Since moving into our home, we really don't venture upstairs much. Our bedroom is plenty big enough (and then some) to share with Henry right now and the thought of trying to get him out of our bed and into his own while going up and down the stairs a million times a night just doesn't appeal to me. However, I promised myself that I was going to work on his bedroom this winter while I'm stuck indoors - even if it's just mostly a playroom for now. Not to mention, if I have enough stuff to put any room completely together it's his.
I was brain-storming ideas tonight and I'm afraid I'm going to forget them so I thought I'd write some of them down.
Things to do in Henry's room!
1) Paint - Brown, Orange and Green.
2) Buy or make rods for his curtains.
3) Create a car-shaped chalkboard on one wall.
4) Buy magnetic strips for his Hot Wheels.
5) Make pillows from his receiving blankets.
6) Make a bean-bag chair from one of his car sheets.
7) Find/research a book-case, lantern/hanging light, and rug for his reading nook.
8) Create felt patterns to attach to his lampshade.
9) Make a magnet tray to attach to the wall.
10) Make some wall art and a bunting flag banner to hang.
11) Paint his Little Tykes table.
I plan on coming back and adding more ideas and to-do's as I think of them. I'm actually pretty excited to get his bedroom together as I have almost everything I need to do what I envision. It's just getting everything together that's so hard!
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Ground Turkey vs Ground Beef
I will never for the life of me understand why people buy ground beef/chuck. I know that there's a lot of recipes out there that call for ground beef but let me tell you something, with the price of groceries going sky-high and the never-ending concern for our health - you can not go wrong with substituting ground turkey for ground beef. Why's that you ask? Well...
1) Ground turkey is cheaper. Like WAYYY cheaper. I can usually get a pound of ground turkey for around $1.25. I don't buy ground beef (like ever) but the last time I glanced at the price of a pound, I know it was over $3.00. THREE DOLLARS, double the price! I'm sorry, but in my world, that is just too much to spend on something that you're usually going to make into something else.
2) It tastes super similar. Now unless you're making straight-up hamburgers (although there are some awesome turkey burger recipes out there) I really don't think you can taste THAT much of a difference in the two. Most recipes that call for ground beef is usually saturated in other flavors that doesn't really revolve around the beef itself. When I make my meat sauce for spaghetti, I mix a pound of ground turkey with a jar of spaghetti sauce and let it simmer together and it's delicious. The same also goes for things like chili, hamburger helper, tacos, and even meatloaf (my family's favorite).
3) It's usually healthier. This is where reading labels always comes in handy! Turkey is normally lower in calories and fat than what ground beef is. BUT, it can be true that it can be higher, especially if you are buying something as lean as 90/10 or 95/5 ground beef. The thing is, you've really got to check the labels!! What I buy comes frozen in 1 lb increments and is about equal to buying 90/10 ground beef. However, I have seen some ground turkey out there that is actually WAY worse for you than buying a lean ground beef. It's really a difference of whether or not the company who makes it uses more of the breast or more of the darker meats in their ground products.
I cannot tell you the last time that I bought ground beef. To me, it's obvious that the way to go is with turkey, especially when you're on a budget like my family is. I am often confronted with people telling me that it makes them absolutely cringe to think about eating ground turkey instead of beef but I have to tell you - don't knock it until you try it. The next time you go to make your family dinner, try substituting and then come back and let me know what you thought. Do you use any substitutions for health and cost reasons when you cook?
Sunday, August 12, 2012
People
I really don't get people.
Here's the thing; there are few things, very, very few things in life that are easy. I was always taught that if anything is worth something it's going to take work! I think if everyone could grasp this concept, we'd all be in better shape. But alas, my opinion doesn't count for a whole lot in the entire scheme of the world.
Still, to grunt around, wishing and dreaming that things will just up and magically change is just plain ignorant. Here are a few things based around that theory that have just drove me absolutely nuts as of late.
-'When I win the lottery'.
Let's face it. You are probably not going to win the lottery. If you really want that patio set, save up the money and buy the damn thing. Quit throwing that money into lottery tickets every day and start saving it instead. It'll add up. Promise.
-Welfare, Job and Family Services and 'Cheating' the System.
When there are people out there who really do need help feeding, housing and clothing their children then I have no problem with them being on assistance. What drives me absolutely fricken bonkers is going through the grocery line behind someone chatting on their IPhone, throwing junk food onto the conveyor belt and talking about how they have all this 'extra' money to spend this week on beer, cigarettes, clothes, concert tickets, etc, etc, etc. It makes my blood boil when my husband and I bust our butts to provide for ourselves and our son and go without when they're floating around blowing OUR money like it grows on trees. We are paying for this nonsense you know and we'll continue to pay until our nation undergoes some radical change.
-Beating 'The Man'
I got news for ya. Unless you are 'The Man' you are never going to beat him. He has you by the balls and the truth is, in our economy, you can't really afford to snide behind his back at every chance. If you hate your job so much, find another. You are not making anyone's job easier, including your own, by complaining every two minutes about how horrible it is to show up every day. Ya know what else I've noticed? It's usually the ones that do all the complaining that don't do a lick of work. Maybe 'The Man' needs to be on top of you all the time - just sayin'.
-Mindless Spending
Can you borrow $3 for lunch? No, no you can't. I'd hate to see you starve but I watched you last night buy a whole cart full of things that you didn't need, I'm pretty sure that your new phone didn't pay for itself and I noticed that you've had your nails done again in the past week. So no. Return something, go beg someone else but you will get no sympathy from me. Oh yeah - quit complaining about how poor and how horrible that you have it too. It's really not true, you just don't think before you buy.
Maybe I'm just in a bad mood because I have to put up with the same people every weekend tell me about how poor they are, how horrible our jobs are, how terrible their lives are and how much we should all feel sorry for them. I don't buy into it and it really just peeves me off. They think I'm a bitch because I refuse to sympathize but I really don't care. People are seriously ridiculous sometimes and I. Just. Don't. Get. It!
Here's the thing; there are few things, very, very few things in life that are easy. I was always taught that if anything is worth something it's going to take work! I think if everyone could grasp this concept, we'd all be in better shape. But alas, my opinion doesn't count for a whole lot in the entire scheme of the world.
Still, to grunt around, wishing and dreaming that things will just up and magically change is just plain ignorant. Here are a few things based around that theory that have just drove me absolutely nuts as of late.
-'When I win the lottery'.
Let's face it. You are probably not going to win the lottery. If you really want that patio set, save up the money and buy the damn thing. Quit throwing that money into lottery tickets every day and start saving it instead. It'll add up. Promise.
-Welfare, Job and Family Services and 'Cheating' the System.
When there are people out there who really do need help feeding, housing and clothing their children then I have no problem with them being on assistance. What drives me absolutely fricken bonkers is going through the grocery line behind someone chatting on their IPhone, throwing junk food onto the conveyor belt and talking about how they have all this 'extra' money to spend this week on beer, cigarettes, clothes, concert tickets, etc, etc, etc. It makes my blood boil when my husband and I bust our butts to provide for ourselves and our son and go without when they're floating around blowing OUR money like it grows on trees. We are paying for this nonsense you know and we'll continue to pay until our nation undergoes some radical change.
-Beating 'The Man'
I got news for ya. Unless you are 'The Man' you are never going to beat him. He has you by the balls and the truth is, in our economy, you can't really afford to snide behind his back at every chance. If you hate your job so much, find another. You are not making anyone's job easier, including your own, by complaining every two minutes about how horrible it is to show up every day. Ya know what else I've noticed? It's usually the ones that do all the complaining that don't do a lick of work. Maybe 'The Man' needs to be on top of you all the time - just sayin'.
-Mindless Spending
Can you borrow $3 for lunch? No, no you can't. I'd hate to see you starve but I watched you last night buy a whole cart full of things that you didn't need, I'm pretty sure that your new phone didn't pay for itself and I noticed that you've had your nails done again in the past week. So no. Return something, go beg someone else but you will get no sympathy from me. Oh yeah - quit complaining about how poor and how horrible that you have it too. It's really not true, you just don't think before you buy.
Maybe I'm just in a bad mood because I have to put up with the same people every weekend tell me about how poor they are, how horrible our jobs are, how terrible their lives are and how much we should all feel sorry for them. I don't buy into it and it really just peeves me off. They think I'm a bitch because I refuse to sympathize but I really don't care. People are seriously ridiculous sometimes and I. Just. Don't. Get. It!
Thursday, August 09, 2012
Cabinets, toys and a homecoming.
To my standards, I haven't exactly blogged in awhile. Actually, I've been 'unplugging' more often lately than what I have in years. The internet seems to be losing is allure and I've found myself the last few days nose deep in a book and focusing more around life in general rather than Facebook, Pinterest and yes, even Blogger.
I had a wonderful photo session on Monday night and met some wonderful people and even editing their photos seemed to be a chore - usually one of my favorite parts of photography. I just have no interest in this screen this week. Maybe my vacation did me a little too much good.
Aside from that, I have missed writing and so I thought I'd make an effort to blog although I don't have anything HUGE to blog about. Okay. Maybe I do.
Ready for it?
My brother is returning home for a couple of weeks today. After a tour in Afghanistan and a short debriefing in Texas, he is finally going to land in Ohio (hopefully) before midnight tonight. I plan on being at the airport because honestly, I love seeing him come through those gates and although I haven't cried in the past, something tells me that I will tonight. I've cried on several occasions thinking of him lately, not because I am sad but because I am SO grateful that God kept his mighty hand over him while he was serving in the war.
I am excited for him to be home and to spend time with him myself, but more so, I am excited for him to see Henry - to see how he has grown and changed and how much he loves his bubble-blowing Mater that he got him for his birthday.
I've notice lately that more than ever, my every thought revolves around Henry. I cleaned out a cabinet in the kitchen just for him to stash his toys in. He loves opening the door and crawling into this little world of his and hiding toys or digging toys out. I even considered the possibility of Henry being our only child and in truth, it didn't sadden me the way that I thought it would. Don't get me wrong, I am longing to have another baby - but if we were never to conceive again, I think I'd be okay with just Henry. He is just a perfect little boy.
Aside from the usual, life has been unusually pleasant as of late. I feel like Jeremy and I have connected on a more intimate level than ever before, like this invisible bond formed creating a peace and an understanding about the joys and pains we will endure for the rest of our lives. Henry is absolutely in love with his wagon and when we take him on walks with it, we put Cohen in to ride along. I can't help but look at the two of them and smile - a boy, his dog and his red wagon. How could one not presume that life is just about perfect?
I had a wonderful photo session on Monday night and met some wonderful people and even editing their photos seemed to be a chore - usually one of my favorite parts of photography. I just have no interest in this screen this week. Maybe my vacation did me a little too much good.
Aside from that, I have missed writing and so I thought I'd make an effort to blog although I don't have anything HUGE to blog about. Okay. Maybe I do.
Ready for it?
My brother is returning home for a couple of weeks today. After a tour in Afghanistan and a short debriefing in Texas, he is finally going to land in Ohio (hopefully) before midnight tonight. I plan on being at the airport because honestly, I love seeing him come through those gates and although I haven't cried in the past, something tells me that I will tonight. I've cried on several occasions thinking of him lately, not because I am sad but because I am SO grateful that God kept his mighty hand over him while he was serving in the war.
I am excited for him to be home and to spend time with him myself, but more so, I am excited for him to see Henry - to see how he has grown and changed and how much he loves his bubble-blowing Mater that he got him for his birthday.
I've notice lately that more than ever, my every thought revolves around Henry. I cleaned out a cabinet in the kitchen just for him to stash his toys in. He loves opening the door and crawling into this little world of his and hiding toys or digging toys out. I even considered the possibility of Henry being our only child and in truth, it didn't sadden me the way that I thought it would. Don't get me wrong, I am longing to have another baby - but if we were never to conceive again, I think I'd be okay with just Henry. He is just a perfect little boy.
Aside from the usual, life has been unusually pleasant as of late. I feel like Jeremy and I have connected on a more intimate level than ever before, like this invisible bond formed creating a peace and an understanding about the joys and pains we will endure for the rest of our lives. Henry is absolutely in love with his wagon and when we take him on walks with it, we put Cohen in to ride along. I can't help but look at the two of them and smile - a boy, his dog and his red wagon. How could one not presume that life is just about perfect?
Friday, August 03, 2012
Happy Esther Day!
My inner nerd will bleed here but I'm totally okay with that.
You could say that over the years, I've become a bit obsessed with John Green's books, the messages that they convey and the endless amount of quotes that I've saved from their pages. I've also become a bit obsessed with the Youtube channel that he shares with his brother: Vlogbrothers, and the community attached to it that is all about decreasing world suck and never forgetting to be awesome. We call ourselves nerdfighters and there is a following so much larger than what you're imagining right now. (I mean, we did pwn Oprah)
Like I said - bleeding.
However, it's not all so strange and we really do evolve around more than being nerds and reading John's books. That is why today I want to extend to you all a Happy Esther Day. Esther Day is about love - not the romantic kind necessarily, but the kind that involves family and friends and really those that you find it awkward to say 'I love you' to on a daily basis.
In a nut shell, Esther Day was set up to remember a fellow nerdfighter who unfortunately passed away from cancer a couple of years ago. Today is her birthday and when John asked her how she would like us all to help celebrate her birthday for years and years to come, she simply wanted us all to share our love with one another. How awesome is that? Her parents also have a fund set up for family's struggling with the financial burden of a child with cancer. The name of that fund is This Star Won't Go Out or TSWGO for short. I'll link up to all of this fun stuff at the bottom of this post.
Putting all nerd-ness aside, I really would like to encourage each of you to tell your family and friends that you love them today. Every single person that you know, every single person that you come in contact with on a daily basis is struggling with some sort of battle. Most of the time you have no idea the pain and the struggle they are fighting - but it's there and it's very real. We could all use some extra encouragement from time to time and often, we find that extra encouragement from our family and friends.
So in remembrance of Esther, a young girl who was taken from this world all too soon - call up your best friend and tell them you love them, or even just send a few text messages. Call your parents or grandparents or someone else in your family that you don't talk to enough and just let them know they're loved. I assure you that spreading some love today will make you feel a little better about life when you lie your head on your pillow tonight.
With that said, I just wanted to say that
I LOVE YOU!
No matter who you are, I love you. Have a wonderful Esther Day.
This Star Won't Go Out: http://tswgo.org/
Free Esther Day Printables: http://andotherpoems.tumblr.com/post/28445303774/august-3rd-is-esther-day-what-is-esther-day
Vlogbrothers: http://www.youtube.com/user/vlogbrothers?feature=results_main
Thursday, August 02, 2012
Wednesday, August 01, 2012
DIY Wall Art
I found about 30 minutes to myself this evening while Henry was playing with Daddy to get a little creative. I am a lover (and collector) of quotes. Love quotes, inspirational quotes, quirky quotes and a lot of quotes by C.S. Lewis and John Green. I started the process tonight of transferring some quotes to random cardboard boxes and such that I've been recycling for this very reason. I even made my own modge-podge to use; I'd give you the recipe but I eyeballed it.
It's something a long the lines of 1 cup of flour + 1 1/2 cups of water + 1/4 cup of sugar + a 1/3 cup vinegar. I'm sure that modge-podge works better than the homemade stuff but I use it and love it - I mean, it gets the job done.
Anyway, if you have some favorite quotes, an empty cereal box and a few minutes, try your hand at it! It's super easy and super fun!
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