Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Trail Mix for Kids
While I have zero advice on how to get more meat into his diet, I have found ways to sneak in other things. The little one will eat practically anything in the form of trail mix. His favorite mix includes animal crackers, mini marshmallows, pretzels, and yogurt covered raisins.
Here's a few other combinations that have become hits in our house:
- Dried fruit, chocolate chips, assorted cereal
- Cheerios, pretzels, crackers
- Berries, granola, yogurt covered raisins
- Goldfish, cheesy cracker bites, pretzels
- Fresh berries, cereal, raisins
- Mini breadsticks, m & m's, banana chips
Monday, December 29, 2008
Monday's Amusing Moment
In the middle of pulling the tree through the den doorway, which was not an easy task, GM popped his head out of the living room.
GM: Where's the tree going?
Me: Outside.
GM: But where will Santa put our gifts?
Me: Buddy, Santa already came remember? He left you all those gifts.
GM: I mean, where will he put them next year, momma?
Me (smiling, of course): We'll get a new tree next year.
GM: Oh, nevermind, he can just put them by my castle like he did this year.
This mind of a 4-year-old works in mysterious ways. In a matter of 30 seconds, he went from annoyed and questioning, to know-it-all, to quite self-assured. Once I finally had his approval, I continued to twist and turn the tree until I made it outside.
Next year, I have passed the un-decorating job on to the hubby. Since he was so full of complaints, I'm quite happy to pass that role over to him. Now if only he would complain about the housework, I could tell him to do that too.
One Ugly Duck
From what I gather, it's meant to be a glasses holder. For glasses. Something I have never owned, but now I do, since it came with it's own pair of (used) glasses. I'm not all that sure what grandma was thinking.
At least I'm not alone in my new role as duck owner. My mom received the same gift, and she doesn't wear glasses either. Maybe we can get a few more and start our own flock of ugly ducks.
What was your "most interesting" gift this year?
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Bah Humbug
After distracting the little one with a Pooping Penguin stocking stuffer and a few Imaginex Batman toys, I managed to get him in a better mood. I started researching troubleshooting on the V Smile Pocket and discovered many others had experienced similar issues. While, the company offered no advice, it seems that many attribute the problem to a short circuit or an internal defect. Great, I really want my child playing with something that could potentially be dangerous. I even read one account of the system overheating and melting the batteries. I'm not sure how much truth there is behind that, but I took it as a warning.
The system and games were both returned last night, and hubby happily left Walmart with money in his pocket, which will be put towards a replacement gift later. Luckily, GM also received a Leapster from Santa at Grandma's house, courtesy of my sister-in-law. However, the first Leapster wouldn't read the cartridges. So, that too was returned yesterday, and we exchanged for another one. Thank goodness, the second time was a charm, and GM has been mastering Animal Genius today. He absolutely loves it. It provides lots of fun facts about animals, and quizzes him on what he's learned.
If anyone is looking, I would highly recommend the Leapster over the V Smile any day.
Friday, December 26, 2008
Shrunks Giveaway at MomDot
- 1 Shrunks’ Plush: Pillowman ($20)
- 1 4″ Sunny ($20)
- 1 Fear Bust’r Tool Kit ($30)
- 1 Tuckaire Toddl’r Bed ($79)
To enter, head over here
Our Happy Holiday
From the moment they arrived, wrapping paper was flying. There ended up being an unbelievable amount of gifts, almost all for GM, as hubby and I decided not to exchange gifts this year.
After all was unwrapped, we headed to my parent's house where many more gifts awaited us. After eating turkey, ham, (and turducken, which I didn't try), mashed potatoes, corn, macaroni and cheese, homemade rolls, and a million desserts, it was finally time to open more gifts. With three kids under the age of 5, it was quite the flurry of paper and chaos.
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Just a Quick...
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
The Joys of Last Minute Shopping
every person was out shopping, with bags in their hand.
The children were screaming, crying for more,
my head started spinning, my ears getting sore.
The smart mamas were done, at home staying warm,
while I was out amongst it, fighting the swarm.
Daddy at work, and me all alone,
I rushed through each store, with a sigh and a moan.
When out in the food court arose such a clatter,
everyone stopped to see what was the matter.
I flew like the wind, away to the door,
I had to be done, I couldn't take anymore.
There's nothing quite like the mall two days before Christmas to remind you all about the holiday spirit. Kids are screaming, parents yelling. Oh what a joy. I made it out alive and unscathed, except the pounding headache, I'm attempting to drink away (ok, with coffee). I have one more trip to the store tomorrow, which I'm sure will be another adventure. But, I only have one thing to buy, so I'm going to cross my fingers that it is uneventful and painless.
Monday, December 22, 2008
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Super Simple Chocolate Covered Cherries
Ingredients:
2 jars maraschino cherries
1/2 bag milk chocolate chips
1/2 bag white chocolate chips
powdered sugar
Directions:
Drain juice from cherries, use paper towels to remove moisture. Once somewhat dry, sprinkle on some powdered sugar to absorb any juice. Melt chocolate. I microwave mine for 45 seconds, stir, and microwave another 15 seconds. Be very careful to use a dry bowl and have dry hands. Any moisture will ruin your chocolate. Once chocolate is smooth, dip cherries in.
The white chocolate ones are a little less sweet than the milk chocolate. I've also heard that they get better if you let them sit for a few days.
A Few Awards
The rules for this one is to admit my 5 addictions and then pass it onto another 5 blogs…
Hello. My name is Staci and I am addicted to…
1. Mountain Dew. It's how I make it through my day.
2. The internet. Oh, what would I do without you?
3. Taking pictures. The camera is always in hand.
4. Makeup. Never leave home without it.
5. Coffee. My other caffeine fix.
Thanks to Joanne at Barely Domestic Mama and Bloggymommy at Coming To You From the Land of Ahhhhs... I've been given the following award:
So here are the rules: Put the logo on your blog or post. Nominate at least 10 blogs which show great attitude and/or gratitude! Be sure to link to your nominees within your post. Let them know that they have received this award by commenting on their blog. Share the love and link to this post and to the person from whom you received your award.
I'm horrible at following directions, so I'm not going to directly pass these onto anyone. But here's a few of the blogs I love. Ya'll can feel free to grab these if you haven't received them already, I know a lot of you have though. So here's a little linky love (in alphabetical order too, since I'm feeling a little OCD today).
AJ at A Little Bit Nutty
Alyson at Three P's in a Pod
Cat at 3 Kids and Us
Jess at Nothing But Purple
Kim at What's that Smell?
Kimberly at All About Kimberly
Sara at My Sippy Cup Runneth Over
Sarah at Mom Tips and Notes From the Zoo
Susan at Life in a House of Blue
Susan at What Happened to my House?
Tena at Punky Monkey's
Seeing Santa
This morning rolled around, GM woke grumpy and complaining. Granted, he's been sick all week, but yesterday, he was feeling much better, just crabby. He announced this morning he was too sick to see Santa. I'm not fighting him on it. I think he's more anxious and unsure than sick, but I'm not going to push him into doing something he doesn't feel comfortable with. It's not the first year he missed out on seeing Santa, and we'll try again before the holiday arrives.
Friday, December 19, 2008
What I've Learned the Week:
2. As much as I promise myself to finish Christmas shopping early, I never do. There really can't be only 6 more days.
3. Even when I get Christmas cards printed months in advance, I forget to send them until last minute.
4. Some days I just feel like I'm talking to myself, and I can live with that.
5. I can't think straight when the house is a mess. See the "pillow fort" below, where my couches are shoved together for a sick boy to relax on? Drove me crazy not being able to walk straight through the living room. 6. Hearing *splat* in the middle of the night is even worse when the 4-year-old is in your bed.
7. Cartoons, pretzels, and lots of snuggles are a perfect way to spend a sick day.
8. No matter how hard I mentally will the UPS man to show up with gifts I ordered, it doesn't work. (He did show up with one, but not the most important one-the one I bought accessories for, and the one GM would be ecstatic to see).
9. I should start going to bed earlier, stop speed cleaning in the middle of the night, and get some sleep.
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Chocolate, anyone?
Yesterday, I started our holiday creations. I decided to go with something simple this year, chocolates. Every year, we do something homemade to go along with the gifts we've bought. I thought this would be a nice change from the crafty things I've done in years past.
We ended with 150 or so mini chocolates, with rice krispies, pretzels, kit kat, oreo, and coconut inside. Only a few were taste tasted, and they are pretty darn yummy. Chocolate covered cherries will be coming next. Mmm...
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Tell Me Something Good Tuesday
Usually hubby is pretty good at getting everything on the list, but the last few times, I've forgotten to write one, or he's forgotten to take it. So he comes homes with a ton of foods he loves, and nothing for me to eat for lunches. I'm not exaggerating, he brought home one thing I'd eat, and so I did a few days later. Lo and behold, he hadn't expected me to eat it, it was for his own lunch, and he acted like a whiny baby when he noticed it was gone. All this resulted in one completely unnecessary argument Sunday night, ending with me going to bed hungry and angry.
Last night, he said he had to stop at the grocery store on his way home. I figured, no big deal, probably just to replace his lunch I had unknowingly eaten. Then he arrives home with 5 or 6 bags of groceries instead. I went to put them away, and he says to me, "find one thing in there that you won't eat."
He had stopped and bought every one of my favorite foods, from pretzels and swiss cheese to ready-made chicken to wheat thins to (my weakness) sticky buns. He got me everything to make my salads or sandwich for lunches, all the ingredients I need for breakfasts, every yummy thing I could imagine.
It really was a sweet gesture to apologize for our stupid fight. It made me feel much better to, to know that he was thinking of me. I would've kissed him right then (if I wasn't so worried about spreading my cold cooties).
Santa Claus is (Still) Coming to Town
I can't even tell you how excited GM was to open a letter from Santa today. He's been back and forth on whether Santa will come visit. Now, I've never threatened that Santa won't come, even when he's being awful, but somehow he got the idea in his head. Last night, he started crying at bedtime that Santa wasn't going to come because he hadn't been "all that good today." The letter arrived at a perfect time and calmed his fears on Santa skipping our house this year.
Dyson Domestic Divas at MomDot
Trisha over at MomDot explains:
"Every 2 weeks from now till April, we are going to be picking a new mom to spend a full two weeks with our Dyson and then come on as a Dyson Domestic Diva and give everyone the lowdown on it. Comparing it to your current household cleaning, your vacuum that you use on a daily basis, the all around ins and outs of how you feel about the Dyson after spending 2 weeks with it in your home. You will be able to blog during your experience from set up to the day it leaves, posting pictures, videos and sharing your experience with the world."
I'm really hoping that I'll get picked as a Dyson Diva, and be given the chance to test it out. Hubby better watch out though. I doubt I'll want to use my decrepit vacuum again.
Monday, December 15, 2008
Monday's Amusing Moment
Grandpa (to grandma): When are you going to be ready to do the barn work?
GM (rather loudly, and out of nowhere): When I grow up, okay?
Then he quickly returned to complete absorption in cartoons.
Now I'm off to return to my coughing, sneezing, trying to hold my eyes open, welcome to cold season self.
Saturday, December 13, 2008
On the 12th Day of Christmas...
It didn't take him long to hightail it to the couch and tear off the wrapping paper. Inside, he found 3 new book, CareBears Christmas, Puppies, and Animal Families . Plus, some special velvet Christmas stickers.I'm sure he'll be just as excited tomorrow when he discovers the elf has returned.
Photo Hunt: Favorite
Friday, December 12, 2008
Think Thin Thursdays
I managed to lose one pound this week, going from 143 to 142. (I have a scale photo, but I managed to kill my camera battery, so I'll have to add it later.) I keep hitting a plateau at 142, which is frustrating, so I'm going to have to try something different to get down past it. I have gotten into a healthier routine though.
So what has worked for me this week? I've started eating much better, mostly because I'm being more aware of what I'm eating. Rather than just eating what's easiest, I've found myself cooking more homemade meals. I've also cut back on snacks throughout the day.
For this coming week, my goal is to break past 142. Whether it's one pound or more, I want to get myself past that number. I'll have to combine my healthier eating choices with a few days of exercise to get myself there. I also need to work on my soda habit, which is the hardest thing for me to break.
Our task with Think Thin Thursday this week is to talk about our favorite low-calorie snack. My one indulgence has been Pringles Stix. They come in yummy flavors, like vanilla, and are less than 100 calories per pack. They are perfect to satisfy cravings for something sweet, without a lot of impact on my calorie intake.
Thursday, December 11, 2008
A Happy Belated B-day to Hubby
So happy happy birthday! Hopefully the day after his birthday will be much more eventful than today was.
Avon Hair Care Winner
Here are your random numbers:
3
Timestamp: 2008-12-11 05:06:44 UTC
So the winner is Jess at Nothing But Purple! Congrats, I'll be contacting you!
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Just a Reminder
Conversation with a 4-year-old
GM: Did you know sea cucumbers eat their own brains?
Me: Where did that come from? (It was so out of the blue)
GM: I was just thinking more people should know about sea cucumbers.
Me: Well, thanks for sharing then.
I'd love to know where the kid gets this from.
Monday, December 8, 2008
O Christmas Tree
He ran from tree to tree, pointing out each one, asking "Is this one it?" and answering himself, Nah, too prickly, too little, too big, too pine coney, too whatever. The other people at the tree farm were laughing at him as he zig-zagged his way through the trees. I can only compare his actions to Hammy from Over the Hedge, aka the squirrel on crack.
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Think Thin Thursday on Sunday
This week, we are to post about our successes last week. I've managed to cut back on my snacking, and am working towards making everything I eat worth while. I have this horrible tendency to munch when I'm watching tv, but I've avoided doing it almost every night this week.
My goal for this week is to drop another 1-2 lbs. I'm starting out at 143, blah, one of the two I lost the other week came back to haunt me. I'm blaming it on Thanksgiving. All that turkey and mashed potatoes just looked too yummy. This week I'll be much more focused and be prepared to weigh in on Thursday this time!
Saturday, December 6, 2008
Cow Poo Cake
The whole fiasco turned into argument after argument with the hubby. He wouldn't consider my ideas, but got frustrated when his ideas didn't work out. The order came with so many requests too, they wanted two flavors of cake, a barn, a tractor, cows, horses, and cow poo. What kid wants cow poop on their cake? But, we obliged. Hubby was in charge of buying the tractor, which had to be red, and bought one that ended up bigger than the barn. The cake was lopsided, the writing not perfect, the animals wouldn't stand up, you get the picture.
And yet, when he dropped it off, they were pleased with it. So, whatever works I guess. Here's how it turned out:
Friday, December 5, 2008
All I Want for Christmas
I can't get in the holiday spirit this year. I'm annoyed that Christmas music started playing the day after Halloween, and stores had their displays up before cold weather even hit. Call me Scrooge, but bah humbug. I haven't even started decorating the house yet. For some reason or another, I lack the energy and drive to get into the festivities.
But, to answer all those wondering what I really want this year, here goes:
A nice long nap, with no one jumping on my stomach.
A warm bubble bath, minus bath toys being dropped in or having to hear "I need you" ever 2 minutes.
An afternoon all by myself: Maybe it's selfish, but I don't remember the last time I had a few hours to myself.
A little spurt of energy: I'm so tired all the time, coffee barely does the job anymore.
So there's my wish list, that's all I really want this year. Oh, and if anyone wants to volunteer to do my shopping for me, I'd take that too.
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Thursday Thirteen
1. Falling up
2. Where the Sidewalk Ends
3. It's Raining Pigs and Noodles
4. The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Animals (a 600 pager)
5. The Smithsonian Institution Animal: The Definitive Visual Guide(another 600 pages)
6. My Monster Mama Loves Me So
7. A House is a House for Me
8. Richard Scary's Things That Go
9. Bernstein Bear's Trim the Tree
10. Duck and Goose
11. Duck at the Door
12. Little Guide: Reptiles and Amphibians
13. Racing Through the Alphabet
My 4-year-old definitely has a wide reading list. Poetry books top his list right now, especially for bedtime stories, but his collection of animal books are a close second. He's quite the little bookworm.
What are your kid's favorite books?
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Cyber Baby Shower at SassyFrazz
Daddy dozing with GM when he was less than a week old. We spent a lot of time napping on the couch the first few weeks. What I love about this photo is how they both sleep with their mouths open (and they still do, too).
Game two is to guess the weight of of Sarah's second child, who was a bit over due. I'm going to guess 8lbs 3 oz. But I'm awful at guessing these things, so I'm sure I'm wrong.
Game three is to create a creative baby or pregnant momma out of Playdough. Have I mentioned how much I despise Playdough? I can't stand the smell, but in the spirit of having fun, I will see what I can create. Ok, no laughing at my poor creation! I know the belly looks a little more like a turtle than a preggo belly, but I'm far from artistic!
Avon Hair Care Giveaway
Salon Skinny Serum
Smoothing Balm
I have to say, I love the smell of everything. It reminds me of the products they use in salons, I felt like I had just gone to get my hair done. The products left my hair feeling soft, with just a bit of shine. Plus, they have really helped my poor frazzled hair look smooth, as it suffers through winter winds and drying heaters.For extra entries:
Follow my blog
Follow me on twitter (MommaStaciA)
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Blog about this contest with a link back to me (5 extra entries)
Please leave extra entries in a separate comment, so each counts. Be sure to leave a way to contact you, either blog or e-mail address. Open to US only. Giveaway will end 12/10 at 11:59 pm. Winner will be randomly selected and announced here and contacted by e-mail.