Blue Monday

Free Movies!

2009-06-29T23:17:00.001-04:00

For the summer from Regal Cinemas on Tuesday & Wednesday mornings....

Check here!

Cloth

2009-06-22T20:52:00.003-04:00

I was just reading that there has been a recent push from disposable diaper manufacturers to appeal to mommy bloggers and offer up free samples and discounts because they know how influential we are. Here is a recent picture of Olivia wearing one of the new Blueberry Coveralls cloth diaper covers. We also own Fuzzibunz, Fuzzi Fannies, Bum Genius, Pocket Change, Happy Heiny, Rumparooz and unbleached Indian prefolds. There is something I like about each of them. I think my favorite diaper is the Bum Genius. I really like the AIO since it is the trimmest, but it takes way too long to dry. Aside from the all in one, I like the pocket One Size especially for overnight. We haven't had a leak yet. I love Fuzzibunz inserts and how the Pocket Change inserts come out on their own in the wash.

I would like to try more Rumparooz and the new Smartipants diaper which is very affordably priced. There are so many other great sounding brands. What's your favorite?

These are some shops that are great:
Cotton Babies
Moms Milk Boutique
Fuzzi Bunz Online
Mini Me Baby Gear
PinStripes and PolkaDots
Thanks Mama

Mystery Rabbit

2009-06-15T23:12:00.005-04:00

Two days after we finished our garden, this bench/bunnies randomly showed up. While I was attaching the dog to his line, I glanced over at the garden and there they were.

I instantly assumed it was my mom's doing. She is a garbage picker. (which is not a bad thing) She's found a lot of awesome stuff that people have trashed. Kid's bikes with just a few scratches, like new toys, furniture... and she usually does her picking late in the evening. The rabbits showed up the morning after she had been at our place. I imagine on the way home she spotted it and then sneaked back and stuck it in after we went to bed. She swears she didn't do it.

Next I thought maybe my MIL had done it. She does a lot of garage sale/thrift store shopping and I could imagine her spotting it and thinking it was so cute and perfect for our newly completed garden. She could have easily dropped by early that morning while we were sleeping and quickly stuck it in. She denies having any part of it.

Personally I think my mom is the culprit but she swears she did not do it. Who ever did it, also watered our plants. I told Jake to put it in the garbage as I really don't get into that kind of cutesy stuff. I hate to throw it out without knowing where it came from (and it really is junk-the wood isn't together well) and hope I'm not hurting someones feelings but what else can I do?

Wordless Wednesday

2009-06-10T00:17:00.003-04:00

You can be wordless too! (And here too.)

Smartipants Cloth Diapers Giveaway

2009-06-05T19:31:00.000-04:00

Mama B: Product Buzz: Smartipants Cloth Diapers + Giveaway.

Click on the link above to stop by the Mama B blog for a chance to win a brand spankin' new Smartipants cloth diaper. I'd love to win one of these babies as they are supposed to be trimmer than other brands and contain a special leak guard. (not that cloth diapers really leak) Even if I don't win, I've been thinking of purchasing one to try since they are more affordably priced than some of the other brands out there.

E-I-E-I-O Part 3

2009-06-05T00:10:00.003-04:00

Today was share day. It's a favorite of Jamie's as he looks forward to seeing Patsy the dog. Unfortunately, Patsy hasn't been at the farm the past three weeks.

Colors of the Rainbow

2009-05-29T14:33:00.005-04:00

I need more! Olivia's cloth diapers are drying, so she's in disposables. I only have enough cloth to diaper her for a little over a day. Well, her disposable just leaked onto her clothes and the carpet. Irritating. (and why we are using cloth to begin with!) Cloth diapering is addictive. It's much like babywearing. I own 3 mei tais, a wrap, and a sling...but I want more. There are so many cool carriers. Well, in cloth diapering, there are a ton of awesome brands and styles out there! The only drawback is the initial cost. I try to buy the one size type so that I can use the same diaper regardless of her size-but $17-25 for a diaper is tough when you're watching your budget. So I just keep watching for sales and coupon codes and little by little I'll build up a stash. Hopefully I can phase the disposables out.

Sitting Pretty

2009-05-28T22:46:00.003-04:00

See what this little monkey decided to do on my birthday? She is growing up so fast. It seems so much quicker than James. At two months she was flashing smiles, laughing and rolling from her back to front at 4 months, rolling front to back & back to front at 5 months and now at almost 6 months sitting. She is on the verge of crawling too! She's got all the separate actions, now she's just got to coordinate her efforts.

E-I-E-I-O Part 2

2009-05-26T10:03:00.001-04:00

First-Jamie's bed is wet from stupid leaky diaper.
Second-he's freaking out because of his boo-boos.
Third-I had to wrestle him to get the non-stick pad that was stuck to his skinned knee and elbow off.
Fourth-He would NOT let me wash them.
Fifth-I had to wrestle him again to put a bandage with medicine on knee.
Sixth-Repeat 5th for elbow.

All while he is screaming bloody murder.

We haven't even had breakfast yet. I cannot wait to get out tonight without children.

E-I-E-I-O

2009-05-25T21:10:00.002-04:00

Woohoo! We got our summer garden in this weekend. Last year we waited so long it was difficult to find any plants. Since we get a CSA Farm share, we didn't buy too much, but wanted a few extras and thought it would be a great learning experience for James.

We planted two husky tomatoes, one cherry tomato, some snap peas, lettuce, and a strawberry plant. My mom gave us some mint, yam, pumpkin, and gourd plants. We'll see what happens. I gave up on green peppers. The last two years they've been small and some bug likes to chew holes in them. I'd love to grow cucumbers but I don't like the beetle it attracts that kills everything else off.

We got our first farm share on Thursday. We got 2 lbs of asparagus, green onions, rhubarb, and a cob of popcorn. I've never cooked with rhubarb before and tomorrow I'm planning on baking rhubarb bread. I can't wait to try it!

Time Flies

2009-05-18T12:31:00.003-04:00

I'm having such a hard time diligently updating for Olivia like I did with James. I haven't even filled in the details of her birth into her baby book. It is empty.

She is almost six months old now. At two months she was smiling, at three months giving me a little laugh and rolling from her back to her belly. Now at 5 months she can roll front to back and back to front. She has no teeth yet but is cooing and trying to "talk" to us. She is so close to crawling. She just needs to coordinate all her efforts. We've also been using cloth diapers with her because of her large frame. The disposable ones just leak all the time. These past few days it seems like she's made a huge jump in being aware of her surroundings and exploring her environment. She's totally a momma's girl and won't let me out of her sight which makes it difficult to have "me" time. She's getting better with Jake though and totally adores James. While she isn't sleeping through the night yet, at least she wakes up to eat and then goes right back to sleep. I am so glad to be out of the beginning, cry for hours, super gassy stage.

Next month James will be three! He is fast becoming a "big" boy. He's so smart and funny. I am amazed at his vocabulary and intelligence. We are hoping his allergies will be resolved at our next appointment. It would be awesome for him to be able to have an ice cream cone this summer.

Things are starting to become somewhat normal around here. I can finally do laundry and housework on a regular basis. I am looking forward to the warm weather and spending time with the kids at the park or outside. Maybe I can shed these last 15 pounds as well.

You Know You're a Mom When...

2009-05-11T15:22:00.002-04:00

It's Saturday morning and your hubby is showering with your kid...instead of you. And-you're ok with it. (and even grateful) Oh how the times have changed.

And Speaking of Cleaning

2009-05-07T00:24:00.003-04:00

Anyone know how to get puke out of the vacuum cleaner?

Gross. I know. Earlier this week, Jake and I were woken to the sound of puking. It was coming from the dog and at 6 something in the a.m. When we realized it was the dog we kind of groaned, rolled over, and went back to sleep. BIG mistake. I'll skip the gross details but say that unfortunately the color of the contents was red-probably from his dog food. (on our light grey carpet) This was at 9:30 am.

At 10:30 I still hadn't cleaned it but was reading online about it. I saw one article which said that if the vomit was dry-to vacuum it up and then clean the rug. At this time it was 11 and I thought-it must be dry by now. Mistake no. 2. Even though it looked dry-it was only the top layer.

Anyhow-I did manage to get it cleaned (using baking soda, Resolve, and cold water) but we still have a faint spot on the rug. And I still have puke in my vacuum. I am guessing I'll have to take it apart and hose it off outside. Can't wait for that! I'll also have to try cleaning our entire carpet up there because not only do we have a faint spot left, but the ring around the spot is cleaner than the rest of the carpet. Wahh wahh wahhhh. (Insert Debbie Downer here)

Vacuum Cleaner Tango & Magic Soap

2009-04-30T15:42:00.003-04:00

A bunch of moms from BuffaloMommies placed an order with the Frontier Natural Coop and yesterday I received my order of Dr. Bronner's Magic Soap. I ordered the Peppermint, Citrus and Baby scents. I figured I could use citrus for washing our floors and to clean woodwork. The peppermint I thought would work well for sinks, tub, stove, and tile floor. I've also read that peppermint is a flea repellent so it would be good to wash the dog in it. And new baby I thought would be good to bathe the kids in.

Today I've spent hours scrubbing the kitchen. It's so clean-I don't want to cook or eat in there because it will get dirty again. I'm about to wash the floors now. Yesterday-in anticipation of cleaning, I dragged the vacuum cleaner from upstairs down to the first floor, slipping and falling down the last floor stairs. Thankfully my arm skidding on the wall (creating a huge brush burn on my elbow and wrist) stopped me from completely killing myself. My back is a little sore today.

It feels good to use soaps and cleaners that do not contain harsh chemicals. I just need to find a replacement for Windex! I've tried vinegar/water and it's ok-maybe I need a different recipe. I've also been using cloth diapers with Olivia. Her disposables keep leaking! I think it's her huge thigh to waist ratio. The only drawback is I only have enough diapers for one day and have to wash every night. But when she's worn them, she hasn't had a blow out or leak at all!

Good or Gross?

2009-04-23T10:39:00.003-04:00

I saw this posted at The Mommies Network and posted about it at the BuffaloMommies site but it's still been on my mind. I just can't imagine how this works....

-Have guests write their name on a quart-size Ziploc freezer bag with permanent marker.

-Crack 2 eggs (large or extra-large) into the bag (not more than 2) shake to combine them.

-Put out a variety of ingredients such as: cheeses, ham, onion, green pepper, tomato, hash browns, salsa, etc.

-Each guest adds prepared ingredients of choice to their bag and shake. Make sure to get the air out of the bag and zip it up.

-Place the bags into rolling, boiling water for exactly 13 minutes [we did 15 minutes]. You can usually cook 6-8 omelets in a large pot. For more, make another pot of boiling water.

-Open the bags and the omelet will roll out easily. Be prepared for everyone to be amazed.

Nice to serve with fresh fruit and coffee cake; everyone gets involved in the process and a great conversation piece.

Imagine having these ready the night before, and putting the bag in boiling water while you get ready. And in 15 minutes, you've got a nice omelet for a quick breakfast!!!

I found another blog about this with pictures and a warning from Ziploc. Check out: Breakfast Blogger. The omelet doesn't look as bad as I thought. Wonder what the texture is like?

Bugle Call

2009-04-16T09:57:00.004-04:00

On the subject of baby monitors, I was awoken this morning to the sound of my son calling for me.

"Mommmmmmeeeeeeeeeee. Time for bweakfast. Mommmmmmmeeeeeeeee. Time to get me."

Ugh. Definitely not a cool way to be woken up and instant bad mood maker. I continued to lay in bed for 5 minutes ignoring him hoping that he'd just lay down and go back to sleep. No such luck. At least it was a quarter after 8 and not like 6 am so I can't complain too much.

Ghost Music

2009-04-13T11:27:00.003-04:00

One night a few weeks ago when I was woken by Olivia's slight stirring, I saw the lights flicker on the baby monitor for Jamie's room. Suddenly I heard soft music playing. WTH? I looked at the clock, it was three am-where was the music coming from? Jamie's cd should have ended hours ago. Could he have gotten out of his crib somehow? He is tall enough to reach the cd player now. I got out of bed and headed to his room. Opening his door a crack I listened. There was nothing. No music. What? I shuffled back to my room and climbed into bed. There was no music there either. Did I dream it? I closed my eyes and hoped to quickly fall asleep. About five minutes later, I heard it again. Soft, airy, classical music. I was feeling creeped out by it. Was it possible the monitor was picking up music from someone elses house? Can they pick up radio stations? I go to Jamie's room once more. Again-nothing! I go back to my room where I hear the music, climb into bed, and go to sleep.

The next day while James is napping, Jake and I were talking in our bedroom. I suddenly remembered about the monitor and told him about it. He thought it was odd and assured me that the monitor could not pick up radio. Suddenly as if on queue, it happened again! Jake looked at the monitor in disbelief. "Are you sure it's not from Jamie's room?" he asked. I went rushing down. No! But wait-yes! The music was coming from Jamie's room. Somehow the cd was playing again.

When James woke up-I took the cd out of the player. Turns out there was a little schmutz on the last track of the disc and it was causing the cd to pause and play at odd intervals. No phantom ghost music at all. It was pretty odd how it would play and then pause when I crept down the hall to listen though.

Happy Easter!

2009-04-12T09:43:00.002-04:00

Anyone Else See the Resemblance?

2009-04-03T20:25:00.002-04:00

The San Fransisco Treat!

2009-03-29T11:52:00.005-04:00

I don't know what made me think of it, but last night while I was brushing my teeth I was reminiscing about Rice-A-Roni. I just had to look it up to see if they still made it since I haven't had it in so long. My mom started making it when I was in high school and when I went to college, I bought boxes of the stuff at a time because it was so easy to make. I loved it! There was something about frying up the vermicelli first and then the rice cooking after wards that was awesome. My favorite flavor though was broccoli au gratin. Yum!

Honestly I have not had any since college. Since I got a rice cooker (from my friend Kelly's recommendation) I make a lot more rice because it is so easy! When she suggested I get one, all I could imagine is the scene from Breakfast at Tiffany's when the pressure cooker explodes all over the place. But I love it! It's nothing like that. You just set it and forget about it. So now my favorites are Zattarins or Uncle Ben's rices. Aside from those mixes I make plain brown rice or yellow rice. I can't remember the last time I made white. I don't know if I've ever bought white since I've lived in this house and that will be 5 years this summer.

Here's a quick recipe using rice that I like to make:

Quick & Easy Burritos

-1 box Zattarins red beans and rice or black beans and rice
-1 8oz can of tomato sauce or taco sauce
-1 pound ground beef
-1 packet of taco seasoning
-1 jar salsa
-1 bag shredded Mexican taco mix cheese or cheddar cheese or you can use slices of American cheese
-1 package of flour tortillas

Preheat oven to 350.
1. Prepare rice according to directions.
2. Brown and drain ground beef, seasoning with taco packet. I also like Lowrey's seasoning salt if I don't have a taco packet.
3. Mix rice with beef and add the tomato sauce (or taco sauce).
4. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with a non-stick spray.

Open the package of tortilla shells. I microwave them one at a time for about 15 seconds so they are soft to work with.
1. Spoon meat rice/mixture onto middle of tortilla shell. Put about a tablespoon (or more) of salsa on top and then shredded or sliced cheese on top of that.
2. Fold top and bottom of tortillas over each other and then sides in.
3. Lay on baking sheet with folds down. If I am using sliced cheese, I'll lay a slice over the top.
4. Once baking sheet is filled, bake for about 15-20 minutes.

That's it! Enjoy!

And they Went Along, and Went Along, and Went Along

2009-03-21T14:30:00.004-04:00

Reading this story always makes me tired and want to take a nap. How many times can you say "Henny Penny, Ducky Lucky, Turkey Lurkey, Goosey Loosey, Cocky Locky, Foxy Loxy" before you are tongue twisted?

And speaking of exhaustion, who knew that taking your kids to the circus could kick your butt? My inlaws wanted to go to the Shrine Circus so we decided to give it a shot. It was an ok experience. It doesn't compare to Barnum and Bailey but it was decent. There were some good acts like the trapeze artists and elephants. My bottom was sore from sitting on the bleachers for 2 1/2 hours and my back still hurts today even though we went on Friday. James made it the entire show even though he missed his nap. A few times it looked like he was going to fall asleep. I think it helped that grandma & grandpa bought him a blue light sword to hit people with.

I think we can probably wait a year or two to go back. It was too long and loud for me.

Sufferin' Succotash

2009-03-16T10:28:00.003-04:00

The other day I made succotash for dinner and wondered why corn and lima beans together got the name. Interestingly enough-this was a dish which was popular during the Great Depression. The name succotash comes from a Native American word which means boiled kernels. According to Wikipedia, succotash:

...was sometimes cooked in a casserole form, often with a light pie crust on top as in a traditional pot pie. In some parts of the American south, any mixture of vegetables prepared with lima beans and topped with lard or butter is called succotash. Succotash is a traditional dish of many Thanksgiving celebrations in Pennsylvania and other states. In Indiana, Succotash is made with green beans and corn instead of lima beans.

I can't imagine eating it like a casserole but I guess if times are tough it would make a filling meal of a veggie and protein. I wonder if there are other vegetable combos with interesting names.

BuffaloMommies Has a Blog!

2009-03-07T11:58:00.007-05:00

The mom's group I belong to now has a blog. We can be found here: BuffaloMommies. Even if you do not live in the WNY/Buffalo area, check it out because there are links to other blogs/sites which are part of The Mommies Network. There may be a mom's group near you!

ETA: This is just our blog. Our site where we have a discussion board and calendar of events is located at: BuffaloMommies.

Two Eggs

2009-02-28T11:37:00.004-05:00

Three yolks. I was hoping this was a symbol of good luck-but the only thing I could find out about it myth-wise is that it is a sign of fertility. Must be why I got my period back so soon while exclusively breastfeeding. I guess the yolks on me! (ha-ha poor joke) With James I at least made it to six months. With Olivia it showed up at 11 weeks. Such a bummer. I know some moms who breastfed for two years and had no period the entire time. That's lucky! But I guess I should be thankful that I am fertile and can have children as some women have difficulties TTC.

In my search about double yolks, I found this interesting website about eggs: Poultry Help.

Almost 12 Weeks

2009-02-23T14:35:00.005-05:00

Don't you just want to bite those cheeks? At the last doctor appointment at the beginning of the month she weighed in at 12lbs and 10oz. Last night Jake weighed himself and then the two together and we think she's up to 15 lbs already. She is a little chunky monkey compared to James. She's already half his weight! She's also been sleeping in 4 and 5 hour increments which is amazing since James didn't sleep through the night until between 6-9 months. *knock on wood* And she is smiling, cooing, and trying to talk. lol One of the best things is that she's a snuggler. As a baby James never liked to snuggle so I'm loving this.

And as for James-he's our resident smarty pants. I'm amazed at what he knows and the vocabulary he has. He is very intelligent. Sometimes I just ask myself, how does he know that? Or...I don't remember teaching him that. My mom attributes it to the fact that we talk and read to him a lot. He also has a great imagination and can make something out of nothing. In the photo he is giving us "sunny eyes". That's what he calls making him smile for photos. We're almost done with his big boy room. Now if we could only get him potty trained. I can't believe he'll be three this summer. 2 years until Kindergarten!