hours of scrubbing, dusting, and vacuuming, and taking in the results of my hard effort.Many of you may not appreciate this about me. The main reason for this is that you may never see my house in it's "clean" state. Sure, I tidy ...
A giveaway for those with well-adjusted children
My child is deathly afraid of characters in costume. He shakes, he shivers, he screams, he cries. Even when confronted with characters he loves in the movies and on television. Even Disney characters. Which is why, with great sadness, I am offering up a family 4-pack to Disney on Ice featuring Toy Story 3. I think seeing giant costumed characters whirling around on sharp blades would be just ...
A word from the wise regarding Halloween
I've already had three people ask me what Graham is going to be for Halloween. Do these people know it's still considered summer until September 22nd? Do they know 90 degree weather is still in the forecast? Do they know Halloween is still over six weeks away?Nothing irritates me more than Back-to-School sales in June, the Halloween craze in August, and Christmas decorations in October. Why ...
Diaper Nirvana, by guest blogger Aurora Deluca
After 17 months of diapering, I think I may finally have reached a personal diaper nirvana. Dissatisfied with the standard options, I began looking for an alternative. What I found was a sea of options, though many of my friends thought the only other alternative were difficult prefolds (prefolds, incidentally, aren’t that hard at all!). Parents look for alternative diapering options for many ...
A Vegetarian Cook-“In”
We're cool in at my house. What? You didn't hear? Um, well, being a flexitarian is the hottest trend around. That, and being a locavore, which we also try and practice as much as it's possible (and practical). A lot of you are getting in on the trend too. And have been asking for recipes. So, here you go, my first of many vegetarian and "flexitarian" lifestyle meals that your family will ...
Hallelujah!
To some, this may seem like an anti-climatic blog post. To me, it means the world. Guess what I did today.... I FINISHED MY SCRAPBOOK!!!! One year of my little man's life has been scrapped into history. And I aim to never scrap again.I realize now that I'm "knocked up", a second child is inevitably around the corner. And I'm sorry, Thing 2, but although I hope to love you as much as I love my ...
What’s your pleasure?
A friend emailed me the other day asking for "expert cooking advice." Now, I definitely wouldn't consider myself an expert in the kitchen. I credit what I've learned to a strong devotion to Food Network Television. However, she was asking for recipes for breakfast casseroles. Now, not to brag, but I kinda know my way around a breakfast casserole. But the thing was.... how to choose just one? ...
Daddy has a penis
Since Graham was able to comprehend, we have been teaching him his body parts. When putting on his jammies (yep, that's what they're called in our house), we talk about arms and legs and feet, oh my. At bath time, we find his belly, ears, nose and eyes. When we put on his shoes, he finds his toes.Now that we're (attempting) potty training, though, we've entered a whole new world of body parts, ...
I Heart my Minivan, by Guest Blogger Jess Bailey
They say that life is a journey, not a destination. For me, life is an Odyssey. That's right folks, I'm talking about my Honda Odyssey. Buying and driving a minivan was anything but my life-long dream. However, after now having owned it for a little over a year, I can honestly say, I LOVE IT!!! Dave and I often talk about winning the lottery (incidentally, we seldom play), and in our ...
A good kind of trouble
I'm in "trouble." Not in the time-out kind of way. The after-school special kind of way. Yep, I'm pregnant. Thing 2 is on the way, ready or not.The pregnancy came as a bit of a shock. Yes, I know how the birds and the bees work. But, I'd been using the fertility monitor to not get pregnant. Um, apparently, that's not a good idea. Not that we weren't warming up to the idea of having a ...
Green Living, by Guest Blogger, Cyrena Ivie
Growing up, we always used to make fun of my grandmother at Christmas and birthdays when she would carefully open the presents so as not to rip the wrapping paper. She would smile, undeterred by our teasing, and slowly undo the tape so that she could use the wrapping paper again next year. As my mother told me once, "Grammy pioneered 'living green' long before it became the cool thing to do." ...
Stuff on a stick
When you have a toddler, eating is all about gimmicks. One day you serve them grapes, and they love them. So you buy a huge bag and give them to him for breakfast the next day. Only to get a full-blown temper tantrum about eating one lousy grape. Seriously. We need to have an intervention. Or just put everything on sticks. Which is now my new gimmick. It will work for a week. Then I'm ...
Are we there yet? Part 2
In anticipation of fall, I've been doing some catalog browsing. I'm not sure how I got on the mailing list, but I was pretty excited to see the Autumn 2010 collection from Boden. Some of their prints are a little over the top for me, but for a stay-at-home mom, they have a great collection of around-town appropriate clothes for a good price. Thought I'd share some of my favorite picks, and maybe ...
Blueberry Muffins. Crumb Topping. Fab Recipe.
Today I have been quite the domestic diva. I blame you, dear reader. Not knowing what to write today, I've procrastinated putting together today's blog entry by dallying in the kitchen. And scrapbooking. I'm now through March of '09. There's a light at the end of this god-forsaken tunnel. And now, it's 7:45 pm, I still haven't made dinner, and I'm writing my blog. And that's OK. Because this ...
Are we there yet?
Dear Fall,I know you are still a month away, but I am so excited for you. I'm willing to trade in swimming pools that feel like bath water and ice cream that melts in five minutes to be able to run in the afternoons and wear cardigans.I can almost taste my morning chai tea and evening hot cocoas. I anticipate curling up in front of the fireplace with a cozy blanket and watching an evening ...