Saturday, July 30, 2011
Muffin Top
Thanks to Hayden. He decided he didn't want just one, but all. The muffin tops are the best part of the muffin though if I say so myself.
If only *my* muffin top was gone. Ha! Those Walla Walla Onion Rings from Burgerville sure didn't help my case. But they were so delicious. Walla Walla Onions, so sweet and Burgerville only offers the Walla Walla Onion Rings for about a two month period in the summer. So you have to get'em while you can.
Hungry now?
Have a FANTASTIC Saturday!
**This is not a paid post for Burgerville or WW Onion Rings. These are my own opinions based on my tastes buds reactions..
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Banning Children? What Next?
Seriously? I get that there are certain places that small or older unbehaved children should not be. I think as a parent we should be conscious to this as well as courteous to others who may/may not have children at all or with them at the moment at these particular places.
However, whats next?
Maybe we, all people with young children who sometimes act like children and throw tantrums regardless of what we say/do, should go live on an island? We could have our own village to raise the children to be more behaved. Do we have leprosy or something because we have children and sometimes they act out in public? Remember, the leper colonies where people with the disease were quarantined? Yah, we can have one of those! Ha! There isn't an island *BIG* enough to create a colony for all families with small children who misbehave.
Seriously! I have children. I have 4 children to be exact, 19, 12, 4, & 15 months. My small children misbehave sometimes. If I had to put my finger on it, they probably misbehave more often than not BUT they are children. That is what they do. They push boundaries, they push buttons, they test you. They sometimes scream, holler, bite, kick, roll around on the ground, I could go on. Sometimes they do this at the most inopportune times and yes, it is embarrassing and I am apologetic to others that are being disturbed (at times) but typically I as a parent will not take my children into places that I know are not family friendly. I have even left places quick like after realizing it is not family friendly. I just did this while we were in Sunriver a few weeks back.
I do not take my small children
......to movies unless it is a children's movie.
......to unfamily friendly restaurants.
..... to spas where people are trying to relax.
..... to that quaint little coffee shop on the corner on Sunday morning while it is mostly adults reading the paper relaxing with their cup of joe.
..... to the opera.
We don't go to yoga on Wednesdays.
And I do not fly them first class. Although if I did, I am paying the astronomical amount of money for the first class one would think I have every right to be there as much as those without children. But I don't.
Heck, I don't even take them to the library yet UNLESS there is a children's activity going on.
I think rather than *banning* people with families or small children, parents just need to be more conscious to the environments that they are taking their children into. And because my small children throw tantrums, often, does not mean I lack in parenting skills, that I am a bad parent or disrespecting others. It simply means, they are being kids. Again, that is what children do (often) even for those parents that have gone through super nanny boot camp. If we never take our children out in the public out of fear of them throwing a fit, having a meltdown, whatever you want to call it, parents would NEVER go out. And if we don't ever take them out of the house into unfamiliar places, less family friendly places, how will they ever learn what is appropriate or inappropriate behavior?
Furthermore, this mom sometimes needs to eat somewhere other than a restaurant with a play land. This mom sometimes needs to go to the grocery store, run some errands with small children, maybe even when it is around nap time. And then it happens at the grocery store, in line at the post office or pharmacy. The inevitable meltdown. Da-da-dahn!
No disrespect for those without children , I get that you want to go to a quiet place and enjoy your childless time. Relax in the pool at the resort without a 4 year old splashing you with water. Eat your dinner without a *brat* screaming for more milk at the table next to you. I want/need that too that is why when I don't have my children, I am not going to Applebees, Cracker Barrel, the mall, etc. No children vacations, ahh, all inclusive adult resort here I come. I am definitely not going to Disneyworld.
But lets put this in another perspective...Again no disrespect for those without children by nature or by choice, I think there are more people with children in this world than without so therefore as a business one would think that there is more of a customer base of families with children than without. And to say that families with children have less disposable income to spend I think is just a cop out to rationalize *banning* children at their establishments.
Of course in the end it is the business owners choice to decide who they want to tailor their services to. But you won't find this mom of several tantrum throwing children at your joint, buying your products, vacationing at your resort, any time soon. Just sayin.
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Common Table
It serves *awesome* food, most locally grown and gives back a huge portion of the profits to the community. Many of the *employees* are volunteers. It is a non-profit and allows patrons to buy vouchers that will then go to feed those less fortunate.
I had a plate of Nachos that looked like a piece of art. Blue Tortilla Chips, Corn, Black Beans, Ground Beef, Lettuce, Tomatoes, Onions, Mango....
To read more about, Common Table, go here. What a great concept and I am hoping that they continue to be successful. I would *love* to see more places like these pop up around the country.
We have a Panera Cares Cafe here in Portland that recently opened where patrons pay what they can. They are one of the first chain restaurants to convert some of their locations into this non-profit model. So far they have been quite successful. Most patrons, pay more than the suggested prices.
Wouldn't it be great if we could....
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Ticker Tape Ramblings
1. Work sucks. I am so overwhelmed it is beyond comprehension.
2. Since work sucks lately, it really weighs on other areas of my life which I really don't like.
3. Like it gives me insomnia. I lay there and think about everything I have to get done in a very limited amount of time with very little assistance. Therefore, I can't sleep, I can't relax. I am a bundle of nerves.
4. I am hungry. That is another thing that changes when I am uber stressed. I tend to *eat* like crap. Which isn't good because then that makes me feel icky,too.
5. It's a vicious cycle. Stress.
6. I used to be able to handle stress much better.
7. What is wrong with me! LOL. Don't answer that.
8. This post is really negative. I hate that!
9. Maybe I should have labeled this as a Rant post.
10. Tomorrow is a new day.
11. I am going to pray in the morning. (I pray most mornings but even more so of late).
12. I know with God anything is possible and he will help cure all that stresses and worries me.
13. I just need to hand it over to him.
14. I know this too shall pass. And like my momma always said, among many others, "What doesn't kill us, makes us stronger." (What if I don't want to be stronger? Have you seen my biceps?)
15. At least I still have my charming humor, right?
16. If you can't laugh, then you shall cry. And I have done enough of that lately.
17. Seriously, I am not a big cryer, only at the drop of the hat, when the wind is blowing the wrong way, when I am watching some sappy rom-com, really I am not a cryer!
18. Ok, so I am, sue me!
19. I think this is enough ramblings from my crazy mind for one post.
20. I am going to schedule this post for tomorrow (err today, just later today) and try to go back to bed.
Thanks for reading!
Image Courtesy of http://www.clker.com/ |
Menu Plan Monday
Yes, it is Tuesday so this post is *technically* a day late.
I have been so unorganized lately. I have been planning meals but just haven't posted them the last couple weeks due to time constraints and then being on vacation. You know how it goes, right.
Here's my Menu Plan for this week. I am going to link up with I'm An Organizing Junkie, per usual so if you want to check out that site, there are lots of others that post their weekly menus.
It might help you get the creative juices flowing and let the boring meals be gone.
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Cast of Characters
Being that the house we were staying in was not fully child proof, there were many a times that our normally
became
She has the bumps and bruises to prove it! And a few splinters too! Poor little thing.
Our 4 year old, Hayden decided he was going to be....
And.....
for a good portion of our trip. He didn't take naps (and he still needs naps) and then of course staying up later than usual and getting up at the butt crack of dawn each day, will do that to a 4 year old.
And I should add that he was the male version of Mr.Calamity too. He decided to take a nose dive out of the shopping cart the first day in Sunriver and thought hanging off the banisters in our condo was *great* fun. Yeah, that was exciting! I about had an anxiety attack!
And then we had....
And
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Six Word Saturday
You want to join in with us? Describe your life or what is going on in your life in 6 words and then link up with Cate over at Showmyface.com.
It can be serious, funny, immature...you can include an explanation, an image, or not.
Mine for this week is.....
Thought this week would never end!
It is always hard to get back to routine after a vacation at home but couple that with being short handed at work and already overwhelmed with your *own* work...Makes life unbearable. My desk has been a complete utter disaster this past week. I don't know which way is up. Everyone is coming out of the woodwork and wants everything done yesterday. My answer, "Take a number and get in line." Seriously!
I really need an attitude adjustment.
I saw this on a reader board this past week and I know it was put there just for me:
Attitude is the easiest to change and makes the biggest difference.
It is the weekend now and I am going to *try* and enjoy it with my family. Lots to do around the house, birthday party this afternoon and hopefully a movie out with the hubby. Church tomorrow. Maybe some shopping.
Anyone doing anything exciting this weekend? How was your week?
See you next time!
Friday, July 22, 2011
In Season
You literally can not buy the baskets/flats of strawberries fast enough.
There is a little stand right around the corner from our house that sales seasonal fruit from a local farmer and often times when I have stopped in to buy a flat ($11.00) they are all out. Ughh!
I did however get a flat a couple weeks ago.
Check out these babies! Super sweet, plump, and juicy!
I made a strawberry parfait with strawberries and vanilla yogurt...YUM!
Don't they look delightful?
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Anticipation
The anticipation for the upcoming Blogtastic Extravaganza 2.0 is just *killing* me.
I can't stand it.
I have to share a few things that I am working on for this HUGE giveaway!
The Blogtastic Extravaganza 2.0 starts August 17th thru August 21, 2011.
This event will offer *tons* of giveaway packages from several bloggers all with different
themes.
My theme is "Becoming Superwoman" so my package will consist of many products that will help YOU, Become Superwoman. Simple enough?
So far I have lined up the following *AWESOME* product sponsors:
E-Mealz. An online meal planning service for busy moms. I was recently given the opportunity to use this service and will share my thoughts in a later post. They will be offering a 6 month subscription to their service. ($30.00 Retail Value)
More Time Moms. Is providing a Family Organizer to help you organize all your appointments, activities, birthdays, anniversary, etc ($15.99 Retail Value)
The Coupon Wallet. With couponing at an all time high, this snazzy little wallet will help you organize ALL your coupons. Never again will you lose a coupon and needlessly throw money away. Make sure to check out all the cool colors and designs, too! ($14.95 Retail Value)
**10 % off your order when you use coupon code ImNotSuperWoman**
Simplify: Becoming Minimalist. An ebook by Joshua Becker that outlines the 7 principles to help declutter your home and life. ($9.95 Retail Value)
Lovable Labels. An online label company will be including a personalized "Back to School" label package. Many colors and designs to choose from. ($44.95 Retail Value)
$15.00 Starbucks Gift Card to help put the wind in your sail for those difficult days.
Current total retail value of package: $130.84 !!!!
But wait there is more, but all the details have not been ironed out yet so I can't tell you what they are. You will just have to keep an eye out for it and of course, enter the giveaway when it starts.
Have a great day/night!
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
$500.00 CASH & More WINNER!
The winner is...
Angie Beechan, one of our US readers!
Angie's winning entry was her "Like" to Mommy Momments on Facebook. Thanks to Karen of Mommy Momments for checking and qualifying this winning entry: She was entry number 9665 of 63,383 entries!
There were 347 duplicates out of the entire entries which were verified and deleted by Stacy @ This Lil Piglet.
Thank you to all that entered and are following all of us. Because this Social Picnic was such as success there will be another one in September.
Keep an eye out for another chance to win some cash and great prizes!
Congrats again to Angie!
View From Here
A Lake in Sunriver near our condo |
Wild Deer |
Smith Rock Redmond, Oregon (Deschutes River) |
Off The Beaten Path |
(Not) Wild Horses |
Madras, Oregon |
Deschutes River |
Monday, July 18, 2011
Out Of The Loop
I feel so disconnected from the world. It's as if I have been gone forever in some third world country. And really I was only in Sunriver for 5 days. It feels like a lifetime.
Disconnect from technology will do that to a person, huh? Not you, ok, maybe it is just me?
I missed so much!
J.Lo & Marc Anthony are splitting up. Who didn't see that coming? I was however *rooting* for them for the long term. I thought maybe, just maybe, Jenny from the Block was going to have her happy ending.
Nick Lachey & Vanessa Minnillo got married. Apparently, their wedding was recorded for a TLC special? Hopefully, they don't turn it into another reality show because we know how that ended last time.
Casey Anthony was released. Ughh! The pictures I have seen of this, just make my stomach churn. I will just leave it at that.
And the biggest event that I missed that I couldn't wait to get back online to see & hear about is one of my loyal blogging friends pending birth of her baby boy. He *finally* made his arrival although not sure of all the details yet because she hasn't posted a whole lot. That's ok though because we know how those first couple days are just a blur. But hurry up, Katherine! We are all anxiously waiting. I know I am not the only one.
As much as I *loved* spending 5 fun filled days with my family *unplugged* , it is nice to get back to
I hope everyone had an awesome couple days and I will be posting pictures & some details of our trip soon so make sure to check back.
Have a great evening!
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Six Word Saturday
In Sunriver, see you on Tuesday!
What are you doing this lovely Saturday? Hope you are having as much fun as I *think* we will be having.
Toodles!
Friday, July 15, 2011
French Fried Onion Chicken
3. Wash your chicken and pat dry.
4. Dip chicken breasts or tenders into mayonnaises and mustard mixture.
5. Roll chicken breasts or tenders in the onion/breadcrumb mixture until all sides are covered.
6. Lay flat in a 13 x 9 casserole dish (spray with non stick cooking spray)
7. Bake in oven on 425 for 20 mins or until chicken is thoroughly cooked. When you take them out of the oven they should be golden brown and crispy.
Thursday, July 14, 2011
What I'm Lovin'~Cupcake Edition
She makes "tons" of different varieties AND they are the best cupcakes this side of the Mississippi! No, really they are!
DC Cupcakes has nothing on her!
I am just so glad I can be of service to her as her taste tester. Someone has to do it, right?
Y-U-M-M-Y!
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
See Clearly Again with Zenni Optical
This post brought to you by Zenni Optical. All opinions are 100% mine.
"The fog has lifted. The fog has lifted," my husband exclaimed the evening after he got his new prescription glasses. "Thank goodness," I said.
I was starting to get worried with the way he had been driving recently. I am a bad passenger any ways but even more so when my husband can barely see, unbeknown to me, until we sent him in for an eye exam a couple weeks earlier. Little did I know though that he was going to get the most expensive lenses and frames in the shop! Ok, maybe I am exaggerating a little but it did make a rather large dent in our pocket book that month for sure!
And now several months into wearing glasses, he has a whole collection of glasses. Square ones, round ones, transitions, you name it. But thankfully, he is now going to start buying them online.
In our search for online companies we ran across Zenni Optical. An online eye glass retailer in business since 2003. They have even recently been featured in Time magazine.
Their website is awesome. You can upload your picture and try on glasses just like at a walk-in store. Pretty neat, huh? (I thought so). I don't even wear glasses (yet) and I uploaded my image just to play around with it. I look so sophisticated.
If you wear glasses, you really need to check this site out. The highest price item is $46.00. At that price you can afford to get a pair for each day of the week! Cheap prices but still great quality. Since they have no middlemen, no brick and mortar store, low overhead and they only sell their Zenni brand so they can offer you the lowest prices. And they have over 3000 styles to choose from.
All you need when ordering is your prescription information from a recent eye exam, your PD (distance between your eyes which should be on your prescription paperwork), your choice of frame, style, etc... They make it so quick and easy!
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Let Them Eat Cake!
"Let them eat cake!"
A couple weeks ago our church had a Cake Auction to raise money to send several of the youth members to summer camp. The catch, the youths had to make the cakes....
And that they did! They brought it big time!
I was totally impressed by some of these masterpieces. Of course we know that *some* probably had the help of parents, but even so, I never knew we had so many bakers in our congregation.
Look at some of the *awesome* cakes they made!
Are these great or what?
Wait there is more....
And some more...
And guess what cake we bought?
My husband is a huge basketball
You guessed it. The Trailblazer logo cake (first cake in the first collage) that was made by our youth pastor, I swear especially for my husband. Earlier that day in church when it was on display, I thought my husband was going to steal it. He probably would have, had it not been at church. Ha! We paid $19.00 for it and it was worth it. Yummy!
Ok, you can stop drooling now. Go make your own.
Parent's Choice Formula Savings Sweepstakes
Wal-Mart Parent's Choice Formula gives your baby all the needed nutrition without breaking the bank. Parent's Choice Formula is sold exclusively at Wal-Mart and meets the U.S. Food and Drug Administration requirements just like the more expensive formulas.
I have used Parent's Choice Formula for my last two babies and found it just as good, if not better than the other brands that I *used* to buy. I actually did an ingredient by ingredient comparison and found no difference. Wal-mart Parent's Choice Formula has all the goodness at almost half the cost. On average you can save $600.00 a year by purchasing Parent's Choice Formula rather than the other brands. And you can take that to the bank!
And as if feeding babies for the past 13 years wasn't enough.
Now you have the chance to win a college scholarship for your little one, too.
Wal-marts Parent's Choice Formula in partnership with PBM Products, LLC has now created a sweepstakes where one lucky winner will win a $10,000 college scholarship in the form of a College Savings 529 Plan.
How great would that be? Wal-Mart helps "support" your child with good nutrition when they are young and then helps them out with college too!
In this day and age with college tuition skyrocketing, I know I could use an extra $10,000 to help with the costs.
How about you?
The sweepstakes runs from June 15, 2011 through 11:59 pm on August 1, 2011. For more information, the rules and an entry form go to Parent’s Choice Infant Formula Savings Sweepstakes.
**Parent's Choice Infant formula is Walmart's private brand formula and is available only at Walmart locations nationwide and online at http://www.walmart.com/.
Monday, July 11, 2011
$500.00 CASH GIVEAWAY & MORE--ENTER NOW!
Enter to win...
Kodak Easyshare M590 Digital Camera - $199 Value
Breakfast at the diner with friends. A night out with the gang. Whatever the moment brings, sharing crisp, sharp pictures is simple with the KODAK EASYSHARE M590 Digital Camera. The world’s thinnest 5X optical zoom digital camera[1]boasts a fashionable and modern design that will attract attention from the moment you pull it out of your bag. And Kodak’s Share Button keeps you connected to family and friends long after the flash goes off. Tag pictures directly from your camera for e-mailing or uploading to KODAK Gallery, YouTube, FACEBOOK, FLICKR, and ORKUT sites. The real KODAK MOMENT happens when you share.
Kobo eReader Touch Edition - $139 Value
Smaller, lighter, faster than the original Kobo eReader. Infrared Touch Screen lets you turn pages, bookmark locations, adjust font size and type, and search for favorite books with the swipe of a finger. Touch with anything - the Kobo Touch is so sensitive you can even use a gloved hand. The new 6" E Ink Pearl screen offers higher contrast and faster refreshes compared to previous Kobo Readers. Built-in Wi Fi connects you directly to the Kobo bookstore to shop over 2.3 million eBooks, newspaper and magazine subscriptions. Get a preview or sample for any book, sync content and bookmarks and download books instantly. Virtual keyboard for easy typing and auto suggestions as you type keywords. The Kobo Touch is lightweight and compact, and fits easily into a purse or jacket pocket. The signature soft quilted back creates a book-like experience. Finally, discover a new dimension of reading, unlock awards and track your reading progress all with Kobo Reading Life, a built-in social sharing platform.
Rules of the giveaway:
Each entry gains you one entry towards winning the prizes. Follow as many as possible to increase your chance of winning.
The $500 Cash (CAD funds) prize is open Worldwide. The Kodak digital camera and Kobo eReader Touch edition is open to US and Canada residents only. One winner will be chosen and will win ALL prizes. If the chosen winner is located outside the US or Canada, they will win the cash prize only and a second winner will be chosen for the remainder of the prizes. The winning entry will be checked to ensure they have complied with their entry. If it is found that the winning entry has not completed the entry requirement, a different winner will be selected.
Tips: If you've never used Rafflecopter before, it's an easy way to enter giveaway's. Keep in mind that Rafflecopter is run using Javascript so you must enable javascript on your computer to use. If you are having trouble, try a different browser or make sure you have updated your computer and browser.
Have fun hopping around following everyone and good luck!