Archive for November, 2008
Jeff woke up this morning feeling a bit flu-ish. Hopefully he’ll be fine by the end of the week, though, when he travels to Texas for his father’s memorial. I told him that I would be his nurse. :) He didn’t get a flu shot this year, but I’m sure glad that I did. I feel like I’m coming down with a cold, too, however. I’ve been congested at night and in the mornings, but today I can *really* feel something going on in my head. (Mixed with PMS, it’s not fun!) It’s just that time of year, though. :( Meredith still has a deep cough at times, and it concerns me that it has been going on for *so* long. I also noticed this morning that Lucas’s nose was running heavily. We’re just a bunch of snot-nosed brats around here! :)
So … check out what I picked up yesterday for absolutely *no* money whatsoever!
Lucas and Meredith now have a brand-new iMac (well, brand-new to us!). Lucas *loves* to type “e-mails.” I showed him how to type his name, “M.J.,” “Mom,” and “Dad.” Hopefully we can find some kids’ software out there. I *love* Macs. I really miss the computer that I used to use when I was a graphic designer at the bank (a G3, G4, something like that). Anyway, I drove over to Philmont, NY (about 18 miles away) to pick it up through Freecycle. How fantastic. I can’t believe it ~ a computer for free. (An *old* computer, but still!)
Just a minute ago, I turned on the TV and saw a show called “Keeping Up with the Kardashians.” At first, I thought that it was a “Star Trek” thing! (Nope … that’s “Cardassians,” LOL!) Anyway, it’s sucking me right in. Must turn off the TV so that I can get some freelance work done!
P.S. A totally random note ~ has anyone seen the new James Bond movie? And if so, what did you think of it? We’re *huge* James Bond fans around here. But he has nothing on my husband … look how great he looks in tuxedos! hehe :)
If you’re planning to “pop the question” to someone *very* special during this upcoming holiday season, you might want to check out the selection of engagement rings at WhiteFlash.com. Mine looks similar to this one, although mine is gold and has a “cathedral” setting. Personally, what I was drawn to on this website were the anniversary diamonds! :) Our 10-year wedding anniversary is in June 2010. I *really* like this ring, and this band is also gorgeous (would be neat with the birthstones of our children!). I also like this pendant ~ it reminds me of a snowflake! And this necklace reminded me of Hannah … it’s called “Petite Dreams of Africa.” Anyway, Christmas is a *big* time for purchasing jewelry, and this website seems to have some *really* neat designs!
~Author unknown
Our Thanksgiving this year was *so* relaxing. I wasn’t stressed out at all, and I’m sure that having our grocery store cook the turkey was one reason why! :) Yes, cheating perhaps ~ but it was *so* easy and convenient. Why get up at 6 a.m. and stress out? I also tried to choose simple side dishes and got as much done ahead of time as possible. I had some excellent baking help on Wednesday, too! Luke and Meri stirred the pumpkin pie but quickly got tired and flopped down on the couch. :) Meredith also attempted to help me peel potatoes yesterday morning!
We invited our good friends Vicky and Natalie over. They were our neighbors when we moved to New York and lived in our first apartment, and they have become family to us. We enjoyed some appetizers, then sat down to Thanksgiving dinner. Afterward, we decided to take a short walk down our road (an awesome way to help our food digest and get some exercise and fresh air!). Then, we went upstairs for some Wii action. We have our Wii upstairs on the tv stand in our bonus room. They brought over a *fun* game called Game Party. Oh, and Vicky actually untangled the *huge* mess of yarn that the kids had created! I was *so* grateful for that! Now I can finish my first-time knitting practice. Of course, the day ended by enjoy various desserts. Vicky and Natalie brought over an amazingly rich chocolate Hershey’s ice cream pie, and we also had pumpkin pie and Thanksgiving Cake. What a *terrific* day.
Check out these Indiana Trivial Pursuit cards that Vicky made for us! How *cool* is that? Each question relates to Indiana somehow. Here’s one (answer in the comments section): “In what county is Indiana’s geographic center?” We’re going to have so much fun with those. Vicky also gave us some more beautiful handmade paper Christmas ornaments to add to our tree. She is *so* talented (and even made the box that they came in!). They will be *so* special to hang on our Christmas tree every year (and hopefully this weekend, we’ll be able to put up our tree). Here’s a photo:
I hope that all of you out there had a *wonderful* Thanksgiving, as well. We certainly have *much* to be thankful for.
I apologize for my cranky blog entry yesterday, but I sure felt better after venting. It was just one of those days. My post was very real, actually. Lots of times, I feel like I’m *always* writing sunny and cheery things here (or not truly expressing what I’m feeling because I don’t want anyone to think that I’m a bad mom). So it felt good to get some frustrations out for a change.
I’ve been up cooking since 7:30 this morning and am *loving* every minute of it! The cranberry sauce (recipe from Carol) is done, as are the pumpkin pies, most of the veggie and cheese tray, and the Thanksgiving Cake (a traditional family recipe). This afternoon, I’m going to prepare my grandma’s mashed potatoes for baking tomorrow. Aside from that, the vegetables can be done tomorrow right beforehand, and the crackers just need to be placed onto the tray along with the with dip. Yay for being prepared! :) I absolutely *love* the day before Thanksgiving. It’s *so* much fun to be at home cooking up a storm!
Stopped by Big Lots this morning to get a few things (I secretly *love* Big Lots ~ OK, so it’s not a secret anymore!). I was out of shampoo and conditioner and found some VO5 Moisture Milks Strawberries & Cream for only 79 cents apiece. What I *really* wanted was the Suave kind, but I haven’t seen that for a while in our stores. I always loved the fragrance and how it made my hair smell like strawberries all day long!
By the way, I’m still knitting but have hit a snag (pun intended!). I can cast on just fine and knit the first row, but every row past that is *so* freaking tight. Also, it seems like the first half of the stitches look just fine, but then the yarn becomes *very* dense ~ like something is getting twisted? I have no clue. I’m going to play around with it some more later, but the rest of today will be spent cleaning!
One final note: my *sincere* sympathies go out to Rachel, who lost her grandfather on Friday. I was *so* sad to hear that news. I know what it’s like ~ my grandpa passed away back in February. My heart really goes out to her. It’s hard to think about how he won’t get to see this Thanksgiving.
Having a down kind of day today. The weather matches my mood … rainy, dreary, dark, and muddy. I’ve had virtually no patience and even yelled at Meredith once to “get out of the way.” I love our children more than anything, but I’m *desperately* trying to keep the house clean for Thanksgiving on Thursday ~ and they keep undoing all of my efforts within five minutes. Constantly walking around after them and picking up everything is *absolutely* driving me crazy. They both want to be with me 24/7, too. I can’t walk out of a room without them both yelling, “Mommy! Where did you go?” And *every* time I sit down at my computer, Meredith wants up in my lap and I have to type while managing a wiggly toddler. I know that when they go off to school, I’ll miss these days of snuggles and them wanting to be with me so much ~ but some days, it’s very hard. Motherhood is such a roller coaster ~ I’m looking forward to when they’re in school so that I have some time to myself during the day, but I also don’t want them to grow that fast. :(
Didn’t go to my moms’ group meeting this morning, either, and felt guilty about it. I just wasn’t in the mood to drive 29 miles to our church and be social ~ plus, the only way that I can get us lunch before having to take Lucas to preschool is to make sandwiches ahead of time the night before, and I didn’t do that. (No time to stop somewhere.) It’s so hard getting out of MOMS at 11:30 (but usually later, since I end up chatting and it takes a while to get the kids out of the nursery) and then having to make it to his school by 12:30. I also thought about how much I’d be able to get done this morning if I just stayed home. Jeff said on Sunday, though, that someone at church told him, “I haven’t seen Lisanne in quite a while. It would be nice to see her.” Am I strange for wanting to stay home so much? I just feel like hibernating during these chilly months.
OK ~ enough venting. The brightest spot of my day so far has been Lucas’s “Thankful Presentation” at preschool. He held up his “Thankful Poster” and said that he’s thankful for “food.” :) He was also the attendance taker for his class today. He made a Thanksgiving necklace for me, and we all held hands and sang a Thanksgiving song together. The students sang a song, too, and then we had yummy snacks: juice, apple cider, cider doughnuts, corn muffins, cranberry bread, etc. I took some pictures but have yet to upload them. Also got a *really* cute video!
We watched two movies this weekend: “Transsiberian” and “The Love Guru.” Yes, two dramatically different films! :) “Transsiberian” was recommended to us by a coworker’s girlfriend, and although it was kind of weird in some ways, it was just excellent! I *really* enjoyed it. Most of the story takes place on a train, and Woody Harrelson plays a funny part. The scenery was amazing. “The Love Guru” was silly and good for laughs. Cracked me up that Mariska Hargitay was actually in the movie! I tried to do some knitting during each of these movies, but it was too dark in our living room ~ and the movies *really* captured my attention! :)
Speaking of knitting … I’m knitting now! Yay! :) Carol was *so* sweet to show me the techniques. I even purled a few stitches last night! I can’t tell you how excited I am to learn something new. Right now, I’m using some sage green yarn that she gave me to knit a basic rectangle. I think that I’ll turn it into a coffee cup “cozy” if I manage to actually do it right! :) I’d love to get good enough to make pretty dishcloths, and even down the road maybe I can make some hats for the kids. Carol started me off with some neat knitting supplies and two books to borrow. I’ve been checking those out. I put my name on the list for Ravelry, too. And yes, Kae, I *definitely* need to knit a little pair of pants for my carrot! LOL! :)
Tomorrow is going to be a crazy-busy day. In the morning at 9, I have my moms’ group meeting at our church. Then, it’s lunch on the road as I drive Lucas to preschool at 12:30. I pick him up early because the kids are doing a “Thankful Presentation” (complete with a surprise for the moms ~ I can’t wait to see what Lucas made!). Then, there’s a preschool parent advisory board meeting tomorrow night. I’m absolutely going to crash after that, I think.
Off to finish up some graphic design work ~ have a wonderful Monday, guys!
You may be wondering why I recently uploaded pictures of our dirty stove to Flickr. I love Mr. Clean Magic Erasers *so* much that the company actually mailed me a box full of free goodies! Included were the supplies for conducting a test to see whether Mr. Clean Magic Erasers clean things around the house better than “the leading brand,” which is Clorox spray cleaner with bleach. We’ve been using Mr. Clean Magic Erasers for a long time now ~ well, ever since having children! LOL! :) They’re wonderful. No need to convince me that they absolutely rock. But they sent a new fragrance that I hadn’t tried yet … Citrus & Light. Mmm, very nice for the kitchen! It was fun trying something new! There was a nice letter from a lady on their marketing staff, too.
Anyway, first I used both products to clean soap scum off two tiles they provided. The Mr. Clean Magic Eraser worked *so* much better, although I wonder whether the tiles were actually covered with a soap material or whether it was some kind of “simulation.” Regardless, I’ve used Mr. Clean Magic Erasers in our bathroom, and they work like a charm.
Next, I used the Crayola marker that they provided to draw on each tile. Both products worked exactly the same to remove the red marker, although I think that the Magic Eraser was a bit neater (no spray everywhere). Also, they provided me with a box of Crayola crayons to draw on a blank wall to see which brand removed the crayon marks better. Without a doubt, it was the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. Lucas went through a phase (around age two) when he colored on everything ~ most often, our walls. For a while, Mr. Clean Magic Erasers were the only thing that saved my sanity! LOL! :)
The company even sent me a wooden spoon with a recipe card attached. The directions said, “Use the enclosed wooden spoon to prepare Mr. Clean’s chili recipe and make a mess!” LOL! :) So, I did. (Well, I actually made my own chili recipe with ground turkey.) I then did a test to see which product cleaned our dirty stove better. Honestly, they both did a good job, but I think that the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser did a little bit better. We usually use a liquid flat-top stove cleaner, but the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser was much more convenient. The only thing that I’m wondering is whether Mr. Clean Magic Erasers could be manufactured with antibacterial properties? That would be super nice for the kitchen and bathrooms, in particular.
My favorite Mr. Clean Magic Eraser fragrance is the Meadows & Rain. So refreshing and makes our house smell *so* good. We also use the liquid cleaner (diluted) in order to wash things around the house, such as wood floors and kitchen tile. One thing I noticed in the marketing information they sent me, though, is that there’s also another fragrance: Lavender Vanilla & Comfort. I *definitely* want to try that one but haven’t seen it in our stores yet. Also, I didn’t know that Mr. Clean Magic Eraser Wipes existed. That’s awesome! The website also gives good tips for how to use everything.
It was *so* cool to receive a free “test” in the mail. Just a note ~ the company isn’t paying me to review these products on my blog. I just wanted to share the results of the test because I am a sucker for nifty cleaning supplies (and these work wonderfully). I highly recommend Mr. Clean Magic Erasers to anyone ~ especially to those of you out there who have children! :)
Gosh … and I thought that our CSA shares were supposed to be G-rated! LOL! :)
I miss crafting. It’s difficult to do while taking care of two small children. But not too long ago, I started thinking about something my friend Carol told me ~ that knitting doesn’t require pulling out a lot of supplies and that it’s something you can do while watching TV, hanging out with your family, waiting for appointments, etc. And there are *so* many bloggers out there who knit. Originally, though, I dismissed knitting because I didn’t think that I had time to learn something new ~ and I figured that I probably wouldn’t be too good at it (or patient enough). But a week or so ago, I started thinking about knitting more and more.
Saturday, I ran over to Wal-Mart to buy some new needles for our sewing machine (because crazily enough, I broke *three* of them while trying to sew a simple baby blanket!). I found some, then turned around ~ and guess what was behind me? Knitting supplies. Oh, the yarn! I found myself just staring at everything for the longest time ~ such beautiful colors! It was like looking at the various fabrics in the craft department ~ drooling over what I can possibly sew.
I’d heard several knitting friends mention Peaches & Cream yarn, so I checked that out. A color called “Earth Tone” caught my eye. But I thought, “I know absolutely *nothing* about this. I shouldn’t even look.” The yarn was so inexpensive, though! Then, I found myself walking over to the knitting needles. I saw some royal blue ones ~ size five, whatever that means! I said, “What the heck!” and took everything up to the checkout. But I felt such a twinge of excitement!
It kind of reminds me of my grandpa ~ he used to weave *gorgeous* handmade throws with acrylic yarn on his own handcrafted loom in his basement. And I remembered that a long time ago, my mom taught me how to knit ~ but I don’t remember a whole lot, and now I wish that I’d paid more attention! Anyway, I’m now the owner of a pair of blue size five knitting needles and two balls (uh, “skeins,” right?) of yarn. Last night, I managed to figure out how to do the long-tail cast on, but I can’t seem to get the first row started. It’s hard to even stick the right needle into the top stitch ~ way too tight. I know that ultimately, all of your stitches end up on the other needle ~ but that’s the point where I’m stuck. :( I’ve been checking out the website KnittingHelp.com.
Tomorrow, I’m heading over to Carol’s because she has graciously offered to help me get started. I can’t tell you how psyched I am to be starting a new craft! Maybe I could make some pretty washcloths to accompany my handmade soaps. Yay ~ I get to make things again! :)
