Have I mentioned that in less than 4-1/2 weeks I will have reached the HALFWAY point of my pregnancy?? I am astonished at the mere thought of it! Seems like just yesterday we were anxiously awaiting the results of the HPT. Now we have just over 4 weeks before we'll know if our tiny one is a boy or girl! I cannot wait to find out.
My number one priority is a HEALTHY baby. And I'm happy to say that either way -- boy or girl -- I'll be ecstatic, for different reasons. I think it would be awesome to have a boy. We'd have a perfectly balanced family, and hubs would have a son to do all that fun "father-son" stuff. On the other hand, I know LO would most likely have a lot more fun growing up with a little sister. They could share stuff, play dress-up together, etc. It's a win-win situation.
But before then, I do have a regular ol' non-ultrasound appointment next Wednesday. We get to hear the baby's heartbeat, although that's not an overly unusual occurrence since we've rented a fetal doppler for at-home use throughout this pregnancy (as we did with LO). So we have the convenience and peace of mind of listening to TO any ol' time we want!
Oh, and just for the record, I'm planning to start posting belly pics (totally and completely clothed, of course!) on Sundays when I do my weekly pregnancy update posts. I'm so ashamed of how HUGE I already think I look, and I can't even imagine the fact that I haven't even started to pack on the 2nd and 3rd trimester baby weight yet! ACK!
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Party On, Dude!
There is just over 2 months until LO's 2nd birthday. How much planning have I done?
Zero.
For those of you who know me well, this is SO not like me. I'm sure most of you are thinking, "What's wrong with this woman? She has like 11 weeks to plan a 2-year-old's birthday party! What's the big deal??"
Well, let's just say LO's 1st birthday invitations went out 6 weeks before the party. I started working on the party plans in January -- a good 6 months prior to her birthday! Crazy, right?
This time around, I was almost 100% set on an Elmo-themed birthday party. She loves the little red guy, right? Well, I was talking with my friend Joelle about her twin girls' 1st birthday party after seeing some of the pictures she shared on Facebook. It was so adorable and just had a pretty color scheme and used some monograms here and there. No "theme" per se, which I thought was just adorable. She made a GREAT point that she knew the girls were going to want to choose Barbie or Dora or some other character-type parties when they were older, so for now (read: they're too little to demand a specific party theme), she's doing what she wants to do, resulting in cute and classic party themes.
I might take a page from Joelle's playbook and do something more "generic" for LO's 2nd birthday party. Whatever I decide to do, I need to get on it SOON! There's no telling what other stuff will take up my time in the next few months (pool season, preparing for baby #2, etc.) so I've GOT to get on the ball!
Zero.
For those of you who know me well, this is SO not like me. I'm sure most of you are thinking, "What's wrong with this woman? She has like 11 weeks to plan a 2-year-old's birthday party! What's the big deal??"
Well, let's just say LO's 1st birthday invitations went out 6 weeks before the party. I started working on the party plans in January -- a good 6 months prior to her birthday! Crazy, right?
This time around, I was almost 100% set on an Elmo-themed birthday party. She loves the little red guy, right? Well, I was talking with my friend Joelle about her twin girls' 1st birthday party after seeing some of the pictures she shared on Facebook. It was so adorable and just had a pretty color scheme and used some monograms here and there. No "theme" per se, which I thought was just adorable. She made a GREAT point that she knew the girls were going to want to choose Barbie or Dora or some other character-type parties when they were older, so for now (read: they're too little to demand a specific party theme), she's doing what she wants to do, resulting in cute and classic party themes.
I might take a page from Joelle's playbook and do something more "generic" for LO's 2nd birthday party. Whatever I decide to do, I need to get on it SOON! There's no telling what other stuff will take up my time in the next few months (pool season, preparing for baby #2, etc.) so I've GOT to get on the ball!
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Easy and Delicious
I can't help but share this awesome recipe. It is THE EASIEST crock-pot chicken recipe I know of, and it is sooooooooooooooo good! I hope my friend CM doesn't mind me sharing this recipe with you, but I just KNOW you'll love this as much as I do!
Bon appétit!Creamy Crock-Pot Chicken
Ingredients:
2-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 envelope dry onion soup mix
1 can cream of mushroom soup
8-16 oz. sour cream
Directions:
1. Rinse chicken with cold water; pat dry.
2. Place onion soup mix, cream of mushroom soup and sour cream in a lightly greased slow cooker.
3. Mix ingredients well, adding a dash or two of salt and pepper. Add chicken to slow cooker, covering it with the soup mixture.
4. Cook for approximately 4 hours on High or 6 hours on Low.
5. Serve over mashed potatoes (or rice) and enjoy!
[NOTE: Sorry for the horrible cell phone pic AND for the fact that I forgot to take a picture of dinner plated and looking all pretty. Yes, this picture is of the leftovers! I also served with applesauce (not pictured). :)]
Monday, May 11, 2009
Mine!!!
I'm a stay at home mom. Life is good. However, my daughter gets very little interaction with other kiddos her age. The only time she gets to socialize is when we take her to church. Every Sunday morning, for approximately 2-1/2 hours, she gets to hang out with anywhere from 1 to 4 other one- and two-year-olds. It's really great!
Or at least I thought it was.
Just recently, our daughter has miraculously learned the word "mine." Mind you, she did NOT learn that at home, or at a daycare or anywhere else. She learned it from another little person in her class. The proof is that when we mention said child's name to LO, she responds by saying, "mine!" Yet when we mention names of other kids in the class, she simply repeats their names with a smile.
This is VERY frustrating. And quite frankly, it's getting out of control! Every single thing in our house has now been deemed, in LO's opinion, to be "mine!" It's driving hubs and I C-R-A-Z-Y!!! This is not something we approve of, and it's killing me to have to keep reprimanding her (including time-outs) for repeatedly saying this horrible, useless word over and over again.
I hate to admit it, but I know this is just the first of what will be MANY poor habits she picks up from other kids at the church nursery or at her preschool once she starts this fall.
((sigh))
Or at least I thought it was.
Just recently, our daughter has miraculously learned the word "mine." Mind you, she did NOT learn that at home, or at a daycare or anywhere else. She learned it from another little person in her class. The proof is that when we mention said child's name to LO, she responds by saying, "mine!" Yet when we mention names of other kids in the class, she simply repeats their names with a smile.
This is VERY frustrating. And quite frankly, it's getting out of control! Every single thing in our house has now been deemed, in LO's opinion, to be "mine!" It's driving hubs and I C-R-A-Z-Y!!! This is not something we approve of, and it's killing me to have to keep reprimanding her (including time-outs) for repeatedly saying this horrible, useless word over and over again.
I hate to admit it, but I know this is just the first of what will be MANY poor habits she picks up from other kids at the church nursery or at her preschool once she starts this fall.
((sigh))
Get Active!
Okay, so I know it's probably not in my best interest to sit around on the couch all day, snacking and eating whatever sounds good and not making any effort to move my body whatsoever (besides the occasional trip to the cupboard or refrigerator, of course!). I have NO desire to pack on 30+ pounds with this pregnancy, but I also have NO desire to turn into a gym rat in order to avoid said weight gain.
Enter EA Sports Active.
I happened to see a brief segment on Ellen today where she and Alison Sweeney had a bit of an Active "dual" against each other and the game piqued my interest. Now, I already have a Wii and the Wii Fit, but do I use the Wii Fit? Nooooooooooooooo! Of course not! But when I saw this segment, I thought that this definitely looks like something I can get in to!
I did some preliminary research and wasn't able to find any strict warning that this fitness program is not advised for pregnant women. Plus, it's customizable so I'm guessing I can do more of the "low impact" type workouts and stay away from anything that seems like too much (especialy considering I've been a couch potato for the past 20+ months).
Anywho, I'm 99% sure I'm gonna give this bad boy a try and see if it can't help keep me from gaining a zillion pounds with this pregnancy. I'll keep you all posted on how it goes! Maybe one day I'll even consider a video blog post (vlog?) -- if I decide to get all fancy on ya'll!
Enter EA Sports Active.
I happened to see a brief segment on Ellen today where she and Alison Sweeney had a bit of an Active "dual" against each other and the game piqued my interest. Now, I already have a Wii and the Wii Fit, but do I use the Wii Fit? Nooooooooooooooo! Of course not! But when I saw this segment, I thought that this definitely looks like something I can get in to!I did some preliminary research and wasn't able to find any strict warning that this fitness program is not advised for pregnant women. Plus, it's customizable so I'm guessing I can do more of the "low impact" type workouts and stay away from anything that seems like too much (especialy considering I've been a couch potato for the past 20+ months).
Anywho, I'm 99% sure I'm gonna give this bad boy a try and see if it can't help keep me from gaining a zillion pounds with this pregnancy. I'll keep you all posted on how it goes! Maybe one day I'll even consider a video blog post (vlog?) -- if I decide to get all fancy on ya'll!
Sunday, May 10, 2009
15 Weeks!
I'm taking a page from my friend Joelle's blog and am going to (try to remember to) post weekly updates as my pregnancy progresses. I hope you all enjoy this little insight into how TO ("Tiny One") is impacting our lives, how I'm feeling, and what we're up to as we ready our household for baby #2!
Week and day: 15 weeks
Belly Button in or out: Totally IN. My belly button never popped out when I was pregnant with LO, and I don't expect it to this time, either.
Wedding rings on or off: SO on. But I know it's only a matter of time before they'll end up around my neck as my fingers continue to expand.
Food cravings: BBQ chicken! Crazy since until about 3 weeks ago I was a total vegetarian. I'm not eating any other kind of meat -- just chicken. And it's yuuuuummmmm.
Food aversions: Peanuts. Sweet stuff like brownies, cookies, cake, etc. -- which is CRAZY coming from me!
Nausea: Finally starting to ease up. Still hits occasionally, but not near as bad as it was during the first trimester. Whew!
Energy level: As if I had any energy before getting pregnant, right? Ha! I'm doing okay I guess. Always wish there was MORE energy for me to do more fun stuff with LO.
Weight gain: Only 3-4 lbs. That will start to increase (dramatically) in no time!
Mood: Excited! Looking forward to getting the house ready for our new arrival!
Maternity clothes: Hate to admit it, but I have been throwing a pair of maternity jeans and capris into the mix as needed. Also washed some maternity shirts over the weekend because I'm NOT a fan of tight tops that accentuate my growing belly -- I prefer loose, comfy clothing!
Size of baby: About 4 inches long (crown to rump) and weighing in at about 2 1/2 ounces. Basically, about the size of an apple.
Baby's changes: He/She is busy moving amniotic fluid through her nose and upper respiratory tract. His/Her legs are growing longer than his/her arms now, and he/she can move all of his/her joints and limbs. Although his/her eyelids are still fused shut, he/she can sense light.
Next appointment: May 20th - check-up only.
Other: I am so very grateful and blessed to have this baby in our lives! I'm busy cleaning out our back bedroom/junk room so I can continue with my "To Do" list to get that room ready for this baby. I'm also looking forward to June 15th when we go for our 20 week ultrasound and (hopefully) find out if we're having a boy or girl! Woot!
Week and day: 15 weeks
Belly Button in or out: Totally IN. My belly button never popped out when I was pregnant with LO, and I don't expect it to this time, either.
Wedding rings on or off: SO on. But I know it's only a matter of time before they'll end up around my neck as my fingers continue to expand.
Food cravings: BBQ chicken! Crazy since until about 3 weeks ago I was a total vegetarian. I'm not eating any other kind of meat -- just chicken. And it's yuuuuummmmm.
Food aversions: Peanuts. Sweet stuff like brownies, cookies, cake, etc. -- which is CRAZY coming from me!
Nausea: Finally starting to ease up. Still hits occasionally, but not near as bad as it was during the first trimester. Whew!
Energy level: As if I had any energy before getting pregnant, right? Ha! I'm doing okay I guess. Always wish there was MORE energy for me to do more fun stuff with LO.
Weight gain: Only 3-4 lbs. That will start to increase (dramatically) in no time!
Mood: Excited! Looking forward to getting the house ready for our new arrival!
Maternity clothes: Hate to admit it, but I have been throwing a pair of maternity jeans and capris into the mix as needed. Also washed some maternity shirts over the weekend because I'm NOT a fan of tight tops that accentuate my growing belly -- I prefer loose, comfy clothing!
Size of baby: About 4 inches long (crown to rump) and weighing in at about 2 1/2 ounces. Basically, about the size of an apple.
Baby's changes: He/She is busy moving amniotic fluid through her nose and upper respiratory tract. His/Her legs are growing longer than his/her arms now, and he/she can move all of his/her joints and limbs. Although his/her eyelids are still fused shut, he/she can sense light.
Next appointment: May 20th - check-up only.
Other: I am so very grateful and blessed to have this baby in our lives! I'm busy cleaning out our back bedroom/junk room so I can continue with my "To Do" list to get that room ready for this baby. I'm also looking forward to June 15th when we go for our 20 week ultrasound and (hopefully) find out if we're having a boy or girl! Woot!
Friday, May 8, 2009
Freebies!
Okay, I am absolutely miserable! Why, you ask? Because I have been eating out at restaurants for lunch and dinner for an entire week!
I like to go out to eat, and never really thought I'd tire of it. But guess what?! I DID!
The reason for all of this dining out is simple: freebies! I've signed up for a variety of "birthday clubs" at several restaurants and I've been cashing in like a fiend these past few days.
Some examples? Let me tell you...
YUM!
I like to go out to eat, and never really thought I'd tire of it. But guess what?! I DID!
The reason for all of this dining out is simple: freebies! I've signed up for a variety of "birthday clubs" at several restaurants and I've been cashing in like a fiend these past few days.
Some examples? Let me tell you...
- One FREE scoop of ice cream from Baskin-Robbins
- $5 off any order at McAlisters Deli
- FREE gourmet burger from Red Robin
- FREE dessert from Logan's Roadhouse
- FREE dessert from LongHorn Steakhouse
- FREE buffet from Ryan's
YUM!
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Return to Sender
I'm so totally bummed to report that the crocs I ordered the other day were a no-go. I actually bought two pairs (pair?) -- the ones I posted about yesterday and a pair of the regular ol' crocs you see everywhere. Both of them were about a half size too big, and since they don't come in half-sizes, they both had to go back.
I'm totally hating it! Anyone have any suggestions on some super-comfy alternatives to the flip flop that a pregnant woman wouldn't mind wearing? I'm desperate for some new summer shoe wear!
Thanks, all!
I'm totally hating it! Anyone have any suggestions on some super-comfy alternatives to the flip flop that a pregnant woman wouldn't mind wearing? I'm desperate for some new summer shoe wear!
Thanks, all!
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Party Time!
Happy Birthday to me! I can no longer say I'm "just 30." Now it's "I'm in my 30s." Sounds SO much older, doesn't it?
Oh, well.
I'm waiting on the UPS man to deliver one of my presents to myself. I know I'll be LIVING in flip-flops this summer (as I do every summer), but I decided I wanted to try something a little different so I wouldn't get too terribly bored. Enter the crocs Malindi Flat Slingback:
Hopefully they're as comfy as they are cute! My other gift to myself is some more McBlooms Extremely Rich Cream. If you haven't tried this stuff, you have NO idea what you're missing. It smells divine (also comes in fragrance-free, but really, you don't want to miss out on it's light and beautiful scent), and it makes your skin SO stinkin' soft you wouldn't believe it!!
Have a great day!
Oh, well.
I'm waiting on the UPS man to deliver one of my presents to myself. I know I'll be LIVING in flip-flops this summer (as I do every summer), but I decided I wanted to try something a little different so I wouldn't get too terribly bored. Enter the crocs Malindi Flat Slingback:
Hopefully they're as comfy as they are cute! My other gift to myself is some more McBlooms Extremely Rich Cream. If you haven't tried this stuff, you have NO idea what you're missing. It smells divine (also comes in fragrance-free, but really, you don't want to miss out on it's light and beautiful scent), and it makes your skin SO stinkin' soft you wouldn't believe it!!
Have a great day!
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Progress!
So we've been talking to LO about her future little brother or sister (whom she still refers to as "sticker"), but every time we mention the word "baby" she goes and finds her little baby doll:
I decided it was time to clarify things so I named her baby doll "Lucy." I referred to the doll as Lucy several times and now she knows when I ask to find Lucy, that means to go get her baby doll.
The great thing about this is that now when we mention her baby brother or sister, she knows we're not referring to her baby doll.
On to step 2: I explained to her that her baby brother or sister is in mommy's tummy. This concept seemed to elude her for a few days. Finally, last night, I asked her, "Where's your baby brother or sister?" And what did she do?? She pointed to mommy's tummy and even gave my belly a kiss!
SUCCESS!!!
She'll be just 22 months old in a few weeks, but she's already starting to understand that there's another baby in the equation and that she'll be a big sister one day soon. I know she has no concept of time, but I'm sure that it'll all start to make more sense as she sees mommy's tummy continue to grow bigger and bigger ((sigh)). This is such an exciting journey!!!
I decided it was time to clarify things so I named her baby doll "Lucy." I referred to the doll as Lucy several times and now she knows when I ask to find Lucy, that means to go get her baby doll.The great thing about this is that now when we mention her baby brother or sister, she knows we're not referring to her baby doll.
On to step 2: I explained to her that her baby brother or sister is in mommy's tummy. This concept seemed to elude her for a few days. Finally, last night, I asked her, "Where's your baby brother or sister?" And what did she do?? She pointed to mommy's tummy and even gave my belly a kiss!
SUCCESS!!!
She'll be just 22 months old in a few weeks, but she's already starting to understand that there's another baby in the equation and that she'll be a big sister one day soon. I know she has no concept of time, but I'm sure that it'll all start to make more sense as she sees mommy's tummy continue to grow bigger and bigger ((sigh)). This is such an exciting journey!!!
Monday, May 4, 2009
A Bit Behind On My Posting...
Hi, blogland! Sorry I've been so scarce in my posting lately. I'm working a (legitimate) part-time job from home but have been averaging a bit over my 20 hours. Plus, keeping up with LO while carrying TO ("Tiny One" - in case you forgot!) has kept me occupied more than you would believe!
Hubs, LO and I are QUITE excited about the additional family member we're expecting Nov. 1st (or much sooner if he/she cooperates with mommy!). Although I'm currently at 14 weeks, I neglected to post some pictures from our 12-week ultrasound. I am absolutely FLOORED at the 4D images we received. We were able to watch in real-time in 4D as our tiny one moved around, flailed his/her arms and legs, and fought the hiccups! It was amazing!
I'm happy to report that the nausea is easing up and my energy level is starting to pick up again (whew!). The 2nd trimester with LO was the BEST and I'm hopeful for the same with TO. Guess we'll have to wait n' see!
I'll try to keep my posting a bit more regular and often than it's been in the past few months. I won't lie, though -- your comments are what keep me going!
Hubs, LO and I are QUITE excited about the additional family member we're expecting Nov. 1st (or much sooner if he/she cooperates with mommy!). Although I'm currently at 14 weeks, I neglected to post some pictures from our 12-week ultrasound. I am absolutely FLOORED at the 4D images we received. We were able to watch in real-time in 4D as our tiny one moved around, flailed his/her arms and legs, and fought the hiccups! It was amazing!
I'm happy to report that the nausea is easing up and my energy level is starting to pick up again (whew!). The 2nd trimester with LO was the BEST and I'm hopeful for the same with TO. Guess we'll have to wait n' see!
I'll try to keep my posting a bit more regular and often than it's been in the past few months. I won't lie, though -- your comments are what keep me going!
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Nausea, Nausea and More Nausea...
Why so nauseous you ask?
I'm pregnant!
Yeppers! Hubs and I are ecstatic to announce that we are expecting a baby in November! I'm 13 weeks pregnant and have been so very nauseous for so many weeks! I'm almost convinced we're having a boy, based on the nausea and my cravings for salty foods. Would you believe I have had NO desire to eat ANYTHING sweet?! I think I lived on cake while I was pregnant with LO!
What's terribly disappointing is that my mother-in-law apparently was nauseous the ENTIRE TIME she was pregnant with hubs (no surprise there). So I'm not expecting this to improve any time soon. But I'm okay with it, because our family is going to be blessed with a beautiful little miracle in just 6 short months!
Woot!
BTW... We're calling this one "TO" (no, not for Terrell Owens, but for "Tiny One"). We figure this baby is smaller than LO, so tiny seemed like a good fit.
Although if LO had her way, she'd refer to him/her as her baby "sticker" (translation: "baby sister"). She says she wouldn't mind a baby brother, either.
Life is good! God is good!
I'm pregnant!
Yeppers! Hubs and I are ecstatic to announce that we are expecting a baby in November! I'm 13 weeks pregnant and have been so very nauseous for so many weeks! I'm almost convinced we're having a boy, based on the nausea and my cravings for salty foods. Would you believe I have had NO desire to eat ANYTHING sweet?! I think I lived on cake while I was pregnant with LO!
What's terribly disappointing is that my mother-in-law apparently was nauseous the ENTIRE TIME she was pregnant with hubs (no surprise there). So I'm not expecting this to improve any time soon. But I'm okay with it, because our family is going to be blessed with a beautiful little miracle in just 6 short months!
Woot!
BTW... We're calling this one "TO" (no, not for Terrell Owens, but for "Tiny One"). We figure this baby is smaller than LO, so tiny seemed like a good fit.
Although if LO had her way, she'd refer to him/her as her baby "sticker" (translation: "baby sister"). She says she wouldn't mind a baby brother, either.
Life is good! God is good!
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Apple Bottom Jeans
I saw this today and couldn't help but share with you! Here's a little somethin' for those of you needing a good laugh today!
Enjoy!
Enjoy!
Friday, March 13, 2009
Only 13 Hours, 15 Minutes To Go!
I'm sitting next to hubs on our couch in our living room. We're both sporting our respective laptops on our laps while watching mindless TV -- in this case, "This is Howie Do It." So what makes this Friday any different than any other Friday night?
LO is not here.
That's right!
Hubs and I have never spent a night away from her in all of her 19 months, 2 weeks and 2 days of life! But we (I) decided it would be healthy for LO to spend a night away from her loving mommy and daddy, you know, to help her grow and develop her individuality, etc. I read somewhere that she needs to know that she can count on other people to meet her basic needs (other people such as her loving Mona!). In reality, this whole thing is mostly for my benefit. Not that I want or need any separation from my lovely daughter, but I want to have a healthy relationship with her and somehow or another I think this will help. When she's older, I want her to be able to have sleepovers at her friends houses, go to summer camp and do other activities on her own without needing her mommy to hold her hand (again, see how this is really all about ME?!).
Anywho, guess I'll get back to TV viewing and finishing up some laundry. I sure hope I can make it 'til tomorrow morning at 10 AM!
LO is not here.
That's right!
Hubs and I have never spent a night away from her in all of her 19 months, 2 weeks and 2 days of life! But we (I) decided it would be healthy for LO to spend a night away from her loving mommy and daddy, you know, to help her grow and develop her individuality, etc. I read somewhere that she needs to know that she can count on other people to meet her basic needs (other people such as her loving Mona!). In reality, this whole thing is mostly for my benefit. Not that I want or need any separation from my lovely daughter, but I want to have a healthy relationship with her and somehow or another I think this will help. When she's older, I want her to be able to have sleepovers at her friends houses, go to summer camp and do other activities on her own without needing her mommy to hold her hand (again, see how this is really all about ME?!).
Anywho, guess I'll get back to TV viewing and finishing up some laundry. I sure hope I can make it 'til tomorrow morning at 10 AM!
Monday, March 9, 2009
How's This Go Again?
Our living room. Last night. I'm lounging on the couch watching TV. LO is asleep. Hubs headed to the bathroom (not for the reason you're thinking, though).
He comes out to the living room a few minutes later, holding a plug-in night light. It's the automatic kind that turns on when it's dark, and off when there's enough light in the room. It's not rocket science.
So he walks into the living room looking dumbfounded, staring intently at the night light and then asks me, "How's this go again?"
I said, rather sarcastically, "Well, first you plug it in, then--"
"Oh, ya," he says. "Plug it in."
Um, seriously!?
Yep! That's my hubs! He's been a bit overworked and mentally exhausted lately, so I cut him some slack. But certainly not until after I made fun of him several times!
He comes out to the living room a few minutes later, holding a plug-in night light. It's the automatic kind that turns on when it's dark, and off when there's enough light in the room. It's not rocket science.
So he walks into the living room looking dumbfounded, staring intently at the night light and then asks me, "How's this go again?"
I said, rather sarcastically, "Well, first you plug it in, then--"
"Oh, ya," he says. "Plug it in."
Um, seriously!?
Yep! That's my hubs! He's been a bit overworked and mentally exhausted lately, so I cut him some slack. But certainly not until after I made fun of him several times!
Monday, March 2, 2009
The Good & The Bad
It was Tuesday evening. Approximately 7:28 PM. I had just finished a lovely dinner with hubs, LO and Mona (LO's grandma/my mom). I sat down at the desk to look something up online, but my precious MacBook wasn't responding.
Slight panic.
I couldn't force quit any of the programs that weren't responding. I listened closely and heard a not-ever-good sound of the hard drive clicking.
Serious panic.
That's disastrous. Coming from the PC world, I immediately recognized that sound as it seemed to happen to PCs quite often. I had never experienced such a sound on my nearly 21-month-old MacBook.
I had to do the ol' hold-down-the-power-button-til-it-gives-up-and-turns-off approach.
I gave it a second to chill out.
I pressed the power button again to turn it on.
It seemed lost. It wasn't sure what to do. The hard drive kept clicking and all I got was a gray screen.
Then a little file folder appeared in the center of the screen with a question mark in it.
This can't be good.
I call dear ol' AppleCare support, am quickly transferred to a Apple technician, who, after walking me through a few different steps, was able to confirm my worst fear: the hard drive was in fact DEAD.
I could have panicked like a crazy fool at this point, but I smiled at my lovely 1 Terabyte external hard drive, running Time Machine (Apple's wondrous back-up software), and knew full well that none of my precious data would be lost.
But of course, before I could restore my data, I needed to have my hard drive replaced. Luckily, there is an Apple-certified repair place located a short 20-minute drive away. It also just so happens that the assistant manager there is a very good friend of mine. We'll leave it at that.
SO... I call the store, which we'll refer to as the Apple Store, even though this store is--from my understanding (only because I've never been to a genuine Apple Store)--not even close to being an official, genuine, state-of-the-art Apple Store. I happened to speak with my good friend, shared my bad news, and decided I would bring my MacBook in the very next morning.
So the next morning arrives. LO and I find a wonderful parking spot just outside the Apple Store. I get her loaded up in her stroller and head inside.
I can't find the store.
Seriously.
I look around, check the posted directory thingy, but no Apple Store.
I see a big poster with a Mac on it, so I know I'm in the right place. Just gotta find it.
I managed to recall my friend telling me the store was located on the 2nd floor, so we hopped in the elevator and managed to stumble upon said Apple Store.
I drop off my lifeline to the outside world (you know, my MacBook) and am shocked to hear it might be Monday before it's ready. Keep in mind it's currently Wednesday morning. Apparently Monday was a "worst case scenario." Alrighty then.
Wednesday afternoon, around 5:30 PM, I get a call from the Apple Store. They confirmed the hard drive failed, said they would order a new one, which will be sent priority overnight (arriving Thursday morning), and my MacBook should be ready for pick-up late Thursday afternoon.
Whew!!!
By this time, I've gone almost a full 24 hours with no Internet access. Seriously people. I started twitching by about hour 6. It sucked. But the end was in sight!
So I called the Apple Store on Thursday to verify the hard drive came in and we were still on schedule. They couldn't tell me. Apparently the sales folks didn't have any updates from the repair folks. Lovely.
I called back several hours later. Still no update. They give me the number to the repair folks.
Nope. No hard drive. Guess it'll come in tomorrow (Friday) morning they tell me.
Fabulous.
I wait until around 10AM Friday morning--after priority overnight shipments should have been delivered--and call the store. There's still no update in their system.
Seriously??
The manager gave me the number to the repair folks. I call.
Nope. The hard drive did NOT arrive as expected. So where was it? The repair guy couldn't tell me. Said he didn't have access to the tracking information for the package.
Ummmm, okay...? Is there any way you can get the tracking information?
He says he guesses he can call Apple.
Super.
Great idea.
He calls me back 20 minutes later and says it's supposedly out on the truck for delivery. Argh. Apparently once it's delivered to the store, a courier person takes the packages over to the repair site, which is about a 10 minute drive from the store.
I'm getting fed up.
Friday afternoon I have hubs call the store. I can't deal with it much more before I'll go crazy. He calls the store and they tell him the hard drive was delivered around 2:30 PM on Friday afternoon. The kicker was that the courier guy left around 4:00 PM to run packages over the repair guys, and left my hard drive at the store.
Are you kidding me?!
Does it really have to be this hard?!
The store didn't make any effort or attempt to rectify the issues. Granted, it may have been the delivery company's fault for taking 2-1/2 days to deliver a priority overnight package. I dunno. But the Apple Store made no effort to follow up on the delivery or do anything to accept fault for not sending the hard drive to the repair folks when it arrived. I'm telling you, hubs was telling them HE would go to the store, pick up my hard drive, and TAKE IT over to the repair guys.
He ended up talking with a repair guy who said he'd stop by the store Saturday morning to pick up the hard drive on his way to the repair place so the laptop could be ready to be picked up Saturday afternoon.
Day 4.
Four days without my MacBook.
Four days to replace a single hard drive.
This is NOT rocket science, people.
Apparently someone was supposed to pick up the repaired equipment from the repair guys Saturday afternoon, take them to the Apple Store, and then I would receive a phone call informing me my laptop was ready to be picked up.
Hubs wasn't going to wait for a call.
On Saturday, he got in the car at 2:30 PM and headed downtown. He was ready and willing to pace impatiently at the Apple Store until my laptop arrived.
After he left, I decided to call the store just to get an update and to see exactly how long my patient husband would be patiently waiting.
Surprise!!!
Ya, my laptop was already at the store and ready to be picked up.
I'm sorry, where was my phone call informing me of this?!!?
OMG.
I was at my wits' end with these folks. This entire process was an absolute NIGHTMARE. I mean, I could have expected better from PC repair folks. THAT'S how bad this experience was.
Painful.
The icing on the cake was that when I opened up my MacBook, it was Absolutely. Filthy.
We're talking dust everywhere, smears on the screen, and a little dab of what (I hope) was chocolate smooshed outside the keyboard and onto the border surrounding the screen.
Gag.
(Side note: Before I took it in for repair, I cleaned the crap (not literally) out of my machine, as I would've been SO embarrassed to submit a filthy machine for repair. I'm of the old-school mindset that says "return it in better condition than you found it.")
Now, you're wondering where the "Good" is in all of this, right?
Well, after hubs brought my beloved MacBook home, I hooked it up to my lovely 1TB external hard drive, selected my Time Machine backup, and in less than 45 minutes, my MacBook was restored to its previous glory. As in, exactly where I left off on Tuesday evening when it crashed. And all it took was 2 or 3 clicks of the mouse.
Apple MacBook? LOVE IT!
My experience with the Apple Store? Wouldn't recommend them to my worst enemy.
My apologies to my dear friend who works as an assistant manager at said store. Luckily, he wasn't one of the people I had to deal with in the aforementioned ordeal.
Slight panic.
I couldn't force quit any of the programs that weren't responding. I listened closely and heard a not-ever-good sound of the hard drive clicking.
Serious panic.
That's disastrous. Coming from the PC world, I immediately recognized that sound as it seemed to happen to PCs quite often. I had never experienced such a sound on my nearly 21-month-old MacBook.
I had to do the ol' hold-down-the-power-button-til-it-gives-up-and-turns-off approach.
I gave it a second to chill out.
I pressed the power button again to turn it on.
It seemed lost. It wasn't sure what to do. The hard drive kept clicking and all I got was a gray screen.
Then a little file folder appeared in the center of the screen with a question mark in it.
This can't be good.
I call dear ol' AppleCare support, am quickly transferred to a Apple technician, who, after walking me through a few different steps, was able to confirm my worst fear: the hard drive was in fact DEAD.
I could have panicked like a crazy fool at this point, but I smiled at my lovely 1 Terabyte external hard drive, running Time Machine (Apple's wondrous back-up software), and knew full well that none of my precious data would be lost.
But of course, before I could restore my data, I needed to have my hard drive replaced. Luckily, there is an Apple-certified repair place located a short 20-minute drive away. It also just so happens that the assistant manager there is a very good friend of mine. We'll leave it at that.
SO... I call the store, which we'll refer to as the Apple Store, even though this store is--from my understanding (only because I've never been to a genuine Apple Store)--not even close to being an official, genuine, state-of-the-art Apple Store. I happened to speak with my good friend, shared my bad news, and decided I would bring my MacBook in the very next morning.
So the next morning arrives. LO and I find a wonderful parking spot just outside the Apple Store. I get her loaded up in her stroller and head inside.
I can't find the store.
Seriously.
I look around, check the posted directory thingy, but no Apple Store.
I see a big poster with a Mac on it, so I know I'm in the right place. Just gotta find it.
I managed to recall my friend telling me the store was located on the 2nd floor, so we hopped in the elevator and managed to stumble upon said Apple Store.
I drop off my lifeline to the outside world (you know, my MacBook) and am shocked to hear it might be Monday before it's ready. Keep in mind it's currently Wednesday morning. Apparently Monday was a "worst case scenario." Alrighty then.
Wednesday afternoon, around 5:30 PM, I get a call from the Apple Store. They confirmed the hard drive failed, said they would order a new one, which will be sent priority overnight (arriving Thursday morning), and my MacBook should be ready for pick-up late Thursday afternoon.
Whew!!!
By this time, I've gone almost a full 24 hours with no Internet access. Seriously people. I started twitching by about hour 6. It sucked. But the end was in sight!
So I called the Apple Store on Thursday to verify the hard drive came in and we were still on schedule. They couldn't tell me. Apparently the sales folks didn't have any updates from the repair folks. Lovely.
I called back several hours later. Still no update. They give me the number to the repair folks.
Nope. No hard drive. Guess it'll come in tomorrow (Friday) morning they tell me.
Fabulous.
I wait until around 10AM Friday morning--after priority overnight shipments should have been delivered--and call the store. There's still no update in their system.
Seriously??
The manager gave me the number to the repair folks. I call.
Nope. The hard drive did NOT arrive as expected. So where was it? The repair guy couldn't tell me. Said he didn't have access to the tracking information for the package.
Ummmm, okay...? Is there any way you can get the tracking information?
He says he guesses he can call Apple.
Super.
Great idea.
He calls me back 20 minutes later and says it's supposedly out on the truck for delivery. Argh. Apparently once it's delivered to the store, a courier person takes the packages over to the repair site, which is about a 10 minute drive from the store.
I'm getting fed up.
Friday afternoon I have hubs call the store. I can't deal with it much more before I'll go crazy. He calls the store and they tell him the hard drive was delivered around 2:30 PM on Friday afternoon. The kicker was that the courier guy left around 4:00 PM to run packages over the repair guys, and left my hard drive at the store.
Are you kidding me?!
Does it really have to be this hard?!
The store didn't make any effort or attempt to rectify the issues. Granted, it may have been the delivery company's fault for taking 2-1/2 days to deliver a priority overnight package. I dunno. But the Apple Store made no effort to follow up on the delivery or do anything to accept fault for not sending the hard drive to the repair folks when it arrived. I'm telling you, hubs was telling them HE would go to the store, pick up my hard drive, and TAKE IT over to the repair guys.
He ended up talking with a repair guy who said he'd stop by the store Saturday morning to pick up the hard drive on his way to the repair place so the laptop could be ready to be picked up Saturday afternoon.
Day 4.
Four days without my MacBook.
Four days to replace a single hard drive.
This is NOT rocket science, people.
Apparently someone was supposed to pick up the repaired equipment from the repair guys Saturday afternoon, take them to the Apple Store, and then I would receive a phone call informing me my laptop was ready to be picked up.
Hubs wasn't going to wait for a call.
On Saturday, he got in the car at 2:30 PM and headed downtown. He was ready and willing to pace impatiently at the Apple Store until my laptop arrived.
After he left, I decided to call the store just to get an update and to see exactly how long my patient husband would be patiently waiting.
Surprise!!!
Ya, my laptop was already at the store and ready to be picked up.
I'm sorry, where was my phone call informing me of this?!!?
OMG.
I was at my wits' end with these folks. This entire process was an absolute NIGHTMARE. I mean, I could have expected better from PC repair folks. THAT'S how bad this experience was.
Painful.
The icing on the cake was that when I opened up my MacBook, it was Absolutely. Filthy.
We're talking dust everywhere, smears on the screen, and a little dab of what (I hope) was chocolate smooshed outside the keyboard and onto the border surrounding the screen.
Gag.
(Side note: Before I took it in for repair, I cleaned the crap (not literally) out of my machine, as I would've been SO embarrassed to submit a filthy machine for repair. I'm of the old-school mindset that says "return it in better condition than you found it.")
Now, you're wondering where the "Good" is in all of this, right?
Well, after hubs brought my beloved MacBook home, I hooked it up to my lovely 1TB external hard drive, selected my Time Machine backup, and in less than 45 minutes, my MacBook was restored to its previous glory. As in, exactly where I left off on Tuesday evening when it crashed. And all it took was 2 or 3 clicks of the mouse.
Apple MacBook? LOVE IT!
My experience with the Apple Store? Wouldn't recommend them to my worst enemy.
My apologies to my dear friend who works as an assistant manager at said store. Luckily, he wasn't one of the people I had to deal with in the aforementioned ordeal.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Gawsh!
I'm totally disappointed to announce that my Macbook hard drive called it quits Tuesday evening. I'm writing this post on my husband's Lonovo ThinkPad laptop. I hate it. But that's not the point of this post. I just wanted to share my sadness with my one reader out there. Yes, you. My one reader.
Anywho, it'll be late Friday evening at the very earliest that I'll be able to pick up my laptop. The whole "dropping it off at the repair place" story is going to be quite a post. I'll write that one when I have a few minutes of time to really give it the attention it deserves! I'm hopeful the pick-up process will be much less painful.
I'll keep ya posted.
((sigh))
Anywho, it'll be late Friday evening at the very earliest that I'll be able to pick up my laptop. The whole "dropping it off at the repair place" story is going to be quite a post. I'll write that one when I have a few minutes of time to really give it the attention it deserves! I'm hopeful the pick-up process will be much less painful.
I'll keep ya posted.
((sigh))
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Sew Cool!
I'm quite excited to share with you all that I am picking up a knack for sewing! My church is making quilts to send to children in Swaziland, and I've been able to work on two of them this week! It's such a great cause, and I figure it's about time I learn to be more domestic and rip out my mom's sewing machine!
Here are some pics of my handiwork. Keep in mind - I didn't get to choose the fabric. The church provided me with the fabric squares and I just had to sew them together. In other words, they aren't the cutest things (I would've picked something quite different than these), but ultimately they will serve their purpose once they make it to Swaziland.
Here are some pics of my handiwork. Keep in mind - I didn't get to choose the fabric. The church provided me with the fabric squares and I just had to sew them together. In other words, they aren't the cutest things (I would've picked something quite different than these), but ultimately they will serve their purpose once they make it to Swaziland.
Sunday, February 15, 2009
V-Day Bling!
I hope everyone had a wonderful Valentine's Day! We had a very special day, consisting of a big 'ol breakfast I made from scratch:
lots of gift-opening for LO:
a dessert that ended up taking all stinkin' day to create (even though I had a GREAT helper!):
some lasagna for dinner (forgot a pic -- sorry!)
and of course I can't forget the beautiful flowers hubs gave me, and now the latest trinket of his affection...
Isn't it gorgeous? It's a Heart-Tag Bracelet in Sterling Silver from my favorite jewelry shop, Blue Nile. It has LO's initials engraved on it and I absolutely LOVE IT! LOVE IT!! LOVE IT!!!
We had a most wonderful day and I'm so very blessed to have hubs and LO in my life!!!
lots of gift-opening for LO:
a dessert that ended up taking all stinkin' day to create (even though I had a GREAT helper!):
some lasagna for dinner (forgot a pic -- sorry!)
and of course I can't forget the beautiful flowers hubs gave me, and now the latest trinket of his affection...
Isn't it gorgeous? It's a Heart-Tag Bracelet in Sterling Silver from my favorite jewelry shop, Blue Nile. It has LO's initials engraved on it and I absolutely LOVE IT! LOVE IT!! LOVE IT!!!
We had a most wonderful day and I'm so very blessed to have hubs and LO in my life!!!
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Seriously?
Okay, once upon a time, I sewed a pillowcase (is sewed a word?). Anyway, it was awesome. I got all excited about the idea of sewing and subscribed to email newsletters from Simplicity (they make sewing patterns). Anywho, I got an email from them today and I had to laugh. See for yourself:
(Click on the image to see a close-up of these shirts in all of their glory.)
Father/Son Casual Shirts. What better way to say, "I love you" to the man in your life than by forcing him to wear the most hideous shirt known to man? And then to top it off by scarring your young son by throwing one on him, too?!
I'm sorry, but this is just cruel and unusual punishment.
(Click on the image to see a close-up of these shirts in all of their glory.)Father/Son Casual Shirts. What better way to say, "I love you" to the man in your life than by forcing him to wear the most hideous shirt known to man? And then to top it off by scarring your young son by throwing one on him, too?!
I'm sorry, but this is just cruel and unusual punishment.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Romance Isn't Dead!
Okay, so yesterday I had taken LO on a walk around the neighborhood -- it was such a gorgeous 70 degrees out! It was about 4:30 PM and, of course, I hadn't even showered for the day so I was total grunge. Not surprisingly, by the time we returned to the house, hubs was already home from work. We sat outside with LO for a spell, then I came inside to make a work-related phone call in peace and quiet.
Fast-forward about 20 minutes later. I was about to start making some jambalaya for dinner, when hubs said, "Stop!" I looked at him rather inquisitively, said I was planning to start dinner before jumping in the shower. He said to go ahead and take a shower and I said okay!
I heard him closing a door over in the "west wing" of our humble home, so I proceeded to head toward the bathroom for a much-needed shower.
Next thing I know, there's a knock at our front door.
"Hubs? Can you get that?," I hollered across the house. No response.
"Hubs?"
Slightly irritated that my mission to take a shower was stalled, I yelled again, "HUBS?! Can you get that??"
Since I still received no response, I went to the door (side note: I was in fact still fully dressed at this point), checked through the 'peep hole' and what--or better yet--whom did I see??
IT WAS HUBS!!!
He was standing at our front door, a dozen roses in hand, patiently waiting for me to answer the door and ask me out for dinner!
Can you believe it!?
I sure couldn't.
It was the sweetest thing! Check out the beautiful flowers he gave me:
If you look closely, you can see a beautiful little heart with "We Luv U" written in crayon attached to the vase. Hubs and LO decorated it themselves!
These flowers are just gorgeous!!!
So, hubs had arranged my wonderful mom to come over to keep LO while we went out for a nice, romantic dinner. Guess where we went!? Outback Steakhouse! One of my favorite places that we hardly ever go to.
Can you say, "Bloomin Onion'?" That's what I'm talkin' about!!
And don't get me started on the bread, the delicious salad and the fabulous veggies & baked potato I had for dinner! DE-LISH!!!
Needless to say, I'm SO incredibly smitten with my amazing husband! Romance is alive!!!
Fast-forward about 20 minutes later. I was about to start making some jambalaya for dinner, when hubs said, "Stop!" I looked at him rather inquisitively, said I was planning to start dinner before jumping in the shower. He said to go ahead and take a shower and I said okay!
I heard him closing a door over in the "west wing" of our humble home, so I proceeded to head toward the bathroom for a much-needed shower.
Next thing I know, there's a knock at our front door.
"Hubs? Can you get that?," I hollered across the house. No response.
"Hubs?"
Slightly irritated that my mission to take a shower was stalled, I yelled again, "HUBS?! Can you get that??"
Since I still received no response, I went to the door (side note: I was in fact still fully dressed at this point), checked through the 'peep hole' and what--or better yet--whom did I see??
IT WAS HUBS!!!
He was standing at our front door, a dozen roses in hand, patiently waiting for me to answer the door and ask me out for dinner!
Can you believe it!?
I sure couldn't.
It was the sweetest thing! Check out the beautiful flowers he gave me:
If you look closely, you can see a beautiful little heart with "We Luv U" written in crayon attached to the vase. Hubs and LO decorated it themselves!
These flowers are just gorgeous!!!
So, hubs had arranged my wonderful mom to come over to keep LO while we went out for a nice, romantic dinner. Guess where we went!? Outback Steakhouse! One of my favorite places that we hardly ever go to.
Can you say, "Bloomin Onion'?" That's what I'm talkin' about!!
And don't get me started on the bread, the delicious salad and the fabulous veggies & baked potato I had for dinner! DE-LISH!!!
Needless to say, I'm SO incredibly smitten with my amazing husband! Romance is alive!!!
Gimme a sec...
...I've got something so sweet to blog about but I must wait until I motivate myself to take a few pictures first. You know, for supporting documentation and all. Will try to post very soon!
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Coloriffic
People. I bought this the other day:
That's right! Ten assorted colors of kids' paint. According to Crayola, "Washable Kid’s Paint is ideal for arts and crafts, posters, and school projects. The paints are easy to apply with brushes, sponges, stamps, stencils, and other tools, and they can be used on almost any surface." Sounds like fun, right?
Actually... I'm not sure. I haven't even opened the box yet. I was thinking LO and I could do a fun little art project, but I just can't get myself over the idea of how big of a mess it will make! I'm debating waiting until the Spring when we can take her table outside for an art project--or at least take HER outside to hose her off once we're finished.
I also totally just noticed -- these are little bottles of paint. Like, regular paint. NOT finger paint, like I thought I was buying. It says on the box that the paints are designed to easily wash from skin and most children's clothing... At this point, I think it's a lot to ask of an 18-month-old to use brushes, sponges, stamps, stencils, etc. Let's face it: she'll use her fingers.
Maybe my closer scrutiny of the packaging warrants a trip back to Target to buy some FINGER paint.
((sigh))
That's right! Ten assorted colors of kids' paint. According to Crayola, "Washable Kid’s Paint is ideal for arts and crafts, posters, and school projects. The paints are easy to apply with brushes, sponges, stamps, stencils, and other tools, and they can be used on almost any surface." Sounds like fun, right?Actually... I'm not sure. I haven't even opened the box yet. I was thinking LO and I could do a fun little art project, but I just can't get myself over the idea of how big of a mess it will make! I'm debating waiting until the Spring when we can take her table outside for an art project--or at least take HER outside to hose her off once we're finished.
I also totally just noticed -- these are little bottles of paint. Like, regular paint. NOT finger paint, like I thought I was buying. It says on the box that the paints are designed to easily wash from skin and most children's clothing... At this point, I think it's a lot to ask of an 18-month-old to use brushes, sponges, stamps, stencils, etc. Let's face it: she'll use her fingers.
Maybe my closer scrutiny of the packaging warrants a trip back to Target to buy some FINGER paint.
((sigh))
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Sick n' Tired
My precious little one was sick yesterday. Keep in mind, she's 18 months old, right? Well, this was the FIRST TIME in her life that she's had a fever. The FIRST TIME in her life that she's been sick enough to require two doses of Tylenol in the same day. Luckily, we can still say our 18-month record of never making a sick visit to the pediatrician's office is still in tact. Sweet.
So since my baby girl was a bit clingy and whiny (more so than usual), I decided to forgo our TV viewing schedule (i.e. one 30-minute Elmo DVD per day), and got out my old VHS tape of The Little Mermaid. I laid down on the couch, had LO snuggle up next to me, grabbed a blanket and her precious Teddy, and pressed Play.
About 20 minutes into the movie, I glanced down and LO and--sure enough!--her little eyes were closed and she was out cold! My baby girl took a good 45 minute nap right there next to me on the couch while watching our Disney movie. This had to be one of the most precious "Mommy Moments" I've experienced during this adventure known as motherhood. I grabbed the cellphone to snap a picture of this unforgettable moment. If you know LO, you know that she's never been much of a "cuddle-er" and usually is movin' and shakin' during the daytime, so such a moment as this was far too wonderful to keep to myself!
So since my baby girl was a bit clingy and whiny (more so than usual), I decided to forgo our TV viewing schedule (i.e. one 30-minute Elmo DVD per day), and got out my old VHS tape of The Little Mermaid. I laid down on the couch, had LO snuggle up next to me, grabbed a blanket and her precious Teddy, and pressed Play.
About 20 minutes into the movie, I glanced down and LO and--sure enough!--her little eyes were closed and she was out cold! My baby girl took a good 45 minute nap right there next to me on the couch while watching our Disney movie. This had to be one of the most precious "Mommy Moments" I've experienced during this adventure known as motherhood. I grabbed the cellphone to snap a picture of this unforgettable moment. If you know LO, you know that she's never been much of a "cuddle-er" and usually is movin' and shakin' during the daytime, so such a moment as this was far too wonderful to keep to myself!
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Bad Mommy!
The other day, I had a revelation: I'm a bad mommy! Okay, maybe not fit for the World's Worst Mom award, but still. For some reason, I just recently noticed that I've been letting LO watch TV almost non-stop, all day long, every day, for months. Now, granted, she doesn't always sit there, staring at the TV, completely enthralled with the programming 24/7, but I seem to keep it on for background noise, entertainment, etc. throughout the day. And I think I recall reading, somewhere along this road of parenthood, that TV watching for 18-month-olds = BAD. But I did it anyway! I mean, seriously, we even keep a portable DVD player that installs on the back of the headrest in our vehicle, and each time we leave the house -- even if just to go 2 miles down the street -- LO would point and it and say, "Elmo!"
That's right. It was that bad. The other issue I've found is that sometimes I get engrossed in the TV and just haven't been spending the time with LO doing the things that I should be doing. You know, like teaching her about shapes, colors, numbers, the alphabet, etc. She has SO much to learn and at this age, she's totally a little sponge ready to soak it all up! But NOOOOO, mommy's too interested in seeing the latest on Ellen's "George will be mine in '09" campaign (which, she finally DID get him on Monday... but I digress).
SO, about a month ago, I decided to make the actual decision that LO will be limited to ONE DVD per day. That's it! No more Playhouse Disney every morning. No more Elmo DVDs on repeat. AND I removed the DVD player from our vehicle, so there will be no more DVDs unless we're on long road trips. Enough is enough!!
Miraculously, I've found all sorts of time to spend teaching LO her shapes, letters, etc. In fact, I had been working with her so much that I realized she needed a lot more help with her colors. For some reason, every color to her is "yeyy-o" (read: "yellow"). So rather than spend money on some fancy "teach-your-kid-their-colors" kit on eBay, I decided to make my own! I used card stock and markers, put a blob of color on the paper and wrote the color underneath it. Then I laminated the individual cards and put them up on the wall so we could practice with them all the time. SO fun!!!
I also decided I want LO to know the entire alphabet before she starts a 2-day morning program in the Fall (God willing!). SO, we've started with one letter per week, and I post her artwork on the wall so, again, we can refer to them often throughout our days. Yes, it's true, I just started last week with "A" and we've made our way to "B" this week, so I realize I have a ways to go. But we're learning, and that's what really matters!
That's right. It was that bad. The other issue I've found is that sometimes I get engrossed in the TV and just haven't been spending the time with LO doing the things that I should be doing. You know, like teaching her about shapes, colors, numbers, the alphabet, etc. She has SO much to learn and at this age, she's totally a little sponge ready to soak it all up! But NOOOOO, mommy's too interested in seeing the latest on Ellen's "George will be mine in '09" campaign (which, she finally DID get him on Monday... but I digress).
SO, about a month ago, I decided to make the actual decision that LO will be limited to ONE DVD per day. That's it! No more Playhouse Disney every morning. No more Elmo DVDs on repeat. AND I removed the DVD player from our vehicle, so there will be no more DVDs unless we're on long road trips. Enough is enough!!
Miraculously, I've found all sorts of time to spend teaching LO her shapes, letters, etc. In fact, I had been working with her so much that I realized she needed a lot more help with her colors. For some reason, every color to her is "yeyy-o" (read: "yellow"). So rather than spend money on some fancy "teach-your-kid-their-colors" kit on eBay, I decided to make my own! I used card stock and markers, put a blob of color on the paper and wrote the color underneath it. Then I laminated the individual cards and put them up on the wall so we could practice with them all the time. SO fun!!!
I also decided I want LO to know the entire alphabet before she starts a 2-day morning program in the Fall (God willing!). SO, we've started with one letter per week, and I post her artwork on the wall so, again, we can refer to them often throughout our days. Yes, it's true, I just started last week with "A" and we've made our way to "B" this week, so I realize I have a ways to go. But we're learning, and that's what really matters!
Monday, January 5, 2009
I Could Live Without It, But Wouldn't Want To!
A trash can? Really?
I know what you're thinking... There's no way this blogger is in her right mind to be posting about a stinkin' (pun intended) TRASH CAN?!
But alas, it's true.
Goodness! This is one of those things that you don't know you really need until after you use it the first time. We've suffered for years with an old white plastic trash can in our kitchen, complete with the little white lid that you had to lift up each time you needed to throw something away. Since I love to cook, I'd been getting so tired of having to touch the trash can and re-wash my hands each time I had to throw something away.
I searched online and read reviews all over the place on a variety of different trash cans. Until I finally found this baby! This new trash can was my Christmas present to myself! Seriously!!
I anxiously awaited it's scheduled arrival at my home. I busted this baby out of the packaging, barely glanced at the instructions, and had it "up and running" in minutes. Let me tell you--It. Is. A-Mazing.
The size is perfect. The finish is perfect (even though we don't have any stainless appliances--it still matches our neutral white kitchen just fine). The operation is FLAWLESS. It sits in a high-traffic entrance area in our kitchen and does NOT automatically open erroneously. Without a doubt, this is the PERFECT trash can for just about anybody. If you love techie gadgets, this is it! If you're a germaphobe, this is it! Even if you're wanting the perfect gift for your 80-year-old Grandma, this is it!
You won't be disappointed!
Disclaimer: I've owned this trash can for 9 days. I guess it's quite possible it will self-destruct in a month or so, or I'll have to call for a replacement part and get the run-around from customer service (that's the trend these days, anyway), or who knows what else. But the past 9 days have been sheer bliss in our household!!!
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Merry Christmas!
I know I've taken a bit of a sabbatical from blogging, but I couldn't let this blessed holiday pass without wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas! May you experience all of the peace, joy and love that came to earth so many years ago in the birth of Christ our Lord!
Friday, December 12, 2008
Taking a Break
Okay, so I haven't posted in over a week. I got sad. See, I was very non-scheduled with my posting, and didn't have anything interesting or new to share. I thought about giving up on the blog. But instead, I tried to revive it with a ton of posts so there was something new to read daily for several days in a row. But alas, to my dismay, I really had no comments or feedback from the online blogging community. You guys, my readers. No one seemed to notice. No one seemed to care. So I guess I will take my own suggestion and give up on the blog--for now. Maybe someday I'll come back and return with a ton of incredibly interesting stories that people can't help but read and comment on. But maybe not. We'll see. I guess I'll just go back to being a blog reader/commenter instead of a blogger.
Thanks to those of you who read, commented, lurked, or whatever. It was a fun ride!
Thanks to those of you who read, commented, lurked, or whatever. It was a fun ride!
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Sew Exciting!
I got a wild hair the other day. It was so unlike me, but I decided to break out the sewing machine. It's actually my mom's sewing machine that she lent to me several months ago so she could teach me how to sew. Unfortunately we never were able to find the time to work together on a few sewing lessons, so the machine had been collecting dust in our spare bedroom.
So the other day I get the wild hair to--get this--sew a pillowcase for LO! I purchased a cute little pillow for her about a month ago but of course I wasn't able to find a pillowcase to fit it! So, we just so happened to have some extra fabric laying around from a previous project my wonderful mom completed for LO's bedroom. She had made a cute little tablecloth for her room that matched the theme I had selected. So I figured I could use the scraps from that project to create the new pillowcase.
It was the craziest thing! Have you ever threaded a sewing machine? Do you know what a bobbin is? If not, you would've been in the same boat as me! I've never done much more than look at a sewing machine! So I turned to our trusty friend--the Internet--and found the Singer website with a ton of resources on how to do all kinds of basic things with sewing machines.
About two hours later? Voila! A perfect little pillowcase for my perfect little one's room! It came out waaaaaay cute and I was impressed that I did all this with no pattern and no instructions beyond what I found online. Fun!
Now I'm thinking I might attempt to try to make a new diaper bag/purse. Although I purchased an actual pattern for that one, so we'll see how that goes!
So the other day I get the wild hair to--get this--sew a pillowcase for LO! I purchased a cute little pillow for her about a month ago but of course I wasn't able to find a pillowcase to fit it! So, we just so happened to have some extra fabric laying around from a previous project my wonderful mom completed for LO's bedroom. She had made a cute little tablecloth for her room that matched the theme I had selected. So I figured I could use the scraps from that project to create the new pillowcase.
It was the craziest thing! Have you ever threaded a sewing machine? Do you know what a bobbin is? If not, you would've been in the same boat as me! I've never done much more than look at a sewing machine! So I turned to our trusty friend--the Internet--and found the Singer website with a ton of resources on how to do all kinds of basic things with sewing machines.
About two hours later? Voila! A perfect little pillowcase for my perfect little one's room! It came out waaaaaay cute and I was impressed that I did all this with no pattern and no instructions beyond what I found online. Fun!
Now I'm thinking I might attempt to try to make a new diaper bag/purse. Although I purchased an actual pattern for that one, so we'll see how that goes!
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Take That, Panera!!
You all remember the great bread bowl debacle of 2008, right? The one where two different Paneras were out of bread bowls on two different consecutive days? Well, let's just say those experiences have left a bad taste in my mouth (no pun intended). It's very frustrating to plan a meal and set an expectation around a delicious bread bowl only to find there are none. At this point, I'm not quite ready to tackle making homemade sourdough bread bowls from the comfort of my kitchen (I'm not very well versed in working with live active yeast). But I did decide to give our favorite Panera soup--Broccoli Cheddar--a shot from home. I actually made it about 2 weeks ago and It. Was. Awesome. I made it again for hubs and I tonight and thought I'd share this delicious gem with my blog reader(s). It's really a very simple recipe and doesn't require much skill in the kitchen at all! But it comes out so delicious that people will think you picked it up from your local Panera on your way home from work!
Enjoy!
Enjoy!
Panera Broccoli Cheese Soup
1¼ hours | 30 min prep
SERVES 4
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 tablespoon melted butter
- 1/2 medium chopped onion
- 1/4 cup melted butter
- 1/4 cup flour
- 2 cups half-and-half cream (I've used either whole milk or 1% milk instead--just as yummy!)
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 1/2 lb fresh broccoli
- 1 cup carrot, julienned
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg (I just use a dash or two)
- 8 ounces grated sharp cheddar cheese
- salt and pepper
DIRECTIONS:
- Sauté onion in butter. Set aside.
- Cook melted butter and flour using a whisk over medium heat for 3-5 minutes. Stir constantly and add the half & half.
- Add the chicken stock. Simmer for 20 minutes.
- Add the broccoli, carrots and onions. Cook over low heat 20-25 minutes.
- Add salt and pepper. Purée half of soup in a blender. Return to heat and add cheese. Stir in nutmeg. Continue to cook until cheese is nicely melted. Serve hot!
Mmmmmmm!!!
Friday, November 28, 2008
27 Days Until Christmas!!!
I am NOT one of those "Black Friday" shoppers. Never have been, and probably never will be. But for those of you who are braving the madness and sheer crazy that is Black Friday, good luck!!
Of course, now that I look at the time, I realize most of you Black Friday shoppers are probably taking a much-needed nap right about now... Good for you!
Only 27 days until Christmas! Hooray!!
Of course, now that I look at the time, I realize most of you Black Friday shoppers are probably taking a much-needed nap right about now... Good for you!
Only 27 days until Christmas! Hooray!!
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Happy Thanksgiving!
Happy Thanksgiving!
I hope you all enjoy this holiday and give thanks for the blessings in your lives!
Oh, and here's a pic of the cute place cards I made for our family's big dinner. I used LO's hand print, added some feathers and googly eyes, and...
I hope you all enjoy this holiday and give thanks for the blessings in your lives!
Oh, and here's a pic of the cute place cards I made for our family's big dinner. I used LO's hand print, added some feathers and googly eyes, and...
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
PLEASE Wash Hands Before Serving Food!
For those of you who have been around long enough to remember my first post, today's post is eerily similar to that experience.
On Saturday, hubs, LO and I joined our good friends, D and H and their son C for a trip to the zoo, about an hour and a half away. The plan was to do the zoo during the day, leave around 5pm to hit a local restaurant for dinner, then return to the zoo around 6:30 or so for their "Lights Before Christmas" spectacular! All in all it was a great day, the kiddos had fun, and we got to see a lot of animals, take pictures, etc. The downside? That tiny little hour and a half that we left the zoo for dinner.
We decided to visit a nearby Applebee's that was only about a 5 minute drive from the zoo. I'm going to do a bullet-point play-by-play of this experience because, honestly, it's the easiest way I can think of to share this disastrous event.
On Saturday, hubs, LO and I joined our good friends, D and H and their son C for a trip to the zoo, about an hour and a half away. The plan was to do the zoo during the day, leave around 5pm to hit a local restaurant for dinner, then return to the zoo around 6:30 or so for their "Lights Before Christmas" spectacular! All in all it was a great day, the kiddos had fun, and we got to see a lot of animals, take pictures, etc. The downside? That tiny little hour and a half that we left the zoo for dinner.
We decided to visit a nearby Applebee's that was only about a 5 minute drive from the zoo. I'm going to do a bullet-point play-by-play of this experience because, honestly, it's the easiest way I can think of to share this disastrous event.
- We arrive and the restaurant is right close to EMPTY. The hostess--who couldn't be more than 12 years old--doesn't even look in our direction when she says, "Welcome to Applebee's. How many?" I respond by telling her we have 4 adults and will need 2 highchairs. She gets another 12-year-old to come over for assistance with this seemingly difficult task and the two of them pour over the seating chart (in an empty restaurant, mind you) for what could not have been less than 7 minutes. We all sat down at the entrance and waited. It was like an act of congress to find us a table. They asked if we wanted a table or booth... I'm sorry, did you not hear that we'd need 2 highchairs? Where would you put 2 highchairs at a booth?? So we opted for a table.
- They took us to a tiny table, with one side of it against a wall, so we had 3 sides to fit 6 people. Genius. Oh, and the table was located at the intersection of A) the bathrooms, B) the computer/register thingy the wait staff uses, C) the kitchen and D) the carryout order entrance. Two people almost knocked me over while I was getting LO's highchair ready. Then hubs took LO and H took C to the bathrooms to change diapers. D and I were getting situated when literally 2 different waiters stopped by and tried to take one of our chairs. "We have FOUR MORE PEOPLE joining us!" I snapped both times. A waitress came by to take our drink orders and I said (pointing to the empty chair next to me), "We'll have 2 waters." She walked away!! I stared at D and said, "I guess you and H can share our waters with us!" Unbelievable. After about 3 more people tripped on one of the highchairs at the end of our table, D got up and went to tell the hostess to move us--this table wasn't gonna work. I picked up all of our menus, waters, silverware, highchairs, etc. and moved them to our new table (the same size as the current one, but in a slightly better location and pulled away from the wall so we had all 4 sides to work with).
- Hubs, LO, H and C returned from the bathrooms and we all got situated. Hubs and D both mentioned that one of the waiters had gone into the men's room, was in there for awhile (gross!), and LEFT WITHOUT WASHING HIS HANDS!!!! I was disgusted.
- The waitress came by to take our orders. H asked what comes on the salad (she's also a vegetarian) and when bacon wasn't listed, she ordered her salad, her husband D ordered his meal, then the waitress came to hubs and I. I asked how much a side item was, she said it depended on which one you order. I said I was going to order 3 different ones (since I don't eat meat entrees anymore) and she said she'd have to go find out. Rather than delay putting our order in, I just ordered my mashed potatoes and steamed veggies and some fries (for LO). Hubs wanted an appetizer sampler. He asked to substitute one of the items and she said he couldn't. I piped in and asked, "He can't change out the spinach dip for cheese queso??" To which she responded, "Oh, sure, you can do that." Alrighty then! So our order was finally in. Whew!
- H's salad comes out--covered in bacon. She had to send it back. They brought another one out later but didn't bring the extra plate she had requested. She asked for it again. It never came.
- Literally 45 minutes after we ordered (you know, back before the restaurant started to fill up with customers), they FINALLY brought D and H's food. Hubs and I just waited until they finally brought ours out several minutes later. As soon as the waiter left from dropping off my food, hubs said, "You are NOT eating any of those potatoes on the right side of your plate. The guy that was in the bathroom that didn't wash his hands brought those out and his thumb was IN YOUR POTATOES. Sure enough, there was a freakin' THUMB PRINT plain as day in my potatoes. My steamed veggies? COLD. Hubs' appetizer sampler? COLD. The cheese queso had a nasty film over the top and it was obvious that platter had been sitting out for at least 10 minutes before it was brought out. We were NOT having a good dining experience.
- The waitress came over to ask if there was anything we needed... Hubs was obviously QUITE irritated but told her he wasn't going to deal with her about it; he'd talk to a manager before we leave. So what did she do? Send the manager over. He asked what the problem was. Again, hubs wasn't going to get into it with him at this point (we were still hoping to salvage our meal and NOT embarrass our friends D and H). I simply mentioned the cold veggies and the guy got incredibly defensive! He said, "I'm not trying to argue with you ma'am... blah, blah, blah." So he took the veggies and was going to bring me a new order.
- A few minutes go by. I hand LO a celery stick I pulled from hubs' sampler. I glance at her a few seconds later and immediately pull that celery stick out of her hand. YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!!!! There was a HAIR on the celery stick!!!!! Hubs looked as though he threw up in his mouth, then immediately grabbed the appetizer platter, my plate of potatoes (which I had already decided NOT to eat for obvious reasons) and went storming over to the bar where the manager was standing. Luckily I had my back to the bar so I couldn't see the "scene" hubs was making. I was actually quite proud of him though. Normally I want to hide under the table when he gets into that "mode" but this time he handled the situation VERY well, especially considering everything we'd just been through.
- The manager of course comped our meals (really? seriously? we didn't even eat a single bite!!!!!), and while D and H finished their dinners (somehow theirs managed to come out just fine), hubs and I left and headed to the Wendy's drive-thru before heading back to the zoo to meet our friends for the lights show.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Three Years
To my beloved ~
Three years ago today, we said, "I Do."
Three years ago today, we made a commitment to love each other 'til death do us part.
Three years ago today, I chose to give you my life, my love, my faithfulness, my friendship, my everything.
Three years ago today, we knew we were beginning a new chapter... one that would involve an unbelievable love, a hope for the joys of raising a family together, of growing old together, of sharing life together.
Three years ago today, we put our faith in God and believed in the future He had in store for us.
Three years ago today, I didn't think it was possible to love another human being as much as I loved you.
Until today,
when I realized I love you much more than I did on this day three years ago.
You are my love, my best friend, my life.
I love you, my darling hubs.
Three years ago today, we said, "I Do."
Three years ago today, we made a commitment to love each other 'til death do us part.
Three years ago today, I chose to give you my life, my love, my faithfulness, my friendship, my everything.
Three years ago today, we knew we were beginning a new chapter... one that would involve an unbelievable love, a hope for the joys of raising a family together, of growing old together, of sharing life together.
Three years ago today, we put our faith in God and believed in the future He had in store for us.
Three years ago today, I didn't think it was possible to love another human being as much as I loved you.
Until today,
when I realized I love you much more than I did on this day three years ago.
You are my love, my best friend, my life.
I love you, my darling hubs.
Monday, November 24, 2008
Sugar Cookies--Round 2!
As some of you may know, I've been looking for a new sugar cookie recipe to use for Christmas cookies this holiday season. I attempted the Martha Stewart recipe, but it just didn't work as well as I'd hoped. So now I'm on to round 2!
I came across this recipe--aptly titled The Best Rolled Sugar Cookies--and these came out MUCH better! I didn't bother to take a bunch of pictures 'cause I figure most of you probably don't care for the step-by-step details. But I will say this dough was MUCH easier to work with, and although the cookies spread a bit while baking, it wasn't nearly as bad as the Martha Stewart recipe.
So give this one a try if you're looking for a yummy sugar cookie recipe! I'm certain you won't be disappointed!
I came across this recipe--aptly titled The Best Rolled Sugar Cookies--and these came out MUCH better! I didn't bother to take a bunch of pictures 'cause I figure most of you probably don't care for the step-by-step details. But I will say this dough was MUCH easier to work with, and although the cookies spread a bit while baking, it wasn't nearly as bad as the Martha Stewart recipe.
So give this one a try if you're looking for a yummy sugar cookie recipe! I'm certain you won't be disappointed!
THE BEST ROLLED SUGAR COOKIES
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups butter, softened
2 cups white sugar
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
DirectionsFeel free to frost these bad boys with your favorite icing and decorate with whatever candies you have on hand!
- In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Cover, and chill dough for at least one hour (or overnight).
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Roll out dough on floured surface 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Cut into shapes with any cookie cutter. Place cookies 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
- Bake 6 to 8 minutes in preheated oven. Cool completely.
Friday, November 21, 2008
Such a Shame!
Last night, hubs and I went out for dinner at a local Italian restaurant to celebrate our 3rd anniversary a few days early. It was just the two of us, and I was really looking forward to a quiet, intimate, romantic dinner for two.
Unfortunately that wasn't what we were in for.
The restaurant wasn't very busy when we arrived. We obviously needed a table for two. Where'd they put us? In a huge 6-person booth. Nice, huh? The added bonus was that the booth was right under a speaker that was blaring music (and not the quiet, romantic kind) throughout our entire meal. We were sitting mere inches from each other, and yet we had to almost yell to hear each other above the noise. Lovely.
Our waitress was a scary lady. Hubs made the comment during dinner that he thought she could totally kick his butt. I agreed.
As you may recall, I've gone vegetarian. So dining out has become a slight challenge. It's really not too bad, though. I just have to ask a few more questions, find out if entrees can be ordered without chicken or beef, etc. And that's exactly what I did. I ordered a bow-tie pasta with sun-dried tomatoes and mushrooms in a garlic cream sauce, minus the chicken, of course. Hubs had the lasagna. I also ordered a Caesar salad for us to share.
Now, one of my favorite things about Italian restaurants? The Bread! So I was anticipating its arrival as soon as we arrived. No bread. Then we ordered. It still didn't come. Our salad arrived. Still no bread. When the waitress dropped the salad off, she said she'd bring out bread with our entree.
What!?
I don't know about you, but when my entree arrives, I want to eat it. But the 20 minutes or so I'm sitting around waiting for said entree? I'd enjoy some bread! Is that so wrong?
Our entrees are delivered by someone other than our waitress. Several minutes later our waitress walks by and we ask her for some bread, which she finally brings after a few minutes.
Ugh.
Nice, romantic, quiet dinner with hubs with at least mediocre service? Not at all what we got!
The biggest problem I had was that when our check arrived, I immediately looked to see if we were charged the full amount for my pasta. And, of course, we were! Why is that? It clearly states on the menu that chicken can be added to any pasta dish for $6. So why is it I was charged the full amount for a chicken dish without the chicken?! I mean, why not give a $2 discount or something just to make an effort!?
I was irritated enough to at least want to kindly make my point to the restaurant manager as we were leaving. Unfortunately, I couldn't find a single soul anywhere near the exit door. No manager, no hostess, no waitress. No one to say, "Thank you for coming! Have a great night! Come back and see us!" It was really irritating that I couldn't share a simple comment with anyone. However, when I got home I promptly sent an email via the restaurant's website to share my feedback.
Overall it wasn't a bad night--it certainly was nice to spend some alone time with hubs. Maybe I'll give us an anniversary dinner "do-over" and cook dinner for us here at home one night. That way I can control the music, candlelight, and the quality of the food and service.
Unfortunately that wasn't what we were in for.
The restaurant wasn't very busy when we arrived. We obviously needed a table for two. Where'd they put us? In a huge 6-person booth. Nice, huh? The added bonus was that the booth was right under a speaker that was blaring music (and not the quiet, romantic kind) throughout our entire meal. We were sitting mere inches from each other, and yet we had to almost yell to hear each other above the noise. Lovely.
Our waitress was a scary lady. Hubs made the comment during dinner that he thought she could totally kick his butt. I agreed.
As you may recall, I've gone vegetarian. So dining out has become a slight challenge. It's really not too bad, though. I just have to ask a few more questions, find out if entrees can be ordered without chicken or beef, etc. And that's exactly what I did. I ordered a bow-tie pasta with sun-dried tomatoes and mushrooms in a garlic cream sauce, minus the chicken, of course. Hubs had the lasagna. I also ordered a Caesar salad for us to share.
Now, one of my favorite things about Italian restaurants? The Bread! So I was anticipating its arrival as soon as we arrived. No bread. Then we ordered. It still didn't come. Our salad arrived. Still no bread. When the waitress dropped the salad off, she said she'd bring out bread with our entree.
What!?
I don't know about you, but when my entree arrives, I want to eat it. But the 20 minutes or so I'm sitting around waiting for said entree? I'd enjoy some bread! Is that so wrong?
Our entrees are delivered by someone other than our waitress. Several minutes later our waitress walks by and we ask her for some bread, which she finally brings after a few minutes.
Ugh.
Nice, romantic, quiet dinner with hubs with at least mediocre service? Not at all what we got!
The biggest problem I had was that when our check arrived, I immediately looked to see if we were charged the full amount for my pasta. And, of course, we were! Why is that? It clearly states on the menu that chicken can be added to any pasta dish for $6. So why is it I was charged the full amount for a chicken dish without the chicken?! I mean, why not give a $2 discount or something just to make an effort!?
I was irritated enough to at least want to kindly make my point to the restaurant manager as we were leaving. Unfortunately, I couldn't find a single soul anywhere near the exit door. No manager, no hostess, no waitress. No one to say, "Thank you for coming! Have a great night! Come back and see us!" It was really irritating that I couldn't share a simple comment with anyone. However, when I got home I promptly sent an email via the restaurant's website to share my feedback.
Overall it wasn't a bad night--it certainly was nice to spend some alone time with hubs. Maybe I'll give us an anniversary dinner "do-over" and cook dinner for us here at home one night. That way I can control the music, candlelight, and the quality of the food and service.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Invisi-whaa?
Okay, this post is all about the ladies. Tell me--how often have you bought a pair of pants that fit perfectly at the store only to find them to be a bit too loose when you try them on at home? I've got several. And it's great when I wash them because they fit nice and snug out of the dryer, but within a few minutes, they're back to being a bit oversized.
Now hubs listens to my droning and complaining and, as most men do, offers to "fix" the problem for me by telling me to put on a belt. Sounds easy enough, right?
Notsomuch.
See, I hate the additional 20 lbs. that are added to my waist the second I put a belt on. I've already got an extra 15 lbs. I carry around without the added "bonus weight" of wearing a big ol' belt.
Well, my friends, I have found the solution! And I'm totally kicking myself for not coming up with this on my own and making millions! It's called the Invisibelt!
This handy little gem holds those pants up and does NOT add on the extra pounds of traditional belts. It's available in both clear and black. This is a must-have I've added to my wish list this Christmas, and at only $19.95, it won't leave too big of a hole in Santa's wallet!
Now hubs listens to my droning and complaining and, as most men do, offers to "fix" the problem for me by telling me to put on a belt. Sounds easy enough, right?
Notsomuch.
See, I hate the additional 20 lbs. that are added to my waist the second I put a belt on. I've already got an extra 15 lbs. I carry around without the added "bonus weight" of wearing a big ol' belt.
Well, my friends, I have found the solution! And I'm totally kicking myself for not coming up with this on my own and making millions! It's called the Invisibelt!
This handy little gem holds those pants up and does NOT add on the extra pounds of traditional belts. It's available in both clear and black. This is a must-have I've added to my wish list this Christmas, and at only $19.95, it won't leave too big of a hole in Santa's wallet!
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
So Lovely!
I found an album you just cannot live without. Okay, maybe YOU can live without it, but I certainly can't!
((Insert Fisher: The Lovely Years here!))
The song that caught my attention was Beautiful Life -- it's the song TLC used in a commercial for John & Kate Plus 8 (one of my daily indulgences). I loved that song so much I had to find it. Boy was I surprised when I found the album was chock full of songs about being a new parent! What a surprise! The lyrics to several of the songs are just so sweet and beautiful. This is a must-have on my Christmas list!
((Insert Fisher: The Lovely Years here!))
The song that caught my attention was Beautiful Life -- it's the song TLC used in a commercial for John & Kate Plus 8 (one of my daily indulgences). I loved that song so much I had to find it. Boy was I surprised when I found the album was chock full of songs about being a new parent! What a surprise! The lyrics to several of the songs are just so sweet and beautiful. This is a must-have on my Christmas list!
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Where'd You Come From?
I've had stats for my blog since day 1 (for those of you keeping track, that would be June 3rd--a short 5 months ago!). I started out with Site Meter, which has been pretty cool--the few times I've looked at it. I guess I really don't pay much attention to who is visiting my blog, how often they stop by, how long they stay, etc. For me, my blog is just an outlet to share my thoughts/feelings/experiences with cyberspace. If people are keen to read such ramblings, more power to you! I'm glad you're here! But, as I said, I just don't pay attention to my stats. In addition to Site Meter, I also set up an account with Google Analytics a few months ago. Again, I can't say that I ever actually log in or review any of the ever-so-exciting data that Google is kindly accumulating for me (for free, of course!).
I guess I got a little curious today. Not really about how many hits I'm getting (as I said, that doesn't do anything for me), but more about how/why people are finding my blog. So I checked out Google Analytics and read through the list of search engine keywords that were used to find my blog. Granted most (if not all) of these Google searchers who landed on one of my posts only stayed for mere moments--certainly not long enough to learn anything at all about me or my musings. However, I did find some of the search terms to be quite interesting! Without further ado, here are a few of my favorites:
I guess I got a little curious today. Not really about how many hits I'm getting (as I said, that doesn't do anything for me), but more about how/why people are finding my blog. So I checked out Google Analytics and read through the list of search engine keywords that were used to find my blog. Granted most (if not all) of these Google searchers who landed on one of my posts only stayed for mere moments--certainly not long enough to learn anything at all about me or my musings. However, I did find some of the search terms to be quite interesting! Without further ado, here are a few of my favorites:
- "little+female+feet"
- Obviously you didn't read this post about the unbelievably HUGE footsies I've been "blessed" with and how completely impossible it is for me to find shoes that fit (until I found zappos.com, of course!).
- almostdiamonds.com
- Ugh. Hopefully you read this post detailing my experience with this company and how completely atrocious it was. Don't EVER purchase ANYTHING from almostdiamonds.com.
- carnivore gift gags
- Hmmm... I don't even know where in the world on my blog this guy ended up. I don't recall discussing gift gags at all... although I do recall mentioning "carnivore" in this post. But beware, there's a horrible video clip on that post (don't say I didn't warn ya)!
- cheddar bread bowl
- Ah, yes, the elusive broccoli-cheddar bread bowl from Panera. Good luck getting your hands on one!
- dynex dvi-to-video sux
- Oh, the drama of putting together a video of LO for her first birthday. Yes, even though this guy can't spell, he is absolutely right that Dynex sucks!! Always go with genuine Apple products! (Another warning: This is probably one of the longest blog posts of all time)!
- environmentally friendly bean bag
- Aww! You're definitely gonna want to purchase one of these bean bags. They're awesome!
- how to determine if pork has gone bad
- It is possible to make this determination. See this post for more info.
- ive bought a dress which squashes my boobs
- Just when I finally got that horrible experience out of my mind, I am reminded of it. Click this link and let the boob squashing commence.
- life span of pillows
- I only wish I had already discovered the true life span of pilllows before this happened.
- my pork smells funny
- I'm not going to comment on this particular search term. However, I will point you back to this post. Beware.
- portrait gallery wall
- The truest joy of my heart. Designing my wall gallery/tribute to LO was by far not the easiest thing I've ever done, but definitely one of the most cherished. Start here. Then go here. Then click here for the final result!
- what to eat to keep regulated
- All I can say to this is try this link. Totally unaffiliated with my blog, of course!
Monday, November 17, 2008
Fireproof
I have a movie recommendation for all of my blog reader(s). It's an amazing movie called Fireproof. For those of us who grew up in the 80s, we'll be quick to recognize the main star of the movie as "Mike Seaver" a.k.a. Kirk Cameron from Growing Pains. Now I wasn't quite as smitten with him as one of my sisters was, but I've definitely seen him as a talented actor (have you seen the Left Behind movies?). Fireproof is no exception.
Kirk Cameron leads a cast essentially compiled of volunteers -- you won't find any other "big name" stars in this movie. But what you will find is a touching story about a firefighter who is struggling to keep his marriage in tact. Although he and his wife were in love when they first married, they gradually grew apart over the years. Their story could have very well been written about probably 70+% of married couples in our great country (Note: this isn't an actual statistic--I'm just making a guesstimate here). Anyway, this movie is all about a 40-day commitment Cameron's character makes to save his marriage.
Hubs and I will be celebrating our 3rd anniversary later this month. It's so exciting and yet it's unbelievable because it feels like we've been married much longer than 3 years! And I'll admit the "warm and fuzzy" feelings we had in the beginning as our love grew and began to flourish aren't as prevalent these days. We're busy, we're raising a family, we're living our lives. BUT the commitment we made to each other in November 2005 is just as strong (if not more so) today than it was then. Do we always, constantly, 110% of the time feel that love? I'll be honest and say "no"--simply because love is so much more than a feeling. With God as the center and stronghold of our marriage, we have no doubt that we will see our commitment through until eternity!
Sorry to get so "mushy" on you guys... I guess this movie just really hit a spot with me because I am so passionate about marriage and the commitment of one man and one woman to love each other for a lifetime. That being said, please go see this movie. Please support the makers of this film who are Christians and are making a movie available in the mainstream that doesn't involve the language, sexuality, violence or other bad stuff that our society seems to soak up. Support this movie and send the message that we are ready and waiting for more wholesome, family-oriented films from Hollywood!
((getting off my soap box now))
Kirk Cameron leads a cast essentially compiled of volunteers -- you won't find any other "big name" stars in this movie. But what you will find is a touching story about a firefighter who is struggling to keep his marriage in tact. Although he and his wife were in love when they first married, they gradually grew apart over the years. Their story could have very well been written about probably 70+% of married couples in our great country (Note: this isn't an actual statistic--I'm just making a guesstimate here). Anyway, this movie is all about a 40-day commitment Cameron's character makes to save his marriage.
Hubs and I will be celebrating our 3rd anniversary later this month. It's so exciting and yet it's unbelievable because it feels like we've been married much longer than 3 years! And I'll admit the "warm and fuzzy" feelings we had in the beginning as our love grew and began to flourish aren't as prevalent these days. We're busy, we're raising a family, we're living our lives. BUT the commitment we made to each other in November 2005 is just as strong (if not more so) today than it was then. Do we always, constantly, 110% of the time feel that love? I'll be honest and say "no"--simply because love is so much more than a feeling. With God as the center and stronghold of our marriage, we have no doubt that we will see our commitment through until eternity!
Sorry to get so "mushy" on you guys... I guess this movie just really hit a spot with me because I am so passionate about marriage and the commitment of one man and one woman to love each other for a lifetime. That being said, please go see this movie. Please support the makers of this film who are Christians and are making a movie available in the mainstream that doesn't involve the language, sexuality, violence or other bad stuff that our society seems to soak up. Support this movie and send the message that we are ready and waiting for more wholesome, family-oriented films from Hollywood!
((getting off my soap box now))
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Totally 80s!
Couldn't help but post these pics of my little one looking totally 80s the other day. Something about the black tights with big socks (that may as well have been leg warmers) with sneakers was just totally tubular!
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