tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1951662290849832692024-02-06T22:08:06.179-05:00Munchkie's Mama and So Much MoreMama, wife, nurse, trying to be the breadwinner and the bread maker. Working full time to hold it all together.Munchkie'sMamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04902203803704732430noreply@blogger.comBlogger204125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-195166229084983269.post-64879202060462544022022-10-13T23:38:00.001-04:002022-10-13T23:39:56.219-04:00Feminism?<p> A couple weeks ago I picked up Isabella from the after school program and the college/high school student said "oh we didn't know Isabella's mom was around." And I know it wasn't to intentionally hurt me, but man did that punch a hole in my heart. </p><p><br /></p><p>On Tuesday I came home from work early since the girls didn't have school so Ana could go do something with friends since she'd watched her sister while Chris and I had worked for the last 1.5 days. I said something to Isabella and she said "what does it matter? You're just going to be on your computer all day for work." I told her no, we went to the store and spent the afternoon baking. I never opened my computer and felt the guilt all afternoon. </p><p><br /></p><p>Today I had a meeting with my director. She told me that last year on her son's first birthday her husband was in the other room singing happy birthday while she was on a virtual meeting about the launch of the pediatric COVID vaccine. </p><p><br /></p><p>Last night Isabella asked what feminism is. </p><p><br /></p><p>How do I explain feminism to my girls when all they feel is the absence of their mother?</p><p><br /></p><p>How do I explain feminism to my girls when I give so much of myself to others all day that when I get home I have so very little left to give?</p><p><br /></p><p>How do I explain feminism to my girls when my work promises one thing but delivers something completely different?</p><p><br /></p><p>How do I explain feminism to my girls when I escape into the fiction of a book because reality is just too much to handle?</p><p><br /></p><p>My daughters see how much I care for my employees and my patients, but do they see how much I love them?</p><p><br /></p><p>My daughters see my husband doing drop off, pick up and dinner almost every night, but do they see how much I appreciate all he does?</p><p><br /></p><p>My daughters see my dedication to making the world a better place through my career, but do they see how I want them to be strong women?</p><p><br /></p><p>I don't know. Is it worth it?</p><p><br /></p><p>My family is forever. My job can let me go whenever they want.</p><p><br /></p><p>Is this feminism? </p><p><br /></p><p>I'm not sure it is. </p><p><br /></p><p>Does feminism mean I'm the first to leave the house in the morning and the last to arrive in the evening? </p><p><br /></p><p>That my husband does all the meal planning, grocery shopping, and cooking?</p><p><br /></p><p>As well as folding the endless laundry. </p><p><br /></p><p>I mean, I have a freaking amazing husband, but this "feminism" isn't fair to him either.</p><p><br /></p><p>Is this feminism? Or advantage of a female who cares?</p>Munchkie'sMamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04902203803704732430noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-195166229084983269.post-22496419406884242602015-10-25T23:24:00.001-04:002015-11-19T21:22:47.515-05:00Croup is No Joke!<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL7BmgX9ZqRZfydybQ1Z1SQxc0hvxT1vYR5s-NTHZPNFrqL4v6lTUgXcXt1JNBr8Sm3JvED23vPKRywYD8TarUkOxQ82M1wYtk-3Am3RQ53xOajH0PbhBKU_-2uZrT6RweWozl_asARevJ/s1600/20151025_221130.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL7BmgX9ZqRZfydybQ1Z1SQxc0hvxT1vYR5s-NTHZPNFrqL4v6lTUgXcXt1JNBr8Sm3JvED23vPKRywYD8TarUkOxQ82M1wYtk-3Am3RQ53xOajH0PbhBKU_-2uZrT6RweWozl_asARevJ/s320/20151025_221130.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fresh Eucalyptus in the shower, great for cold season</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
This week I had one of the scariest moments of my life as a mother. Chunka got a little cold and had a runny nose on Tuesday. On Wednesday I was waiting for the babysitter to call and say that we needed to pick her up because she had a fever or cough or her nose was running too much. When I got home from work I heard her breathing and her barking cough, I knew that she had croup. I called the pediatrician's office to make an appointment for the morning and then steamed up the bathroom to hang out my little sicky in as close to a sauna as I could make it.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Chunka surprisingly slept through the night. I heard her barking cough a couple times but by the time I got to her she would have fallen back asleep. When I woke to get ready for her, I went in and checked on her. She was sound asleep with her bump straight up in the air, breathing noisily, but not scarily gasping for breath. She and Munchkie were still sound asleep when I had to go in to wake them up for school. I woke up Munchkie, and heard a terrible noise from the other side of the room. Chunka was standing in her crib, gripping the railing with a terrified look on her face and gasping for air. While yelling for the shower to be turned on as hot as it could go I scooped Chunka up, took her pajamas off as fast as I could and went into the bathroom. The poor baby was burning up,her whole body was shaking and she clung to me, struggling to breathe. She couldn't talk, when she tried to cry it just got worse. I tried to give her medicine, but she wasn't able to swallow. We sat in the steamy bathroom clinging to each other, crying until she started to feel a little bit better. Once the steam started to help she was able to swallow some Motrin to help her fever come down. I sat there assessing, thinking, trying to reason through my assessment and my emotions. It is the only time in my time as a mother so far that I have considered calling 911. I sat there and tried to figure out what the best move for my child was, to call 911, take her to the hospital or wait for the doctor's office to open. In the end I decided to wait for the doctor's office because she seemed to be doing a little better and I had to go to work. I cried and cried as I had to leave for work (of course it was a day that there was absolutely no one who could cover for me at work) with instructions on what to do and to take her to the doctor's as soon as possible. I cried the whole way to work, and could barely keep it together to call the office to get an earlier appointment. Thankfully Chunka made it to the doctor's office early, started on steroids and was on the road to recovery in no time.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Croup is no joke. I'm a pediatric nurse. I knew what to do. And I've never been more scared in my life. As I watched my little baby gasp for breath I thanked God for modern medicine. I thanked God that I could take her to the doctor for a dose of steroids that would reduce the inflammation, allowing her to breathe better. I thanked God as I sat crying in my steamy bathroom that I was a nurse, knew what to look for, and knew how to help her.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>The things to look for:</u></b><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Stridor - high pitched wheezing-like sound when they are breathing in</li>
<li>Retractions - the sinking in of the skin between their ribs, just under their rubs and at the base of their neck</li>
<li>Barky cough - it sounds like a seal or a dog barking when they cough</li>
<li>Belly breathing - with each breath, their belly is really going in and out</li>
<li>Not being able to swallow, or letting drool fall out of the mouth (especially in older kids who should be able to swallow their saliva)</li>
<li>All of the above gets worse when they cry</li>
</ul>
<div>
<b><u>What to do:</u></b></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Call your doctor - depending on how bad it is, you might need steroids or special nebulization treatments</li>
<li>Steamy bathroom - close the door, turn the shower on hot hot hot and just stand in there breathing the steam for at least 15 minutes</li>
<li>Cold air - after the steam, go outside to breathe in some fresh, cold air</li>
<li>Have a cool mist humidifier in the child's room (that you clean as instructed)</li>
<li>Warm (not hot!) liquids (apple juice, water)</li>
<li>Honey if over a year old</li>
<li>Plenty of fluids, fever, breathing heavily and coughing all use up more fluids than we usually use</li>
<li>Keep the fever down - when the fever rises, the breathing often gets worse</li>
</ul>
<div>
Here is a video with the sounds of croup - </div>
</div>
<br />
<br />
(To be honest, I didn't watch the whole video, only the first minute or so to make sure that it sounded like croup)<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/LGUscboOyiI" width="480"></iframe><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
If your child sounds like this don't mess around. Don't wait and see. Take action. Children who are old enough to talk have said that they felt like they were going to die because they could not take a breath. Imagine how scary that is if you can't tell anyone how you feel?Munchkie'sMamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04902203803704732430noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-195166229084983269.post-9046161168131904832015-08-05T22:13:00.000-04:002015-08-05T22:13:59.538-04:00The Semicolon Project: My ResponseYesterday I did something that I never thought I would be able to do. I shared one of my deepest darkest secrets. <a href="http://munchkiesmama.blogspot.com/2015/08/the-semicolon-project.html">I wrote a blog post</a> about my struggles with depression, anxiety, addiction and suicidal thoughts. I was terrified, but hoped and prayed that my story could help someone, somewhere and posted the blog on Facebook. I had no idea the response this post was going to have. My phone was going off the remainder of the day with Facebook comments, private messages, text messages, and emails. People sharing with me their stories, their struggles and the loved ones they have lost. The love and support was beyond overwhelming, my head was spinning by the time I went to bed last night. When I came home from work today <a href="http://munchkiesmama.blogspot.com/2015/08/the-semicolon-project.html">the blog post about the Semicolon Project</a> had almost 1,000 page views. To put this in perspective, my highly irregular blog posts usually have less than 40 page views. One THOUSAND page views. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg54LyfCHaIs_R5OumdBXi3NkDnhQvO1oHKgMIOEqVCtAqikDD_dGae599IAgrxURskLMIfGMCxbQzXqSpAOsy6qdTdR3A7DL7kMay05MDHhgjnQ_U-UjSaLxw6i-7mlT8TS0DnvTSz9YyH/s1600/20141212_221335-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg54LyfCHaIs_R5OumdBXi3NkDnhQvO1oHKgMIOEqVCtAqikDD_dGae599IAgrxURskLMIfGMCxbQzXqSpAOsy6qdTdR3A7DL7kMay05MDHhgjnQ_U-UjSaLxw6i-7mlT8TS0DnvTSz9YyH/s320/20141212_221335-1.jpg" width="247" /></a></div>
<br />
These are topics that need to be talked about. People everywhere need to realize that they are not weird, or broken because they can't feel the way they think should. You do not have to slip into the darkness and pain with no place to go. There are people all around you who are struggling just as you are. It may not just be the stranger in line behind you at the store, it may be one of your close friends, or a family member that is embarrassed by their depression. Ever<span id="goog_1594951854"></span><span id="goog_1594951855"></span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/"></a>yone needs to know that they are loved. <br />
<br />
If you feel that you are alone. If you feel that you have a deep force that is preventing you from feeling. If you don't know how you can get through another day. If you think that your life is just not worth living.<br />
<br />
Please Please PLEASE reach out to someone. Someone you trust. Someone you know loves you, even though you can't feel their love.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
It's hard. It's really hard. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
But you are special. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
You are important. </div>
<br />
And you have every right to deserve to live a life full of happiness and joy. If you can't talk to someone, if you have no one you can trust, then talk to a stranger who wants to help you.<br />
<br />
If you live in Massachusetts you can contact <a href="http://samaritanshope.org/our-services/247-crisis-services/">Samaritans</a> via phone <span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Open Sans', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">(877-870 HOPE (4673)</span>, online <a href="http://samaritanshope.org/im-hear/" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #638f38; font-family: 'Open Sans', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">IMHear.org</a> or text (text "START" to 741-741).<br />
.<br />
If you live anywhere in the US you can call 1-800-273-8255 or 1-800-SUICIDE (784-2433) to talk to someone.<br />
<br />
If you don't know where you can find help for your struggles <a href="http://www.projectsemicolon.com/find-help.html">Project Semicolon has many resources</a> for you. Or if you are worried about someone you love.<br />
<br />
If you want to support and raise awareness but know that tattoos aren't your thing, <a href="http://www.projectsemicolon.com/collaborations.html">there are many other beautiful ways</a> to show you care. Let those around you know that you want to be supportive and loving. Start a conversation.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
Please don't be quiet. Please don't live in a silent darkness. Please don't be ashamed. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Continue your story. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Continue to live.</div>
Munchkie'sMamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04902203803704732430noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-195166229084983269.post-12820329903994040132015-08-04T12:00:00.000-04:002015-11-17T22:04:58.252-05:00The Semicolon Project<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A quick Google search for The Semicolon Project will show
all kinds of blogs, Facebook pages, images and most importantly the Project Semicolon website. The <a href="http://www.projectsemicolon.com/our-vision.html">Project Semicolon Vision</a> brought me to tears. Creating a world
that is loving, accepting and understanding of mental illness, suicide and
addiction means so much to me. Why does this mean so much to me? Because these
are all things that I struggle with, as do a truly astonishing number of
people. However, thanks to the stigma associated with mental illness, people do
not want anyone to know they struggle with depression, anxiety, addiction or self-harm. Well I hope that through people, such as the
Semicolon Project, people who struggle will realize that.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
IT IS NOT YOUR FAULT.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
You are not weak.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
You did not do
anything wrong<o:p></o:p></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
You do not need to do
this alone.<o:p></o:p></div>
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</div>
<br />
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</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXBZofa8KJIQhwvdE81XU_KsMqldJs8v42r6DdkGMjXRLmeYr68rDG04MzM98BZADJDLb24i2IcRSmBZ4WIDebzv7X6Uun10g2k-5-Kc8SvE97eGTxMFcTw6pr67EQKtfc7oCt7s2CwJKN/s1600/20150803_223329.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXBZofa8KJIQhwvdE81XU_KsMqldJs8v42r6DdkGMjXRLmeYr68rDG04MzM98BZADJDLb24i2IcRSmBZ4WIDebzv7X6Uun10g2k-5-Kc8SvE97eGTxMFcTw6pr67EQKtfc7oCt7s2CwJKN/s320/20150803_223329.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My brother introduced me to the Semicolon Project.
Immediately I knew that we both had to get semicolon tattoos and I would do
everything I could to make sure that we get them together. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
See, my brother and I share something besides both coming
from the same parents (maybe we share this <i>because</i>
we came from the same parents). We both
have struggled with depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts and addiction. There, I’ve said it. It’s out for all of the internet world to
know. I struggle with mental illness.
For most of my life I felt left out, not quite cool enough, smart
enough, pretty enough or thin enough to be loveable, or even likeable. There were many moments in my adolescent and
teenage years that I felt like I could not possibly live another minute. Obviously I did live, despite some moments of
extremely poor decisions, and I am incredibly grateful that I did. Just because
I am no longer a hormonal teenager does not mean that I no longer struggle with
depression or anxiety. I have come to realize that this will be a struggle that
I will deal with for probably my entire life.
For many years I was embarrassed that I couldn’t just be happy, or feel
like “everyone else.” Now I realize that
many people are also embarrassed by their emotional struggles. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Why are we
embarrassed?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If we had ALS, breast cancer, Alzheimer’s or any other illness,
we would not think that we did something wrong and just aren’t strong enough.
We would understand that something happened in our bodies that we had no
control over. Struggles with depression are no different. It is a chemical
imbalance in the body. You don’t need to suffer alone. I believe that we have
made advances in medicine (yes, I am a nurse) to help people with their
physical and emotional pain. There is no
reason for anyone to suffer if they don’t have to. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Again, IT IS NOT YOUR
FAULT.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The only thing wrong with you is a chemical imbalance that
YOU CAN NOT CONTROL.</div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
(without help)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
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</div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhniPGOWz8vkqI5hMGgWs41kUaXLOhR68n1nBQu2CbLCaIK7dpf0MpOnFJaLDjR1Ec16tBcXHLAtz39OM9O0FDXcQmZsTxcgftPy4H6I1NG9Se5Jwslnx81mzG0LMaZ-E3GjyqUwgJdKw5m/s1600/20151117_213246.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhniPGOWz8vkqI5hMGgWs41kUaXLOhR68n1nBQu2CbLCaIK7dpf0MpOnFJaLDjR1Ec16tBcXHLAtz39OM9O0FDXcQmZsTxcgftPy4H6I1NG9Se5Jwslnx81mzG0LMaZ-E3GjyqUwgJdKw5m/s320/20151117_213246.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My tattoo</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
So I have made a very drastic decision to permanently mark
my body in a visible way to raise awareness.
I now have a tattoo that will stay with me until my body turns to ashes.
It is my hope and prayer that when people see this mark on my wrist they will
ask me about it and I can tell them what my tattoo means.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Do you know what a semicolon is? A semicolon is where a
sentence could end, but it doesn’t. The
sentence continues, the story continues, the life continues. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Through the infinite
love of Christ my sentence and my story continues.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I have met almost all of my life goals. I am living in an
active, vibrant, large city. I am happily married. I have two beautiful girls. I love my job. I have a wonderful church that
supports, challenges and shows love to me. I have amazing friends. I am taking
medicine.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheRM4bzoy_ap1pJXc6iDiF7mmZ15H-d4LUMKrQR5RxrFqTIHtFI-cJUIkdC3Drf1dHDFPvvdl4D6Q-WOSxIxnBNq2hnEZ69AcMhdwHkkn2tW4c6gpQWFYa-9szfOZXB8_uOPAc5_uSyNz-/s1600/20150803_213033.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheRM4bzoy_ap1pJXc6iDiF7mmZ15H-d4LUMKrQR5RxrFqTIHtFI-cJUIkdC3Drf1dHDFPvvdl4D6Q-WOSxIxnBNq2hnEZ69AcMhdwHkkn2tW4c6gpQWFYa-9szfOZXB8_uOPAc5_uSyNz-/s320/20150803_213033.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My brother's tattoo.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Well, maybe it wasn’t my life goal to be on medication. But I am. And I realize that it’s not the
most socially acceptable thing to talk about.
But guess what: I feel great. I
can realize that I have a great life. I
can truly love the people close to me. I
can get out of bed on my days off of work (my parents instilled a good work
ethic in us). I can accomplish
things. I can deal with life’s
challenges with something other than food. I don’t need an entire pint of Hagan
Das Stracciatella to deal with a bad day.
I can take a deep breath, move on, and get out of bed the next day. That
may not seem like much to most people, but for someone who is depressed or
anxious, this is actually quite an accomplishment. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You can do it. You
can wake up. You can get out of
bed. You can move through life with an
appreciation for everything around you.
I am here to say, it is possible. You don’t need to do it alone. There are people everywhere who love you. They may not know you. But they love you. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
You know how I know
this? Because I love you. I may not have met you. But I love you.<o:p></o:p></div>
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You are loved.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>YOU</b> are loved.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>You are LOVED.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Munchkie'sMamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04902203803704732430noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-195166229084983269.post-14485300517637754382015-04-07T17:20:00.000-04:002015-04-07T23:56:19.647-04:00Everything is Awesome! - a Lego party for Girls AND Boys<br />
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It's been a very long time since I've written a blog post. My cute little Munchkie turned six and a big party was thrown for her and her sister, Chunka, who just turned ONE YEAR OLD on Saturday. During the party planning process I was getting so angry because everything I found said "best <i><b>boys</b> </i>party ideas," "Lego party for <i><b>boys</b></i>" or "games for <b><i>boys</i></b>' Lego parties." This motivated me to throw a great Lego party for two girls and start back blogging to show the Pinterest world that you can have the best Lego party <i><b>ever</b></i> for <i style="font-weight: bold;">girls</i> (and boys). <br />
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Welcome to our party!</div>
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I used a super cheap ($1ish) plastic tablecloth and taped paper plates of the same color to the tablecloth to make a door covering. I did the same thing for the photo booth.</div>
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Our house is in party mode! Yellow totes from Oriental Trading got an upgrade with a black fabric marker. Inside of each tote was a free printable I found of a word search and a color yourself as a minifigure. </div>
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Each child had a name tag that they wrote their name on so that they were a master builder.</div>
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We had a photo booth set up in the corner with photo props I found at Target for a few dollars. After getting their picture taken, they decorated a foam picture frame. While the kids were eating, Munchkie and Chunka's Dad ran to CVS to print the pictures off.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2bHMcytq4Cn3R1Pw9Kl5JHxnoQ3GBpFrJ-pMqv1gPa2v7s7CFU3OaC2oqZ22JJKjBomQFpRRtSHN-sr42g_dUC8qzq79SKNeniekx78VU20zyFqxluwsdAbpaT_7P_0I8UoeqA2tk9Npr/s1600/P1080453.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2bHMcytq4Cn3R1Pw9Kl5JHxnoQ3GBpFrJ-pMqv1gPa2v7s7CFU3OaC2oqZ22JJKjBomQFpRRtSHN-sr42g_dUC8qzq79SKNeniekx78VU20zyFqxluwsdAbpaT_7P_0I8UoeqA2tk9Npr/s1600/P1080453.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a>Since the party was for a one year old and a six year old there were a wide range of ages invited. I had a "baby ball and block pit" for the babies, but it turns out that all the kids wanted to play with the blocks. While we were waiting for everyone to arrive, the kids decorated picture frames and played with blocks while the adults all chatted and got to know each other.</div>
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Thank you Target for having some "building block" decorations for just a few dollars. I didn't have to make a lego block banner, and Munchkie's Mimi oh so kindly cut out circles and rectangles to make all kinds of other decorations.<br />
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<span style="text-align: center;">Munchkie very proudly created this collage of Legos that Mimi had cut out and put together. She used a circle cutter to create the circles and some foam glue dots to create some dimension to the blocks</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiWI-Rr9AmEip3XycR_3c7cOn4TlculiwWkjhmAljFeIc6FfnOW2wAyTIHSHlSNErj73vq4NV83yqKUUootn6S7DcvE3Dflw0X-oHl5Ky6ju2LM2PzqS8BdS9PXqIcaNg-4TuzcqNI_VP-/s1600/P1080498.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiWI-Rr9AmEip3XycR_3c7cOn4TlculiwWkjhmAljFeIc6FfnOW2wAyTIHSHlSNErj73vq4NV83yqKUUootn6S7DcvE3Dflw0X-oHl5Ky6ju2LM2PzqS8BdS9PXqIcaNg-4TuzcqNI_VP-/s1600/P1080498.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a>Chunka had her own little birthday thrown since she was celebrating her first birthday (and on her actual birthday too!) She wasn't so interested in her smash cake, she was pretty creeped out by the texture of the cool whip frosting. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5ceHzXkOo0r5cmS4PcZio0IJjxm2cSXk76cjzRnlXs0-6Kn5i_5jvSQv6FzByDWTHg8Idu-9DcNkUo5kgy_ZL2YsiQq3QOvAx6q8mWjf0EuoeJbX5-HtbpL07peVJtJvJo3ecZSAX1NB6/s1600/P1080515.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5ceHzXkOo0r5cmS4PcZio0IJjxm2cSXk76cjzRnlXs0-6Kn5i_5jvSQv6FzByDWTHg8Idu-9DcNkUo5kgy_ZL2YsiQq3QOvAx6q8mWjf0EuoeJbX5-HtbpL07peVJtJvJo3ecZSAX1NB6/s1600/P1080515.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a>I chose to have the kids eat partway through the party and then eat the cake at the very end. We had pepperoni pizza (cheese with cheddar cheese circles for the vegetarians) that looked like Lego blocks with grapes, veggies and popcorn for lunch. I made a very simple pasta with a pesto topping (on the side) for the adults to eat so there were plenty of pizza Legos for the kiddos.</div>
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We continued with more games and crafts after lunch. Pin the smile on the Lego guy was a <i>huge</i> hit. Each smile placed in a funny spot brought peels of laughter. The bean bag toss brought out the competitive nature in the kids, but luckily there were no prizes and we all cheered for each child's </div>
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attempt.</div>
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We did two different crafts after lunch as well. Munchkie and Chunka's Daddy had used his smallest drill bit to drill two holes into small flat Lego pieces. I then threaded string through the holes (this was no easy task I realized!) so that the kids could choose to braid the three strings if they were able, or just put beads on to make a bracelet. Then the kids each made a terrarium using a Megablock, some beads, a little plastic animal and an airplant. I made sure to send each kid home with instructions on watering their plant and a tiny spray bottle (super cheap on Amazon.com).<br />
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We used the leftovers to create a "jungle" terrarium.</div>
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Now, the real birthday cake was my pride and joy. Due to a nasty stomach bug that swept through our house the weekend before, the party had to be rescheduled. I considered the cake that I had to dump in the trash (with some tears) my practice so this cake turned out even better than the first.</div>
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Munchkie had seen a similar picture to this on Pinterest and decided that she really wanted a cake just like it. While mine does not look as good as the original, I think that it still turned out pretty good. A friend from work let me borrow some silicone block and minifigure molds, so I used candy melts to create the blocks. I also used fondant to cover the cake, which was Funfetti with buttercream frosting. Since it was both Lent and pretty gluten-ful I did not try it, but I heard it tasted pretty good too.</div>
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So there you go. A super fun Lego birthday for two girls that was enjoyed by both girls and boys of all ages. </div>
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Munchkie'sMamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04902203803704732430noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-195166229084983269.post-87556650779975396672012-09-19T22:29:00.001-04:002012-09-19T22:29:57.679-04:00Update and Oat BranOh boy it's been a while. Once I let a period of time go by without posting, then I feel that I need to have this incredible post to make up for the time gone by. Well, that's not really going to happen. I think now I'm just needing to post something to get back in the game. <br />
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We had a very busy summer. We were go go going almost every day. From driving 24+ hours (each way) to the upper peninsula of Michigan to learning to take the public transportation to Target we were constantly exploring and discovering all kinds of fun things. In between our explorations Munchkie's Daddy and I trained to run a 10k, something I never ever would have imagined doing. See my brother is the runner, not me. But I went from barely making it one minute running to running every step of the 6.2 miles we ran this past Sunday. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV7n1JK0-QpWJXbzlzWi2SemTFRQCbxWpokUM14COxYiYG2lptE9EWYLdCDEExTsTn_skzcMO-FkrUtgkuAZzo5YYjNgmqKc__mI-F7nQmGzlYAXZgcVS40qd2V1fPhZRUnx-9M3OiSNJm/s1600/P1050357.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV7n1JK0-QpWJXbzlzWi2SemTFRQCbxWpokUM14COxYiYG2lptE9EWYLdCDEExTsTn_skzcMO-FkrUtgkuAZzo5YYjNgmqKc__mI-F7nQmGzlYAXZgcVS40qd2V1fPhZRUnx-9M3OiSNJm/s320/P1050357.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oat Bran with apples, cinnamon, almond butter</td></tr>
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I also found a new blog that I am loving. I am in the process of reading every post she has posted, but am still only on 2009. I think that blogs are the new books for me. The thing that bothers me about reading is that I want to finish the whole book. I sometimes sit reading a book cover to cover and neglect all else. But with blogs, each post has a wrap up so you feel that you can walk away and aren't constantly wondering what you're missing by not reading. It sometimes it still a continuous story, but you can take breaks without feeling like you need to read "just one more sentence" so you are in a good stopping point. Anyway, in this new blog <a href="http://heathereatsalmondbutter.com/">Heather Eats Almond Butter</a> she talks about the importance of eating healthy fats, something I have agreed with. I think that I did increase my healthy fats, but not on a daily basis. I also was eating unbelievable amounts of fruit because I love it so much. Now I am trying to substitute veggies for the fruits I was eating, because sugar is sugar. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFrT5oqRqQHg55zbngez53gYmG7I8EqLPWCj11JiUA4NUOOp9PXgaCs5RQxwhctMaxKOFPULLS2pVkd08DLG36T1xP9Gih3aMFnrI-LlL8kuWoUqWW5NFrTua5U3FiBzTULrak7-TphvYA/s1600/P1050229.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFrT5oqRqQHg55zbngez53gYmG7I8EqLPWCj11JiUA4NUOOp9PXgaCs5RQxwhctMaxKOFPULLS2pVkd08DLG36T1xP9Gih3aMFnrI-LlL8kuWoUqWW5NFrTua5U3FiBzTULrak7-TphvYA/s320/P1050229.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oat bran with pumpkin, pumpkin pie spice, unsweetened carob chips</td></tr>
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I also have found a love of oat bran. I work 12-13 hour days, eating breakfast around 6am, maybe a snack mid morning and sometimes not having time to eat lunch until after 4pm. It's absolutely essential for me to find something very sustaining to last me that many hours. I am amazed by how well this oat bran fills me up. The key is all of the things that you can add into your oat bran. I think tomorrow morning I am going to venture into spinach. We'll see how this goes.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTfoP-Iixxiq0HfbKEFxi6jqazVvh_gdk-d_v_yODZaRXQ0ryl-YJzXek5Mk53ufjdzoTk-JhcGKVc9W7IyC25sYCFHDijXeidPPNAD7DmBnApFJ0RW4W1OLJjFgAdnBDI4YlAuovxIvTf/s1600/P1050219.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTfoP-Iixxiq0HfbKEFxi6jqazVvh_gdk-d_v_yODZaRXQ0ryl-YJzXek5Mk53ufjdzoTk-JhcGKVc9W7IyC25sYCFHDijXeidPPNAD7DmBnApFJ0RW4W1OLJjFgAdnBDI4YlAuovxIvTf/s320/P1050219.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Munchkie had maple syrup and milk added to her pumpkin oat bran.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>Oat Bran</u></b></span><br />
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1/2 cup oat bran<br />
2 cups unsweetened vanilla almond milk (can use water or any other kind of milk)<br />
2-4 packets of stevia (or your sweetener of choice)<br />
1-2 tablespoons almond/nut butter (get in those healthy fats!) <br />
1-2 teaspoons cinnamon<br />
1 teaspoon vanilla<br />
add ins of your choosing, pumpkin, apples, butternut squash, spinach, carob chips, more seasonings, raisins, all kinds of fruit, nuts, whatever sounds good<br />
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To make, on the stove-top bring to a boil the oat bran, milk, sweetener, cinnamon, and pumpkin/apples. Turn the heat down a little bit and continue boiling until the milk and oat bran are completely combined and it has thickened, only another minute or two. Turn the heat off, add in the vanilla and almond butter and stir until combined. You can eat right away, adding more yummy things into your bowl or you can put it in the refrigerator overnight, even up to a couple of days. I think that it is delicious both warm and cold, it depends on my mood. It's also very portable, I eat it on the bus on the way to work. This amount usually is too much for me to eat, I usually separate this into two containers and eat over two days, or I "snack" on it throughout the morning at work, eating a few bites when I get the chance.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mmmm</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mmmmm</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mmmmmmmm</td></tr>
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I thought that I would also include some pictures highlighting our summer of fun!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyhTitoVefbXZOho0QXW-EsWNLQzNrIwJ3rUtl1Xn6X85Fgq4jsX14ocHrU1MSruvxN8h2h96pgdWtg2LrzaQ1JxmGZPV1B-4PHnk0vffvA5LaWC69ILQlOfg2uY4-XkNLBzeQNx446zAV/s1600/P1040391.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyhTitoVefbXZOho0QXW-EsWNLQzNrIwJ3rUtl1Xn6X85Fgq4jsX14ocHrU1MSruvxN8h2h96pgdWtg2LrzaQ1JxmGZPV1B-4PHnk0vffvA5LaWC69ILQlOfg2uY4-XkNLBzeQNx446zAV/s320/P1040391.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rode on her first horse with Grandpa at Old McDonald's Farm</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjstOeBk_RrMyuUxOVbktmO9EPPdb-Qo_Y0Kc_oEYnD4fNMN_G8-OONq2OTmqFIRdvDPRniGvq9Yrk7katj-SiF2_zeiLFyOh0mlRc6uu1J1mqnd8aLbW4gU2ZXwFzeSkr7LO5dif7gSrU2/s1600/P1040462.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjstOeBk_RrMyuUxOVbktmO9EPPdb-Qo_Y0Kc_oEYnD4fNMN_G8-OONq2OTmqFIRdvDPRniGvq9Yrk7katj-SiF2_zeiLFyOh0mlRc6uu1J1mqnd8aLbW4gU2ZXwFzeSkr7LO5dif7gSrU2/s320/P1040462.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lots and lots of swimming, she graduated swim classes and enjoyed every minute of it.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA6BXpWX4GeN1SfU6TyKJ7Oe4M0EDnyZtLMzVQyMhYNgKHfWA7yUo1tgZy2-0fU9tjmRdZNwVbFIL2W1aasQ6WOs4_9ycNOQVIy-EnlOxk_r2odHuV-2mQu3RUDnyLURgD-JCzIQYZor7T/s1600/P1040724.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA6BXpWX4GeN1SfU6TyKJ7Oe4M0EDnyZtLMzVQyMhYNgKHfWA7yUo1tgZy2-0fU9tjmRdZNwVbFIL2W1aasQ6WOs4_9ycNOQVIy-EnlOxk_r2odHuV-2mQu3RUDnyLURgD-JCzIQYZor7T/s400/P1040724.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We went to a water park where Munchkie loved the thrill of sliding down the slides.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg88FxBq6cFteWq1lvnz5yrOMu_g5q2xq_edV2pdcRCXcAbFa_XI1QpwMCJjBh0u1pGJRWkXwsSAh-XmhLO-59t8J2uIc8sLuOYi1ZI6JwiR_msfOZQ48jUcBzKncrq24G9q3Bbs_KCtPUM/s1600/P1040752.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg88FxBq6cFteWq1lvnz5yrOMu_g5q2xq_edV2pdcRCXcAbFa_XI1QpwMCJjBh0u1pGJRWkXwsSAh-XmhLO-59t8J2uIc8sLuOYi1ZI6JwiR_msfOZQ48jUcBzKncrq24G9q3Bbs_KCtPUM/s320/P1040752.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Munchkie found out that she likes lobsters. A lot. Between lobsters and her love of good cheeses, she's an expensive date!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWGm7HbfwG2vxDOiF7RZOBFbkk1pI5a2Ufk7O9ch4Zye8WPpKHnx-KnoB9oi_mxYdI5chtuurTLMveCua50ndCcBiaTcF_12hh9ejq8qKuRbD2tktWA9mBdR6AhcrpuKLUQIbMV-mMXF8m/s1600/P1040921.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWGm7HbfwG2vxDOiF7RZOBFbkk1pI5a2Ufk7O9ch4Zye8WPpKHnx-KnoB9oi_mxYdI5chtuurTLMveCua50ndCcBiaTcF_12hh9ejq8qKuRbD2tktWA9mBdR6AhcrpuKLUQIbMV-mMXF8m/s320/P1040921.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We ran our first 5K, running around our city to various historical points of interest, learning more about where we live.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv5hZ-sFjV8T6O_aKzQtyNm5vlQFvDqF5yXkfgpIJsAz78QmKAtWNTQQusJHoO9kpN1urjWiB3aK7wTiToKogo3QMukTbc0OV3CS_kVQ2fU0d5NjtCReqkExJPFUC1ffONikUdKj5GB0It/s1600/P1040938.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv5hZ-sFjV8T6O_aKzQtyNm5vlQFvDqF5yXkfgpIJsAz78QmKAtWNTQQusJHoO9kpN1urjWiB3aK7wTiToKogo3QMukTbc0OV3CS_kVQ2fU0d5NjtCReqkExJPFUC1ffONikUdKj5GB0It/s320/P1040938.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Went to a Food Truck Festival, enjoying all kinds of good eats.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS3Jj1wvtIEDvcKnpvCKfvcnnKbvHiubo-OtmMecseJAL0BJO0Dx6vsN1eVKkdd9VwV3B-6bLiJcssM7Gqa3FoIMSl_OS6DXcP8TdlNoLbmFTdbYOCjOwdHszAxRqxbrZldWNFsF0lk4IC/s1600/fam+boating.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS3Jj1wvtIEDvcKnpvCKfvcnnKbvHiubo-OtmMecseJAL0BJO0Dx6vsN1eVKkdd9VwV3B-6bLiJcssM7Gqa3FoIMSl_OS6DXcP8TdlNoLbmFTdbYOCjOwdHszAxRqxbrZldWNFsF0lk4IC/s320/fam+boating.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spent an afternoon in a rowboat on a pond in the city, so relaxing!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh12l_6cTWUxO-YeZSTm9iNlh73-7so4Q747TvkvzviiBR-3X8v_1JjHjM4YE-jgcVEz_Gz5UGe4HWE2vCF4dnj_8hyEhGZdQX3IC3UukCaKE1cnpKQRf24komtFWyCH0UszawuXJF6ZAy9/s1600/402857_3562468749482_480067634_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh12l_6cTWUxO-YeZSTm9iNlh73-7so4Q747TvkvzviiBR-3X8v_1JjHjM4YE-jgcVEz_Gz5UGe4HWE2vCF4dnj_8hyEhGZdQX3IC3UukCaKE1cnpKQRf24komtFWyCH0UszawuXJF6ZAy9/s320/402857_3562468749482_480067634_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Munchkie loved tubing on the lake in the UP of MI, wanting to go faster and faster!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi48yqsrOzPnHCtJMKUuLvOpdVRLpCJ0m7bGiYJz2JaNffcNGPBgFsUsLysBMgpUEypm_TqDX7ErODixfy-Yyoku0y25TFD0nVXaCz2DxXiIl6FRbG6VmMuN68Z7A_xwJMwpPmdpTDdrzPY/s1600/P1040977.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi48yqsrOzPnHCtJMKUuLvOpdVRLpCJ0m7bGiYJz2JaNffcNGPBgFsUsLysBMgpUEypm_TqDX7ErODixfy-Yyoku0y25TFD0nVXaCz2DxXiIl6FRbG6VmMuN68Z7A_xwJMwpPmdpTDdrzPY/s320/P1040977.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Couldn't get this girl off of the Sea-Doo, she wanted to do "tricks" all day long.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN_ls8K0g4zr7J1MjzYfAfhvdk1WBCEAh4XrXo7RZn4Km2cD-N81T-eY0-M8ZIdmHqtfQE-oiNqH7uygCYZvrs1DOnvNsgj7YAXz9tDDnJ_fHlv6bY6LPeGxoaoSvoBcnQ4WQVg7W7pW3F/s1600/P1050092.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN_ls8K0g4zr7J1MjzYfAfhvdk1WBCEAh4XrXo7RZn4Km2cD-N81T-eY0-M8ZIdmHqtfQE-oiNqH7uygCYZvrs1DOnvNsgj7YAXz9tDDnJ_fHlv6bY6LPeGxoaoSvoBcnQ4WQVg7W7pW3F/s320/P1050092.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Plenty of time spent on the beaches, finding all kinds of treasures.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpu6i-RXkrLlDMy9HGWP-TmTBXw01aDxyLi_juhnBSp3TVWvqBumK1QKdm9L-sBMEGp8PJ2py61TpxDkf_A_LoB_jN33X0wDpp9X9xotb4ucHjS567TzBKI4SUiZN5zKvwr_P-z-lTttIq/s1600/P1050138.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpu6i-RXkrLlDMy9HGWP-TmTBXw01aDxyLi_juhnBSp3TVWvqBumK1QKdm9L-sBMEGp8PJ2py61TpxDkf_A_LoB_jN33X0wDpp9X9xotb4ucHjS567TzBKI4SUiZN5zKvwr_P-z-lTttIq/s320/P1050138.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Traveled to some water falls with friends, nothing like splashing your feet in cool water.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDCBIt7Z7E50gD5iVUJVaF8m4iArgE_j7gTBOAFXcyKiGWeWbB6uKaaiU7DUje6c6KZD7028mEaXfG2v5ULQJikONPRt5lXdg86gwpxKqACUaomybHgU8hbcOtHdoRzziEt9Mikgf-0fzB/s1600/P1050170.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDCBIt7Z7E50gD5iVUJVaF8m4iArgE_j7gTBOAFXcyKiGWeWbB6uKaaiU7DUje6c6KZD7028mEaXfG2v5ULQJikONPRt5lXdg86gwpxKqACUaomybHgU8hbcOtHdoRzziEt9Mikgf-0fzB/s320/P1050170.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hanging out by the waterfalls.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTwZrwnKnGIHzDoaWvo_bYVTSnd0I9l7q7bmQEl1uWUGAa2C-w5Xx350bbYUz8JTgAS1L45bssNLFKUjazt_D1lSmE4zCDUnk4f3TpwI4mK6nOkRg77fhAcvhGoqiuPD2jOD8Sdm4yVQPl/s1600/P1050226.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTwZrwnKnGIHzDoaWvo_bYVTSnd0I9l7q7bmQEl1uWUGAa2C-w5Xx350bbYUz8JTgAS1L45bssNLFKUjazt_D1lSmE4zCDUnk4f3TpwI4mK6nOkRg77fhAcvhGoqiuPD2jOD8Sdm4yVQPl/s320/P1050226.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The first day of school, so hard to believe!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpEPO5YBsRf7dCkZw4x_ADyDnrruqLstU2Kd9WYmd5tmjnw4oB55aMAsYnfV_2gQ_bBQBw6gsgf4XvWWS8Nzt-iQJ1iNw0wWOM5EKf9dAupbv9B9nCbJJv-PuyflWfEjp56FVhiGfND03C/s1600/P1050321.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpEPO5YBsRf7dCkZw4x_ADyDnrruqLstU2Kd9WYmd5tmjnw4oB55aMAsYnfV_2gQ_bBQBw6gsgf4XvWWS8Nzt-iQJ1iNw0wWOM5EKf9dAupbv9B9nCbJJv-PuyflWfEjp56FVhiGfND03C/s320/P1050321.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We went to our first tea party, so much fun!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNMFsVGNYdhpylD6kTRpSab7itPp3p9D1k4N-RaLX0QjMCrfKEMFzDMhz5Mlas8gbbFFhMEX49JXxrH738Bgzf5Zc7HNkKhHIDAESSw66-Db-MvSJM7UVe7vucGHf1gT-qR2sdsr_GzeIf/s1600/P1050339.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNMFsVGNYdhpylD6kTRpSab7itPp3p9D1k4N-RaLX0QjMCrfKEMFzDMhz5Mlas8gbbFFhMEX49JXxrH738Bgzf5Zc7HNkKhHIDAESSw66-Db-MvSJM7UVe7vucGHf1gT-qR2sdsr_GzeIf/s320/P1050339.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We did it! We ran a 10k! Munchkie ran across the finish line with us.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
And there you have it. We have been busy, enjoying time spent together. Although it's sad to be back to the grind of things, school, work, etc. it's nice to be back in a rhythm. Munchkie'sMamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04902203803704732430noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-195166229084983269.post-53349117578358910682012-07-17T00:00:00.001-04:002012-07-17T00:00:54.979-04:00How We Do Healthy While Taking Time Away<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioqhAPdUuMMeapMrUTqEhAQRQgggeSugQelmx_O8AtM75mitgM8nTyxK3YinBiuVreyHbM0Zo9RS58N76upeTWw_H3h6mCxnZ5IWV0CJ8e67Zek0T7cBn7AYJVqxVIG9gBBuRiX9yindr5/s1600/P1040702.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioqhAPdUuMMeapMrUTqEhAQRQgggeSugQelmx_O8AtM75mitgM8nTyxK3YinBiuVreyHbM0Zo9RS58N76upeTWw_H3h6mCxnZ5IWV0CJ8e67Zek0T7cBn7AYJVqxVIG9gBBuRiX9yindr5/s320/P1040702.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Re-hydrating with some sparkling water</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
This past weekend I had a long weekend and so we decided to do something fun. Our initial thought was to go away for the whole time I had off, but then different things came up and our time away turned into a two day one night trip. It was a wonderful and much needed two days and one night. Munchkie loved every single minute of it and can't wait to go back.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF2nMGhO3WwxkuM-y9srynC7EfsXAKitPvfLiVvNIs8Z3NTQDfz7Qi2XqWewb9w78Pb8UgJN1mhalLIXoIy5lvWAV0Pk4vuo7SkQwg47l8TUQMmtysdx5l1vu3gZQEHoOS4O8AtQrzj2f6/s1600/P1040707.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF2nMGhO3WwxkuM-y9srynC7EfsXAKitPvfLiVvNIs8Z3NTQDfz7Qi2XqWewb9w78Pb8UgJN1mhalLIXoIy5lvWAV0Pk4vuo7SkQwg47l8TUQMmtysdx5l1vu3gZQEHoOS4O8AtQrzj2f6/s320/P1040707.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Plum and tail mix snack break</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
One thing that I dread about vacations and holidays are all of the changes and unhealthy decisions that are made during those times. This time I was determined to not make the financial and healthy eating sacrifices just because we were away from our normal routine. I used our weekly grocery budget to get all kinds of snacks, foods and sparkling water for us to eat while hanging out on the beach or in between rides down water slides. It worked out so well, no one went hungry, we didn't stray from our weekly budget and we didn't have that ugh feeling of fried and processed foods. <br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj3aKwX0x3EFJbJH1UjvE_kh78WzAtXqil2ky67alndRG-48vBhRzJ4RWFG9UCatHRd_aHVblBtk4wHPDF73UhYpKrMYvVMLaN8qx8zbA5BzbqTnFCt06yBozFx8gwie5krBMqtMfAPDNN/s1600/IMAG0376.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj3aKwX0x3EFJbJH1UjvE_kh78WzAtXqil2ky67alndRG-48vBhRzJ4RWFG9UCatHRd_aHVblBtk4wHPDF73UhYpKrMYvVMLaN8qx8zbA5BzbqTnFCt06yBozFx8gwie5krBMqtMfAPDNN/s320/IMAG0376.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our healthy spread of foods for lunch at the water park</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
What I packed in our cooler:<br />
Greek yogurt<br />
Apples<br />
Plums<br />
Cheese sticks<br />
Sparkling water<br />
Carrots<br />
Cut up red bell peppers<br />
<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2CWJhFLwuBbr7faYOdBpC1T2M-5gqbOGjSARoqyy8JF_pNiBf3lLefbUGfnadiRU7syusSYAURI85uQogxFcC_ug5a2BkIjJieo7m4D7-iLCFTZFcpT2j0uTEf09LBP35n4utTIcHBXH6/s1600/P1040706.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2CWJhFLwuBbr7faYOdBpC1T2M-5gqbOGjSARoqyy8JF_pNiBf3lLefbUGfnadiRU7syusSYAURI85uQogxFcC_ug5a2BkIjJieo7m4D7-iLCFTZFcpT2j0uTEf09LBP35n4utTIcHBXH6/s320/P1040706.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
In another bag:<br />
Trail mix mixed together from various bulk nuts, seeds and dried fruits from bulk bins<br />
Dried apple chips<br />
More Sparkling water<br />
<br />
We also made sure to stay in a hotel that had a breakfast available <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW-dqqSJpYv-xTTiqgA9yfCRgShJp_poFL1g5xQzbreexRnV6cBIK0RM9d_70SzupbPeR96JZEAhmgCRtEkz2gzYY2kla3eE61zmRB82G7CPLucXss9rEwCwTmp6HUHE-8xqvIm_XaSKpA/s1600/IMAG0377.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW-dqqSJpYv-xTTiqgA9yfCRgShJp_poFL1g5xQzbreexRnV6cBIK0RM9d_70SzupbPeR96JZEAhmgCRtEkz2gzYY2kla3eE61zmRB82G7CPLucXss9rEwCwTmp6HUHE-8xqvIm_XaSKpA/s320/IMAG0377.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yummy apples!</td></tr>
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We had a wonderful time and there was not a single ounce of guilt over what we were eating. Munchkie was able to go without a nap both days and I think that her lack of complete breakdowns were largely due to the fact that she didn't have an afternoon sugar crash and was packed full of healthy sources of fats, carbs and proteins to keep her going.<br />
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We had a wonderful time away as a family, enjoying playing together splashing in water and soaking up some great rays. The little bit of planning that I did ahead of time, in between shifts at the hospital, made all of the difference in the quality of our time together. <br />
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<u><b>Trail mix </b></u></div>
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Sunflower seeds</div>
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Raw pumpkin seeds</div>
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Raw whole almonds</div>
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Craisins</div>
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Raisins</div>
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Dried tart cherries</div>
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Pistachios</div>
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Banana chips</div>
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Goji berries</div>
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Raw cacao nibs</div>
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Dried pineapple</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Skipped the salty chips and instead snacking on apple chips</td></tr>
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<br />Munchkie'sMamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04902203803704732430noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-195166229084983269.post-50251674208412855892012-07-08T03:26:00.000-04:002012-07-08T03:26:30.970-04:00Healthy Ice Cream with a Little Less MessIt's been a while since I've had this much trouble falling asleep while it's dark out. I thought that only sleeping five hours today would be ok and I would be able to sleep tonight, but that apparently is not the case. I guess I was just so tired that those five hours were plenty. After laying in bed for a very long time I decided to just get out and waste some time online. It's so infuriating because now all the plans I had for tomorrow will be blown, unless a few hours sleep tonight will be enough to get me through tomorrow. So I'm up in the middle of the night blogging.<br />
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Anyway, it's July and thanks to President Reagen, it's National Ice Cream Month. Munchkie and I have a real love for ice cream, we could eat it daily. Probably multiple times a day. Since that obviously would not be the smartest parenting decision we don't eat it daily and we have been making our own "healthy ice cream." Munchkie's Mimi gave us two hand churn ice cream makers that we used in my childhood and we've been cranking out our own "Fro Yo" on a regular basis. It is so easy. You can do a quick search online for all kinds of ice cream recipes with tons of steps and ingredients. We go for easy, quick, healthy and delicious here. Two ingredients. Three steps. That's it. <br />
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Puree the fruit of your choice. Mix with plain lowfat yogurt (or flavored if the plain is too tangy). Follow instructions for ice cream maker. Ta Da!<br />
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The only problem with this is that the resulting frozen yogurt is quite soft and messy at first, then the leftovers freeze solid and are difficult to scoop out. I figured that there had to be a happy medium. Putting together some ideas that I had seen on Pinterest, I made some mess free kid friendly ice cream treats. <br />
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Let me tell you that it takes me a lot longer to wipe down sticky fingers and face than it did to put these together.<br />
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1. Mix together the ice cream or regular old ice cream from the grocery store. You could also use yogurt and avoid the ice cream maker altogether.<br />
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2. Put cupcake liners into a muffin pan. Of course every kid needs sprinkles on their ice cream, so those go in the bottom of the cupcake liners.<br />
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3. Fill the cupcake liners with frozen yogurt or ice cream to however much you want your child to have.<br />
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4. Press a cone down into every cupcake liner until it's secure in the muffin pan.<br />
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5. Freeze for several hours.<br />
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6. Remove each ice cream cone from the muffin tin. I put them all into a gallon ziplock bag and back into the freezer they went.<br />
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7. Peel off the cupcake liner.<br />
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8. Of course there needs to be a cherry on top.<br />
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9. See some happy kiddos that don't have ice cream everywhere. This kiddo didn't want to stop eating long enough to give me a real smile.<br />
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This is a great way to control portions and eliminate dishes to clean. Since we don't have a dishwasher, not having to wash a scooper, spoon or bowl makes me just as happy as Munchkie. For myself I froze scoops of ice cream into the cupcake liners without the ice cream cones and hold onto the liner while I eat the ice cream.Munchkie'sMamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04902203803704732430noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-195166229084983269.post-79753730650984316762012-07-03T17:00:00.000-04:002012-07-03T17:00:20.538-04:00I Wish I Was a RunnerNo part of me likes running. I wish that I could be a runner, but those genes were obviously given to my brother and not me. As I've said before, I don't really like to exercise at all. I kind of thought about it for a little while and tried to figure out why exactly is is that I despise it so much. Once I'm finished or almost finished, I start to feel good, but somehow I just can't remember that feeling when I'm starting out. <br />
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I remember reading <a href="http://www.makeit-loveit.com/2012/01/a-runner-im-not-a-real-one-but-i-pretend.html">this post about running</a> a while ago and it really kind of opened up my eyes. In my mind I thought that people who ran loved it. I thought that they wanted to go running and felt good while they were doing it. Therefore, I could never run because I felt like I was going to die every time I tried. Since I read this post I have been thinking about it. Her honesty was so inspiring to me, and I wanted to be a runner too. After reading that anyone can be a runner, that is is ok to be slow and red faced made me realize I really had no more excuses. The only thing holding me back from running was myself. And just as she said, running is 95% mental. <br />
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Once summer came, Munchkie's Daddy is off school, we have the option for full time childcare and I only work three days a week. There were even less excuses to not exercise. I know that I need an end goal to motivate me. It has to be a realistic goal and something that is challenging enough that I don't get complacent with myself. Munchkie's Daddy and I decided to run a 10K (even if we are the last to cross the finish line) in the fall, giving us 20 weeks to get ready for it. I had also heard good things about the Couch to 5K program and since we are literally starting off from the couch, I thought that it would work well for us. <br />
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I found a C25K app for Munchkie's Daddy's iPod and a few weeks ago Target had a huge selection of exercise music on sale, each CD was $2.99. So we got a few different kinds of fast tempo music and off we went. The Couch to 5K program has been great for us, in the beginning you start by walking a couple minutes then running a minute, walking, running. That very first "run" I could not believe what I had gotten myself into. I thought I was going to die. I couldn't breathe, I couldn't pick my feet up and I felt like I was going to keel over. I said so many times that I thought I was going to die that Munchkie started saying it as well. I could not even run the full minute. I seriously doubted the fact that anyone of any size can run. I had to keep reminding myself that the contestants on the Biggest Loser were hundreds of pounds heavier than me and they were running for a lot longer than a minute. If they can do it, than so can I. <br />
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Now, we are running 8 minutes straight with a walking break in the middle. The program eases you into running and you don't even realize that you are running 8 minutes. Not only running, but feeling good while you run. I'm not saying that it is easy, because I often still feel like I'm going to die, like this morning, when I couldn't do the entire last 8 minutes (waking up after little sleep, throwing on some work out clothes and walking out the door was not the best idea) but overall, it's amazing to me how I feel. <br />
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I read <a href="http://anothermotherrunner.com/2012/06/24/why-i-will-run-today/">this funny post</a> on Sunday and thought about how mind clearing running can be. While I'm running I have to focus on so many different things that I can not think about anything else. There is no room in my head to think about anything else except breathing, picking my feet up, keeping my stride short, and not falling on my face. I can't think about work, I can't think about Munchkie, I can't think about food or the future. There is no room for worry, and that is what is so freeing about running. I also really love how great I am starting to feel afterword. I am starting to notice my energy and my mood lifting. My clothes are starting to get a little bit looser and I get to spend time with my husband. I want to become a runner, because running seems to be something great.<br />
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<br />Munchkie'sMamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04902203803704732430noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-195166229084983269.post-47861624721776786672012-06-27T23:30:00.000-04:002012-06-27T23:30:06.461-04:00Fruit PizzaThings have been a little busy around here. My pause started and then I felt that I needed to make up for the pause and just kept putting it off. So I just need to get to it. I'll start back into it with a recipe from last night.<br />
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I signed up to bring a dessert last night for our small group. I have been trying to stay away from grains and all forms of sugars and artificial non calorie sweeteners. This makes things pretty difficult when eating with other people, which I really enjoy doing. So I am finding other ways to create things that I can eat and bring to gatherings. Last night I made a gluten free and completely sugar free fruit pizza.<br />
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My new secret ingredient is something very unsuspecting. Dates. I have been getting dates from the Lebanese store down the street, but
it says that they are packaged in glucose. So I boil a pot of water and
soak about a cup of whole pitted dates in around 3-4 cups of boiling
water for a while (sometimes a few minutes, sometimes a few hours if I
forget). Then I drain the water, rinse them again in hot water and put
them in my food processor and process until smooth and paste like. And then you have date paste.<br />
<br />For the crust: (double this for a 9x13 pan)<br />1 1/4 cup almond flour<br />1/4 tsp salt<br />4 teaspoons date paste<br />1/3 cup melted butter or coconut oil<br />2 teaspoons ice water<br /><br />Mix
together flour and salt in a mixing bowl. Melt butter, add to flour
mixture, mixing in date paste as well. Once combined, add in ice water
and mix until a "gooey" dough forms. Press into pie plate and bake at
350 degrees for 10-20 minutes until golden brown on edges and top. Allow
to cool<br />
<br />For the spread: (this is for a 9x13 pan)<br />1 8oz brick of cream cheese, softened<br />1 tsp vanilla extract<br />1/4 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk (or whatever milk) plus more if needed<br />1/3 cup date paste<br /><br />
Mix together with an electric hand mixer all of the ingredients, adding
more milk as needed to the desired consistency. Spread over cooled
crust. <br /><br />Top with desired fruit (we used blueberries and cut up strawberries).<br />
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I recently discovered Larabars and decided that they would be really easy to make. I just take about a cup of date paste and mix together with a cup or so of pureed nuts. Some of my favorites are pecans and almonds for a pecan pie taste, and unsweetened shredded coconut with almonds and a tablespoon of cocoa for an almond joy. I put a piece of foil inside of a loaf pan and press the mixture of dates and nuts into the loaf pan. I freeze for a few hours, take out and cut into bars then put into ziploc bags and refrigerate. They are great to toss into my purse or bag for work. Munchkie'sMamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04902203803704732430noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-195166229084983269.post-51527902640214289852012-05-28T00:35:00.000-04:002012-05-28T00:35:11.122-04:00Summer GoalsTonight I went on my first <i>ever</i> voluntary run. I do not like to run. Well, I guess I don't like to sweat, pant, hurt, turn red or feel like I'm going to die. So I don't really like exercise, but I especially don't like to run. I've really wanted to enjoy running, people who run are happier people, have a stress relief outlet, time to think and come home all full of happy endorphins released while running. I decided that I need to just force myself to like running and the only way to do this is to have a goal at the end. Munchkie's Daddy and I are going to do a 10K (I think) in September. The few people that I have told this to are all shocked, which makes me think that we might be a little too ambitious, but we don't care how long it takes us to finish, we only plan to finish. Now that Munchkie's Daddy is finished with school for the summer we have made several goals that we are going to accomplish before school starts up again, which also happens to be right around his birthday.<br />
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Right when we first moved, we got Chinese take out in a moment of exhaustion and frustration. When it came time to open the fortune cookies, the "fortunes" were shockingly right on target. Usually they just stir up a laugh, and then get tossed into the bag of trash. These fortunes however, made it onto the fridge. When I get down, frustrated or procrastinate something, I think of these. The one "Begin...the rest is easy" is the one that really hits me. I put so many things off because there's not a deadline that I have to meet, and I'm just scared to start things. Things such as exercising, that I know I should do, I want to do, I just don't want to start. Because starting is the scariest and worst part.<br />
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We (by we I mean me and I say we, forcing Munchkie's Daddy to be a part of this) made a giant piece of foam board into a list of what we want to do this summer, our end goals (like running the 10K in September - giving us a deadline), and a sticker chart to keep us accountable. Yes, that's right, we're parents of a three year old, so we made a sticker chart. We are calling it Our Family's Holistically Healthy Summer Plan. Some our goals include, reading for fun, getting more sleep, decreasing our car use, increasing our time outside, and various goals for eating healthy. Our sticker chart is a weekly checklist and some of the things that we need to check off each week are running, reading our bible, loosing weight and exploring a new place. This was our first week, and for the first week, I think we did pretty well. <br />
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Today we explored a new place, we went to a nearby town to visit Munchkie's Aunt who was at a conference at a nearby college. When we got to the town we realized that it was right on the water, so we got out and walked up and down the beach for a little bit. I didn't realize how much I missed living right by the water until we parked our car, got out, and the ocean smell breeze blew into my face. <br />
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Our next accomplished goal this week was running as a family for the first time. We worked our way up by power walking a few times before starting the couch to 5K running program and ran through a beautiful arboretum nearby. For me this is a huge accomplishment. Munchkie was absolutely loving this running time. We used an app that kept track of time for us, beeping and saying when it was time to walk and when it was time to run again. She would make sure that we heard it and were doing the appropriate activity. I had said several times that I was going to die, and this really concerned her (even though she doesn't really know what dying means) so she kept asking me, "are you dying Mommy?" Then after we were finished running, and began our walk home she was doing stretches in her stroller, telling us that she was dying and needed to stretch out. <br />
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As a family we have set goals, individual goals and goals for our family. We have a deadline of mid September and a huge chart in our living room to keep us accountable. I guess we'll see how this goes.Munchkie'sMamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04902203803704732430noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-195166229084983269.post-92222986348514291262012-04-21T14:27:00.000-04:002012-04-21T14:27:03.392-04:00Safety FirstLiving in a city with a child has some challenges. Transportation becomes a little bit trickier than hopping on a bus or subway and walking where you need to go. Several times when we go somewhere I have decided to ditch the stroller and have Munchkie walk. I have learned how to have a firm grasp on her for safety. For when we're getting on and off the subway at rush hour, when she's not paying attention to the uneven brick sidewalk, when we're in the aquarium during field trip day, when she tries to pull away or getting on and off a bus with my other arm full of things. There are many time when I have been so thankful to be holding on so firmly, we could easily have been separated or she could have fallen.<br />
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The trick is in the pinky. I wrap my pinky around her wrist creating a very secure grip. This way I can hold on to her hand even if she lets go. There's no slipping out of my grasp and it makes me feel a lot more comfortable with adventuring out with an active little girl.<br />
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I highly recommend getting this grip down and using it in crowded situations. It can help you have a little piece of mind while you are searching for other dangerous situations your child could get into.Munchkie'sMamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04902203803704732430noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-195166229084983269.post-34517266156718148192012-04-17T23:36:00.000-04:002012-04-17T23:36:33.937-04:00How Does Your Garden Grow?Today we finally planted our "garden" and Munchkie was thrilled. I was going to plant seeds, because I sometimes am just not smart. I thought that my black thumb would suddenly turn green and something would actually grow. But then the marigolds that we planted from seeds shriveled up and slumped over, and I saw her friends' marigolds all flourishing. So forget that seed idea, we're going for plants. Bypassing seedlings and going straight for the plants.<br />
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It was a great idea and a lot of fun to pot the plants. Very rewarding to see the plants in the pots already, not just pots with plain brown dirt. Maybe with any luck we might actually be able to eat something from our potted plants. Hopefully the three year old who seriously <i>never</i> forgets <i>anything</i> will remember to water them.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYcFc4XbsZGnQ-vg9bx3UN00dcwC9iE1idMIVb_msw_EjAiejd4L1JvQV98vHk9eupzbXOIkHKNVL6pZCH8kVDyd5NAGkupvDDy9J8EvSkY2Cf0FBzb7th8F20qTZ-KcHs9_iMHK-VWkIS/s1600/P1040014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYcFc4XbsZGnQ-vg9bx3UN00dcwC9iE1idMIVb_msw_EjAiejd4L1JvQV98vHk9eupzbXOIkHKNVL6pZCH8kVDyd5NAGkupvDDy9J8EvSkY2Cf0FBzb7th8F20qTZ-KcHs9_iMHK-VWkIS/s320/P1040014.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Filling up our pots- she was such a good helper!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuLPG8XumWVucZa4zj-FlvseXjiOJsQrd0n4BEmWWMCS_nIe9MgMqMJv43__u0UBloYe0EbXcOxNwJOyrHcGA0ok3_qZOVHYtcNiu-s1JtrPJqNwxTDHedweQDZQjC4OSr4FfE1khwKUCB/s1600/P1040015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuLPG8XumWVucZa4zj-FlvseXjiOJsQrd0n4BEmWWMCS_nIe9MgMqMJv43__u0UBloYe0EbXcOxNwJOyrHcGA0ok3_qZOVHYtcNiu-s1JtrPJqNwxTDHedweQDZQjC4OSr4FfE1khwKUCB/s320/P1040015.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> She planted her lettuce seeds and got to choose where ever she wanted to put her pot.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY_27vdqies-94Ti9a9rUuHkf0vhTKvf192rzw4DbPZz5CElf6jlgRQF4fRh5VXk05MsANfFqD9RIsQxuM3GMCOVgMexz7jH2klUr-QcehmPK5Y71-yLNnA2yMhRzC7qdU8WOWfTXqKNBC/s1600/P1040019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY_27vdqies-94Ti9a9rUuHkf0vhTKvf192rzw4DbPZz5CElf6jlgRQF4fRh5VXk05MsANfFqD9RIsQxuM3GMCOVgMexz7jH2klUr-QcehmPK5Y71-yLNnA2yMhRzC7qdU8WOWfTXqKNBC/s320/P1040019.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Then we had to water all of the plants once they were planted. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrK1UGxuouAozheI9WQJTlAWrMRR8qmG08i93Nbepfb5ZZBNWFRHB3GF9l5ChLO2yVLlG6Gv3OlKahuXHi2La8AxOScTQJvydl49ANZgmUgde1QDfw8lVp9zogBHym3ztHXiRrCZpBxRZZ/s1600/P1040020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrK1UGxuouAozheI9WQJTlAWrMRR8qmG08i93Nbepfb5ZZBNWFRHB3GF9l5ChLO2yVLlG6Gv3OlKahuXHi2La8AxOScTQJvydl49ANZgmUgde1QDfw8lVp9zogBHym3ztHXiRrCZpBxRZZ/s320/P1040020.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> She had a lot of watering to do and gave each plant an equal amount.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO5UCMAoHBBe17prnzaCKEUhJaV7FJriMb2LqYkGC3mrdPed3u7fIjS6zJ1aJcjcKV7IQjK5quxDqRTGDoBO48wUIFMobxwe6ulwAD0unX9A3LBLJFlfeA_ETQaTZ3X5ZynUz9xODAxkMx/s1600/P1040022.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO5UCMAoHBBe17prnzaCKEUhJaV7FJriMb2LqYkGC3mrdPed3u7fIjS6zJ1aJcjcKV7IQjK5quxDqRTGDoBO48wUIFMobxwe6ulwAD0unX9A3LBLJFlfeA_ETQaTZ3X5ZynUz9xODAxkMx/s320/P1040022.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> She said "now that all of the plants got water to drink I need some water to drink! I'm thiiiiirsty!"</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkYoYSj7Oby-YuxgDxqXBcXQzpLTc0H1SjW2iZjfNYktJL52FLizlJytm5BGsu54IyfPRrZSlMcV5B2cmvt50A7P0-mHZZe3kq7PMN8saM8lBv66ktQHxwhC0_iMGT34_N03y1VABtXjSj/s1600/P1040025.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkYoYSj7Oby-YuxgDxqXBcXQzpLTc0H1SjW2iZjfNYktJL52FLizlJytm5BGsu54IyfPRrZSlMcV5B2cmvt50A7P0-mHZZe3kq7PMN8saM8lBv66ktQHxwhC0_iMGT34_N03y1VABtXjSj/s320/P1040025.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">And this was her face. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLWMvxppPW4dE7N9SSzrqDScouDLsYEp9uLWMcp79KL1y5Y-mKz1ZfZ5Wwezm0S6jXhqKzPO60Jo0QbjTOYDY0zHHAf4XgVXYgisCbq55N4ZiizZzAuiYsh3x058IJEpi408CmjNoSG1cO/s1600/P1040026.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLWMvxppPW4dE7N9SSzrqDScouDLsYEp9uLWMcp79KL1y5Y-mKz1ZfZ5Wwezm0S6jXhqKzPO60Jo0QbjTOYDY0zHHAf4XgVXYgisCbq55N4ZiizZzAuiYsh3x058IJEpi408CmjNoSG1cO/s320/P1040026.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> I told Munchkie that she could pick any flower that she wanted, but when I showed her what the snapdragon could do, she wouldn't look at any other plant. I told her how my Grammy used to call me her snap dragon and would plant them in her garden. I also told her how Mimi planted them too.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhxv6_h8n1aHKJdSYSTZ8fHyP8crlstvKFC1JhVXPO8vHnLVuUTeQJGh0_G6rfh7_3tl9aqOJRLdYc80FixO-nQPGn_tZVrOfcTbnv7pjjZwCs4DFgJh-T7-6gim7GHThsFpd2tjZMHFJq/s1600/P1040027.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhxv6_h8n1aHKJdSYSTZ8fHyP8crlstvKFC1JhVXPO8vHnLVuUTeQJGh0_G6rfh7_3tl9aqOJRLdYc80FixO-nQPGn_tZVrOfcTbnv7pjjZwCs4DFgJh-T7-6gim7GHThsFpd2tjZMHFJq/s320/P1040027.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5aAL7G_URCLt6GYQPYybwAfMeagojuC8LD5t3EHUjt3NOFwS3jBszy5YpRM9KL30_oM6m8-1lNrGwulPMk6NRynWdhYN_ml9EWMlaOd2sOq4pbhG4cvFkyiaeKYXBbirwDn0qi96FI5pG/s1600/P1040028.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5aAL7G_URCLt6GYQPYybwAfMeagojuC8LD5t3EHUjt3NOFwS3jBszy5YpRM9KL30_oM6m8-1lNrGwulPMk6NRynWdhYN_ml9EWMlaOd2sOq4pbhG4cvFkyiaeKYXBbirwDn0qi96FI5pG/s320/P1040028.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> She picked out what colors she wanted the snap dragons to be.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZprOuEqwibJpZxNyypVvYPOfXH2n1tpAHSlLy6n56YhFx543-aVD9yt5X6xZIzUanyFDQtaxSobATxHj4syQZXCV3I2dTFEUUPAdzYaMlN7CZRJzyJE_4USf_H8gzKXHbFpjr4x_bhdbO/s1600/P1040029.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZprOuEqwibJpZxNyypVvYPOfXH2n1tpAHSlLy6n56YhFx543-aVD9yt5X6xZIzUanyFDQtaxSobATxHj4syQZXCV3I2dTFEUUPAdzYaMlN7CZRJzyJE_4USf_H8gzKXHbFpjr4x_bhdbO/s320/P1040029.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">This was one of my very pretty Easter basket flowers. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz9lfgbkoNg-baa3d3aV_TjpBSg89IKjsOikr8nAyI04ZOyE0Rf0o3L4Ga5CShAULCzPEWrSOUYMdtWUaj4RJz-g3Bvwh7S_MhOPEU0TWnGrCwFJD1Cy3mgPeiCs6IyJxi7htw1NguKNa4/s1600/P1040033.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz9lfgbkoNg-baa3d3aV_TjpBSg89IKjsOikr8nAyI04ZOyE0Rf0o3L4Ga5CShAULCzPEWrSOUYMdtWUaj4RJz-g3Bvwh7S_MhOPEU0TWnGrCwFJD1Cy3mgPeiCs6IyJxi7htw1NguKNa4/s320/P1040033.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Munchkie is going to try to grow some strawberries, I think we may end up dropping some strawberries into the pot and saying that they grew. I don't have high hopes for this.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV-jTz_36Er414AVeevzTeayoyNJtT1fYvY-aj3G6jrUeuk0VamiTNHhg6PNyplyBAvvi2i7uEIO1wmksgFdQ5ZLg-5KLFUptspG9Tb_c6P6iqqiRfE5I38mG9i_7MXxfjufOM1Xjdbay_/s1600/P1040034.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV-jTz_36Er414AVeevzTeayoyNJtT1fYvY-aj3G6jrUeuk0VamiTNHhg6PNyplyBAvvi2i7uEIO1wmksgFdQ5ZLg-5KLFUptspG9Tb_c6P6iqqiRfE5I38mG9i_7MXxfjufOM1Xjdbay_/s320/P1040034.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> I heart basil.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguTE4PckmWFAIVA_nOPMIN9uJBjFfmcDq1lqNzzTl7fxQ4ik8v9enR_vCk2Cb-bsr-DrUoDczLqFiNhIncSz46fQt4nP5ehxM8aGMH9oHsJDKVuBXSIrjUZ18-mYc2EH3PZODp9Vrwqee-/s1600/P1040037.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguTE4PckmWFAIVA_nOPMIN9uJBjFfmcDq1lqNzzTl7fxQ4ik8v9enR_vCk2Cb-bsr-DrUoDczLqFiNhIncSz46fQt4nP5ehxM8aGMH9oHsJDKVuBXSIrjUZ18-mYc2EH3PZODp9Vrwqee-/s320/P1040037.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">And cilantro! My mouth just waters thinking of fresh tomato salsa. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwGi6YtDBm8xbjImFAToukxyiRdEW17I07qgFL351DG3Enx6H0g5bEaVshLYh-e2f5S-JlWTno_VxKMemQOhhhmbLlL2ndOOKQohy9yeehUb1DRckv7Zg_iuZq655jWjrPYtTP3b_cAfQK/s1600/P1040039.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwGi6YtDBm8xbjImFAToukxyiRdEW17I07qgFL351DG3Enx6H0g5bEaVshLYh-e2f5S-JlWTno_VxKMemQOhhhmbLlL2ndOOKQohy9yeehUb1DRckv7Zg_iuZq655jWjrPYtTP3b_cAfQK/s320/P1040039.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Hopefully this will produce some tomatoes to make that fresh tomato salsa.</div>Munchkie'sMamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04902203803704732430noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-195166229084983269.post-40723836301076487212012-04-16T21:37:00.000-04:002012-04-16T21:37:47.617-04:00The Incredible Edible Flaxseed?I have no problem with eggs, in fact I really like eggs, as long as they are scrambled or in an omelet. However, I'm always looking to find ways to make recipes healthier. Munchkie's Daddy says that the world would end if I ever followed a recipe exactly. I've had a huge overabundance of bananas in our house the last few months. Not only ones left over from Munchkie's bday, but also we continued to get a few pounds in our weekly produce box. And what else do you make with bananas besides banana bread?<br />
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I had heard that you could use ground flax seed in place of eggs in recipes, but wasn't quite sure how to go about doing this. Well, thank you Pinterest for yet another helpful tip. It's actually really easy.<br />
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For every egg you need combine 1 tablespoon ground flax seed with 3 tablespoons of water. Let sit.<br />
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How easy is that? Pretty easy. The water and ground flax forms a gel of sorts and that works as the egg in recipes. Obviously you can't make an omelet out of it, but if you're baking banana bread it works great. A friend had passed along this <a href="http://crockpotladies.com/recipe-categories/breads/crockpot-nutella-banana-bread/">nutella banana bread</a> that you make in a crock pot. I kind of decided that the only point of the crock pot was to not heat your house up and because it was a crock pot blog. So I just turned my oven on and baked it the normal way. I also made quite a few substitutions. If you are not interested in low fat or low sugar without chemical replacements, then try out the <a href="http://crockpotladies.com/recipe-categories/breads/crockpot-nutella-banana-bread/">crockpot nutella banana bread</a> because it looks really good!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<b>Ingredients<br />
2 cups gluten free flour mix (can use all purpose flour) </b><b><br />
3/4 tsp. baking soda </b><b><br />
1/2 tsp. salt </b><b><br />
1/4 cup applesauce (I used <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Plum-Organics-Second-Blends-Blueberry/dp/B0058O8FGE/ref=sr_1_3?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1334625606&sr=1-3">this free babyfood</a></b><b> we got at stories and snacks last week)<br />
1/4 cup coconut palm sugar (or your natural sweetener of choice, honey, raw sugar, etc)</b><b><br />
2</b><b> tablespoons ground flax in 6 tablespoons water, allowed to sit and gel together<br />
1 1/4 cups </b><b><a href="http://homemademothering.com/2011/08/healthiest-ice-cream.html">healthy banana "ice cream"</a><br />
1/3 cup </b><b>almond milk<br />
1 tsp. vanilla extract<br />
3/4 heaping cup no sugar no salt peanut butter</b><br />
<b>1 teaspoon cocoa powder</b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2E0LdhWMCnfH0bu_V9LN4yGCmwRejt2Qi8PcPJxhp7HGJ3Bw8Jh_u4zmuOjiMAjHVDuQV61__YNrYRMHExdxPc96pqo1lFb1T_QiR_IXZcpz5D4jbomJ-Ul4IrqmOMHu6TuFwsKcbCALj/s1600/P1040011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2E0LdhWMCnfH0bu_V9LN4yGCmwRejt2Qi8PcPJxhp7HGJ3Bw8Jh_u4zmuOjiMAjHVDuQV61__YNrYRMHExdxPc96pqo1lFb1T_QiR_IXZcpz5D4jbomJ-Ul4IrqmOMHu6TuFwsKcbCALj/s400/P1040011.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<ol><li>Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a bread pan.</li>
<li>Mix together flour salt and baking soda in a bowl</li>
<li>Mix together apple sauce and sugar in another bowl</li>
<li>Add the flax seed mixture and mix some more</li>
<li>Mix in the banana, milk and vanilla and then the flour mixture</li>
<li>In a microwave safe bowl microwave the peanut butter until very soft/runny</li>
<li>Pull one cup of the batter out and mix together with the peanut butter and cocoa powder, it doesn't have to be completely mixed up.</li>
<li>Put the plain batter in the bottom of the bread pan.</li>
<li>Cover with the peanut butter mixture.</li>
<li>Bake for 45-60minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. It will not look completely done because it is so moist.</li>
<li>Allow to cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack in the pan.</li>
<li>Remove from pan and allow to completely cool. </li>
</ol>Munchkie'sMamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04902203803704732430noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-195166229084983269.post-56223687428976520882012-04-02T01:43:00.000-04:002012-04-02T01:43:43.581-04:00Three Years and GoneMy three year relationship is now over. Some days it was love, some days it was hate, and most days it was work. Goodbye long hair. I doubt you will be missed all that much. I am loving my new freedom. My scalp almost immediately started feeling better, it could actually breath for the first time in years. The bathtub drain has made it through several showers and the water is still draining, this hasn't happened in a long time. It takes me just minutes to do my hair. AND I can still put my hair in a pony tail, a stubby one, but still, a pony tail.<br />
<br />
The lesson that I have learned in the last week is that if you are feeling lonely and like no one in your world notices you, do something drastic to your appearance. If you do so, people who you didn't even think knew you existed feel the need to say something. <br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">Remember this picture?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjozcrt3OD2Ruw7S0OkiAxLsIvaLqUjO0DbI4OYdUEahUKEvAxYZZACh02bfzDCs6_tN6LopG3W-Zd4DhFgJghdV_hqwZcHIEDTTSrjqVfbEfai0h3BrCWDzvY-u1eGgxnDquUHvin-6fw/s1600/P1030871.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjozcrt3OD2Ruw7S0OkiAxLsIvaLqUjO0DbI4OYdUEahUKEvAxYZZACh02bfzDCs6_tN6LopG3W-Zd4DhFgJghdV_hqwZcHIEDTTSrjqVfbEfai0h3BrCWDzvY-u1eGgxnDquUHvin-6fw/s320/P1030871.JPG" width="229" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Munchkie took this for me, I think it's the last real picture of how long my hair was.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Then I saw this picture on <a href="http://www.hairromance.com/">Hair Romance</a></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.hairromance.com/wp-content/uploads/image-import/-z599AlAdc2U/TpejZJ6tf-I/AAAAAAAAAuA/XND7ZJp94QI/s640/Refinery29-layeredbob-shorthairstyle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://www.hairromance.com/wp-content/uploads/image-import/-z599AlAdc2U/TpejZJ6tf-I/AAAAAAAAAuA/XND7ZJp94QI/s640/Refinery29-layeredbob-shorthairstyle.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo from <a href="http://www.hairromance.com/">Hair Romance</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;">on a <a href="http://www.hairromance.com/2011/10/short-cut-saturday-the-new-bob.html">Short Cut Saturday</a> post about the new bob. I fell in love and decided that this was the low maintenance hairstyle that I've wanted and searched for without even knowing it.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">So Munchkie and I trotted 2 1/2 hours away to my favorite hair girl ever, she's cut my hair for 3 1/2 years and I wasn't going to trust anyone else to create such a look for me.</div><div style="text-align: left;">Munchkie was happy to take yet another picture of me, to show off my last few minutes with long hair. We had a hard time getting a picture with me actually in it, or at least all of my head in it. So the fact that this one is out of focus kind of had to be overlooked.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio_leQAF35rmiqzYePRs9jUKQhZIqrq_vlv1zV4wfmqZvhFOtQ0B9XCrTtJpPsJzhnN9N0aXIwuzCCuNqXuZzitFXy89hXS9V8t3_bvO5oipQoBIXAxa4mHwngJfMMG10E42Xlw3PuQaG4/s1600/P1030912.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio_leQAF35rmiqzYePRs9jUKQhZIqrq_vlv1zV4wfmqZvhFOtQ0B9XCrTtJpPsJzhnN9N0aXIwuzCCuNqXuZzitFXy89hXS9V8t3_bvO5oipQoBIXAxa4mHwngJfMMG10E42Xlw3PuQaG4/s320/P1030912.JPG" width="236" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">I know that to some this may seem like nothing, but this was a huge feat for my ridiculously thick and "naturally nasty" (not curly, not straight just frizzy and annoying) hair to accomplish. Growing this long hair took a lot of effort. Even on this day, a rainy, humid an dreary day my hair could not be contained into a nice straight 'do.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">So I put my hair into the very capable and talented hands of my trusted hairstylist and she yet again delivered amazing results.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5xOeyN6yVVzkhGai58B4tOD9mLjgF30kKv4opgN6L9PFbciMapaGpVXrg_wSwvZFN37AIZr3sczbrsPrKoUAZ7K-aTYYq46gSV2jNAuJb69IGC3raNbCNalSk5F5hfNkKZB_cpzU491Xn/s1600/IMAG0061.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5xOeyN6yVVzkhGai58B4tOD9mLjgF30kKv4opgN6L9PFbciMapaGpVXrg_wSwvZFN37AIZr3sczbrsPrKoUAZ7K-aTYYq46gSV2jNAuJb69IGC3raNbCNalSk5F5hfNkKZB_cpzU491Xn/s320/IMAG0061.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">Since I was going for such a drastic change, she initially did the cut straight and smooth to ensure that everything was even, adequately thinned and overall perfect. I was happy with this result, before I even attempted to make it look like the picture.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">While I watched her select and separate sections of my hair I began to notice the increasing amount of gray hairs covering my head. They were especially noticeable due to the home dye job I did a few months ago that was horribly grown out. I was freaking out with each section she pulled up, exposing my roots. So I had to come home and dig out the remaining bogo box of hair dye that I had stored away and cover those signs of premature aging. This also gave me the perfect opportunity to try out the wavy look of the inspiration hairstyle.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXe-_NCvMKsJopsWry9-YfJ50l0hobfOOUBYVEKEEhhRfRPEA6h8DvvIeX33fX-hLx7AGDrwEA3SVkS4m7ksXFYoRcYK20GlrvlynQPdR3iD6ESi839HqhxEPzu6Fd0BT4rQjzJoK-Quui/s1600/P1030914.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXe-_NCvMKsJopsWry9-YfJ50l0hobfOOUBYVEKEEhhRfRPEA6h8DvvIeX33fX-hLx7AGDrwEA3SVkS4m7ksXFYoRcYK20GlrvlynQPdR3iD6ESi839HqhxEPzu6Fd0BT4rQjzJoK-Quui/s320/P1030914.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">I would say that for trying out a wavy style for the first time in quite a few months, my hair cooperated pretty well. Not quite the exact look of the picture, but I still liked it a lot.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjldzqKbCA90VdmeCNyqvkofZo5-rpE0UBuW5Ys_lYIja-zPLlj5qe3oYEf1Fiip8kilchBTGKCk_y98Ziy_54KyyqBIKMwdmdMCOgkbopHMBWw4HPK-lTHXLk9PSZ2sIjGwGRLC_9BYUWz/s1600/IMAG0069.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjldzqKbCA90VdmeCNyqvkofZo5-rpE0UBuW5Ys_lYIja-zPLlj5qe3oYEf1Fiip8kilchBTGKCk_y98Ziy_54KyyqBIKMwdmdMCOgkbopHMBWw4HPK-lTHXLk9PSZ2sIjGwGRLC_9BYUWz/s320/IMAG0069.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>I think that it so much more manageable now. I can have a decent hairstyle with only a few minutes of effort and look good enough to go out on a date with my love. This makes all of us happy. Even if Munchkie's Daddy did have a few moments of mourning the night before the big chop. He may not love this new look like I do, but he has to love the decreased amount of time that it takes for me to get out the door.<br />
<br />
I still need to work on the soft, natural looking waves of my inspiration picture, but with my frizzy hair, I need frizz controlling products, which don't always create soft and natural waves. I will keep working on this and see what I can do.<br />
<div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div>Munchkie'sMamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04902203803704732430noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-195166229084983269.post-26903838908295854992012-03-20T23:48:00.000-04:002012-03-20T23:48:59.649-04:00Very Veggie Breakfast Casserole (and gluten free too!)Every Tuesday we have a small group meeting through our church. It's called a neighborhood group because the city is so large that they break the small groups into neighborhoods so that it is more convenient to get together. These Tuesday nights are something that I look forward to every week. It is a chance to meet in someone's home, come together to create a meal, enjoy food and time with friends. For only having lived here about six months, this is amazing to me. That I can share my heart, my life and my cooking with these people that I feel so comfortable with in such a short amount of time. Last week I had to work and I felt a huge void in my week where this Neighborhood Group should have been. Well, and that void of email, Facebook, blogs (this week's Lenten sacrifice) and church on Sunday. Needless to say, it was a pretty rough week so this Tuesday night was something that I was really looking forward to.<br />
<br />
I had signed up to bring a savory breakfast casserole and I wanted to bring something that was a little different (and gluten free) than the typical bread soaked in egg with meat and cheese. I looked at a few different kinds of breakfast casseroles and then decided to take a peak in my fridge and at the Lebanese store down the street. I have to say, I thought that it was delicious, and completely guilt free!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQx2V2D-zlIc8bLuH1-_RmNG5HmdeG7-KuQ3SLhATA1E5VmPALVkQVTIj0zerrzkJ1pA5nygvbGp1uaxp-Hca7ePg31LasjSSmj631DsZ7pzIdeHRuaS5U0b0t2nlOWNIQjsMuBD0nZP3Q/s1600/Breakfast+Casserole.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQx2V2D-zlIc8bLuH1-_RmNG5HmdeG7-KuQ3SLhATA1E5VmPALVkQVTIj0zerrzkJ1pA5nygvbGp1uaxp-Hca7ePg31LasjSSmj631DsZ7pzIdeHRuaS5U0b0t2nlOWNIQjsMuBD0nZP3Q/s640/Breakfast+Casserole.jpg" width="305" /></a>So to make this was kind of an all day thing. Not that I worked on it all day, but I did a little bit here, a little bit there. I chopped and washed the vegetables, set them out to drain and dry. Then went to pick Munchkie up and go to the store for a couple things that I couldn't find in our local stores. While Munchkie was napping I threw the veggies in the oven to roast while I cooked the bacon and lightly sauteed the swiss chard while whisking the eggs. Assembled it all, hopped in the shower and then let it bake in the oven while I got ready and played with Munchkie. Meanwhile, I had three other projects going in the kitchen as well, making a gallon of liquid soap (for hand soap and body wash), date paste (to use as a natural sweetener), and cinnamon struesel coffee creamer. It was a very productive day! I was also very excited to wear my new Whole Foods apron. The lady who does stories and snacks that Munchkie and I go to every week gave this apron to me saying that she knows how much I love Whole Foods. Munchkie very happily took my picture wearing the apron. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><u><b>Very Veggie Breakfast Casserole (gluten free!)</b></u></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">20 oz shredded hash brown potatoes</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Mixed vegetables (I had 2 small zucchinis, a huge red pepper and broccoli)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Small drizzle of olive oil</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1 teaspoon garlic powder </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">One bunch Swiss Chard</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Small handful fresh parsley</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1/2 red onion</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">12 oz bacon</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">12 eggs</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1/2 cup light cream </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">salt and pepper</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">4 plum tomatoes</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Goat cheese</div><ul><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3tjwCMwxU5mfHa3jT25oRMbgUpanrrJpSBlw4HXprzc-ONxCUiurGsJ3I24__sm5CfY7b7TRhya-8cexgW4-h7Uf_tNiqwKKHq-6VJW6wwQjiy0P9HnKkXhtaT_VRW6Q0LHxsMK7prHah/s1600/P1030871.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3tjwCMwxU5mfHa3jT25oRMbgUpanrrJpSBlw4HXprzc-ONxCUiurGsJ3I24__sm5CfY7b7TRhya-8cexgW4-h7Uf_tNiqwKKHq-6VJW6wwQjiy0P9HnKkXhtaT_VRW6Q0LHxsMK7prHah/s320/P1030871.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
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</tbody></table><li> Turn the oven to 425 degrees, chop the mixed vegetables, toss them in a small amount of olive oil and garlic powder and roast them in the oven for 15-20 minutes, mixing halfway through.</li>
</ul><ul><li> Cut bacon and onions into small pieces. Start to cook the bacon in a skillet and once grease starts to form in the pan, add the red onion to saute in the bacon grease. Cook until the bacon is light brown. Pour out onto a plate with paper towel to absorb the grease.</li>
<li>Cut the Swiss chard and parsley into small pieces, put in a medium heat pan, lightly cook until slightly wilted.</li>
<li>Spray 9x13 pan with cooking spray, spread potatoes in bottom of pan to form a crust of sorts.</li>
<li>Layer the mixed vegetables over the potatoes, then the Swiss chard/parsley and bacon/onion.</li>
<li>Vigorously whisk together the eggs, light cream, salt and pepper. Pour eggs over layers.</li>
<li>Bake in 350 degree oven for 30-40 minutes or until the center is solid when pan is jiggled.</li>
<li>Slice the tomatoes and lay out on a plate covered with paper towel to drain the extra liquid off. Layer sliced tomatoes on top of the casserole and bake in 425 degree oven for 10 minutes.</li>
<li>Sprinkle goat cheese over top of tomatoes and bake for another 10 minutes.</li>
<li>Slice and serve.</li>
</ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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<span id="goog_1806204796"></span><span id="goog_1806204797"></span>Munchkie'sMamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04902203803704732430noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-195166229084983269.post-60427241114834059812012-03-19T13:44:00.000-04:002012-03-19T13:44:13.142-04:00Good Start to a Beautiful DayBreakfast is my favorite meal ever. In any form. Yes, I obviously like sweets, so any kind of sweet breakfast is a hit, but I also love savory. Omelets, sausage,bacon, quiches, and potatoes. I'm also a firm believer in the importance of breakfast, so I don't usually skip it. I would much rather have a late and large breakfast and skip lunch. This morning I was trying to decide what to have on this beautiful day off of work. I remembered that I had found some unsweetened flaked coconut for really cheap at this random store when looking for something else with my mom. I decided to throw that into some oatmeal. Well, and those raisins left over from the Irish pudding that I couldn't eat on Saturday. Naturally cinnamon always goes into oatmeal. And it was delicious!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVzQ-sNqTm29auQwgtmIjNtV6E_h2m0ezTxfaSENs4zgr6fWIQpextJFkn5qmF9k3fFY91jS9JxcJrV8WZ2exl1DO8GASqNhp7AwHqaROvrFwbOccgGkC0epX0Uct7bhnzv4w1uDqPVkRK/s1600/P1030783.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVzQ-sNqTm29auQwgtmIjNtV6E_h2m0ezTxfaSENs4zgr6fWIQpextJFkn5qmF9k3fFY91jS9JxcJrV8WZ2exl1DO8GASqNhp7AwHqaROvrFwbOccgGkC0epX0Uct7bhnzv4w1uDqPVkRK/s320/P1030783.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>I couldn't eat it all, this is definitely a two person bowl of oatmeal. Maybe I should have kept Munchkie home from the babysitter's to help me eat this. It was absolutely amazing to sit with every single window in my apartment, yes all four of them, all the way open and quiet surrounding me except for the sounds coming in from the outside. The birds chirping, kids playing down the street, cars passing by, and people calling friendly greetings to each other. Oh beautiful day!<br />
<br />
<u><b>Coconut Raisin Oatmeal</b></u><br />
1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk plus a little bit more for cooling down the hot oatmeal<br />
1/2 cup oats<br />
handful unsweetened flaked coconut<br />
handful raisins<br />
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon<br />
2 packets stevia<br />
<br />
<ul><li>Mix almond milk and oats together in a microwave safe bowl</li>
<li>Microwave for 2 1/2 minutes, watching to make sure it doesn't explode</li>
<li>Add in coconut, raisins, cinnamon and stevia, stirring until fully mixed</li>
<li>Microwave for another 30-60 seconds to plump the raisins, and meld the flavors</li>
<li>Add cold almond milk until the right temperature and consistency.</li>
</ul>Mmmmmmm!Munchkie'sMamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04902203803704732430noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-195166229084983269.post-39152429556548443502012-03-12T17:00:00.003-04:002012-03-12T17:00:04.207-04:00Three. How Can It Be?Munchkie's such a big girl now. She's three. I can't believe it. She not even one little tiny part baby anymore. Well, that's a lie, maybe when she's sleeping. But she's such a little girl now. I of course was going to just have a little family and friend get together for her birthday, and it just never turns out like that. Our apartment is so small that our families wouldn't be able to fit, let alone comfortably fit in our living space so I have always had to find a place to have her birthday (she is going to be sorely disappointed the first year we have a house, or even a good size living room and she no longer has a party anywhere else). Then I figure I'm renting a place, I might as well invite a few people to come. And so, it is no longer a little get together. Oh well. She<i> loves</i> it.<br />
<br />
Ok, and so do I. I love the party planning. The baking and prepping and cake making. Even though I sleep for three hours one day and 4 1/2 the next. Tonight, I'm going to sleep like a baby, one that sleeps through the night for 13 hours straight without making a noise, not a newborn (I hope). Because although it may have been three years, I still remember what those nights were like.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"> Here are a few pics of her bday.</div><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW9yY-bAc878I_sq0-cxln_9jNpLkGspiHB3rimuMvinO-MKFkStXURV34NaK0x8PNSmDEqLsh2aD-gBkFNdXg1sCQObBGfS24B7jNwee4TPixUtyYuNTPVOgfeIRKfPHpzDbREd86lUeO/s1600/P1030635.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW9yY-bAc878I_sq0-cxln_9jNpLkGspiHB3rimuMvinO-MKFkStXURV34NaK0x8PNSmDEqLsh2aD-gBkFNdXg1sCQObBGfS24B7jNwee4TPixUtyYuNTPVOgfeIRKfPHpzDbREd86lUeO/s320/P1030635.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Of course a girl's gotta have yellow nail polish with red sparkles for a Curious George birthday!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUDxYiyFWkolWsKGM-1AtxepSqC90WYfHKtoedfY5cYCP3LGjDGHdP8sCvuC2Mhd7I8NyfQiTsUnnA8UWLRex9jW-6XBwbjZ_zdDK9rKAJDu-HN8vgXY0LQz1YwAHvDogPJeRDQb2cIYDG/s1600/DSC00211.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUDxYiyFWkolWsKGM-1AtxepSqC90WYfHKtoedfY5cYCP3LGjDGHdP8sCvuC2Mhd7I8NyfQiTsUnnA8UWLRex9jW-6XBwbjZ_zdDK9rKAJDu-HN8vgXY0LQz1YwAHvDogPJeRDQb2cIYDG/s320/DSC00211.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Curious George cake, white cake mix with chocolate chips and peanut butter frosting and the hat is strawberry cake mix with lemon frosting and fondant (and I used a pyrex bowl to make three layers of cake then cut them down for the hat)</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBKGmn4-iMCT0SaasCafKEJa2BNDqPqI0EA73JJ3QbTp09PxSoc-ypVG07n6EMRTkbYH77Wpr8sVjKpqLgHc3XvWWTsvXu0U_AZ_AA791SSoD0k-g0WlGtqchp6Up3p5Oah8lMF4qpAYUJ/s1600/DSC00212.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBKGmn4-iMCT0SaasCafKEJa2BNDqPqI0EA73JJ3QbTp09PxSoc-ypVG07n6EMRTkbYH77Wpr8sVjKpqLgHc3XvWWTsvXu0U_AZ_AA791SSoD0k-g0WlGtqchp6Up3p5Oah8lMF4qpAYUJ/s320/DSC00212.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Grown up food" and I used bananas at the last minute as food description "cards"</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRa1GJ6Oi4MUu4ReQawBXuxwiHE92cAS1GYA7nB29v_snAtkyrKExf0MR8JrhKkqJSSHWOTPWu52_i3JbBkYkDkCxPPSrHrTHzbGf-f0jdnrKoOfCfV09T6YtaqT2skH0hdEURaMwErGQd/s1600/DSC00217.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRa1GJ6Oi4MUu4ReQawBXuxwiHE92cAS1GYA7nB29v_snAtkyrKExf0MR8JrhKkqJSSHWOTPWu52_i3JbBkYkDkCxPPSrHrTHzbGf-f0jdnrKoOfCfV09T6YtaqT2skH0hdEURaMwErGQd/s320/DSC00217.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Coloring a Curious George picture</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY8RhZhTlj1RArknqsR1Wo6J_LyDDQmepdKhbOD7W8TJi394d9IzkHyCvFQUvtwMxuj90lJnDE8z8og1IWFj6vpedjGHUBwUzpXOK7eMaifg9N2vT-BaFIPKVzjwkLkcchq3saHc5PrbuK/s1600/DSC09874.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY8RhZhTlj1RArknqsR1Wo6J_LyDDQmepdKhbOD7W8TJi394d9IzkHyCvFQUvtwMxuj90lJnDE8z8og1IWFj6vpedjGHUBwUzpXOK7eMaifg9N2vT-BaFIPKVzjwkLkcchq3saHc5PrbuK/s320/DSC09874.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yummy lunch provided by the zoo</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp1Y7hzzM1UTzjhmeyfNdTBHgJV0zW-bww6_BCKSVK6p7KYNkbVIVhXORWAK4keSuQ7o_mPXI-9ne_jaGAhXWD_FRsShyOTyFA2t40ucbTdAJ0oYJoAnxwygjRMoOqadAMeuC80cjtfWdM/s1600/DSC09879.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp1Y7hzzM1UTzjhmeyfNdTBHgJV0zW-bww6_BCKSVK6p7KYNkbVIVhXORWAK4keSuQ7o_mPXI-9ne_jaGAhXWD_FRsShyOTyFA2t40ucbTdAJ0oYJoAnxwygjRMoOqadAMeuC80cjtfWdM/s320/DSC09879.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beyond thrilled to being sung Happy Birthday</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBiltNZFylqjySv2E7WMRgVLfrujcKHjZ0SiGTaPy8m15yCEtx6p13ksNJwqB5x5oRjn-3LmHsmQlb0jrW-B9bAFIO39RF15RJ_P8313kET3Z-PcyRUN-s_koZuKANANSyCSBXmuEsYM64/s1600/P1030685.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBiltNZFylqjySv2E7WMRgVLfrujcKHjZ0SiGTaPy8m15yCEtx6p13ksNJwqB5x5oRjn-3LmHsmQlb0jrW-B9bAFIO39RF15RJ_P8313kET3Z-PcyRUN-s_koZuKANANSyCSBXmuEsYM64/s320/P1030685.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Strawberry lemonade cake with a version of <a href="http://homemademothering.com/2011/08/healthiest-ice-cream.html">banana ice cream</a></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfzbiqJgHM5JylXOg28n1HjuVmSEWf-Rmu30y34jQMd4cQ57EOs7IjOEyTx83n-SGrv_oEX5xX6WcHw_e2R8tK7NqOyMdg_bis5gGgox4Bt7XmJxtL6Ndi3u08_WxW5S9HCurG6eNhsiMt/s1600/DSC09885.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfzbiqJgHM5JylXOg28n1HjuVmSEWf-Rmu30y34jQMd4cQ57EOs7IjOEyTx83n-SGrv_oEX5xX6WcHw_e2R8tK7NqOyMdg_bis5gGgox4Bt7XmJxtL6Ndi3u08_WxW5S9HCurG6eNhsiMt/s320/DSC09885.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our family with the king of the jungle</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><b style="background-color: yellow; color: red;"><span style="font-size: large;">Happy Birthday Munchkie! I love you soooooo much! </span></b></div>Munchkie'sMamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04902203803704732430noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-195166229084983269.post-85103656397225283862012-03-10T23:39:00.001-05:002012-03-10T23:40:16.593-05:00Roasted ToastedWe have been getting a box of produce delivered to our back door (yes on the third floor) once a week and have been trying out all kinds of new vegetables. I am just not that into veggies, I really want to be, but I'm just not. However, I have found a way that actually makes me look forward to eating them. Roasted. I have learned, if you don't like 'em roast 'em. And it's sooooo easy!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4FxYbh47ilomFDM_0gRV1KpieN-3vh58UeOERyWN4XM8ZOIk5sd-yzfLVXVd96sU6EIM6Zl6j4f97nIPGu5F69fUCwRDKPIQE7hKsVYKq0Q_0X06tr2krJCy9UnESWwTZmbCJMa6hpDXW/s1600/P1030616.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4FxYbh47ilomFDM_0gRV1KpieN-3vh58UeOERyWN4XM8ZOIk5sd-yzfLVXVd96sU6EIM6Zl6j4f97nIPGu5F69fUCwRDKPIQE7hKsVYKq0Q_0X06tr2krJCy9UnESWwTZmbCJMa6hpDXW/s400/P1030616.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><br />
Turn your oven to 425, slice your veggies however you like, toss with a little bit of olive oil and whatever seasoning you like, lay out in a single layer on a cookie sheet and roast for 15-30 minutes. If at 15 minutes they don't seem to be brown and crispy around the edges, keep putting them back in for a few more minutes until they do. That's it.. It's so flexible, you can use whatever seasoning you like. And you can add cheese at the last few minutes. We have been using Parmesan lately as our cheese of choice.<br />
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The options are really endless, some things that we have tried and loved are-<br />
Broccoli a few dashes soy sauce (or liquid amino acids) and sesame seeds<br />
Cauliflower and Parmesan cheese <br />
Root vegetable mix with rosemary and thyme<br />
Broccoli with Parmesan cheese<br />
Carrots and Parsnips with rosemary and garlic (<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/23/health/nutrition/23recipehealth.html?_r=1&ref=carrots">from the NY times</a>)<br />
<a href="http://prouditaliancook.blogspot.com/2010/05/tiny-tomatoes-big-taste.html">Zucchini boats with Parmesan and tomatoes</a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEmaedStQvqdSGT65SYtFQb4NgUEiZNb8tLp1yQuFJiYfGH86YuZfQ1coy7LXOU-xouz5R6C70-4vidEOMsV5hssykM6JVdWSWHwH_nsXldjij88NbidJWreNLo_HhBwvr8O6GezqDTkCX/s1600/P1030617.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEmaedStQvqdSGT65SYtFQb4NgUEiZNb8tLp1yQuFJiYfGH86YuZfQ1coy7LXOU-xouz5R6C70-4vidEOMsV5hssykM6JVdWSWHwH_nsXldjij88NbidJWreNLo_HhBwvr8O6GezqDTkCX/s320/P1030617.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
We had friends over this night of root vegetable medley, and I have to say that I think they were actually my favorite item on my plate. <br />
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Try them. I think that you will be surprised.Munchkie'sMamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04902203803704732430noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-195166229084983269.post-63777949774318464452012-03-04T21:32:00.003-05:002012-03-04T23:16:42.203-05:00How Dreams Change....I love Pinterest, I can not even tell you how many things I've done from there. However, a lot of people have "boards" of their dream home. These huge beautiful kitchens, elaborate bathrooms and immaculate yards. It seems that every time I look at Pinterest I am bombarded by huge perfect homes. I was talking with Munchkie's Daddy and we were laughing together over how much things change in a few short years. I used to think that these houses were exactly what I wanted. Room after room after room, rooms for all kinds of purposes. Now, after having lived in a variety of interesting places (the best way to describe them) our desires in a home have changed. I guess by the time Munchkie's Daddy is finished with school we will have even more ideas of what a dream home consists of, five more years of thinking about it may add some things to the list. <br />
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Things in our dream home (Munchkie's Daddy is contributing to this)<br />
<ul><li>A dishwasher (this is #1)</li>
<li>Weather proof (no drafts, and by drafts I mean snow drifts in the living room or having to wear coats inside)</li>
<li>Smallish yard - we don't like to spend our time doing yardwork</li>
<li>Closets that fit all of our clothes (and realistically we don't have that much)</li>
<li>A bathroom that is not in an awkward spot, like off the kitchen or dining room or really anywhere that food is.</li>
<li>A bathroom that has room to hang the families' towels. </li>
<li>A washer and dryer in an easily accessible place, but again, not in the dining room</li>
<li>If there are stairs to the washer and dryer, they are inside the house. </li>
<li>An office for Munchkie's Daddy so he doesn't have to sit behind a room divider with headphones on to study</li>
<li>To be able to stand up straight in the shower</li>
<li>Space to fit more than four people in a living room comfortably</li>
<li>A room that guests could actually sleep in and have a door </li>
<li>A garage so that we don't have to shovel out our car every snow storm</li>
<li>A full size refrigerator that will fit a gallon of milk</li>
<li>Solar energy so that electric and gas bills aren't sky high</li>
<li>Somewhere you can choose to make changes </li>
<li>For cell phones to work inside. Well maybe outside too.</li>
</ul>For now we will be happy in our small cozy apartment and be thankful that there is less to clean.Munchkie'sMamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04902203803704732430noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-195166229084983269.post-89258614033573745242012-02-23T21:16:00.000-05:002012-02-23T21:16:00.778-05:00Cha-Cha-Cha-Chia<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Lent has begun and with that comes the sacrifices that we make for the 40 days until Easter. I know what my weaknesses are and try to make these sacrifices something that I know I will struggle with. If it was easy it wouldn't be a sacrifice now would it? This year I gave up sugar and TV (a sacrifice as a family). Included in the sugar category I am including all artificial sweeteners (Splenda, nutrasweet etc) and natural sweeteners that contain calories (honey, agave, etc) so the only option I am allowing myself is pure stevia (hey, I'm not giving up coffee and I'm not cool enough to drink it black, so I need something). I think that I am going to be very surprised by the amount of things I consume that contain something in this sugar category. I know that I have a very strong addiction to all things sweet and am anticipating a withdrawal of sorts in the next week. Should be interesting.<br />
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A while back I saw this deal online for coconut oil, which I use frequently both in baking and toiletries. The price was pretty amazing and it came with a bag of chia seeds. I did not know anything about chia seeds except for the Smiling Obama Chia Pet that we got my brother-in-law for Christmas. I kind of asked around, and then tried a recipe with chia seeds. It was my first absolutely inedible disaster while baking with somewhat expensive gluten free products. I think that I was so upset that I tossed them in the back of the pantry and didn't want to attempt anything else. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6XC8OQwDBKy4USrlxk_UcQSRnmwIqNYXxDSUScrp-1M1RMduzQFK5oOqNMNEZmBL5TkU8CuzpFjjFemAmjPXjBsCJjQhN_u0-oOrHjgTkjvDN4Asxw1HiOxGL4FWuAmxnoB4DHehx0xUn/s1600/P1030599.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6XC8OQwDBKy4USrlxk_UcQSRnmwIqNYXxDSUScrp-1M1RMduzQFK5oOqNMNEZmBL5TkU8CuzpFjjFemAmjPXjBsCJjQhN_u0-oOrHjgTkjvDN4Asxw1HiOxGL4FWuAmxnoB4DHehx0xUn/s320/P1030599.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
The other day one of the blogs that I follow had a <a href="http://homemademothering.com/2012/02/chia-raspberry-pudding.html">Chia-Raspberry Pudding</a> recipe and so I thought I would give them another go around. Oh my goodness I am in love! To me it is just like tapioca pudding, something that I enjoy. If you don't like the texture of tapioca pudding, you probably won't like this. Just as <a href="http://homemademothering.com/">Maureen from Homemade Mothering</a> made adjustments to her recipe, I made adjustments to my recipe to cut out the sweetener. I also used unsweetened vanilla almond milk, so it does have a vanilla taste to it. I think that if it was the regular unsweetened almond milk it would definitely need the fruit in it, I left it out for my batch. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrM3mAnXx1VXCKlmc-zJsg5iO9eCZ__SKrykOBVBP95KJ0avj8msDmo5nNa-i1EIPXUBL4pjCLL7Ve5U7V9XRdAI_D7ciIMUETmnBnaPss4XESMmKYxjVOIN92qPzjonR7BUBDC8167oyU/s1600/P1030602.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrM3mAnXx1VXCKlmc-zJsg5iO9eCZ__SKrykOBVBP95KJ0avj8msDmo5nNa-i1EIPXUBL4pjCLL7Ve5U7V9XRdAI_D7ciIMUETmnBnaPss4XESMmKYxjVOIN92qPzjonR7BUBDC8167oyU/s320/P1030602.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> 3 cups unsweetened vanilla almond milk<br />
1/2 cup chia seeds<br />
1 teaspoon stevia (this equals 8 teaspoons sugar)<br />
fruit if desired<br />
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Combine all in a container and shake well. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight. Shake it a few more times if you think about it.<br />
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The chia seeds absorb up to 9 times their weight in liquid, so they form a gel, creating the pudding.<br />
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I can't get enough of this. However, Munchkie saw the bag of frozen blueberries and couldn't get enough of those. She was a blue mess until bathtime! This picture doesn't do justice to how blue she really was.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgybDehQcuS7lCgSOFkjGNqxVpxftpwHHPDL6CmpJWi7XhYmQdilLxN-rYQApQ1eeiwiJGJeFAPTQa9Q6vSmHmoKp02jB13qCADU2J5Lcn-F6LjNiLMsyBKdVi72oBA5ubasQHjc__qh5xt/s1600/P1030605.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgybDehQcuS7lCgSOFkjGNqxVpxftpwHHPDL6CmpJWi7XhYmQdilLxN-rYQApQ1eeiwiJGJeFAPTQa9Q6vSmHmoKp02jB13qCADU2J5Lcn-F6LjNiLMsyBKdVi72oBA5ubasQHjc__qh5xt/s320/P1030605.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Munchkie'sMamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04902203803704732430noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-195166229084983269.post-34171187155230226192012-02-19T23:54:00.002-05:002012-02-19T23:59:25.760-05:00It Is WellTonight at church a member shared with us and what he had to say really moved me. His life is truly amazing, while standing in front of a large group of people he spoke of hope. He spoke of hope, which might not mean much, except that he was told that this past Christmas was his last. Hope. While he was telling us that he would never walk down an aisle and say "I do" or he would never be a father and look into the eyes of his child. These things that I take for granted <i>every single day</i>. His message was of hope. He spoke of God's promise to Abraham. Abraham was 100 years old when his son Isaac was born. One. Hundred. Years. Old. Abraham had to wait until he was 100 years old to see God's promise fulfilled.<br />
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This hit me. I have so much to be thankful for and I am so impatient. I want this specific life that I have all planned out in my head. I think that I will never be able to wait the five years of Munchkie's Daddy's grad school to be "real" adults. I get impatient and frustrated with what I have, or don't have. All over five years. How can I complain about five measly years when Abraham was 100! And yet, Abraham praised God and followed his commands. This man at church had hope and praised God, even in difficult circumstances.<br />
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I know in my head that God has had a hand in every aspect of my life. I know that everything in our lives has been placed there by God and I can do nothing else but trust in him. He has provided for us time and time again, he will continue to provide for us. While I do struggle quite frequently with not living out this "perfect" life I had planned, I can see that what's happening in my life is way better. I cannot even imagine my life without all of the amazing friends that I have made over the past few years, my wonderful husband or my beautiful daughter.<br />
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We sang this song at church tonight and every single time I hear it, it brings tears to my eyes. It's easy to hear or read the words and think, oh some guy was sitting at his piano writing this while he was waited on. Except that isn't the case. The words to this song were written by Horatio Spafford as he rode on a boat to be with his wife after his four daughters drowned in a boat collision. His son had already died at the age of four and the great Chicago fire left him financially ruined. Through all of that, he wrote "It is well with my soul." This man wasn't living in the lap of luxury, he was at the lowest point of his life. He can say it is well with my soul when most would be hopeless. If he can have peace and comfort, than surely I can find peace and comfort knowing that someone else has control over my life. If the man at church, Abraham, and Horatio can have hope, even though they are going through trying situations, than I can survive five measly years of being far from home and a grad student's wife. It is well with my soul. I can say that and mean it. I may need to remind myself of this frequently, but it is well with my soul. <br />
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I apologize for the early 90's video.<br />
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Although I usually don't like Wikipedia, they do have a pretty condensed version of the story behind this song. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/It_Is_Well_with_My_Soul">It Is Well With My Soul</a>Munchkie'sMamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04902203803704732430noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-195166229084983269.post-17072543028739675462012-02-12T23:36:00.000-05:002012-02-12T23:36:55.586-05:00Food to Feed a New FamilyA family in our church just recently had a baby and so I wanted to bring food for the family. I remember how much we ate out when we first had Munchkie. The thought of prepping, cooking and then cleaning was too much to think about. Now whenever I can I like to bring food to families with new babies. It's hard enough to survive through the extreme sleep exhaustion let alone eat well. I'm sure there are super moms out there that can hold it all together, but I sure am not one of them.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUR8xXI6qYZ-Ipj3MK3jQoTIn1fR-tUsae2pYyvaBPQmb4UqL_ITMUz_Ux0aSQMAeDGMkQCxjuuGzJBk_fnzRRBZwXgHH9-W-LPRixtFBQ9zUXt1AWP9DiywAlNxUwNOLEiXHXY0jtSbYH/s1600/P1030523.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUR8xXI6qYZ-Ipj3MK3jQoTIn1fR-tUsae2pYyvaBPQmb4UqL_ITMUz_Ux0aSQMAeDGMkQCxjuuGzJBk_fnzRRBZwXgHH9-W-LPRixtFBQ9zUXt1AWP9DiywAlNxUwNOLEiXHXY0jtSbYH/s320/P1030523.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Thanks to <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/">Pinterest</a> for almost all of my great ideas these days. I saw this <a href="http://www.wileyvalentine.com/blog/2011/11/21/mom-monday-toddler-lunch-idea/">super cute idea</a> a while back and kept it in the back of my mind to create. Unfortunately I apparently didn't have my memory card in my camera when I took a bunch of pictures, so they were lost. But how genius is it to make divided plates out of ice cube trays. This family that we brought food to had a higher need for lunch meals more than evening meals, so I thought of what Munchkie would love for lunch. I also know that to eat healthy takes prep and how difficult it would be to do that prep for two toddlers while caring for a new<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkF-FC9wDp4YlmUg3FqwMfdHoz1G3Bmu7SsLTOJ_yX7dWt-pISnLW40uBoHVsAIYooIW9rUQ6X6I0KQ9gzkPMy2s3haHiv-vC87ijJwWGwA4wfZGiXv_c2jiMOvQrtYitt4NLxe0TgfoJD/s1600/P1030527.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkF-FC9wDp4YlmUg3FqwMfdHoz1G3Bmu7SsLTOJ_yX7dWt-pISnLW40uBoHVsAIYooIW9rUQ6X6I0KQ9gzkPMy2s3haHiv-vC87ijJwWGwA4wfZGiXv_c2jiMOvQrtYitt4NLxe0TgfoJD/s320/P1030527.JPG" width="245" /></a></div> baby. So these ice cube trays have cut up veggies and fruit, cheddar bunnies, small pieces of cheese and yogurt covered raisins. I used Glad Press'n'Seal to seal the tops, when it is lunch time, the kids can just grab a tray, pull the top off and have a quick, easy, kid friendly lunch.<br />
I obviously couldn't forget the parents, so I brought containers of precut veggies, hummus and some pita from the Lebanese store down the street. I figured that these were foods that could be eaten with one hand if the other needed to be holding a baby. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibWoTLjzuWahuxm8rVE9kELE-jF9RqttDrPAG-hPX-dDV-NoOfVsebMkVx2CUFYAlksemrI_2yeyj9WDnt0q6PUaqTLlL8oVT04jg7NTda6S8bbCWQov6Q-ytbKQ26s_FdT_z_YwHUwEeQ/s1600/P1030528.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibWoTLjzuWahuxm8rVE9kELE-jF9RqttDrPAG-hPX-dDV-NoOfVsebMkVx2CUFYAlksemrI_2yeyj9WDnt0q6PUaqTLlL8oVT04jg7NTda6S8bbCWQov6Q-ytbKQ26s_FdT_z_YwHUwEeQ/s320/P1030528.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>I also threw in some soups that I had already made and a loaf of bread from the bakery down the street. I'm not exactly sure how the family felt about the food and if it worked out for them, but I thought that I would have loved having some easy to grab healthy options.<br />
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I think that this will be my new go to meal options for new families.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Munchkie'sMamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04902203803704732430noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-195166229084983269.post-39028967351844482942012-02-01T23:56:00.000-05:002012-02-01T23:56:42.866-05:00Pinterest Perfect NailsI have always loved to paint my nails. My frustration is always how sloppy I am. I can never get that polish on my nails only. I seem to get it all over and usually have to spend some time picking away at my fingers. I saw a tip on Pinterest that has changed my nail polishing life. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir7lzTOM6HpeI5x0xIk2XnL5fKyd_g2td5fCUv_WBV-IWKg-9wRUFK4UfVXXn8dHVT-1KpSdaQNWxyof9VT3E-ADCNyjHLv78QFnrMQ1RKBjgMP3kNkDmud24iToxRY6E9Ov6Adbuzhg0L/s1600/P1030517.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir7lzTOM6HpeI5x0xIk2XnL5fKyd_g2td5fCUv_WBV-IWKg-9wRUFK4UfVXXn8dHVT-1KpSdaQNWxyof9VT3E-ADCNyjHLv78QFnrMQ1RKBjgMP3kNkDmud24iToxRY6E9Ov6Adbuzhg0L/s320/P1030517.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>The tip on Pinterest suggested to put vasoline around your nailbeds before you start applying the polish. I don't really like petroleum jelly because it's make from petroleum, a byproduct of oil (petrol). We tend to use Aquaphor in our house because instead of being petroleum based, it's water based, hence the "aqua" of the Aquaphor. Water scares me a lot less than oil. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-d3-7dyGnTP7cPFOmx_IKHIfZLojtxXuGonKQRRS4YGKV9bb0iUJO529dqjHt5StJSi3cfui0bOB-FDxW5SWeosURjxWcYIWvRPMfPO4XEl8XHlZi4MH9CeWfqsbwSiM4RoWzW-6je06u/s1600/P1030516.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-d3-7dyGnTP7cPFOmx_IKHIfZLojtxXuGonKQRRS4YGKV9bb0iUJO529dqjHt5StJSi3cfui0bOB-FDxW5SWeosURjxWcYIWvRPMfPO4XEl8XHlZi4MH9CeWfqsbwSiM4RoWzW-6je06u/s320/P1030516.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Once you use the q-tip to apply the Aquaphor onto the skin (not on the actual nail) when you paint your nails they are perfect. I don't even know how to explain it, the polish only stays on your nails. It's not even like it beads up or slides off the Aquaphor, it just doesn't stick. It's great. <br />
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It makes me want to keep my nails painted all of the time. When I can throw on a coat of nail polish and run out the door, it's a wonderful thing. And the thing that's even better, the Aquaphor really helps the skin around your nails.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinywxuMHWZJezZQ2LUk9Y3nz7WaIdmbQpRJt3T3ryAPvBgiRVf_78jq-pM1hksNhKVdzv4NvWh3vDSVPbteRSUe4N7JECeKNixtYzHWdtuU5mVoiWlZ1MZkTbvy90tX4CCeo5Qe79ClmRF/s1600/P1030509.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinywxuMHWZJezZQ2LUk9Y3nz7WaIdmbQpRJt3T3ryAPvBgiRVf_78jq-pM1hksNhKVdzv4NvWh3vDSVPbteRSUe4N7JECeKNixtYzHWdtuU5mVoiWlZ1MZkTbvy90tX4CCeo5Qe79ClmRF/s320/P1030509.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>So thank you Pinterest for a great little tip that makes me life a little better.Munchkie'sMamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04902203803704732430noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-195166229084983269.post-43276705141736119822012-02-01T00:41:00.000-05:002012-02-01T00:41:06.059-05:00To Be A NurseI think that so many people take for granted the nurses that go into work at all hours of the day and night. It seems like an easy job, because well, so many people do it. The hours aren't your typical 9-5 and it's rewarding to boot. Well, I just want to explain a little what being a nurse and a mom means, because I'm just tired of people saying how lucky I am to have such a flexible schedule when they don't truly understand what that "flexible" schedule means. <br />
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Being a pediatric nurse (or any healthcare worker) and a mom means.....<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><ul><li>Feeding a baby while thinking about how someone else is providing the meals for your own child.</li>
<li>Crawling into bed after a long shift- alone, because you're going to bed too early or going to bed after everyone else has woken up. </li>
<li>Sleeping with light blocking curtains covering your windows.</li>
<li>Having to take Vitamin D supplements because you don't see the light of day enough.</li>
<li>Singing the ABCs to a patient meanwhile thinking of how another person is teaching your child their ABCs.</li>
<li>Knowing that cancer is in your future because working nights is a known carcinogen and praying that God will give you "enough" time with your family.</li>
<li>Not being able to join anything because you have never have a regular schedule, no exercise classes, no story time, etc.</li>
<li>Your child cries out at night for Daddy because Mommy isn't home enough to be reliable for nightmare comfort.</li>
<li>When you say "Do you know what time it is" your child hangs their head and says in a sad tone "time for Mommy to go to work" even if it's not a day you have to work.</li>
<li>Your child spends more time with another person than they do with you so that you can spend time "cuddling" with another child.</li>
<li>You understand that schedules are an essential comfort to children, but just can't physically provide a normal schedule for your child.</li>
<li>You literally don't remember the last time that you weren't exhausted, or that you actually got a reasonable amount of sleep for a week.</li>
<li>With each patient you care for you send up a prayer of thanks for your own child, who isn't in the hospital.</li>
<li>Wondering what it would be like to eat normal meals.</li>
<li>Falling asleep in the middle of something when you have things to do and laying in bed awake for hours when you really want to sleep.</li>
<li>Answering that last call bell to comfort a stressed out parent when what you really want to do is run away to be with your family.</li>
<li>Changing another child's diaper and wondering what excuse will work for you to get out of diaper duty at home.</li>
<li>Leaving your home before anyone is awake in the morning, and arriving home in just enough time to say goodnight.</li>
</ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9jXGsbt7VjYG9L83jftQdrr66TJY7uwWtzj5JT658BsNuX7g4RHZNqnvvjE1i5uutkgX4TIDQiuSBGslB56wvuPkcIgW6uDWmKVWHNXO_BZhG_obZtaMge03lULWJ8e4HVy_WluZEhCLX/s1600/DSCF6798.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9jXGsbt7VjYG9L83jftQdrr66TJY7uwWtzj5JT658BsNuX7g4RHZNqnvvjE1i5uutkgX4TIDQiuSBGslB56wvuPkcIgW6uDWmKVWHNXO_BZhG_obZtaMge03lULWJ8e4HVy_WluZEhCLX/s320/DSCF6798.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><ul><li> Watching your daughter write the first letter of her name and realizing that someone saw her do this first.</li>
</ul><ul><li>Not truly understanding what TGIF means because quite a few Fridays are the start of a stretch of shifts to work.</li>
<li>Understanding that you don't have to leave your child every day of the week, but also knowing that your days off are recovering and preparing for your next day on.</li>
<li>Trying to potty train your child while wishing that you were able to empty your own bladder on a regular schedule. </li>
<li>You tell your active child that they better stop jumping on the bed because Mommy will not be going into work on her day off.</li>
<li>You miss every other holiday with your family and pretend that it's just as exciting on another day. Or you take a quick nap and drink a lot of coffee so you can be a part of the holiday, wearing scrubs.</li>
<li>Your child asks every day if you will be able to come to their birthday, because they know you can't make it to most fun things they do.</li>
</ul>Munchkie'sMamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04902203803704732430noreply@blogger.com1