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Showing posts from September, 2009

Time

Remember when you were little and time seemed to last FOREVER? Or at the very same time hours seemed to last eternities and minutes felt like days? At what point in our lives does time change? I feel like I sit down during nap time then look up at the clock and two hours have flown by, or I'm dinking around the house and all of a sudden it's dinner time. All of this leads to me wondering where the time has gone, how can I get it back or even better, how can I get more of it? I'm sure you're all aware by now that I am not the most organized of people, in fact I think that may be the understatement of the year. My house is cluttered, my clothes are wrinkly and if I arrive someplace on time it's an achievement. I think that may be one cause of my lack of time, I don't know how to organize it (or myself) very well. I can easily spend an afternoon on the internet, browsing a cookbook or reading a novel all while the house sits cluttered. It would only take t

Confession #1

I don't fold and put away my clothes. Really, you'd think by the time I graduated from college, got married, bought a house and had a kid that I would be able to take care of myself. But no, there are still a number of things that I can't seem to get the hang of. Like laundry. Well, that's not true. I actually don't mind doing laundry. Washing and drying clothes is no big deal. (Let's not point out that a machine takes care all of it...shall we?) Even un-organized me has a day that I do laundry. Monday. Now granted, it is Tuesday and the first load went in about twenty minutes ago, but hey, I did bring it downstairs yesterday! The washing machine does it's job, the dryer theirs. So the laundry is done, it's been brought upstairs and I pile it on the bed in a overly idealistic display of domesticity; where it sits all day until the guy goes to bed and pushes it onto the floor. Now, if it's started out to be a good day, the pile will end up o

Duh! #2

Now, this probably won't be a huge revelation for most people. This season I decided that I needed to update my look a little. Becoming a mom did a number on my wardrobe; you see now I needed to find clothes that didn't make me look like an old lady or a college student AND were all easily machine washable. Nevermind the fact that I had to make sure when I bent over there was nothing hanging out. I like to call it Playground Couture. Just try and find that at Macy's. Anyway, so I thought and searched magazines/the internet until...Duh! I pulled out my old scarf collection, tied one on and away I went. Now I am stylish, playground appropriate and machine washable. Who knew fashion could be this easy? What is your recent fashion 'duh!' ?

The Weekend- Sept. 26-27

We've had a busy week here and it looks like the weekend is shaping up to be the same. But what's new around here? I think that it is officially Fall; the wreath is up on the door, we've been to the apple orchard, we saw a wooly bear caterpillar and LN and I walked through a pile of leaves yesterday. Yep, definitely Fall. So get out there and have some good Autumn fun. Then get back inside and drink a cup o' warmth. Personally I think apple cider is the best. So here's what we'll be up to, Happy Weekend! Family pictures! Proex was having a special for a free outdoor sitting, so we're headed to the Arboretum . Cross your fingers for no rain! We're hanging out with the lovely Sarah Von and FOaF for an afternoon of vegetable markets, thrifting and dinner. Yay! Breakfast with BC's mom, then she's taking LN for the afternoon! BC and I are going to a MN Vikings game! I'm not all that into football, but I've never been to the Metrod

Summer, circa 2002

That summer I always had the wind in my hair. We drove down highways and country roads with the windows down. Swam at the 'secret spot'. Sat on the front porch hoping to catch a breeze. That was a summer of freedom. Of late night drives and heat lightening. Making money and spending it as soon as it hit your wallet. I remember laughing so hard that tears came, living so hard that now it seems impossible that it was seven years ago. That summer I scooped ice cream. Cliched no? Shirts smelled of sour milk, belly sour from too many 'samples'. A crazy boss and a best friend. Cute boys and annoying tourists. Really, it was like a Lifetime movie, without the tragic crippled girl or the child molester. After work I'd walk down the street, see whose car was there. Hop in one and head off into the night. A hot sauna one night, swimming naked in the cool river the next. My friends never far behind. Stopping home long enough to change clothes, pick up a dry to

Dear...

Dear Future Self: Howdy! I'm sitting here on a sunny September afternoon. I just put LN down for a particularly difficult nap. A dose of Ibuprofen, thirty minutes of rocking/screaming (hers, not yours) later and we have a blissfully sleeping babe. Do you remember those days? The days of 'No' and 'Mine' and the struggle at nap time? Well, I hope not. They're brutal. Almost enough to make a mom give up and go back to work. Almost. ;) So I wonder what you do remember; new words popping out of LN's mouth nearly everyday, sloppy kisses, 'Mama', 'Melmo', running around yelling 'Getcha, getcha, getcha!'. LN running up with a book calling out, 'read, read!', the joy on her face when she sees you come home. How about whenever we're playing outside she needs to have a pepper from the garden in her hand (does she still only eat the stems?) So, how's that gym routine working out? Yeah, I thought so. We're really

Friends

This weekend I went away. Sigh. A whole weekend away from the city, my family and pretty much everything that has been/could be stressful. It was heavenly! There were nine other ladies and I staying in a cabin on a beautiful lake, and you know what? There was never one fight, not one harsh word that was spoken. Meals were prepared, eaten and cleaned amidst laughter and chatter. There was wine, Bananagrams , Farkle , Twillight , a bonfire and reading. The planning of the weekend so incredibly easy! We all figured out what we could bring, put together some meals, got in some cars and drove our way two hours North. Seriously. At one point a dear friend looked around and wondered out loud, "How many groups of women do you know could go someplace for a weekend without drama, before or after and have such a fantastic time?" You see, I think that women get a bad rap. Movies portray groups of women either as back-stabbing bitches out to get each other's men/things or

The Weekend - Sept. 18-20

That's right folks, I'm starting my weekend a day early this week! Last night my dear friend flew in from MO by way of Dallas and we had a lovely night chatting and catching up. Soon another friend will head over to watch Little Nib for the afternoon while I head out on my great get-away up North. I've been alluding to this for a few weeks now and the day is finally here! The only things this weekend will be filled with? Relaxation and laughter. I highly recommend that all of you do the same! So here's the (tentative) run-down for this weekend: Drive up North, chat with two dear friends. Eat, drink, laugh...sleep. Wake. Read, eat, drink and laugh some more. Play a game? Sleep. Watch a movie, take a walk? I can't decide! Oh yeah...eat and drink again. And let's do some more laughing. Sleep again! Drive home rested and satiated. What relaxing plans do you have for this weekend?

Dear World

Dear Motorcycle Rider: I know why you don't wear your helmets. I get it! You're hip, you're cool, you've got sweeter hair than everyone else! Those helmets? Well, they flatten even the most hair sprayed coif and give you that ridiculous helmet head. You want everyone, and anyone, who's anybody to see who's riding that sweet ride. Zooming in and out of traffic, all cool on top of your chrome and rubber. Hello...gooooooodbyyyyyyeeeeee! Wheeeeee! So I get the helmet thing. I get it! But you know what I don't get? Why, or why do you attach it to your bike? Is a helmet the neat new accessory for motorcycles? Do you color coordinate the helmet to the bike to that fancy jacket you wear? If there are two riders, why would you make the person in the rear have to take up half of their already limited cheek space to nonchalantly hang a helmet off the side? Oh, and another thing. When there are two riders and only one helmet, how do you decide who gets t

Just Be...

I needed some inspiration today. I'm having a good day, there are just so many things to do and get finished that I couldn't tap into any creativity/inspiration whatsoever. So I decided to peruse my favorite photo website, We Heart It . SO awesome. It's where I get the majority of the images I use on this here old blog. I typed in a few search words and waited for the inspiration to come. And waited. And then waited some more. You know what? It never came! So I decided to choose the picture that spoke to me the most, post it up here for you all to ponder then shut off my computer, mop the floors, make some dinner and go outside to play with LN. Take that inspiration! I don't need you as much as you think I do! Please come back tomorrow? Fill in the blank above (I'll go first!) : Be_________: Be happy with what you have, where you are and what you're doing. Happy Hump Day everyone!

It's All Connected

As I was driving to the park today I was thinking about why. A lot of different whys; why don't people use their blinkers, why LN takes her shoes off in the car, why I am invisible to other cars even though mine is bright yellow. As time went on I started to realize that many of my whys were connected. Here let me show you. I need to buy new printer cartridges. If I had new printer cartridges I could print out my Motivated Moms sheets. If I could print out my Motivated Moms sheets I would know what to clean today. If I new what I was supposed to clean today I might be 'motivated' to do it. If my house were clean I would not have to spend the time cleaning it tonight. If I don't have to clean the house tonight I will be able to do my contract work. If I am able to complete my contract work then I will have a little extra money. If I had a little extra money then I would be able to buy new printer cartridges. See? It's all connected! Although I think LN and I w

Hapiness

Happiness will never come to those who fail to appreciate what they already have. -Unknown The Cheese and I talk a lot about what we want out of life; our life together, LN's life and what we want for our family. One thing that we talk about and focus on a lot is being happy in the moment, not letting life pass you by and truly enjoying and treasuring what you have. We believe strongly that happiness is not earned from 'things', although it's not wrong to take pride in the things that you have earned and find pleasure in. The trick is not placing all of your worth in the 'things' in your life, but also in the people, places, experiences that make you who you are. It is one thing to live that way, it is another to try and teach/show someone else your beliefs. I am a big proponent of teaching by example; I think that it is hard to sway people with rhetoric and rules, but if others see you being happy, healthy and generally good, they will be drawn to the way

The Weekend- Sept. 12-13

Hello inter-friends! It's that time of the week again and TGIF! It's been a week around these parts and I am so looking forward to having back-up this weekend. This time next week I'll be spending time with my dear friend Kate , and headed up North with my lovelies, but let's just focus on the present, shall we? On the docket for this weekend: Date night for BC and I? Could it really happen? Leave at 5am for the WI Dells. Hopefully LN will fall back to sleep and we can get a large portion of the drive done before she wakes up. Keep your fingers crossed! Stay at a fun hotel/water park/theme park with my family. Mom, Dad, Sister, Brother and Brother's Girlfriend! Yipee! Fun times. My cousin's wedding Saturday night. Will be great to see my Dad's family. We don't get together that often, we are all spread out over the US. Another day at the water park before we head out during nap time. Drive the four hours back stopping as necessary at parks,

Peek-a-boo

Little Nib is a great traveler. I can pack her up, and away we go! Generally in the car we listen to mix CDs, sing some songs, she reads a few books, babbles and has a snack or two. We've been riding like this pretty much from day one. When she would not nap I would throw her in the car and magically she would fall asleep, somedays it was the only thirty minutes of peace I would have in a day. I look forward to our drives, clears our heads and makes us ready for the next adventure. So LN and I were driving this morning running errands. Not an altogether unusual scene. We're singing away to the Juno soundtrack when I realize that it's gotten kind of quiet back there. I'm on the freeway so I can't really look back to see what's going on. I ask LN what she's doing and I hear a riot of giggles. Hmmm, this can't be good. So I pull off onto my exit and slow down for the light. I finally turn around and start giggling myself. LN has taken my stinky

Where I'd Rather Be...

So today has been one of those days. Yes, THOSE days. LN is teething again, slept maybe twenty minutes this afternoon and I am supposed to be starting a Contract job for BC's company. Much less get together dinner for a good friend that is coming over. Humph on the day. So instead I'm going to tell you about where I'd rather be right now. Well, two places I'd rather be and lucky for me I'll be there sooner rather than later! Rather be here #1 : Woodland Beach Resort with nine of my loveliest friends. A cabin, nine ladies, wine, good food, laughter, sleep and QUIET. We have been planning this trip to beautiful northern Minnesota for weeks now and next Friday we leave! The best part, our husbands all have the kids for the weekend. Two whole nights and mornings with peaceful sleep! Rather be here #2 : BC surprised me with a trip out to see a dear pregnant friend in Portland, OR. We'll be shopping, eating and just gab, gab, gabbing away. I leave in the b

Duh! #1

So frequently throughout my day I think, duh! Why didn't I think of that, or why did it take me so long to figure that out! So in the spirit of helping everyone out I will start posting them here. Now, I'm not claiming to be the first person to think of these Duh! ideas...just happy I figured them out when I did. :) Duh! #1: Cook for a small family or for just you? Love lasagna but every recipe you find make a huge 9 x 13 pan? Well, take your favorite recipe, scale it down a bit and put it in a loaf pan. Duh! Perfect size for a slice or two and a little bit leftover for lunch. The first piece comes out a bit messy, but it still tastes delicious!

The Scents of Autumn

Little Nib on the Farm As the weather cools, the season changes and time begins to slow down my itch to spend time in the kitchen intensifies. I start perusing cookbooks for slow cooked recipes; braised meats, roasted vegetables, hearty soups and yummy desserts. Really, it's the desserts that most often catch my eye. Tart apples, moist zucchini, cinnamon, nutmeg, pumpkin. Ah, the flavors of fall are comforting and warm. I enjoy filling my house with the thick smell of baking bread, apples baked into pies and cakes and cinnamon wafting throughout. I think that smell is the sense that most triggers memories for me. Autumn especially, as we head into the Holiday season, triggers the most intense memories. Mom making jelly in the afternoons; apple, grape, raspberry from her garden, plus peach, pear and strawberry. Apple crisp baking and bubbling in the oven. The house filled with the smell of cinnamon and sugar. Us kids crowding around the stove to eat the jelly 'skin'

Holiday Weekend Wrap-Up

I wasn't planning on posting today, but then I came in possession of some free time so I thought I would give a quick recap of our fabulous weekend. It was long and we are tired! So here's a short re-cap. Saturday : Woke up, had a quick breakfast and drove down to Wild Rumpus , a fantastic children's bookshop in the Linden Hills area of Minneapolis. LN loved running around among the cats and chicken and birds. They have, hands down, the best selection of kid's books. If you live in the Twin Cities area you should check it out! That afternoon we did a little shopping. After LN went to bed two dear friends came over and we baked a couple of cakes. Because that's what I do on a Saturday night; bake cakes and drink beer, with friends. It was great. And those cakes? Super delicious. Sunday: We walked up to Audubon Coffee Shop , our place for a cuppa joe. Had a latte and then headed to the Como Zoo . Little Nib absolutely loved the animals, especially the gira

The Weekend- Sept. 5-7

So here we are, it's Labor Day* and starting Tuesday I no longer can break out my whites. Wait, like I trust myself enough to buy (and wear!) anything white, besides T-Shirts. But we are at what many believe to be the last week of Summer. Schools are starting, the air is becoming more cool and we have just a little bit less sunshine everyday. But let us not forget that it is still a three day weekend! Yoo-hoo! As for us, we have almost nothing planned. Quite a rarity I assure you. Here is a sampling of things we MIGHT do, if we feel so inclined: Nap Take a walk around the Stone Arch Bridge , one of our very favorite spots Visit the parents Pick some apples Have a bonfire Drink lattes (really, we do this every weekend, but these are the last of summer!) Take some pictures Generally be lazy and enjoy some much needed time off Camping? So there you have it. The end of summer. I know I will get some kick back on singing Summer's death toll, but let's face it, once mid

No Nap Thursday

Why doesn't my kid ever look like that? So today LN decided not to nap. I think I may write a post someday on the ramifications a No Nap day has on a kid, a mom and the universe as a whole. But today? Nope, today I'm just too tired and pressed for time. And I think we might have frozen pizza for dinner, it's just that kind of afternoon. So in the spirit of No Nap Thursday I'm going to do a few more lists. Why? Well, because they're fun, easy to read and take little thought on my part. As for you? Well, I guess you think they're fun too, right? Something I Wish I Could Do Today: Knit in the Round: I have a great pattern for a hat that is knit flat and then sewed up. I can make a mean looking scarf. But more than two needles? Needles that are connected together? Can't figure it out for the life of me. At some point I need a lesson as making my own socks is a personal life goal. One Thing I Am Looking Forward To: Fall! : I cannot wait until the w

Five Things I Find Utterly Amazing

I try and find the good in just about everything, and then immediately go and try to find how that annoys me. However, there are some things in life that I just can't get annoyed about, and here is that list. My list of completely Amazing, Uplifting, Wonderful and Sunshiney Bright with Rainbows things: 1.) New Windshield Wipers: How can anyone complain about new wipers? Ever since the first rainstorm I got caught in I have been a firm believer in new, workable wipers. Those $100 a piece blades you see in the store and think, "Who would be crazy enough to pay for those things?" Yeah, it's me. Nothing like a clean windshield my inter-friends. Makes me happy when the skies are gray (and wet). 2.) Mail: I absolutely love to get mail. Doesn't matter from whom, or what it's about. Could care less if it's snail or electronic. There's nothing that puts a spring in my step like the sound of mail being dropped into the mail box. Equally as exciting

Identity Crisis

I like to think that I know myself pretty well. I know what I believe, what matters most in my life and I am generally not shy about saying what I think. It took me time to get to this place in my life, and I'm by no means a finished person. In fact, I'm convinced that we never really stop changing. How could we? Each day we're presented with new ideas, learning opportunities and thus gain insight where before we had none. At one of the best weddings I ever worked at (I had a brief stint of wedding photography for an amazing photographer ) the minister talked about how the person they were marrying now would not be, he hoped, the same person they would be married to tomorrow, next week, in the coming years. The guests looked confused, surely the minister was not advocating for divorce at this stage of the game? He then explained that we all change, as I mentioned, and that for a successful marriage to work we had to realize that at every stage of the game we needed