I stumbled on a new blog this week, conversation diary by Jennifer Fulwiler. I don't know much about her, but this week she posted 22 things I learned in my first 10 years of parenthood. The list is so funny and definitely worth reading, but number 19 was my personal favorite:
"19. It would be awesome if your kids could have a mom who had the holiness of Mother Teresa, the energy of Mary Poppins, and the domestic skills of Martha Stewart. But if you’re not there yet, saying “I love you guys and I love Jesus and I’m doing the best I can” works too."
If you are interested you can read the entire list here.
Jan 24, 2014
Jan 18, 2014
Like, Love and Don't Like
This week I like Google Keep. There's nothing overly exciting about Google Keep. It's very simple - and that's what so great about it.
Google Keep allows you to jot down a note or list from any device thanks to Google Drive. I've always been the type to write down a to-do list on a scrap piece of paper, only to lose the piece of paper. Google Keep has almost completely replaced the old paper method for me and it really keeps me on track.
This week, I love the Pioneer Woman. I've never met this woman and couldn't pick her out of a lineup but I sure do like her cookin'. To be more specific, Julie has really been knocking dinner out of the park lately thanks to PW's recipes. Julie recently made some steak strips that were so good that I almost could not stop eating them. Plus, I kinda feel like I'm eating some sort of dangerous, exotic meat when I know that the recipe came from someone with the word "Pioneer" in theirstage kitchen name.
This week, I don't like Internet problems. In addition to all of her other many duties, Julie has been working tirelessly to put the nice, new modem and wireless router we got for Christmas to good use. Unfortunately, this hasn't been as simple as unplugging the old equipment and installing the new pieces. Our Internet provider, Charter Communications, has been slightly helpful but it's taken Julie many long phone calls and multiple visits from technicians to get the new equipment functioning. She's done a great job while exhibiting much, much more patience than I would have shown. Everything is working great now, except for one odd issue. Much like Graham, our Internet doesn't like waking up in the morning. You can count on the Internet going out for short periods at approximately the same time each morning. When you've got a little boy that really likes to watch train videos, those few minutes seem like an eternity.
Google Keep allows you to jot down a note or list from any device thanks to Google Drive. I've always been the type to write down a to-do list on a scrap piece of paper, only to lose the piece of paper. Google Keep has almost completely replaced the old paper method for me and it really keeps me on track.
This week, I love the Pioneer Woman. I've never met this woman and couldn't pick her out of a lineup but I sure do like her cookin'. To be more specific, Julie has really been knocking dinner out of the park lately thanks to PW's recipes. Julie recently made some steak strips that were so good that I almost could not stop eating them. Plus, I kinda feel like I'm eating some sort of dangerous, exotic meat when I know that the recipe came from someone with the word "Pioneer" in their
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| Didn't see me going there, did ya? |
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| Woo woo! |
Jan 7, 2014
Good Stuff
I am amazed at the originality and creativity I put into my titles...aren't you? I out-due myself sometimes. We have recovered from Christmas and are looking forward to a low key, relaxing January.
For the past month or so I've come across several items/recipes/projects that I am in LOVE with. Since I don't work and rarely have time to talk to my friends on the phone....I just figured that I would share them on the blog and maybe someone will find one (or all of them) useful!
#1 I'll be honest. I ONLY bought these because they were B1G1 at Publix a few weeks ago, and I had a coupon. Since we are the throes of cold and flu season you can never have too may anti-bacterial products. So I ended up with these because the shelves were almost wiped clean by the time I got around to shopping that week, and this was the only variety left.
The great thing about them is one side of the wipe is rough and can be used as a scrubber. While the other side is soft and perfect for wiping. These reside under my kitchen sink, and I use them mainly for cleaning the kitchen counter and stove, but since Graham is obsessed with coloring they also wipe up stray crayon marks very well.
#2 I've never really spent a whole lot of time on my skin care regimen, well that is until after I had Graham and exhaustion set in and those pesky hormones somehow changed my skin from extra oily to combination. How does that happen? It probably also has something to do with the fact that I'm not 21 anymore. Regardless it became overly apparent to me about a year ago that I needed to step up my skin care efforts. I've tried a number of products, but this is one of my favorites so far.
Fresh Lotus Youth Preserve Face Cream. I apply it every night all over my face and neck. It is very thick which at first I didn't think I would like, but it is the good kind of thick. When I apply it I can instantly feel my skin soaking it up. I've been using it for a little over two weeks, and I am not lying when I say my skin hasn't felt this good in...I can't even remember when it felt this good. It is hydrated (despite our frigid temperature lately), but not oily, and I even feel like it is beginning to even out some of my splotchyness. It does smell like cucumbers so if you aren't a fan of that scent you may not like it, but I'm in love with it and so thankful that my tired, combination skin is getting the help it needed.
#3 My mother-in-law is full of useful advice, but over Christmas she showed me something that rocked my world...well that may be a stretch. Did you know that at the end of the aluminum foil boxes there are perforations for you to punch in so that the roll stays in place and doesn't pull out of the box when you are trying to tear some off? WHO KNEW? I certainly didn't. Such a good and useful thing to know.
#4 Lately I've been making a more concerted effort to add some new recipes to our normal rotation, and recently I come across two that are great and worth sharing:
Pioneer Woman - Salisbury Steak
I know it doesn't sound appealing, but it is DELICIOUS! I have made it a few times, and Nick tells me that it is possibly his new favorite...and it's one of my top choices as well. Try it!
Best Ham Sandwich Ever
My mom introduced me to these over Christmas, and they are just awesome. It seems weird when you are making them, but the results are beyond delicious.
#5 You may remember that last year at this time one of my resolutions was 30 Bags in 30 Days. As I reported later in the year I didn't quite get it done in 30 days, but I did complete my list eventually. I loved this so much I decided to do it again this year. I worked on my list of spaces that needed to be cleaned out and at the top was the pantry. It was a complete mess and gave me anxiety every time I opened the door. So on New Years Eve I set out to not only clean it out but give it some much needed organization. There are tons of different ways and methods of going about this, but I tried to pull tips and techniques from several different places to come up with a plan that worked for our needs and our space. Here is the before and after.
I found these baskets at Wal-Mart for $2.50/ea. They are a great size and the handles make them very accessible.
I also found these at Wal-Mart. They were between $4.50-$7.00 each depending on the size. They are dishwasher safe and airtight which are both pluses in my book. I've been eyeing the OXO band containers at Target that are very similar to these, but they are around $15 each and since I ended up buying about 12....those weren't quite in the budget. I am beyond pleased with the ones from Wal-Mart!
I purchased two of these cereal containers from Publix, and I noticed that they are 50% off this week! I may have to pick up one more!
The baskets are from Michaels. I wasn't sure I was going to like these, so I left the tags on just in case...but after living with it for a week I pretty sure I'm keeping them. They are a great place for paper products and chips.
By using the new containers I eliminated over 35 boxes! It does require a little bit more effort when putting up groceries, but I LOVE that I can see how much I have left of something. I am also hoping that since these are airtight containers that our food will stay fresher longer! This process took me almost all day, but it was WELL worth the time and effort!
My apologies for the random nature of this list but maybe one of these will become one of your favorites too!
The great thing about them is one side of the wipe is rough and can be used as a scrubber. While the other side is soft and perfect for wiping. These reside under my kitchen sink, and I use them mainly for cleaning the kitchen counter and stove, but since Graham is obsessed with coloring they also wipe up stray crayon marks very well.
#2 I've never really spent a whole lot of time on my skin care regimen, well that is until after I had Graham and exhaustion set in and those pesky hormones somehow changed my skin from extra oily to combination. How does that happen? It probably also has something to do with the fact that I'm not 21 anymore. Regardless it became overly apparent to me about a year ago that I needed to step up my skin care efforts. I've tried a number of products, but this is one of my favorites so far.
Fresh Lotus Youth Preserve Face Cream. I apply it every night all over my face and neck. It is very thick which at first I didn't think I would like, but it is the good kind of thick. When I apply it I can instantly feel my skin soaking it up. I've been using it for a little over two weeks, and I am not lying when I say my skin hasn't felt this good in...I can't even remember when it felt this good. It is hydrated (despite our frigid temperature lately), but not oily, and I even feel like it is beginning to even out some of my splotchyness. It does smell like cucumbers so if you aren't a fan of that scent you may not like it, but I'm in love with it and so thankful that my tired, combination skin is getting the help it needed.
#3 My mother-in-law is full of useful advice, but over Christmas she showed me something that rocked my world...well that may be a stretch. Did you know that at the end of the aluminum foil boxes there are perforations for you to punch in so that the roll stays in place and doesn't pull out of the box when you are trying to tear some off? WHO KNEW? I certainly didn't. Such a good and useful thing to know.
#4 Lately I've been making a more concerted effort to add some new recipes to our normal rotation, and recently I come across two that are great and worth sharing:
Pioneer Woman - Salisbury Steak
I know it doesn't sound appealing, but it is DELICIOUS! I have made it a few times, and Nick tells me that it is possibly his new favorite...and it's one of my top choices as well. Try it!
Best Ham Sandwich Ever
My mom introduced me to these over Christmas, and they are just awesome. It seems weird when you are making them, but the results are beyond delicious.
#5 You may remember that last year at this time one of my resolutions was 30 Bags in 30 Days. As I reported later in the year I didn't quite get it done in 30 days, but I did complete my list eventually. I loved this so much I decided to do it again this year. I worked on my list of spaces that needed to be cleaned out and at the top was the pantry. It was a complete mess and gave me anxiety every time I opened the door. So on New Years Eve I set out to not only clean it out but give it some much needed organization. There are tons of different ways and methods of going about this, but I tried to pull tips and techniques from several different places to come up with a plan that worked for our needs and our space. Here is the before and after.
I found these baskets at Wal-Mart for $2.50/ea. They are a great size and the handles make them very accessible.
I also found these at Wal-Mart. They were between $4.50-$7.00 each depending on the size. They are dishwasher safe and airtight which are both pluses in my book. I've been eyeing the OXO band containers at Target that are very similar to these, but they are around $15 each and since I ended up buying about 12....those weren't quite in the budget. I am beyond pleased with the ones from Wal-Mart!
I purchased two of these cereal containers from Publix, and I noticed that they are 50% off this week! I may have to pick up one more!
The baskets are from Michaels. I wasn't sure I was going to like these, so I left the tags on just in case...but after living with it for a week I pretty sure I'm keeping them. They are a great place for paper products and chips.
By using the new containers I eliminated over 35 boxes! It does require a little bit more effort when putting up groceries, but I LOVE that I can see how much I have left of something. I am also hoping that since these are airtight containers that our food will stay fresher longer! This process took me almost all day, but it was WELL worth the time and effort!
My apologies for the random nature of this list but maybe one of these will become one of your favorites too!
Dec 30, 2013
Christmas 2013
It was a whirlwind, and we are officially worn out; but we had a wonderful time celebrating with family and friends over the past few weeks.
Our celebrations (because who wants to celebrate once when you can do it 4 times) began in Camden a few weeks before Christmas with Nick's extended family get together. The Baggetts and Wilders get together every year and it is always a special time. There are 4 kiddos (Margie Grace (6), Will (3), Graham (2) and Shepherd (1)) now which makes for a crazy day.
Our celebrations (because who wants to celebrate once when you can do it 4 times) began in Camden a few weeks before Christmas with Nick's extended family get together. The Baggetts and Wilders get together every year and it is always a special time. There are 4 kiddos (Margie Grace (6), Will (3), Graham (2) and Shepherd (1)) now which makes for a crazy day.
The following weekend we traveled to Auburn to have an early Christmas with my family. We haven't had children in our family for a while so Christmas' with Graham certainly liven things up!
We hurried home, unpacked and repacked in order to travel back to Camden for Christmas day. Before we left though Santa delivered a few gifts early since he knew we probably wouldn't be able to transport everything in our car. So we got to have our own special family time the night before we went to Camden.
Santa brought Graham a new table and chair set and lots of fun stocking stuffers.
Nick and I decided that one of our family traditions would be to give Graham a new ornament every year to be opened on Christmas Eve. The ornament is to be reflective of that particular year. Nick and I will take turns writing notes explaining why we chose that years ornament. The idea is that when he is grown he will have a box full of ornaments and notes from us that tell a shortened story of his life.
This year we gave him a lawn mower ornament. It is reflective of the fact that he learned to walk this year, and that he pushed his Fisher Price lawn mower most everyday either around the house or in the neighborhood. Definitely one of his most used toys!
Last, but not least, we made our way back to Camden to spend Christmas with Nick's parents and Harpy (Grahams name for Nick's sister). It unfortunately was a quick trip (Nick had to be back at work on Thursday), but we made the most of our time. Santa brought Graham a tent and tunnel and many other fun, new toys!
It was certainly a Christmas to remember!!!
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