messily ever after

one little word: embrace

2012-01-03T14:52:00.000-05:00

The past several years I've reflected on the concept of one little word as the the calendar flipped to January once again. But, I never fully incorporated the idea into my daily life or into my memory keeping. With so many changes coming this year, it seems now is the time. My one little word for 2012:

embrace

My one little word is wound up in my goals and hopes for this coming year...

to embrace becoming a mother of two
to embrace my husband and how hard he works for our family
to embrace the home we live in right now and the the home that is out there waiting for us
to embrace the little moments every day that make life so good
to embrace my role as family historian, with both my camera, words and project life

2012...I'm ready to embrace whatever you have in store!

thirty-three in, six to go...whoa!

2011-12-28T10:23:00.001-05:00

Little bitty boy,

I have been carrying you in both my belly and my heart for the past 33 weeks. Wondering who you will look like, about your personality and your place in our growing family. There are still moments, some days, where I don't feel very pregnant, likely lost in the daily toddler mama activities, work and household duties. But, you are quick to give me at least hourly reminders that you are with me and growing big and strong. You are on the move near constantly these days. Rolling, kicking, pushing out. Watching you move in my belly has become my favorite source of entertainment in quiet moments.

We have been a bit slow in getting things ready for you. Slowly getting the room together that you will share with your big brother until we find a new home. Clearing out space for your tiny clothes. Starting to stock up on diapers. While we may be slow in these physical duties, it is no reflection on our anticipation and joy awaiting your arrival.

In no more than six weeks we will find out whether you will look, to my predictions, just like a mini replica of your big brother. No more than six weeks until we hold you in our arms, give you your name and welcome you to our brand-new family of four.

I love you to the moon and back already,
Mama

Two years ago...

2011-12-24T08:10:00.002-05:00

Two years ago today, the meaning of Christmas Eve forever changed for our family with the arrival of our sweet little boy, George.

We love you to the moon and back again, G!!!

xoxoxoxo,
Mama

sweets of the season...

2011-12-22T11:35:00.001-05:00

Christmas is nearly upon us and our life from early November to now has been a whirlwind of G's second birthday preparations, a bout with the croup, getting our nursery ready to fit both our growing toddler and our baby-to-be, holiday shopping, crazy work schedules, my sister's wedding and a partridge in a pear tree ;-)

Though juggling all of this has had it's challenges I have also been very aware of our many blessings:

a healthy pregnancy and feeling this new life move and grow
a happy, healthy, energetic and sweet as can be toddler
a warm home that we own and enjoy
gainful employment
the love of family

This past Sunday we attended church and gave thanks for all of your blessings while celebrating Advent. After mass, we walked over to the church hall where a coffee hour and luncheon was set to begin. George was enamored with the lights on the christmas tree and, of course, the many cookies ready to sample.

Look at the joy on his little face!

And, speaking of cookies, this year I attended my very first cookie swap. Though there are favorites I bake nearly every year, I wanted to try something new and festive for this event. In one of my online groups another mom had posted a recipe for Peppermint Meltaways that seemed to fit what I was looking for. Though more time and labor intensive than I had anticiapted (note: take butter out to soften before leaving for church), I was happy with how they turned out. If you have a few hours of dedicated baking time before the Christmas festivities this weekend, you might want to give them a whirl...

Cookie:
1 cup unslated butter, softened

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon peppermint extract

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup cornstarch

Glaze:

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

1 to 2 tablespoons milk

1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract (or more to taste)

2 to 3 drops red food color, if desired

Candy canes or hard peppermint candy, crushed

Combine butter, powdered sugar and 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract in large bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy. Reduce speed to low; add flour and cornstarch. Beat until well mixed. Cover; refrigerate until firm (30 to 60 minutes).

Heat oven to 350°F. Shape rounded teaspoonfuls (I used a small cookie scoop for uniformity) of dough into 1-inch balls. Place 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Let stand 1 minute; remove from cookie sheets (be gentle with this as the still warm cookies are quite delicate). Cool completely.

Meanwhile, combine 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons butter, 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract and enough milk for desired glazing consistency in small bowl. Stir in food color, if desired. Drizzle over cooled cookies. Immediately sprinkle with crushed candy. Alow to set out until glaze/icing hardens.

Note: I made a triple batch and decided to ice the cookies rather than use a looser glaze. The frosting set up/hardened nicely when set out overnight. I ended up adding at least three times the recommended peppermint in the frosting as I preferred a stronger flavor. Add more to taste as you mix and decide on the consistency you'd like.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

and may all the blessings of the season be with you and yours...

not since 1950...

2011-11-03T11:00:00.002-04:00

Snow.
In October.
In metro-New York.

If I hadn't been here to actually experience the storm and it's continuing aftermath, I'd never have believed it. So, what's the big deal about 6" of snow? New Yorkers see snow every year so, why would this be such a huge deal?

One word: Leaves.

Add 6" of very heavy, wet snow to trees that are still completely full of leaves, just beginning their color changes, and you have a disaster on your hands. Trees that just hours before stood tall and proud, were bent, broken and some completely toppled under the weight. Those same weighted limbs came down on power and telephone lines, effectively crippling dozens of towns and plunged millions into the dark.

The storm started with a few innocent looking flurries around 11:00 am on Saturday. My parents were in town to visit for the weekend and, deciding that being outside wasn't the best option, we packed up and headed to the mall. Not a problem getting there but, when we emerged from the parking garage three hours later and made our way out of the mall lots and to the highway we were plunged into what felt like an instant time warp. It looked like January!

The ride home normally takes about 15 minutes. Let's just say it was far longer this time. My mom entertained G in the the back seat by singing the ABC song over, and over..and over to his delight. Each time she would stop, he'd sign and sweetly request, "More?" Who could resist?

As we finally crawled through traffic into town, I asked my Dad to snap this photo of our sign with my phone. All decked out for Halloween...or is it Christmas? You decide.

We learned on our way home from the mall that we were without power and so were my in-laws (where my parents were staying). So, we ordered a pizza for dinner and picked it up before driving the final few blocks home. Pizza works in every situation, right?

We toughed it out at home that first night. The house was still warm and we were able to keep G entertained after dark by using a few jar candles and a few strategically placed head lamps (hung from wall frames, ceiling fans, etc.). The gear of a bridge climbing husband is very handy in a power emergency. By morning, the house was measuring 65 degrees. We all packed up and went out once again. This time though, the roads were clear, there was bright sunshine and the snow was already melting away. An odd contrast against the green leaves and grass! That night, knowing the temps would drop off further, we took our relatives across town up on the offer of staying at their fully powered home.

By Monday at 4:30 pm, our power was blissfully restored. We lost all of the food in our fridge and a few things in the freezer. But, thanks to vacuum sealing and having a full drawer, our entire freezer stock of meat was still frozen solid! Everything was back to normal in our little world. Or, was it?

Tuesday afternoon, on my way home from work, I went to the grocery store to stock back up on the perishables we had lost. It never crossed my mind that our regular grocery store a town over would have been affected worse than we had. Boy, was that wrong! It turned out their power had only been restored a couple of hours before I walked through the doors. The staff were working on overdrive trying to re-stock departments from the generator powered coolers and freezer where everything had been moved days before. I stood in the aisles gaping at what I saw until I finally came to my senses and snapped a few photos for posterity.

You want produce? So sorry.

Ice cream, yogurt, eggs, juice, cheese? Nada.

The voice over in my head played, "You have now entered the Twilight Zone." Slowly, slowly, life is returning to normal. And, I admit to not at all being cut out to be a pioneer woman!

and the winners are...

2011-11-03T10:53:00.000-04:00

Thank you so much for entering the Shutterfly.com holiday card giveaway and for sharing your favorite part about the holiday season. The winners are:

#3 - Sarah M.

#4 - iykuykur

#7 - Jes

Congrats ladies!!! Please send me an e-mail at collagechic (at) gmail (dot) com by Monday, November 7th to claim your prize code.

a spooky, wild halloween...

2011-11-02T11:35:00.000-04:00

Living in Headless Horseman territory means that Halloween is a month-long event. Banners fly high over the main street, telling the tale of the night the monster rode across the famed bridge. A sinister scarecrow greets all those who dare drive or wander the streets. It is a sight to behold. And the traffic from all of the tourists? Possibly the spookiest part of all!

This year, we added our own little blue monster to the mix. Activities for the youngest goblins in town took place on Friday afternoon. Little did we know that these would be the only town activities we would be able to experience this year as Mother Nature had an entirely different type of scare up her sleeve the very next day (more on that coming soon).

So the monster was suited up and we made our way through town ~~charming~~, er, scaring, everyone in our path...

And a wild, wonderful time was had by all...especially Mama and Baba who soaked up every minute of this little monster's joy.

it's beginning to look a lot like christmas: a giveaway!

2011-10-30T20:22:00.002-04:00

{Comments have now been CLOSED and winners will be announced soon!}

When I envisioned sitting at the computer to write this post, I figured it would be at home, after George's bedtime, comfy in my pj's on the couch or at our kitchen table. Little did I know, Mother Nature had other plans and decided to throw winter and thoughts of Christmas our way far sooner than usual. Meaning SNOW. On October 29th. In metro-New York. This was the scene in our house yesterday as the snow fell hard outside our window:

George, with nose pressed against this window exclaiming, "Snow!" Yes buddy, snow.

So it is fitting that tonight, as I sit on a recliner at a relative's house (we are without power indefinitely due to said snow, but that's another story), my thoughts are turned to our 2011 Christmas cards..and yours!

For the past three years, I have ordered our holiday cards from Shutterfly.com. I use their photo printing services regularly and also love their cardstock stationery, so ordering for the holidays was a natural extension. This year, the early snow has me considering our card design much earlier than normal...and wondering if I'll be able to get a good shot sans snow! Here are a few of my favorites designs right now, all so different and a lot of appeal to all. This first design is so much fun and appropriate to all we have experienced this past year and are expecting for next...

This is a bit more classic, allowing for both a family shot and a single portrait of George...

And, a beautiful traditional design...

I'm not sure how I'll decide until I get the photos underway but, am confident I'll find a design that fits our family this year. Our Christmas cards paired with custom thank you notes will add the perfect personal touch to our holiday.

So, where do YOUR cards come in? Shutterfly is generously giving away 25 of their beautiful holiday cards to three, yes, three of my readers. I'm so grateful and thrilled, and hope you are as well.

Here's how you can win your very own set of 2011 holiday cards:

1) Leave me comment on this post telling me that you'd like to win a set of cards and your favorite part of the holiday season

That's all. No catch, no running around linking up posts. Just a simple givaway from Shutterfly and me, to you, just in time for the holidays. Pass it along to your friends and good luck :) Winner will be announced on Thursday, November 3rd.

Standard disclaimer: Shutterfly contacted me to offer this giveaway and I am receiving compensation in the form of our holiday cards. I only blog about companies that I have worked with in the past and where I am happy with the products and/or services I have received.

wordless wednesday: the gift of a boy, park edition

2011-10-19T11:00:00.000-04:00

{hold this for me, mama}

dirt and noise and joy...oh BOY!!!

2011-10-18T15:28:00.001-04:00

Becoming a boymom to G has been one of the greatest joys of my life. From holding his tiny, squishy, newborn self to wrangling the super active toddler of today, I have cherished every moment. And, I have learned so much in these past 21 months. Being a boymom means:

Embracing dirt. The dirt will find it's way into pant cuffs, under fingernails, in their hair and scattered all over the floors. There will be lots and lots of dirt. Boymoms: arm yourself with a fully charged dust buster at all times.
Noise. There are very few quiet moments in a home where a young boy resides. Even in solitary play there are grunts, howls, beeping things, shouts of "vroom, vroom", "choo-choo" and (beware this one), "uh-oh!" Boys are noisy creatures by nature. Your ears will adjust, I promise.
Things that go. Anything that can be turned into a vehicle or projectile object (a.k.a. anything not nailed down) will move, fly, be pushed or slid across floors. Boys like things that move. Chances are, if it is stationary, it will quickly fall by the wayside.
Being adored. When people first heard we were having a boy, I was told time and again that "Boys love their Mama." How true it is. Boys will love you with a leg hugging, finger-crushing hand holding, sloppy kissed, burrow into your neck and heart adoration. This, above all others, is my very favorite part of this job. No number on a paycheck could ever compare to the love of my little guy.

Learning and embracing all things boy has been a joy and, coincidentally, has prepared me well for the next step in my journey of mommyhood...

Meeting another noisy, dirt-loving, squishy and sweet little boy in February 2012!

{20 week portrait}

We are already in love and so excited to welcome this little one into our family.

meal plan monday

2011-10-17T09:05:00.001-04:00

A few months back, when I had signed up for E-Mealz menus, I had all good intentions of posting my weekly meal plan. That temporarily fell by the wayside but, I'm going to start it up today. This week's menu is a result of a well stocked freezer and pantry. Buying a few extras of pantry items and meats (to freeze) when on sale occasionally yields a light grocery shopping week. Easier on the wallet and on my time = win/win!

Monday: Creamy Baked Ziti
Thursday: Beef and Broccoli Stir-fry
Friday: Honey Mustard Bacon Chicken
Saturday: Pierogies and Smoked Sausage
Sunday: Apple Braised Pork Chops

Tuesday and Wednesday we eat dinner at my in-law's. My mother in law generously cooks for all of us the days she cares for George while I'm working.

What's on your menu this week?

wordless wednesday: sesame place {10.8.11}

2011-10-12T13:23:00.000-04:00

wordless wednesday: george-y appleseed...

2011-10-05T12:47:00.001-04:00

{photos taken 10.2.11}

recipe: pumpkin chip cookies

2011-10-03T08:28:00.004-04:00

Happy first Monday of October! Fall weather has finally arrived in our corner of New York with cooler temps, leaves just starting to show some color and a full calendar of autumn events. This is my favorite season for so many reasons, among which is the ability to turn the oven back on, welcoming the resulting warmth in our home. And, naturally, all things baked with pumpkin and apples. The crisp weather inspires me to try new recipes and treat family and friends to long-standing favorites.

Yesterday morning was spent apple picking and playing in the pumpkin patch at a local orchard with my two guys. You would have thought we had brought G to Disneyland for the excitement on his face upon seeing the thousands of apples within his reach! I'll be reliving the joy of that hour exploring the orchard in my memory for years to come.

When we returned home, after scoring a bag of honeycrisp apples and a bounty of difficult to find 15 ounce cans of pure packed pumpkin, it was time to bake. I'd always liked the idea of a pumpkin cookie but had never found a recipe that peaked my interest until I came across this one on allrecipes.com - the measurements ensuring a large batch (who wants to bake cookies with only a 2 dozen yield?) and a subtle pumpkin flavor. The reviews were excellent and more than delivered. The result was a moist, cake-like cookie with a hint of pumpkin, just the right amount of spice and, naturally, chocolate. The batch yielded a staggering 7 dozen so, be prepared to share, bake for a party or to freeze some for a later date.

Pumpkin Chip Cookies
Yield: 7 dozen

1.5 c butter, softened
2 c packed brown sugar
1 c granulated sugar
1 (15 oz) can pure packed pumpkin
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 c all purpose flour
2 c quick oats
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp salt
2 c (or more) chocolate chips (I used milk and white chips)

1. Pre-heat oven to 350.

2. In a mixer, cream together butter and sugars until fluffy. Beat in pumpkin, egg and vanilla (will be a light, fluffy mousse-like consistency). In a separate bowl, combine flour, oats, baking soda, spices and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture until combined. Fold in chocolate chips.

3. Drop by tablespoonful 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Allow to cool for 3 minutes before transferring to wire racks.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Nothing to see here...

2011-09-29T16:45:00.001-04:00

If you view my blog in a reader and see a pop up post with today's date...please disregard. It was a posting error.

Thank you!

Back soon with some new pics and *gasp* scrapbook pages!!

recipe: baked chicken and sweet potatoes

2011-09-25T18:30:00.001-04:00

I tried this recipe for dinner on Friday night and it was so delicious (and simple) that it had to be shared. As chicken is the protein of choice in our house, I've tested numerous dishes over the past few years. This is going into my top 5 favorites. Fool-proof, incredibly flavorful and easy on the budget. I'm already looking forward to making it again.

One-pan Baked Chicken and Sweet Potatoes

3/4 c Zesty Italian Dressing
4 Tbsp brown sugar
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp chopped fresh thyme
2 lbs sweet potatoes (about 4) cut in 3/4 inch wide spears
4 lbs chicken pieces (I used legs and thighs), on the bone

Heat oven to 375.

Mix salad dressing, brown sugar, vinegar and thyme in a bowl. Add potatoes, toss to coat. Transfer potatoes to lasagna or roasting pan (approx. 15x10x1"), reserving dressing mixture in bowl.

Add chicken to reserved dressing mix, toss to coat. Place in pan with potatoes. Pour remaining sauce over chicken.

Bake 1 hour or until potatoes are tender and chicken is cooked through (165 degrees).

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

still here...

2011-09-22T14:57:00.000-04:00

i am...

minus a home computer

living life rather than writing it

making big decisions

adjusting to big changes

being mama

working

starting to bake again

project life-ing

thankful for each day

he is...

busy, busy, busy

still loving trains

not sleeping much

cutting more teeth (see above)

exquisitely adorable

filling us with wonder and awe

almost 21 (???) months

i am still here, just focusing on other priorities and waiting/planning to see where life will take our family in the upcoming months. all good stuff. and i'll be back, all in good time...

wordless wednesday: at the park last night...

2011-08-17T12:33:00.000-04:00

loving the lake...

2011-08-08T11:49:00.001-04:00

We are just home from a wonderful, recharging weekend at the lake with my family. Every time I am fortunate enough to take a trip upstate to my aunt and uncle's lake house, I'm transported back to happy childhood moments, full of laughter, imagination and nature. It is a blessing to share that with Mr. Boom and George.

My favorite shot of G:

Sharing an apple with Baba in the pop-up toddler tent:

On this trip, we were able to meet the newest member of the family - Baby L (with his mama, my cousin Jules). So, adorable! It is amazing how short memory is at times. Though over 14 pounds and closing in on 3 months, he looked impossibly tiny to me and I kept thinking, "How was G ever that small?"

(as always, click on any photo for a larger, better quality image)

the destruction of a fruit pop...

2011-08-05T07:00:00.002-04:00

Introducing homemade frozen fruit pops to G's snack selection this summer was simultaneously a very good and very bad idea.

Good idea:
- helps beat the heat
- healthy
- actually gets him to sit for more than 5 minutes
- he loves them

Bad idea:
- he wants a "pop" all. the. time.
- right after his morning milk, he takes my hand, pulls me over to the freezer and asks, "Pop?" To which I answer, "Not right now George." Insert crying toddler.
- minutes after finishing breakfast, he takes my hand, pulls me over to the freezer and asks, "Pop?" To which I answer, "Not right now George." Insert crying toddler.
- upon waking from a nap, he takes my hand, pulls me over to the freezer and asks, "Pop?" To which I answer, "Not right now George." Insert crying toddler.

You get the point, right? I think he would eat a dozen pops a day if allowed. Luckily, every day, he does get one (and sometimes a second) pop and I get to be the "Yes!" mom. For that, I am handsomely rewarded with seeing this:

And, yes, I have moved on to less stain-er-iffic fruit combinations after the first very colorful batch. It's a journey and an adventure...

recipe: ground turkey with potatoes and spring peas

2011-08-04T07:00:00.000-04:00

On Monday's post, I mentioned incorporating some of our family favorites into our weekly meal plan. Although it has been great to try new things (especially since the recipes have all been quick and easy), inserting an old favorite or a new must-try is also good. Yes, it means tweaking the grocery list, thus complicating the point of using a generated meal plan a bit but, to me those few extra minutes are worth the effort.

I have ~~hundreds~~ quite a few recipes tagged in my Google Reader, just waiting to try out. In the interest of the heat of summer (no oven, please!) and busy evenings (make it quick!), not many have been attempted recently. But, glancing through my tags last week this one called to me yet again. So, I added it to our meal plan and grocery list and gave it a whirl.

I'm SO glad I did! It was a fresh change, used only one pan, was a bit different on the taste scale (I rarely use cilantro) and super easy. Here is my (slightly) modified version:

Ground Turkey with Potatoes and Spring Peas

Original recipe: http://www.skinnytaste.com

1 can diced fire roasted tomatoes, well drained

3 cloves garlic

1/4 cup fresh cilantro
20 oz lean ground turkey
1/4 sweet onion, finely chopped
1 cup frozen baby peas, defrosted
3 red potatoes, washed and diced into 1 inch cubes
8 oz can tomato sauce
3/4 cup water
1/2 tsp cumin, or to taste
salt, to taste
1 bay leaf

1. In a food processor (or you can chop by hand) finely chop tomato, garlic and cilantro.
2. In a large skillet, brown turkey and season with salt and cumin to taste. When meat is browned and cooked through add onion, chopped tomato mixture, peas, potato, tomato sauce, water, cumin, salt and bay leaf.
3. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat until potatoes are cooked through, about 25 minutes stirring occasionally. Add more water if needed. Remove bay leaf and serve hot with dinner rolls or crusty bread.

NOTES:
- The original recipe called for using a chopped, fresh tomato. We never have fresh tomatoes in the house (oh, skeeve!) so, I subbed in the can of diced tomatoes, drained. Perfect substitute using an ingredient I always have on hand.
- The original also suggested serving the dish over rice. Considering the potatoes in the recipe, I thought this would be far too much starch for one meal. I served it in large bowls with bread on the side. Yes, bread is a starch and so my first argument makes no sense. Silly me!
- I rarely use scallions and did not wish to buy an entire bunch for just a few so, used the finely diced onion instead.
- It was late July when I prepared this recipe so, spring peas? Not available. Hence the frozen. Works for me!
- Mr. Boom and I both loved this recipe and I'll be making it again. George, however, tried it and spit it out. I'm certain it was the cilantro since he happily eats the rest of the ingredients in other meals.

wordless wednesday: he does take after mama in some ways...

2011-08-03T07:00:00.000-04:00

beating the heat: photo edition

2011-08-02T07:00:00.000-04:00

Water misters...

kiddie pools...

lots and lots and LOTS of water...

and our wonderful, local splash park!

It's not all bad :-)

meal planning + monday + slow cooker = good things

2011-08-01T07:00:00.001-04:00

1. Grocery shopping on a (non-holiday) Monday morning is a lovely experience, even with toddler in tow. The stockers are out en force, the produce is all prettily arranged and there are deals to be had. Add to that, the store is generally close to empty of other customers. Joy! Bliss!

2. Menu planning. It saves time, saves sanity on weeknights and saves money. Having all of the ingredients for a weeks worth of dinners on hand, after just one shopping trip, saves money in time, gas, and eliminates the let's-just-get-take-out last ditch dinner. I shared earlier this month that I had subscribed to E-Mealz to help with this task. It is working out great! I usually spend about $100/week on groceries. In the two weeks I have been using E-Mealz, my total at the checkout has been down to $64-68/week. Huge savings, guesswork taken out of meals and the headache of sitting down to plan and write a complete list is nearly eliminated. Loving it! I am subscribed to the Any Store Regular Family Meal plan. If you are interested in checking out the plans to see if this could be a solution for your family, click here:

3. Look for little known deals. At our grocery store, $ off coupons get added to packages of meats on Mondays mornings. The cuts are still fresh but, marked down after the weekend rush to make room for new shipments. I saved $4.00 (in addition to sale prices) last Monday just with these extra deals on meats I was already planning on purchasing from my shopping list.

4. Pay attention to sales + coupon doubling. My store doubles all manufacturer coupons up to 99 cents. I bring all of my coupons along while shopping so that if I run into an in-store special that isn't on my list but, have a coupon, it can make for a great deal. Last week, I had two 75 cent coupons for Minute Maid Enhanced Juice Blends. The item was on sale 2/$6. Using both doubled coupons, I came home with two bottles for $3.00.

5. Keep the catalinas! Catalinas are the coupons that print out at checkout. I buy organic milk for George, which is a significant cost factored into our weekly grocery budget. Almost every time I shop, I get a catalina back for my next organic milk purchase. Today, my store had Stonyfield Farm organic milk on special for $3.19 per half gallon. I used a Catalina for $1.50 off of two half gallons. So, a gallon of milk totalled $4.88. Less than the price of regular milk and great savings on a product that we buy normally.

6. Using a slow cooker in the summer yields great meals, without heating up the house! I am always on the look out for new and tasty slow cooker meals. Last weekend, I came across one on Pinterest that looked too simple and yummy not to try. I worked it into our meal plan for the week and made it on Monday. Delicious and a new favorite discovered. You can follow the above link to the original recipe and, here is my tweaked version, reflecting chicken I had in our freezer and sneaking in more veggies:

Crockpot Hawaiian BBQ Chicken
Recipe and photo credit to: Six Sister's Stuff

8-10 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 16 oz. bottle honey bbq sauce (or Hawaiian version, if you can find one)
1 20 oz. can pineapple chunks, drained
1 sweet onion, roughly chopped
2 bell peppers, any color (I used green and orange) roughly chopped
hot cooked rice

Add chicken to bottom of crockpot. Pour bottle of bbq sauce over chicken. Add pineapple and veggies on top. Cook on HIGH 3 hours or LOW 4-6 hours. When finished cooking, shred chicken with two forks and mix ingredients together. Serve over hot rice.

Disclaimer: I am in no way affiliated with E-Mealz and have received no compensation for this post. Simply a satisfied subscriber passing along information.

you at 19 months...

2011-07-29T07:00:00.008-04:00

My sweet George,

It's been four months since I penned your last milestone letter. You have grown and blossomed so much in that time, we can scarcely keep up! Everyday now, rather than my baby, I see before me glimpses of the wonderful boy you are becoming. You keep us on your toes with your constant movement much of the time and bring us such joy with your cuddles and hugs during quiet times. Your quick smile and charm delight everyone you meet.

At 19 months you:

- weighed 26.9 pounds and measured 32.5 inches at your 18 months pediatric appointment on July 1st.
- will take us by the hand and lead us when you want to show us something.
- kiss the faces of your favorite trains in the morning, then bring them to Mama to kiss.
- are still climbing on everything - kitchen drawers, couches, chairs, ladders and climbing walls at the playground. If it is in front of you, you will find a way to climb it.
- still enjoy Sesame Street but, also love Thomas and Friends, Super Why and Word World, all on PBS Kids.
- excitedly point to letters everywhere we go - on signs, license plates, the t.v. Though we limit television, Super Why (along with lots of reading) is teaching you beginning reading skills by identifying letters. You correctly point to and say "O" whenever you see one.
- point to your mouth when hungry.
- are getting better and better at communicating. You call out "Mama" to get my attention, "more" when you would like more food or to continue an activity, "again" to repeat a favorite book, "ba" when you want milk (usually while standing at the fridge) and "bubble" for us to blow them for you.
- are wearing 18 month clothes and have moved into some 24 month. You are quickly growing out of your size 6W sneakers, are wearing size 7 sandals and size 2T-3T socks.
- don't sleep well away from home. You are definitely a toddler of habit when it comes to sleep and only like your own crib.
- love to see trucks and motorcycles pass by when out walking or in the car.
- have started dancing to music and think it is funny when we dance with you.
- are ticklish under your arms and your neck.
- nap once a day, averaging two hours.
- sleep about 10.5 hours a night, from 7:30 pm to 6:00 am.
- eat a LOT of fruit. Your favorites are apples, oranges, bananas, grapes, strawberries and blueberries.
- are still a good eater and will generally eat whatever we are eating.
- have overcome your bath terror and again eagerly run to the bathroom when you hear the water being drawn in the tub. You have also learned to love the pool and sprinkler park.
- are an excellent traveler. You have now flown a total of four times (two round trips) to Greece and Buffalo, NY.
- say, "No, no, no," shake your head and wag your finger when you do not want something.
- point to things you do want and point our fingers at words and pictures in books to follow along.
- have seven teeth, four on top and three on the bottom.
- are very sure on your feet, have excellent balance and body control.
- will take our hand when we ask you to or when you you need help.
- absolutely adore your Thomas trains. They make up the largest part of your daily play time.
- will get your shoes and stand at the door when you want to go outside saying, "Go baby" or "Go, go, go."
- can dribble a soccer ball.
- like playing chase. A sure fire way to hear your belly laughs.
- are mimicking words more and more. Last week as you stood in front of the fridge I asked, "Would you like dinner?" You said back, "Dinn-o."
- can stack 3-4 blocks high but, still prefer knocking them down.
- cling to us for a long, cuddly hug when we come in to your room to say good morning, as if making up for the missed hours while you were sleeping. One of my very favorite times of the day.

Life with you is so incredibly happy. Though there are trying moments as you begin to assert your independence and use repetition to learn, I am aware just how fleeting this toddlerhood will be and am holding fast to and delighting in every day I am blessed being your parent right now.

I love you to the moon and back, and again,
Mama

beating the heat: homemade frozen fruit pops

2011-07-28T11:59:00.001-04:00

As in just about every other part of America, is has been hot here. I'm talking Satan's playground type of heat. Record breaking temps. Sweltering humidity. Horribly hot and unbearable. Got the picture? We've been trying all sorts of things to keep cool but one in particular has become George's favorite.

Ice pops.

When he was so sick with the coxackie virus for a few days back in June, I picked up some of those freezer pops in a tube to have on hand. He wasn't eating or drinking enough and I was about to try anything. Hating that they were pure sugar water with nasty food dyes, to boot, I was determined for this to be a short term solution and not a habit. The pure sugar pops were quickly replaced by 100% apple juice pops, frozen in popsicle molds I had picked up on a whim during my last trip to Ikea. Though G doesn't drink juice, an occasional juice pop was an alternative I could live with.

Then, last weekend we took a road trip to visit some friends. Having a son close to George's age, the mom had a similar pop issue in her house. She had recently bought a juicer and her solution was to make popsicles for her son out of her juice creations. Perfect!

We don't have a juicer but, the Magic Bullet? Works just as well for this. I'm sure a blender would also work fine. The next day, I pulled the bullet out of the cabinet, grabbed a few ingredients and crafted my own batch of frozen fruit pops. Batch #1 was made with a peeled and diced apple, a handful of frozen organic wild blueberries and a splash of 100% blueberry-pomegranate juice to thin the mix out enough for the bullet to work it's magic. I emptied the puree into a measuring cup for easier pouring and quickly filled 5 of the 6 molds from one small batch. Inexpensive, super simple, using on-hand ingredients and all natural.

And the verdict? Fruit pop love...

20 minute dinner: turkey stroganoff

2011-07-27T15:03:00.000-04:00

I've been cooking this dish for a couple of years now. It's gotten to the point where I always have the ingredients on hand and it is served at least twice a month. It's not gourmet - far from it. Just good, easy, family friendly, and fast comfort food.

Turkey Stroganoff

1 1/4 pounds ground turkey (that's the average weight of each package I pick up in the meat section)
1 tsp garlic powder
salt & pepper
1/3 cup water
1 envelope beefy onion dry soup mix (I use Lipton, onion or french onion will do fine)
1 pound wide egg noodles (I use No Yolks)
1 16-ounce container light or fat-free sour cream
1 bag frozen peas and pearl onions (or other frozen veggie, to your preference)

1. Set water for the pasta to boil in stock pot. Brown the ground turkey in a skillet, seasoning with garlic, salt and pepper to taste.

2. After the turkey is browned, drain off excess fat. Over med-low heat, add soup packet and 1/3 cup water to turkey, stir until well mixed. Remove from heat.

3. Cook pasta according to package directions. While pasta is cooking, heat veggies in the microwave until cooked through.

4. Drain pasta, return to pot. Over low heat, add turkey and vegetables (drained). Mix in sour cream until well combined. Serve hot.

It really is that simple. The meal takes me 20 minutes total if I get the turkey browning and the pasta water started at the same time.

meal planning: there may just be an easier way...

2011-07-15T07:00:00.004-04:00

Month after month I set a goal to meal plan. There have been times where it has worked and others where, well, notsomuch. Part of the wrench is my variable work schedule. Weekdays, weekend, weeknights here there and everywhere. It gets a little messy. It works for our family but, meal planning within the norm/chaos of that schedule throws me off track at times. Somehow though, dinner gets made without a lot of muss or fuss (thank you, thank you to my programmable slow cooker). It helps that twice a week, on the days my in-law's care for G, we eat at their house. Delicious, homemade Greek food..mmm...

But not in August or half of September. The in-laws are headed to Greece. I'm happy for them. I'm sad for us. As we made preparations for their upcoming trip, such as alternate child care plans, looking after their home, etc. another though dawned on me. I will be cooking SEVEN nights a week while they are gone, rather than my usual five. I needed a plan. A plan that would actually work and that I wouldn't have to spend hours developing. There had to be a simpler answer. So I turned to (where else) the internet and my fellow bloggers. I reviewed several meal plan sites of varying costs and complexities. None quite seemed to be the answer.

Then, I happened upon a Facebook status update from Becky Higgins about the site makeover of the meal planning site she uses for her family. I clicked through to the link read about the program and the reviews, saw the very low cost and decided to give it a go. I joined E-Mealz within minutes, after a brief search for an online coupon yielded an extra discount (entering the code "Dave" at checkout gives you $2.50 off, bring the cost of a three month membership to only $12.50).

I liked that the meals sounded EASY, very family friendly and included a complete shopping list. I love lists. Ready-made lists for exactly what I need and organized by grocery department? Even better. I'm printing out the menus and lists now, in advance of my in-laws departure, so that they are organized and at the ready with a lot of choices. I'll absolutely post back with a review once I have a week or two ~~in my belly~~ under my belt.

{Feel like you might want to give it a look see? Pretty, please click on the banner above or on the adlink on my sidebar so that I get the referral credit, which will go toward extending our membership...kisses!}

Disclaimer: I am in no way affiliated with E-Mealz and have received no compensation for this post...just something I want to try out and pass along. The end.

i couldn't make this stuff up if i tried...

2011-07-14T07:00:00.000-04:00

I don't post a whole lot about my job here because, well, there are too many reasons to count. Though I like most of what I do, there are also definite, huge drawbacks. The main office location is one of those many negatives. But, every once in a while something happens at work that bears sharing. Episodes that are generally filed under: "You can't make this stuff up."

Several weeks ago, as I was setting up for a CPR class, students started coming in one by one. They would say hello, quietly choose a seat and settle in. One of the last students to arrive, blazed into the room in a manner all her own. Her presentation was, um...confusing. Most students come to class dressed in business casual attire or dressed down in jeans and t-shirts, both completely appropriate for the training.

Not this one.

She was dressed in denim hot pants, a plunging v-neck shirt that made an impressive display of her wares and a 4 inch high rhinestone tiara, complete with matching chandelier necklace. She loudly introduced herself and asked, "Are you a fun trainer or, should I plan to fall asleep?" Awesome. Later in the day, this same individual came back form the lunch break 20 minutes late explaining, "Well, I already know this stuff anyway." That is when I noticed what I had somehow overlooked that morning. She had a full set of upper and lower rhinestone grillz. Double awesome.

Fast forward to this morning.

I work in one of the oldest buildings in the Bronx. Old as in, not quite ready to be condemned but, it's time is coming. Things work when they want to around here. Non-essential things like elevators, computer servers, plumbing and air conditioning. Thank you antiquated wiring and shoddy patch jobs.

Needing to use the facilities this morning, I approached the door of the only bathroom in our office (one stall, unisex, for over 50 employees). The door was locked but, knocking revealed that it was not occupied. I walked upstairs to our other floor of offices and inquired about a key. "Oh, there's no key. The office manager has a special trick to open it with a credit card but, he's not in right now." That makes total sense.

So, I walked through the office to the one bathroom on that floor (again, one stall, unisex, for over 50 employees). It was unoccupied but, after flipping the light switch several times, the light would not come on. Which would be fine except for the fact that there is no other light source in the bathroom and trying to navigate the plumbing in the complete, pitch black darkness was not happening. A co-worker walked past and I asked her advice, "Yeah, that light is temperamental. Stand on your tip toes and jiggle the light bulb. That works sometimes. Or, you know, there is always the public bathroom in the hallway." Referring to the bathroom that is used for the mandated drug testing office down the hall. Thankfully the light jiggling trick worked.

Hi ho, hi ho, back to work I go...

wordless wednesday: pull, vroom, slurp...

2011-07-13T07:00:00.000-04:00

From our playdate at the Children's Museum on Friday :)

photos in buffalo...

2011-07-07T07:00:00.002-04:00

An overcast morning at the zoo, fantastic buildings and two willing subjects made for some fun photo play while I was visiting my sister and nephew in Buffalo last weekend. I haven't taken portraits in a long time and was happy for the practice.

My cheeky nephew:

My beautiful and {newly ENGAGED} sister:

The adorable two of them:

And because blogger notoriously likes to make my photos look a bit blurry, please do click on any of the shots to get a clearer (read: better) image.

(not nearly) wordless wednesday: independence day and ice cream...

2011-07-06T07:00:00.003-04:00

Monday, July 4th. Independence Day.

We had no grand plans. Mr. Boom had spent the weekend sick on the couch while G and I grocery shopped, played in the a/c and took a few trips to the park. For the actual holiday, we had decided to stay close to home and have a barbeque at my in-law's for dinner. At around 6:00 am, I heard George start to make his waking noises over the monitor. Since he usually plays quietly in his crib for another 20 minutes or so, I snuggled back into my pillows and drifted off. Not for long. Suddenly, his babbling sounded much closer than it should. Mr. Boom woke with a start and said, "Were those footsteps?"

You can guess where this is going, right?

I bolted out of bed and slowly opened G's door only to find him standing right inside his room, feet on the floor, grinning up at me.

Independence Day indeed, the day that our barely 18 month old toddler decided he would climb out of his crib for the first time.

On July 5th, he decided to continue the trend, with a twist. When I went into his room yesterday morning, I found him sitting cross-legged on the changing pad on his dresser, happily smearing diaper cream on himself. Clearly we need to remedy the bed situation immediately, if not sooner. Of course, we waited too long to order the toddler bed conversion kit for his crib and it is now discontinued. If anyone has a brilliant idea to remedy this ~~minor~~ issue, I'm taking suggestions!

George should be spelled: M.i.s.c.h.i.e.f.

Though he is mischief personified, he is also the sweetest, funniest kid I which brings me to the ice cream portion of this post. Messily enjoying a cone at the end of our 4th of July cookout...

Lapping up every last drop...can you stand it?!?!?

recipe: slow cooker black bean enchiladas

2011-07-05T09:50:00.000-04:00

It's been far too long since I have tried or posted a new recipe. Summer has a way of doing that to me...quicker meals, salads, last-minute throw togethers from pantry or freezer and nothing super inspired. Without central air at home, using the stove or oven is just not appealing most nights. So, when I stumbled across this recipe on Pinterest, I knew I had to give it a try. Easy? Check. No stove or oven? Check. Ingredients all of us love? Check. Budget friendly? Check.

This isn't exactly your traditional slow cooker recipe as the total cooking time is far less than most - just 2-4 hours. Since I don't work on Fridays, it was easy enough to put this together mid-afternoon to have it ready for dinner. Don't let the assembly scare you away from trying this one. It came together very quickly, was a BIG hit with all three of us, made a ton of food and the leftovers are perfection. Here is the recipe with my adaptations (in italics)...

Slow Cooker Black Bean Enchiladas
Source: The Kitchn
Serves 4-6

1/2 yellow onion, diced small
1 bell pepper, diced small (any color)
1 16-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 cup frozen corn
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups cheese, shredded and divided - monterey jack or mexican blend
2 16-ounce jars of your favorite salsa
12 6”-8” tortillas, flour or corn
Optional: 1 cup leftover meat - chicken, pork, hamburger, or shredded beef

1. In a medium bowl, mix together the onion, pepper, black beans, corn, spices, meat (if using), and just 1/2 cup of the cheese. Pour about a cup of salsa (half a jar) into the bottom of the slow cooker and spread it around evenly.

2. Scoop about 1/3 cup into one of the tortillas, roll it up, and nestle it into the bottom of the crock pot. Repeat with the half of the remaining filling, rolling tortillas until the entire bottom of of the crock pot is filled. Spread another cup of salsa over this layer and sprinkle it with another 1/2 cup of cheese.

3. Continue with the remaining filling and tortillas to create a second layer. Top with another cup of salsa, but reserve the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese for later. Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on HIGH for 2-4 hours. In the last 15 minutes of cooking, sprinkle the leftover cheese over the top and let it melt.

5. Serve the enchiladas with the remaining salsa. Leftovers will keep for up to a week in the refrigerator.

NOTES:
---> Warm your tortillas in the microwave between two damp paper towels for 10-20 seconds before assembling. They are much easier to work with when warm and pliable.
---> I used a heaping 1/3 cup measure for the filling and had exactly enough to fill {14} 8" tortillas.

june goals: update...

2011-06-24T10:22:00.000-04:00

At the start of June I posted about participating in the 3 in 30 challenge and set out my goals for the month. Somehow, the month is coming to a close and, with it, a much needed update.

1. Project Life: The photos are updated through Father's Day in my album and I've made a lot of progress on the journaling cards. As I mentioned, this is an ongoing goal because it is important to me to stay on top of this and end up with a finished album at the end of the year that truly captures our day to day life. I'll consider this accomplished!

2. Clean our bedroom: Check!!! No, it isn't perfect but, it is a much more restful place at the end of the day since I took some much needed time to organize, purge and clean up the space.

3. Meal Planning: Well, there is always next month. This month seemed to throw one curve ball after another into our nightly routine. Dinner got made and eaten but not in as planful a way as I hoped. I'll get there! And, there are still a few days left in the month...hmmm...

Did you set any goals this month? How did you fare?

this is what summer looks like...

2011-06-21T15:19:00.001-04:00

the park. playing with his reflection in the run-off from the local splash park:

family walks around town in the still warm evenings:

oh look, another park. the day our not quite 18 month old climbed a ladder. by himself. um, yeah:

visits with family. g and my mom two weeks ago:

lots and lots of running and laughter:

feeling the need, the need for speed (don't worry, mr. boom was right next to him, just out of the frame):

it's a good start to this first toddler summer. we are thankful for the many parks in town and the ability to walk just a few blocks in either direction to find good, clean (or dirty, in the case of the mulch parks) fun. we have plans to see family, take a couple of weekend trips, spend time with friends and try to soak up every moment with our happy boy as he discovers everything in his world.

(as always, click on any of the photos to enlarge)

oh, the things we can do...

2011-06-17T07:00:00.002-04:00

I am a big ~~addict~~ fan of Pinterest. My hard drive and favorites lists used to be cluttered with a collection of links and photos found online. I would save ideas for our future home, scrapbooking inspiration or helpful links I swore I would get back to and read one day. But, it all ended up a jumble and taking up precious space or was long-forgotten in the now. I'm sure you have no idea what I'm talking about, right?

When I stumbled across Pinterest I was all, "Whoa! This is brilliant and amazing and USEFUL!" And (besides the fact that it is a huge internet time suck) it really is all of those wonderful things and more. Every day I come across things that I might not have seen otherwise and now have a place to catalog them in a way that I can reference later on. Want an example? Today I saw a pin for something helpful and relevant to my life right now and I'm sharing it with all of you. I love you that much :)

Color
Blow Bubbles
Play Hide-and-Seek
Peek-a-Boo
Play Chase
Do Finger-plays
Sing a song
Collect rocks in a basket
Make an obstacle course out of cushions and/or furniture
Make a fort out of cushions and sheets
Go for a Walk
Make a Car out of a Box
Read a book
Go to the park
Finger-paint
Play with Play-Dough
Toss Bean bags into a Bucket
Play the shell and pea game
Dance to music
Download games for toddlers from the Internet
Practice putting things in and taking things out of boxes and bags
Make a temporary slide out of a table leaf and your couch
Roll a ball back and forth on the floor
Scoop dirt or sand into a child's bucket (or use a serving spoon and bowl)
Practice climbing by stacking boxes on top of each other (only with adult supervision)
Put on a puppet show
Go fishing with a yard stick and yarn
Make a Horseshoe game
Make a Shape Puzzle
Play paper basketball
Run through a Sprinkler
Play with a bucket of water and a sponge (PLEASE WATCH CHILD AT ALL TIMES!)
Make a Drum out of an oatmeal box
Play with a kazoo
Wash windows together (Child labor, what? Ha!)
Bang on Pots and Pans with a spoon
Brush each other's teeth
Play dress-up with stuffed animals and your child's clothes
Stack canned or boxed food on top of each other
Let child stack mixing bowls inside each other
Make a playhouse out of a large box
Let child play with a sticker sheet (make sure your child doesn't eat them!)
Put stickers on fingers for finger puppets
Play a musical instrument together- i.e.recorder, piano, etc.
Go on a Smelling Hunt
Frost Cookies
Plant a flower or vegetable plant together
Roll a tennis ball into an empty trash can or bucket
Draw on a mirror with dry-erase markers
Play hide and seek together- trying to find a stuffed animal or other object
Have a splash party together in the bathtub
Put a leash on a stuffed animal and walk around the house
Record each other on a tape recorder (great for scrapbooks or journals!)
Make and try on paper hats
Give a piggy-back ride
Play "Horsey"
Talk into an electric fan (it distorts your voice)
Play tug-of-war with a blanket
Collect flowers (felt, artificial, real...)
Make a camera and go on a Safari
Play games with frozen juice lids
Disconnect your phone and pretend to make phone calls to relatives
Leave your phone connected and really make phone calls to relatives- let your child talk too
String large beads onto or along a shoelace
Squirt each other with squirt bottles
Glue shapes onto paper
Make sock puppets
Make paper puppets
Fill an old purse with toys
Use a paper towel tube as a megaphone
Make binoculars and go "Bird Watching" or "Stuffed Animal Watching"
Put snacks in different fun containers (paper sacks, empty canisters, etc.)
Act out a story from a book
Walk on a balance beam- use a 2x4 placed on the ground
Draw with chalk on the sidewalk
Sketch an outline of your child on the sidewalk or paper with chalk
Paint child's palms with tempura paint and blot on paper. Makes a great card for loved ones!
Put lipstick on child and kiss a mirror
Make a puddle on cement and splash barefoot in it
Let child decorate and eat an open peanut butter sandwich
Make a toilet paper barricade for child to go under, over, or through
Do the Hokey Pokey
Make a super-hero costume out of household items
Do Knee-Bouncing Rhymes
Play "Red Light, Green Light" saying "Go" and "Stop"
Make a shoe-box train for stuffed animals
Make a pillow pile to jump on (keep it clear from any hard surfaces, including walls!)
Make an easy puzzle with felt and Velcro
Make bracelets or collars for stuffed animals out of pipe cleaners and jingle bells
Learn numbers from a deck of cards
Play the matching game with a deck of cards
Make a domino chain
Have a picnic in the park, backyard, or living room!
Play dress up in Mommy or Daddy's clothes
Make a tin cup telephone and talk to each other in it
Make a nature collage
Mirror each other
Make a "Mummy Mommy" with toilet paper
Make a tape recording of short music selections and instructions to move in different ways
Make and walk along a toilet paper trail
TAKE A NAP!

This list was copied from and pinned by Counting On Me - thank you!

randoms and a request...

2011-06-15T13:52:00.001-04:00

Just a few randoms for Wednesday:

Fruit Monster: I have mentioned here before that George loves fruit. Since Christmas he has eaten at least one apple each day, down to the core. Thankfully, there isn't anything to that old fable about swallowing apple seeds and having a tree grow in your stomach. Right?!?! In Greece, he ate other fruit including cherries, oranges and his beloved moosmoula (loquats). Now, at home, we must stock the fridge full of a variety to keep this boy happy. He eats fruit at every. single. meal and as much as we allow him through the day. This stash in the fridge here?

Barely a one week supply and we are lucky to escape with our lives if we dare try to snag a berry from his stockpile.

House Hunting: Yep, we're still looking. And looking, and, looking...and looking some more. Last Saturday we drove past six homes that we thought had potential and only liked the properties of two enough to request showings. We saw this charming, fairly tale-esque cottage on Monday night...

Adorable, right? The outside is very impressive in person. Beautiful flat, shaded yard, incredible original architectural details. The home oozes charm and the first floor was lovely. Original hardwood floors with wide mouldings, HUGE kitchen with an island and loads of windows and cabinets plus a *hold me* five burner, stainless Viking range with double ovens and a french door fridge with bottom freezer. The dining room was adorable and had a larget closet that could easily be turned into a built-in china cabinet, thus rescuing our wedding china from their boxes in my in-law's den closet (true story). The master wasn't huge but easily fit a king bed and had a large walk-in closet with a window. The family room had great space, an arched brick fireplace and built-in shelving. Loved.

Then, we went upstairs. The "bedrooms" were joined and tiny does not even begin to describe them. Put a shelf and a bar in each and I'd call them closets. Add to that, the staircase leading to the top floor was so narrow that any furniture brought in would have to be taken up in pieces and, somehow, assembled in the rooms. Then, Mr. Boom went to the cellar. Ever see that HGTV show "Holmes on Homes" with the crazy, fire-waiting-to-happen electrical wiring? Yup. The whole system needed to be gutted. No go, no way.

There another home I am very anxious to view and our realtor is working to get an appointment (should this not be the easy part?). So hopeful but, cautiously so. Wish us luck!

Toddler Time: All of a sudden my sweet, even tempered boy is a full fledged toddler. How did I know when he made the transition? It may have been the shrieking tantrums that gave it away. They aren't all of the time and they don't last long but, he knows what he wants and makes himself very clear though actions what he cannot yet communicate through words. I'm working on staying calm and not feeding in to the drama. Patience is the rule of the day around here. But, I know this too will pass and, as he gains vocabulary and communication skills, the tantrums will subside.

Now the Request: I know my blog has gome a little stale since returning fom Greece (still working on photo edits to post more).

So, I'm asking YOU...

...please, come out of lurking and leave me comment.

...what would you like to see more of?

...what topics interest you most?

...what keeps you coming back to read?

...please, share!

(nearly) wordless wednesday: where my heart bursts with love, again...

2011-06-08T07:00:00.001-04:00

This past Sunday.

Just after a friend's baptism.

Stunningly handsome.

Full of joy.

L.O.V.E.

what i've come to realize: scrappy edition

2011-06-07T07:00:00.002-04:00

Pretty doesn't matter.

My child will not care if the scrapbook layouts I create are contest winners, worthy of being published in a magazine, compiled over hours or days or liked by other crafters. Someday, he will look at them and say, "Thanks Mom, I was wondering what I was like back then and, now I know." He will know through the photos, matched with the anecdotes, dates and places that I sat down to record.

He will know that he is loved.
That his life is worthy of being documented.
That he matters.
That a family history matters.

The pages in his books will tell him so.

it's {un}officially summer here...

2011-06-03T07:00:00.001-04:00

For most, summer unofficially begins Memorial Day weekend. It's when lifeguards finally sit on duty at beaches and community pools open their gates. Picnics are had and a large big crate of watermelon sits at the entrance to every grocery store.

Around here, we start summer just a few days earlier with the celebration of Mr. Boom's birthday. This year we had only been back from Greece for a couple of days and G was still fighting jet lag but, the birthday must go on! We had a wonderful grilled steak dinner at my in-law's followed by, what else, cake and ice cream.

I'm sharing this mainly because I love a couple of the captures from that evening...G helping his Baba blow out the birthday candle, right after eating his very first ear of corn, for which he needed no instruction!

greece: proof positive...

2011-06-02T07:00:00.002-04:00

Lest anyone wonder if our vacation actually happened, I managed to borrow a computer in order to share a few photos of the last two days of our trip off of the third and final memory card. While the best of the photos and stories will need to wait a bit longer, this is a good mini-snapshot...

G loving "our beach" and the billions of pebbles. We call this our beach as it is the closest to our house, about a three block walk. See the little brown dots in the surf (click photo to enlarge)? We are calling that The Great Jellyfish Invasion of 2011. Not stingers but, annoyingly slippery slimy little guys. By the end of the trip, we decided to just ignore them and have our fill of the beach regardless:

Our house, looking up from Mr. Boom's grandmother's patio. The glass doors open to the living room (left) and dining room (right). This main veranda was G's favorite playspace. Though it doesn't look deep at this angle, it is a large expanse that is basically an outdoor room off the living area that then wraps around the dining room and kitchen:

Dinner out at a pig roast restaurant - traditional Greek country salad, saganaki (fried cheese), potatoes (order "potatoes" in Greece and you'll get what we call fries) and, of course, the roast pork:

G checking out the pig illustrations on the package of wet naps after dinner:

View from one end of our house to the other on the verandas (from the end of the master bedroom in the back of the house, down to the dining area in the front) . G loved running up and down the length, running his hand along the rails:

Three generations - Yia Yia (grandma), Mr. Boom and George:

Mousmoula! G ate dozens of these during our trip, right off the tree. After some research by Mr. Boom, we believe here they are known as loquats. This particular tree overhangs the veranda of the master bedroom:

G spending time with his cousin Katarina. Look at that face!!!

The view from the master bedroom veranda. The forefront is a lemon and orange grove:

june goals...

2011-06-01T07:00:00.008-04:00

Vacation is over.
I'm back to work.
The babe is back in his normal good health.
Summer is almost here.
It's time to get organized.

We have so much going on in our home life right now, including working toward getting our condo on the market and finding a new home (more on that later). Running our household well is one of my priorities so, I am opting in for the 3in30 challenge this month to help me through the early days of summer.

1) Project Life: This is not a new goal but, it is one that is very important to keep at the forefront so that I will stay focused. Since we were away for half of May and so much happened on vacation while I had no access to my supplies, my goal for June is to finish journaling for May and to add photos as soon as possible (once I get get them off of our external and uploaded to Shutterfly). At the same time, i will be working to keep current for June with real time journaling.

2) Clean our bedroom: It's bad. Though our new closet organizer is a big help and my mother-in-law helped me do even more one day last week after our return home, our bedroom in it's current state is not a restful place. I have tackled a few areas here and there but, it's time to do more. So the goal is to get our room cleaned and organized enough that I feel good opening the door at the end of the day.

3) Meal Planning: When I was actively meal planning a couple of months back, dinnertime was far less stressful and grocery shopping much more focused and organized. I need to get back to that. I was lucky enough to win a year long print membership from ListPlanIt.com during 3in30's April twitter party (thank you!!!) and will be using their tools to help guide me this month.

I'll check back in with my progress mid-month and at the end of June. Looking to set some goals of your own? Take the 3in30 challenge with me HERE.

tuesday randoms...

2011-05-31T10:59:00.000-04:00

* Greece was fabulous. Oh, I mentioned that already? Well, it was!

* The process of traveling home from Greece? Not so fabulous. We were up at 5:30 am to get ready, toss last minute things in suitcases, get G breakfast and close up our house. By 8:45 am we had arrived at the airport - right on schedule to check in for our 12 noon flight. The only problem? Our flight was delayed and had been pushed back 4.5 hours to 4:30 pm. Seven and a half hours. In an airport. With a toddler. We were a bit panicked but, G was amazing. We could not have asked for a better traveler. He people watched, ate, ran around a bit, napped and played for a few hours in the incredible playroom at the airport run by Greek NGO The Smile of the Child. If I ever win the big lottery, I will give back to this organization and open more in airports around the US. What a blessing it was to have a safe, clean, entertaining place for G to play during the long wait. We waited (and waited, and waited) until it was time to board. G settled in to the plane, played with toys, ate a few snacks then fell asleep for almost the entire flight. Rock star baby traveler. Seriously.

* After downloading two of three memory cards to our home computer, following our return from Greece, I diligently started editing, then...disaster. Our laptop was infected with a trojan virus that started hiding all of our files and wouldn't allow us to use the computer. Mr. Boom was able to rescue all of the photos and move them to our external drive but, the computer is not useable quite yet. Hence the lack of blogging.

* Smiling boy on our early morning walk last Friday. With the scorching hot forecast, I got him out early for some playtime at the park. I got some shots that I just love but, can't share them because, well, see above.

* On Saturday night, G woke up in the middle of the night. When I checked on him, I found that he was burning with fever. 104.4 to be exact. We got him in a cool bath immediately and called our pediatric nurse line for support and guidance. A trip to the doctor Sunday morning gave us a diagnosis of the Coxackie virus. Poor little guy slept on me most of Sunday, felt a bit better yesterday and, thankfully, seems to be back to himself today.

* Getting some fresh air before the heat set in on Memorial Day Monday, we walked past our local grocery to find it in full bloom with new cafe tables set along the sidewalk. All those flowers = happiness.

oh, hello u.s.a...

2011-05-25T10:19:00.000-04:00

We are home.

How we got here is a bit of a story but, we are safely back on US soil after a fantastic family vacation in Greece.

We relaxed.

We ate.

And ate.

And ate.

And walked even more than we ate.

And played even more than we walked.

We watched our toddler grow, flourish, laugh, bond, enjoy and learn.

We were sad to leave.

We are happy to be home.

I have so much to share. In photos, in stories, in anecdotes.

It's all coming.

But, first, I need to get some sleep. While our toddler was the best international traveler we could have ever dreamed (seriously, he was a rock star), re-adjusting him to the seven hour time difference is the most challenging part.

be back in {two weeks}...

2011-05-08T12:35:00.000-04:00

Our little family of three is flying out this evening for a blissful, much needed and long awaited (though quickly planned) vacation to Greece!

Happy Mother's Day to all of the amazing moms out there, including my own. Love you, Mom!

xoxo,
Jen

read the {manual}...

2011-05-05T12:15:00.000-04:00

When I first opened my upgraded camera equipment in early December 2009, I was excited, overwhelmed and completely thankful. I had truly outgrown my last camera body and was ready to plunge in and get to know the ins and outs of something new. Switching from Nikon to Canon was a bit trickier than I imagined. The camera was much heavier and the controls were in different spots. But, I wasn't worried because I still had a full month to learn it all before our firstborn's scheduled arrival. In that month I would have Christmas and two weeks of maternity leave to practice and work through the manual.

All the time in the world! (the universe laughs)

George had other plans and arrived early. Before Christmas. Before maternity leave. Before I had taken even ten test shots. Before I had figured out how to change the focal point, resulting in many out of focus hospital shots.

In the beginning, my favored lens was the Tamron 28-75, until I put on the 50mm. And with the first snap, I was a goner. Sharp, fast, dreamy. Loved. Still love. Perfect for my captive subject inside our home and wherever else we went.

Then, George started moving. Who gave him permission to do that anyway? I put the Tamron back on my camera, after a several month break, because I needed the flexibility to zoom in and out to keep up with the little man. And, I just wasn't thrilled with what I was getting out of the lens. No clue why. Drat. Back in the bag it went.

In January I made a commitment to myself. After over a year of holding this camera, it was time to venture into the unknown. Time to dig out the manual, take the advice of the fabulous photographer who shot our family portraits last year and do it.

Shoot in manual.

And, so I did. I turned the dial to "M", adjusted the ISO, checked the exposure meter and held my breath for many hundreds of shots as I figured out what the heck I was doing. Then, one day, it just clicked. My hands learned to change the settings, I learned to better read the light (this is still a work in progress and, from what I understand, likely always will be) and was SO much happier with my photos.

Getting over my fear.

Reading the manual.

Teaching myself.

To get shots like this...

Taken with the lens I was initially disappointed in and now adore. Of the guys I adore. Hype understood. There was no quality issue with the lens. The issue was with the user.

I am giddy with the anticipation of capturing our vacation.

In manual.

----> Do you have a dSLR that you are using in auto or creative modes? I challenge you to pull out your manual. Read through the settings and learn how to get so much more out of your camera. Take the challenge, then link me up to some of the images and your (what is sure to be) new found love of your own equipment. Just do it!

I shoot with a Canon 50D, Tamron 28-75 mm f/2.8 and Canon 50mm f/1.4 and Canon 430II ex speedlite. The speedlite is still in it's case. Until I read the manual.

a slice of insanity pie...

2011-04-28T13:16:00.003-04:00

Sort of how I am feeling right now.

As if I ate a large portion of that pie.

Do you know that mixed feeling after consuming a large, sweet, rich dessert? A little satisfied, a little bit on a sugar-high, a little grateful such delicious things exist, a little bit of, "Uh-oh, I can't believe I just ate the WHOLE thing."

That's where I am today.

One day ago we booked three plane tickets to fly to Greece for a two week vacation. We have no passports. We have made no advanced preparations to fly internationally with our toddler. The ground transportation is far from sewn up. And, we leave in...

10 days.

TEN DAYS!

Color me crazy.

How did this madness come about? We have been talking about this trip since last summer. About the timing with both of our work schedules, when the right time would be for George, planning for the rising costs of airfare. I arranged my entire May work schedule to accommodate a vacation. Mr. Boom figured out his project schedule and figured mid-May to be the ideal time, right before his busy season begins. We had the dates ready. We were looking at airfares.

And then we opened the mailbox.

Inside, the Federal Jury Duty notice addressed to Mr. Boom with a notice to appear in mid-April. Not exactly stellar timing for civic duty. Postpone, you say? Not an option. He had already needed to postpone twice and a third postponement would have called him back in the late summer, at the height of his busy work season when he absolutely, no way, cannot leave his job site. Nothing left to do but put off buying tickets, report to the call and hope for a dismissal. Which would leave us mere days to know would we or wouldn't we be going on this trip. Just days to buy international airfare and figure out logistics. Days to pack and prepare while still maintaining our normal work and home schedules.

And that brings me to crazy-town. He was not, thankfully, selected for a jury and his job cleared the vacation time. Our appointment to get three expedited passports is tomorrow morning. So, here were are with TEN DAYS to prepare for our big, fat Greek vacation.

Oh, and just a little bit of a (fantastically cool) wrench in the already short timeline. Mr. Boom and I are leaving George, to spend his very first night away from us, just two days before our trip for a Bon Jovi concert! Friday night concert, stay over and return home on Saturday, fly out of the country on Sunday.

Grateful and excited? YES.

Crazy as a loon? Check!

Wish us luck...

wordless wednesday: peek-a-boo, take 2...

2011-04-27T07:00:00.007-04:00

Becoming an annual tradition, HERE are his peek-a-boo shots from last year in the same spot.

it was a happy easter indeed...

2011-04-26T07:52:00.000-04:00

We had a wonderful Easter weekend full of family, playtime and food. My parents were in town to celebrate with us and to get some much needed George time. Though the weather wasn't ideal, we were able to take advantage of a brief clearing on Saturday for a park trip and Sunday morning was warm and full of beautiful sun for Easter mass. Here is the re-cap, in photos...

My dad, book reader extraordinaire. Just look at the adoration!

Sliding is fun!

Fun at the park with Pop and YiaYia...

Thanks Easter Bunny!

With the traditional Greek Easter lamb. My oh so handsome guys in their finest...

A reluctant bunny...

Thanks to my dad for this new favorite family photo...

crying over spilled coffee: tale from a true klutz...

2011-04-22T07:00:00.000-04:00

I am a klutz. I drop things, stub my toes and trip over things ~~occasionally~~ constantly. It is an annoying, messy and sometimes painful part of who I am. Despite trying very hard to avoid spills they just happen and happen regularly.

This is the mug that my mom gave to me when I became a mom myself. The mug that has held the coffee that has carried me through countless mornings after sleep deprived nights. The mug I have sipped from every single day since arriving home with our tiny little bundle of George. A large mug for copious amounts of caffeine, fitting perfectly in my hand and the caricature bearing a striking resemblance to my morning self.

Today, I put my coffee mug on the counter and set about the task of washing dishes and cleaning up the kitchen from breakfast. Deciding that I had enough coffee for the day, I picked up my mug to spill the last of the liquid and wash it out. Maybe there was too much soap on my hands or maybe it was just my klutzy moment of the day but CRASH! in an instant it was out of my hands, coffee splashing a mess everywhere, and broken.

Now, sadly, this is my poor mug:

The klutz strikes again, leaving me mugless and not a happy camper. *sigh*

dinner tonight: 2 recipes = 1 delicious meal...

2011-04-21T07:00:00.001-04:00

Followers of my blog for any time might have noticed a lack of recipe posts lately. The truth is that in the late winter, early spring doldrums I just haven't been inspired to try anything new. Nothing was peaking my interest and we were getting in a bit of a slow cooker dinner rut. Even some of the favorites in our meal rotation feel stale when eaten over and over again.

Then, last week, a side dish popped up in my Google Reader that sounded and looked good enough to pull me out of my recipe funk: Herbed Potatoes and Green Beans. I grocery shopped for the few ingredients I didn't have on hand Monday and took boneless pork chops out of the freezer to defrost. Tuesday night's dinner was on it's way to being planned. But, what to do with the pork? I needed to find a skillet recipe - the oven would take too long and the grill? Buried in the back of the garage. Somewhere. So, I turned to the girls on a message board I frequent and came away with what turned out to be a delicious suggestion for Rosemary Garlic Pork Chops. I cooked both dishes at the same time, taking about 30 minutes total. Here are the adapted recipes:

Herbed Potatoes and Green Beans
Adapted from Stephanie Cooks

1 lb. red potatoes, diced evenly
3/4 lb green beans, end trimmed
Chicken broth, at least 2 cups
1/2 cup onion, finely diced
1 tsp garlic powder
Paprika
Salt & Pepper

1. Spray cooking spray in a large skillet with lid.
2. Turn heat to med-high, add potatoes
3. Flip after 5 minutes, or when golden brown. Brown other side.
4. Pour in chicken broth until potatoes are halfway covered, about one cup. Cover and allow to steam over med-low heat 5-10 min until liquid is almost absorbed.
5. Add more broth, again covering potatoes halfway. Add green beans, onion, garlic and sprinkle with paprika. Stir well. Replace lid, steam 5-10 min, checking often (may need to add more liquid).
6. Once veggies are cooked through, raise heat to reduce broth. Stir to coat. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Oregano Garlic Pork Chops
Adapted Redbook

4 boneless center-cut pork chops (1"thick)
3/4 tsp kosher or sea salt
Fresh ground black pepper
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp dried oregano
1 clove garlic, minced (I used 1 tsp Tastefully Simple, Garlic Garlic)

1. Sprinkle pork with salt and pepper, seasoning both sides.
2. In a large skillet, heat oil on med-high, add pork chops when hot and cook 4 minutes per side.
3. Reduce heat to medium; add butter, oregano and garlic. Cook, turning pork every 2-3 min until finished. Remove from heat, cover with foil and let stand 5 min. Spoon drippings over pork when serving.

wordless wednesday: being groomed...

2011-04-20T07:00:00.000-04:00

Fierce, yet still cute, look to wither competitors? Check!

on music: the good and the very, very bad...

2011-04-18T07:00:00.006-04:00

As pop culture is subjective to taste and personal preference, I don't comment on it too often. Sure, I love Bon Jovi, Billy Joel and Adele but you may not and we can still be friends, right? (well, maybe...) But, I'm feeling compelled to say something now.

For years, though I had a relatively short commute to work, I listened to audio books in the car rather than the radio. I wasn't a big fan of the endless corny commercials and they were all that seemed to play for the 15 minute ride to and from work each day. Audio books were a great solution and our library was well stocked with interesting titles. I find that audio books require a certain amount of attention, however. Now that my commutes are significantly longer (35+ min to Bronx and 90+ min to Brooklyn) and fraught with whizzing cabs, barreling box trucks and crazy commuters, my whole attention needs to be on the task at hand - defensive driving.

So, I'm back to listening to the radio.

The thing about popular radio is that they play the same Top 25 or so songs, over and over all day long. Having an affinity for memorizing music easily I know most pop songs on the radio now by heart. There are some good ones, in my opinion, such as:

Pink - "Perfect"...on your worst day, the hope is that everyone has someone in their life to tell them that they are perfect, no matter what
The Script - "For the First Time"...such a beautiful commentary on life right now. Times are hard but cling to the ones you love to see you through *sigh*
Plain White Tees - "Rhythm of Love"...peppy, happy, lovey-dovey sweetness

And then there are the bad ones:

Ke$ha- "Your Love is My Drug"- where she compares herself to a 'lovesick crackhead.' Um, okay? She just has this whiny, nasally, awful voice that always makes me wonder who on earth thought it was a good idea to give her a contract. And the dollar sign? Really?
Mumford and Sons - "The Cave"...any song that includes lyrics such as 'tie me to a post' or 'noose around your neck' is not my cup of tea. These guys are just trying way to hard to set themselves apart and the result? Not good
Katy Perry - "E.T."...good concept for a movie, just ridiculous as a song

The, the worst of the worst (this is where I stand up on my soap box):

Rihanna- "S&M"...sexually graphic, blatant and, frankly, disgusting lyrics that I won't type out here. Feel free to Google them yourself if you haven't heard the song yet. But, I warned you...

As a single adult, I might not have thought twice about this last song. Being a parent gives a completely different perspective. This one song makes me truly concerned about raising a child in our society. What are we saying to our children when the most popular, mainstream radio station in the New York metro area is playing this trash hourly for any child to tune in? I am no prude but, this? Over the top.

While, yes, I do believe it is a parent's responsibility to filter media for children, how much can we shelter them? Remember when Beyonce's "Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It)" came out and shortly thereafter a number of YouTube videos of little girls imitating the dance popped up, causing all sorts of commentary? Can you imagine the storm that this will bring if the same happens? Can't. even, go. there.

Children are going to hear this song, catch the beat and start memorizing and singing back the words. They will be asking you, "Mommy, why does she want to be gagged?" OMG.

How would you explain that one?

Why should you have any need to explain (or artfully dodge) that question?

How do you plan on dealing with these issues that come up in a society that is getting more and more permissive and accepting of making the taboo part of the mainstream, accessible to our youngest and most vulnerable? Discuss...

the age of understanding...

2011-04-15T07:00:00.001-04:00

When asked, "Where do you put the keys?" he got up from the floor, keys in hand, and stood on his tip toes to try to put a key in the front door lock.

As he stood in the living room clearly looking around for something, I said, "You left Henry in the kitchen," (his favorite, for now, train), he walked right into the kitchen, picked Henry up from the spot he was left in front of the stove and happily went about his play.

If asked, "Would you like to eat?" he walks over to his highchair pointing and gesturing.

Ask "Do you need a new diaper?" and he goes to stand by his bedroom door, waiting for us to catch up and take him to the changing table.

----------------------------

Brain as sponge doesn't quite seem to cover how fast he is mimicking, catching on, learning and understanding. As a first time mom, I often wonder if I am doing enough to nurture his learning. As the first and, for now, only child he plays independently quite a bit. I have no idea how much is too much. Is there a limit? We read books, play trains, blocks, kitchen and I narrate a good portion of the day in English and (my limited) Greek. But, am I actually supporting his development the way I should and how does one even know?

Outside of play dates, running into other kids at the park and the one day a week that he spends with his Nanny and her daughter, he doesn't have structured socialization time. I'm looking at options for toddler classes, thinking that now might be a good time to get him used to being around groups of other children his age. But, which to choose...a gym class to get out some of his ever-present energy? A parent/child music class for more of a mellow experience? *sigh*

He is bright, sweet and funny and I want to give him every opportunity to reach his full potential, whatever that may mean for him. So, any tips would be welcome...

First time mom also = over-thinking and second-guessing. A lot. Clearly.

project life: weeks 10-13...

2011-04-14T07:00:00.002-04:00

Part deux of my Project Life catch-up update, as promised.

Two of the weeks here were fairly eventful and I decided to add an additional page protector for each to hold more photos and memorabilia. I found the divided sheets online inexpensively, allowing for easy expansion. If you'd like a closer look at any of the layouts, click on a photo to enlarge.

Week 10: March 7 - 13

The insert here is a regular 8x5x11" page protector that holds a map of a children's museum we visited and, on the flip side, a number of bits of life from that week that I'll adhere to cardstock in a much more cohesive manner...soon. The photo collages that I've included, such as the top right here, were made very simply in Picasa. One of the many reasons I love to use the program for quick photo edits.

Oh, look! A photo of me. See, evidence I was there...

Week 11: March 14 -20

Week 12: March 21 - 27

Front of the divided insert includes my two favorite of G's 15 month photos, the sample card of the paint we chose for our living room/kitchen (bottom: Behr, Raffia Cream) and a toy tag from our trip to Ikea - this was for felt fruit :)

Back of the insert includes the receipt from our Ikea trip and more photos I loved from that week, including the adorable face G makes right now when he is concentrating hard on a task or is excited about something ("Oooo!") and checking out his brand-new striped armchair and ottoman.

See, not ALL photos are of our kid. I've included a shot of the savings from our grocery shopping that week (over 30% savings using sales and coupons!) and Mr. Boom's forearm wearing his magnetic contraption that held the nails he was using to install our new master closet organizer.

Week 13: March 28 - April 3

The back of this week's insert (front left out deliberately for privacy or, it wasn't finished. Yeah, one of those.) A business card and menu from Chipotle and more favorite photos from the week.

I love, love, love how this project is coming together. It isn't effortless but, it is easy. It fits into my life and schedule right now. And, I am capturing real stuff of our daily routine, family and world. Love that. Project Life? Yes, indeed.

wordless wednesday: adore...

2011-04-13T08:55:00.004-04:00

project life: {almost} caught up...

2011-04-12T16:37:00.002-04:00

Since sharing my plan and process for this year's Project Life album several weeks back, I have been hard at work putting it together and doing my best to keep up to date. A few hours during several week nights has me caught up through April 3rd, with the photos for last week edited and uploaded to a Shutterfly album waiting to be printed.

I resolved to DO this and do it right.

My plan for uploading photos into weekly albums has worked even better than I imagined. Now, rather than scrolling through hundreds of photos in my monthly Picasa albums to find the right dates, I am instead uploading photos to Shutterfly as they are edited, in the proper weekly album. When I want to order prints, I simply go into the weekly album select "all" and order. Simple. Workable. Done.

Okay, so what does the album (Turquoise Edition) look like? Here is my opening page along with a few of this years' weekly spreads. Remember, I started this year on Valentine's Day, when I had the best notes.

Week 7: February 14 - 20

Week 8: February 21 - 27

Week 9: February 28 - March 6

Click on any of the photos for a larger view. I've tried to include bits of our daily life in the album, beyond photos and journaling, such as receipts, greeting and business cards, menus, etc. I have several page protectors in the bag that hold the album so, when I have a piece of ephemera I'd like to include, it gets safely filed in a page protector until I'm ready to assemble that week.

Thursday, I'll post a bit more about my process and share photos of weeks 10-12 which also include inserts for busier weeks.

Are you doing Project Life? How is it going? Link me up :)

evidence: i was there...

2011-04-11T07:00:00.001-04:00

I am our family's photographer, historian and keeper of visual memories. My camera is as close as one can get to an extension of my hand. It is a tool for capturing moments, for creating a timeline, a legacy, a footprint in time. A tool that has stretched my skills and my desire to learn. The images that are generated are a source of pride.

But, it is a tool that comes with consequences.

Uploading pictures and putting together photo orders, scrapbook pages, digital photo books and our Project Life albums I have to search for evidence that I am a part of my own life. My face rarely appears in our photos. I stand behind the camera documenting special moments and everyday life but, I rarely hand it off to be a part of the resulting images.

True, I'm not generally crazy about photos of myself but, I have this nagging little voice that tells me George will look through our albums and his scrapbook pages one day and say, "Where were you, Mama?" Knife through heart.

So, I am relinquishing the camera. Turning it over to my husband to snap a few shots of us at play, at events, in daily life, at the park on a weekday evening just because.

Thank you to my husband for providing evidence that I was there. A part of our life. Not, just living it through the lens. And doing it brilliantly from his own perspective. <3

wishing it true: a conversation...

2011-04-09T08:38:00.002-04:00

On Thursday evening, I was getting George changed into a new diaper and his pajamas and talking to Mr. Boom at the same time.

Me: G's box of diapers should arrive any minute.

Hubs: Do you have package delivery ESP?

Me: Ha! No, I got an e-mail they had shipped and will arrive today. UPS usually comes by about this time.

As we walked out of George's room, moving on to another topic, the doorbell rang. I ran downstairs to see the jumbo shipping box of Pampers at the door. Strange timing. When I walked back in the house I confirmed that the diapers had arrived, right on cue.

Mr. Boom: Quick! Say, "A million dollars should be arriving any minute!"

ode to the kindle...

2011-04-07T20:08:00.001-04:00

Kindle, how I love thee, let me count the ways...

I realized that I have had this wonder for a few months now and, despite having been asked a few times, had yet to write a pseudo-review and my experience so far so...

My husband and in-law's bought me the Kindle for my birthday in December and my parents gave me the green, lighted case - thank you all again. When I opened the gifts, we were out to lunch and I kept the boxes shut. That didn't last long. By the time we were in the car on our return trip home, I had opened both the reader and cover boxes and was already plowing my way through the quick start guide.

I had been collecting e-books in my Amazon account for awhile through the Kindle iPhone app, though I ended up never really reading with it because, well, hello tiny itty bitty screen that fits about 25 words at a time! But, the app ended up serving me well in the end because, as soon as my new toy was charged up, I synced it to my account and BAM! nearly 100 books were on my device, ready to read within minutes.

Score one for instant gratification.

Having had a long term love affair with reading, with the scent of ink on a page and the sound of spine of a book the first time it is cracked open, I had a moment's hesitation when I opened up my first book. Would I really learn to love reading without the sensory experience? Without physically turning a page? Within the first chapter, I had my answer...

Love at first read.

The reviews all said that the device would just disappear in your hand. It truly does. When I am lost in the text, I don't notice the difference between the e-reader and an actual book. Pressing a button instead of turning a page? Not a problem. The biggest difference? If I need to stop reading quickly or fall asleep with book in hand, I no longer have to worry about losing my place. Ah, bliss! Now, on my frequent train commutes to the city, I have multiple books at the ready, where I used to need to duck into a bookstore and search for a new title to read on the way home if I finished one during my morning trip. See, saving money. That's always good, right?

My favorite downloaded reads so far have been: The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanna Collins (highly recommended) and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Stieg Laarson.

On the fence about an e-reader? Find someone you know that has one or use a store demo and give it a try. You might just be surprised by the experience.

And the plethora of shelf space to be reclaimed.

This review was written without Amazon.com's knowedge and thus, regretably, without any compensation or freebies. I just really, really love the darn thing.

city walk...

2011-04-05T09:40:00.000-04:00

One day last week, I found myself in Manhattan with a few hours all to myself. Nothing on the agenda. Sun shining.

Did I mention, by myself?

A bit at loose ends with the freedom and possibilites, I wandered around the South Street Seaport and Fulton Street for awhile before deciding what I wanted to do. That in itself proved to be a lovely start to my afternoon. I love the preserved cobblestone pedestrian walkways and the old building facades of that area. Not having thought to add my camera to my bag before hopping the train (won't make that mistake again), I had only my iPhone camera to capture my day.

As I was making my way back up Fulton Street and wondering when on earth The Strand was turned into a junk shop - a travesty! - I decided it was time for lunch and ducked into Chipotle for a grilled chicken burrito bowl and a little bit of reading on my Kindle. I was on the third book of the Hunger Games trilogy* and devoured several pages as I enjoyed lunch and resolved to learn to make the cilantro lime rice for myself**

Belly full of good food, I walked a bit more dowtown, making my way to the subway and riding up to Union Square. It was a such a beautiful day I was hoping that the open air market would be alive in the square. To my delight, it was up and running and I wove in and out of the stalls ranging from goat milk ice cream to exotic mushrooms to bright, blooming spring flowers. Finding an empty seat on a park bench, I sat down to read some more, soak up a bit of sun and people watch.

I could have gone to one of my beloved museums or discovered something new that day. Instead, I simply enjoyed my own company for a few brief hours.

Sometimes, that is the best way to go.

* More on Hunger Games in another post

** I consider myself a decent cook but, am hopeless at making rice on the stove. It either turns out burned on the bottom or watery. Cooking fail. Just ask my husband.

boys and their toys...

2011-04-04T16:02:00.002-04:00

Since we found out our first child would be a boy, my husband had a dream that his son would follow in his footsteps and play lacrosse. When I was still pregnant, we found ourselves in a sports superstore one day and this conversation ensued:

Hubs: "Oh look! A mini lacrosse set and it's on sale! Let's get it."

Me: "Ummm, I'm still pregnant and we have no where to store it. We are already storing the carseat, travel system, exersaucer, bouncy seat and other baby essentials we haven't even set up yet. Because, you know, I'm still pregnant."

Hubs: "But, he will USE this."

Me: When he's three or four? We don't have the space."

Hubs: "Harumph. Fine."

Fast forward to this past weekend. My youngest cousin is in his senior year of college (holy cow does that make me feel old!!!) and we were able to travel to see one of his very last lacrosse games. We took G last year but, being just 4 months old, the game was less than intriguing for him. This year was a different matter. We arrived just at the start of the second quarter and he exclaimed loudly when he saw the big boys playing out on the field. He wanted to be part of that team in the worst way...

Because we are ~~horribly mean~~ responsible parents and would not allow him in the game, instead corraling him on the sidelines and the surrounding area, he eventually cooled his jets and amused himself by climbing the bleachers, flirting with the female spectators and trying to get to a bright yellow car in the parking lot.

Then, with five minutes left in the game, he spotted the objects of his desire. A perfect line of about forty lacrosse sticks on the sideline. Lunge. Scream, Flail. Want. Wrestling all 24.7 pounds of this determined toddler for five minutes of game time was no small feat. When G sets his mind to something, that is that. So when the game finally, blessedly ended (with my cousin's team winning!!!), we let him go...

VICTORY!!!!!

The pride on my husband's face was unforgettable. Perhaps we should have gotten that junior set after all.

{nearly} wordless wednesday: missing you...

2011-03-30T07:00:00.001-04:00

Baba was shaving with his electric razor one evening and George was very interested in both the buzzing gadget and the process. I ran to grab the camera and caught this.

A perfect moment frozen in time.

A foreshadow of a day far (but never far enough) in the future when father will pass along knowledge to his son.

The logo on my husband's tee shirt reads "PRIDE".

Oh, yes.

My heart can hardly bear all of the love, tenderness and caring in this image. Especially today as Mr. Boom has started a stretch of overnight work shifts and knowing we won't see too much of him during the next few weeks. Miss you already...

catching up...

2011-03-28T13:41:00.004-04:00

As for George...We just returned from G's fifteen month pediatric appointment. He weighs in at 24.7 pounds (50%), measures 32 inches (75%) and his head is 48 cm (75%). The doctor was very impressed as he demonstrated his climbing ability, flipped through the pages of board books and charmed her with his dimpled grin. Although babies raised in bi-lingual homes often start talking much later than kids learning one language, she mentioned that his dozen or more words are actually above the average for his age. He braved it through three vaccines and happily accepted a Spiderman sticker pop (stickers back to back on the end of a tongue depressor) as we left the office.

We have a new obsession around here: Trains. Lots and lots and lots of trains. The container that holds them is emptied out first thing in the morning and not cleaned up until a few minutes before bedtime. All day long, trains run around our kitchen floor, furniture and window sills. And, tracks? Ha! Who needs tracks? Our trains run on any surface our little guy can imagine. And, that is the point. Imagination. Just what we want for him. The electronic toys were already at a minimum around here and now, they are all but forgotten. In favor of "chhhhhhhooooooos." Many thanks to my cousin and her girls for some hand-me-downs that were happily added to our small starter stash - rest assured they are already well-loved :)

When G is concentrating hard or processing something new, he wears this expression and utters an "Oooo" sound. I love capturing these little bits, pieces and quirks of his development.

On the homefront...We are still on a search for the elusive perfect-for-us house and, while we look, are starting to get the condo ready to list. This past Friday night, Mr. Boom and I took a trip to Home Depot and left with paint, a closet organizer, interior doors and hardware and a plan to get a start on improvements during the weekend. The closet organizer is installed and we both have a bit more work to do before it is blog-worthy but, we are both happy with how it turned out and the better use of space. When it's all together, I'll post before and after photos. Bringing out the tools for this project meant that Mr. Boom had a good use for this handy little stocking stuffer from Christmas:

On saving money...I am actively shopping grocery sales and couponing. My weekly savings at the grocery checkout averages about $25. But, this weekend, even though it was the trip for stocking up on meats I was able to combine sales prices with coupons and doublings to save a whopping $36.70! That's a third of the total bill. Very, very pleased and well worth the pre-planning.

Some of the best deals:

(3) Coffeemate creamers for $2.50 (on sale 3 for $5, used a $1 off coupon + a 75 cent coupon that the store doubled)

(2) Yoplait Yogurt 4-packs for $3.50 (on sale 2 for $5, used 50 cent coupon that the store doubled and saved an extra 50 cents for scanning items myself)

Pork shoulder $1.99/lb - purchased a 3 pound cut that is in the crockpot right now for our Pulled Pork dinner tonight

Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts $1.99/lb - purchased 4 pounds

Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs $1.99/lb - purchased 4 pounds

In order to really take advantage of meat sales, I use a very essential kitchen tool: a vacuum sealer. I bought a FoodSaver several years ago off QVC and it has paid for itself many times over. Whenever there is a great meat sale, I have no qualms about stocking up and no worries about using the meat before it's expiration as I'm able to vacuum seal in portions that suit our family and certain recipes, then freeze them for later.

The bags I put together today are a perfect example. Four chicken breasts are the amount needed to make Shredded Taco Chicken (a favorite in our meal rotation) and two pounds of chicken thighs are just the right amount for the Chicken Marsala slow cooker recipe or, one of a few others. Saving money and saving time = a saner me (or, that's what I keep telling myself!).

you, at 15 months..

2011-03-25T08:57:00.002-04:00

My sweet George,

You are officially a toddler and are living up to that title and then some! So curious about your world, a constant explorer and communicating with us more each day. It is so much fun watching you play, interact and discover. You are an incredibly happy and sweet boy and we are thankful everyday for you and your easy disposition. At 15 months, you...

are walking like a champ, starting to run and still climbing everything
got you first pair of "real" shoes: New Balance sneakers, size 6 wide
wear 18 month clothing
make a "ooo, ooo" sound when you are excited about something or want to get our attention, making an "o" with your mouth, and point to what you want
are still an excellent eater. You have at least one apple each day and also love bananas, clementines and blueberries. Some other favorites now are veal with orzo, lentil soup, turkey chili, shredded taco chicken, pastina with chicken and carrots, blueberry waffles and egg and cheese omelettes
when you want milk or, if we ask you "Thelis gala?" (Do you want milk? in Greek), you run to the refrigerator and try to open the door. Same goes for your milo (apple)
say Mama, Baba, ba-oo (balloon), ba (ball), go and got it. You understand much more than you can speak and this is very normal for toddlers in bi-lingual homes.
are very ticklish under your arms and give us fantastic giggles whenever we play Tickle Monster
still adore Sesame Street. Your favorite episode of late is one where Elmo gets ahold of Abby's wand and makes everyone sing. Baby Bear and Mr. Hooper sing about porridge and you smile and laugh the whole way through the song, "I'm talking porridge, porridge, porridge, yummy, yummy porridge!" The tune is now stuck on constant loop in Mama and Baba's heads
know how to kick a ball with your instep. You dribble your small basketball or soccer ball through the house daily
love your books...to their demise! We have had to replace several of your favorites as they were, ahem, over loved and literally fell apart
have complete crying and yelling meltdowns when we need to change your diaper in public restrooms. I have no idea why this is happening but hope it is a stage that passes quickly
give the best hugs and kisses
weighed in at 25 pounds even at a recent sick visit to the doctor. I'm looking forward to hearing the rest of your stats at your fifteen month appointment next week
are still getting used to your feet and wearing shoes on different terrain. You've taken a few tumbles, resulting in some scrapes and your first boo-boo requiring a band-aid
love taking walks around town. You will happily sit in your stroller for long stretches of time around town, people watching and pointing to the trucks as they drive by
have so much fun at our local parks with lots of structures to climb and room to run. We were lucky to have some early spring days in the past month for you to explore our parks for the first time since you started walking.
can reach doorknobs. We had to put safety caps on the front and bathroom doors, just in case
are very interested in figuring out how things work: taking things apart, seeing how pieces fit and pushing buttons
go nap once a day for 1.5-2 hours, usually about 4 hours after you start the day. Lately, you have started initiating your own naps, going to the refrigerator and signaling that you would like milk.
bedtime is 7:00 pm.
when we are home, you cannot stand to have me out of your sight. When out, you will go quite a distance to play, occasionally check to make sure I am still around and, every once in awhile, will came back just to give me a quick hug *melt*
are a great car traveler. You will either sit quietly in your seat (still rear-facing), playing with a few toys and listening to music or, you will drift off to sleep

Life with you is such an incredible joy. Every time you meet a new milestone or discover something new, I think, "This is my favorite age/stage." Then, the next one proves to be even more exciting. We can't wait to see what's to come...

I love you to the moon and back, and again,
Mama

toys, glorious toys...

2011-03-24T11:49:00.000-04:00

Tomorrow, G and I will be taking a short road trip to meet up with my cousin and her girls at the happiest place on Earth. No, silly, not Disney. Ikea!

I could spend ~~days~~ hours on end winding and browsing through all of the rooms and aisles. Sitting on furniture. Picturing myself and our belongings in simulated living rooms, bedrooms and kitchens. And, then there is the not so small matter of the Swedish meatballs.

A trip to Ikea with toddler in tow means only going on a weekday to avoid huge crowds, taking plenty of play breaks and, of course, finding something new to bring home from the toy department. Super inexpensive and super cute goods for the small set. I can envision a signature bright yellow shopping bag filled with this fabric play food ($4.99-7.99):

A few of these puppets ($3.99) - we already have the zebra and he loves it:

And, perhaps, this sand play ice cream cone set ($2.99):

This is going to be a fun trip for ~~Mama~~ George :)

project life 2011: update...

2011-03-22T11:37:00.000-04:00

It's been about a month since the much coveted white box arrived on my doorstep. Opening each piece and going through the contents was fun but, also a bit disconcerting. How would I keep up this year since it was already February and I was already, technically behind?

Simple. I decided NOT to be behind - it's all in the definition and perspective. Project Life can be anything you want it or need it to be. This year's album won't start on January 1st. Instead, it starts on Monday, February 14th. I have the best records of this year beginning on that date. Works for me.

What about the first month and a half of the year? Those photos and stories will be scrapbooked. I have over a dozen page ideas sketched out and journaling jotted down in a notebook, complete with dates, titles and descriptions of the photos to use, ready to go when I make the time to sit and create.

How I am approaching this year is different as well. Last year, I attempted to do a photo a day and then label each photo during editing with the day of the week and date. Exhausting, time consuming and not realistic for being a first time mom. I have January through May finished in that format and the rest, well, I'll figure it out. This year I have a plan:

1) Journal everyday: I picked up a 4x6 weekly pocket planner in the clearance section at Target for $1. It's small, light and travels with me wherever I go - switched from diaper bag to work bag to purse depending on what my day looks like. I jot a few things about each day in the calendar. Sometimes it's just the mundane schedule, other times it includes an anecdote. The important thing is that I am writing down little memory cues for myself so that, later, I sit down and expand on the information on the PL journaling cards. Relying on my memory alone is a set-up for failure a la Mommy Brain. This works better.

2) A Project Life On-the-Go Kit: I travel all over New York City for work and often have down time during lunch breaks or as I am waiting for students to arrive for a training. Times when I am not at my home office or sitting at my desk, without access to a computer, and where I can take a few minutes to journal. I had been holding on to a mini metal 'lunchbox' that once housed Maya Road chipboard pieces. It ended up being the perfect size to hold:

pen (I use a Sharpie pen...love them)
black permanent ink pad (rubber band secures the lid for travel)
PL date stamp
box of asst'd jouranling cards (half with the plain grid, half of the patterned variety)
day of the week stickers
a few post-it notes for practice stamping or removing excess ink from the stamp

Using this kit and my mini calendar, I can easily catch up on journaling cards wherever I go.

3) Photos: I'm taking photos constantly but, printing them is another matter. Primarily, I use Shutterfly and order my prints on matte paper. I've been very happy with their quality, turnaround and customer service (they are not giving me any incentive to say so - I just like the company). Although it generally takes about a week to receive prints in the mail with the standard shipping, the quality is far better than any of our local one-hour places. I print only when I have a coupon code, free print offer and (now that I have over 3,000 points saved) plan to redeem my Pampers Gifts to Grow points for free printing packages. I am now uploading my photos into weekly albums in my Shutterfly account so that I can easily select out just the dates I need for Project Life.

-----> Are you doing PL 2011? How it is going and what is working for you?

friday faves: the hubs, food and words...

2011-03-18T07:00:00.015-04:00

Favorite thing about my Husband: Easy...the way he loves both me and George unconditionally. I am blessed to see his face first and last each day, to be encircled in his embrace and to have him as such a hard-working provider for our family. It's just that simple and just that complex. He is a family man and he loves us. There isn't anything more I could ask for.

Favorite Restaurant: Considering how much I love to eat, this should have been an easy choice. We don't eat out often and I haven't been to this particular restaurant in a couple of years but, it remains one of my local favorites and, if given the choice, I'd go again and again. Swaddee House of Thai in Thornwood, NY.

I fell in love with their red and massaman curries and pad thai when I lived just a few blocks away and continued to go back every chance I got even after I moved away. It's a tiny little spot for a leisurely meal with charming servers and authentic tastes and ambiance. And, now I'm hungry!

Favorite Children's Book: There are several current favorites in our house that are read to exhaustion. In fact, we've even had to replace a few copies as they have been ~~eaten~~ worn through. I am thankful that my son seems to have as much of a love of books as I had at his age. He'll sit flipping through pages for long periods of time and asks us to read his favorites several times a day. Always guaranteed to get a giggle from the little man are:

But Not the Hippopotamos, Sandra Boynton
Mr. Brown Can Moo, Can You?, Dr. Seuss
Hand, Hand, Fingers, Thumb, Al Perkins
Moo, Baa, La La La, Sandra Boynton
Curious George at the Park, H. A. Rey

I have far too many of my own childhood favorites to ever list here but, one stand out has always been Anne of Green Gables. I read the entire series several times over, lost in the life and adventures of Anne Shirley. Which has me wondering if all those volumes are still in my parents basement somewhere?

just a little break...

2011-03-15T15:37:00.004-04:00

I have a bunch of stories and ideas for posts buzzing in my head. The past few months, I have taken some time on the weekends to get my thoughts into the computer, schedule posting in advance and have it on the ball. Not this week. Instead, I enjoyed every moment of the last several days with my favorite guys and the budding spring weather. Ignoring the computer and just living life.

One week a month I work five days - three weekdays and a full weekend. Rather than stressing about trying to cram in blogging, I'm letting it go and taking a very short hiatus until my schedule returns to normal. If I have some time and decide to put one up, I may go with it but, if not, I'll see you all back here next week.

Until then, here are a few of my favorite photos from this Saturday at the park:

Life is good...

friday faves: blog, sport and memory...

2011-03-11T07:00:00.000-05:00

Favorite blog (other than your own): I have a confession. I have 265 blogs in my Google Reader. I love to read what's happening in the blogosphere from other moms, cooks, photographers and random others. It's a wee bit of an addiction but, at least it's not life-threatening...ha! But my favorite if I was forced to choose just one? The Pioneer Woman. Ree Drummond is an amazingly talented woman and I have absolutely no idea how she finds the time to do everything she does in life: homeschool her kids, come up with incredible recipes, write books and blog everything - in photo diary format no less! If you haven't read her blog, do yourself a favor and start now...

Favorite sport: Long ago, I was on swim teams and in college I dabbled in playing tennis. Now? I stroller walk around town. As that hardly qulifies as a sport, I'll choose football. I like to watch football and Steelers games are major events in our home. We're even grooming the next generation of fans...

Favorite memory: I have been blessed with so many but, naming one single memory for this challenge wasn't really a challenge at all. The moment my husband carried our swaddled, newborn son to me to inspect his face, kiss his sweet chubby cheek, is the one that brings me to tears and has me catching my breath everytime it comes to mind. The moment I became a mother:

chasing spring...

2011-03-10T07:00:00.001-05:00

It is March and I am officially done with the cold weather (hear that, Mother Nature?). This has felt like the longest winter on record and although, yes we did have an inordinate amount of snow and frigid temps, I think it has more to do with having had to coop up a very active toddler. Now, said toddler has a ~~ridiculous amount~~ lot of toys but, even favorite things have their limits. Every time the temps have ventured into the mid-forties or above and the sun has deigned to shine down on us, I have bundled us both up and taken the little man for a walk.

Last week, we had just enough of a thaw to allow him to set foot on the ground for the very first time. His first time running around outdoors was on the soccer field just a couple of blocks from our house. In true Greek spirit, he took off running from end to end. He was in his new-walker glory:

This Monday, it was colder than I would have liked but by late afternoon he was going a bit stir-crazy and taking me down with him so, we headed out again. To his delight, the toddler park was finally free of snow and he was able to swing, climb, explore and run to his heart's content. It such a shame that he hates being outside, eh ;-)

I predict that this spring is going to be loads of fun!

to rescue disappearing dollars...

2011-03-09T07:00:00.002-05:00

In case you haven't heard or felt it yet, fuel and grocery costs have all been sky-rocketing in the past month. When I filled the gas tank in our mid-size sedan this weekend it cost me over $62.00 at $3.699 a gallon for regular. And, it's still on a rapid rise. Wallet fail!

Although I work part-time, my commutes are long. Forty minutes to my home office and two hours on my Brooklyn days (about once a week). That makes the pump, in addition the grocery check-out, painful. There isn't anything I can do about my gas consumption as I need to get to work and have no one around me for carpooling (and it doesn't help that we live in one of the gas cost "red zones"). But groceries? I can save there.

Now, I'm no extreme couponer. Not even close. Over the past few years, I have clipped coupons here and there and, occasionally, even remembered to use one or two at the check-out. Since the beginning of this year, I have been much better about both clipping and using coupons but, they have been less than organized. Basically a big jumble of clippings thrown in a zippered pouch in the diaper bag. Not really helpful when I needed to put my hands on a particular slip of paper.

This week, determined to put some order to the chaos and start shaving some more off of our grocery bill, I finally sat down, labeled my coupon wallet and got them all sorted.

I have my coupons separated into the following categories:

Baby
Baking
Breakfast
Cans
Condiments
Dairy
Frozen
General Grocery
Snacks
Paper Products
Cleaning/Laundry
Toiletries/OTC

The store where I most frequently shop prints relevant coupons at check-out that are good for a limited time and only at that store so, I've added those right in the front so they are easy to spot. The space right behind the zippered section I'm earmarking for dining out coupons.

What's the plan from here? This weeks' grocery list is written out and I've noted "coupon" and the brand next to each item where I have one on-hand. Before I go shopping, I'll take those coupons out of my organizer and clip them to my list so they are handy and get used. I'll have the wallet with me in case I need to pull out something extra. I'm hoping that between shopping sales, meal planning and couponing, I can spare my bank account some of the economic sting this month has in store!

I'll update now and again with my savings and any tips that would be helpful to pass along. If you have any tips to share, please leave a comment!

project simplify: or, we really need to get rid of this stuff...

2011-03-08T07:00:00.002-05:00

We are three people living in a cozy condo.
We are looking for a new home.
We need to get our current home together and on the market.
We have too. much. stuff.

Enter Project Simplify. I've been a reader of the Simple Mom blog for sometime and when i read about this challenge, I knew the timing couldn't be better. Yes, I already have a lot on my plate and, proven in February, am not the best at following through on goal setting but, this simply needs to get done. I'm joining in. I'm not going to lie, I'm terrified about the "Before" photos part. Terrified. But, I need to see the results and the "Afters". Here goes nothing...

How it works, direct from Simple Mom:
For five weeks, we’ll work together and tackle different areas of our homes. Be encouraged and inspired, knowing that there are other families around the world rolling up their sleeves and working alongside you!

1. On Monday, I’ll announce that week’s “hot spot” project.

2. You’ll have the week to declutter, clean, and organize that area — don’t forget to take “before” and “after” photos (no straightening up ahead of time, either!).

3. On Friday, I’ll reveal my own “before” and “after” photos.

4a. You’ll also post your photos and write about your experience on your own blog, then link to it on Simple Mom.

4b. If you don’t have a blog, you can share your “before” and “after” photos in the Simple Living Flickr pool, describing your experience in the photos’ description. (You can also do this even if you have a blog.)

5. Rest from the week’s hard work by browsing everyone else’s photos (and find inspiration for the next project!).

6. Cross your fingers in hopes that you’ve won that week’s giveaway.

This weeks Hot Spot: WARDROBE

I think I may have breathed an audible sigh of relief when I saw this week's Hot Spot revealed. Why? Mr. Boom and I both already tackled this task over the past few months. Just this past Thursday I dropped a huge bag of my own clothing off for donation. But, it seems there is always more to do so, though the closet is in decent shape right now, I'll tackle my two remaining messy dresser drawers this week. Specifically, my sock and underwear drawers. And, no, I won't be posting an after of that ;-)

take-out at home: simple slow cooker chicken teriyaki

2011-03-07T07:00:00.004-05:00

Sometimes I want take-out without the expense, the pick-up drive or delivery wait. Sometimes chinese food at home sounds like a good idea. So, I came up with this slow cooker version of chicken teriyaki. We got two plus tasty meals out of this for less than the cost of one chinese order. This is my first Messily Ever After original recipe - please let me know what you think!

Simple Slow Cooker Chicken Teriyaki
A Messily Ever After original recipe

2-3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken pieces (I used 1 lb. breasts, 2 lb. thighs)
1 lb. bag baby carrots
1 medium onion, roughly chopped
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 yellow bell pepper, sliced
20 oz. can pineapple chunks, in juice
1 cuup teriyaki sauce, low-sodium
1 Tbsp hoisin sauce (found in the Asian section in your grocery store)
1 tsp soy sauce, low-sodium
1/4 tsp ground ginger

Place chicken in bottom of slow cooker and cover with vegetables. Add pineapple and juice. Pour remaining ingredients over the top. Cover and cook on LOW 6-6 hours or HIGH 4-6 hours. Serve over hot rice.

friday favorites: possession, celebration and gift...

2011-03-04T07:00:00.021-05:00

Favorite or most prized possession (must be an object, not including photos): There were so many different ways I could have gone with this one and I almost chose my volumes of scrapbooks. Not quite cheating because, while they contain do photos, they are also so much more. As dear as those scrapbooks and the hobby and memories they represent are to me, they sit on a shelf. The possession that is most prized is one I have with me, worn on me, everyday. My wedding set. Yes, I love the design and the sparkle. Oh, the sparkle!

What is most prized about these two rings was what my husband and I just celebrated this past Monday: our marriage and the commitment to be together, raise and family and to be true only to one another.

Favorite holiday: Thanksgiving. No hesitation, no compromises. I love Thanksgiving. The food, the family and laughter. No pressure to decorate, find the perfect tree, gift, card or ornament. Just a day with people I love sharing amazingly delicious food.

Favorite gift you've ever received or given (life doesn't count): I have been blessed and fortunate to have received some incredible gifts in my life so, I'm keeping this one fairly recent. And, I'm using two for this one because, well, it's my blog and I can *wink* One tangible and one an experience.

1) My beloved camera, a gift from my wonderful husband on the day of my baby shower. The gift that keeps giving day after day as I capture images of our world, our family and strive to learn more and more. Canon 50D along with the Canon 50mm f/1.4 and Tamron 28-75 f/2.8

2) BON JOVI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (No, there are not too many exclamation points) For your second wedding anniversary Mr. Boom got us tickets to see Bon Jovi live in concert in early May. Bon Jovi. I have wanted to see them in concert since seventh grade. That, my friends, is a long wait finally come due. Wooooooot!

(My apologies for the original post that was riddled with spelling errors - fixed now!)

3 in 30: update and what's next...

2011-03-03T07:00:00.004-05:00

At the beginning of February I posted about this challenge and spelled out my three goals for the month. So, how did I fare? So-so. I did scrapbook some by working on Project Life and will be keeping this as one of my monthly goals until I find a real rhythm and routine for making it a priority. The shelves in the bathroom were purged of numerous half-empty and expired bottles of toiletries. It's ready to be removed and the remaining contents added to the drawers of a much smaller piece. Lastly, the dresser top. February's nemesis. It just didn't get done. I'm still planing to go there but getting to organize the bedroom (the one completely un-baby proofed room) is easier said than done. Ah well.

March is a new month and, with it, comes three new goals. This month will be busy with going away one weekend to visit family and working another but, there are things that still need to be accomplished:

Scrapbook at least one page/layout each week: Whether a week in Project Life or a traditional layout this is one I need to get done. I have several page ideas sketched out in a notebook along with journaling and need to translate a few to paper. A step ahead, most of the photos are already printed!
Bring lunch to work each day: For health and for being budget conscious as we move forward house hunting, this just has to become part of my daily routine. I'm giving myself one exception - I eat out the one day a month that I work at Wall Street. Trecking my lunch through the subways = gross. And I just don't want to give up that one lunch at Pump.
Participate in Project Simplify: Look for my first post on this on 3/8/11...

george, meet george...

2011-03-02T07:00:00.000-05:00

G has taken an interest in trains. When we are out running errands, I try to plan them around a stop at the bookstore so that he can get some playtime at the Thomas table. We had picked up a few generic Target brand trains to keep in the diaper bag for the days that the official Thomas trains are missing from the play area but, he already knows the difference. It's the faces. He likes holding up the trains and having conversations with their round plastic faces *dies from cuteness*

One day, I'm sure he will amass quite the collection of Thomas trains. I'm not too keen on making that huge investment right now when our little guy is still very interested in exploring everything with his mouth. $20 trains with teeth marks? No thanks. But Mr. Boom managed to find a couple of deals on eBay and, last night THE 'train' arrived.

Our George was introduced to George the Steamroller...

He played with the packaging for awhile, taking it in and out, over and over...

Oh the joy!

Hmm, wonder how this works?

Good job Daddy! This gift was a big hit.

recipe: convenience food turned homemade...

2011-03-01T07:00:00.002-05:00

With work, keeping up with a home and chasing after a very active toddler, time is at a premium. Admittedly, there have been evenings where I have turned to convenience foods or meal kits in a pinch. It's something I have never liked to do, knowing they are packed with sodium, fat and processed junk ingredients. Using the slow cooker is great when planning ahead but, sometimes a meal needs to be put together on a shorter timeline and still be appealing to everyone.

Surely, something like a Hamburger Helper could be made out of pantry ingredients, right? I looked for a basic recipe online, came up with a few and played around to make my own version. It took 30 minutes from start to finish, ended up tasty and made enough for two plus meals for our family of three. The guys were happy with the flavor and I was happy to find a quick, healthier alternative to a meal in box. The ingredient list may look long but, many are spices. Give it a try and let me know what you think!

Cheesy Beef and Macaroni

1 lb. box elbow macaroni
1 small onion, diced
1 lb. lean ground beef or ground turkey
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 yellow bell pepper, diced
2 Tbsp butter or margarine
1.5 cups skim milk
1/4 cup flour
1 tsp seasoned salt
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 Tbsp parsley
2 cups shredded cheddar jack cheese, (8 oz. bag)

Brown meat in skillet with onion. Add peppers and saute 4-5 minutes until tender. Meanwhile, boil pasta in a separate pot. Drain and set aside.

In pasta pot, melt butter over medium heat. Whisk milk, flour and all seasonings together then add to pan with butter. Once milk mixture is warm, add cheese and whisk until melted. Add pasta and meat mixture and stir. Serve immediately.

two years...

2011-02-28T07:00:00.003-05:00

Two years ago today I had the privilege of marrying my best friend and the man of my dreams.
The two best years of my life.
Two years with so many more to look forward to.
To grow closer.
To grow our family.
To love.
I thank God everyday for finding a way to put us in the same place at the same time and the instant connection we found that summer Saturday night in 2006.

I love you, my sweet husband!
Always,
Jen

dreaming of decor...

2011-02-26T07:00:00.002-05:00

Last weekend, Mr. Boom and I had HGTV on in the background as we played with George and did some things around the house. As a Cash and Cari marathon came on, I casually mentioned that I would like to find and refinish a few pieces of furniture once we are find a larger space. I have an itch to take old discard pieces with good bones, sand them off, paint them interesting colors and give them home and function once again.

I want to walk into our home and see things that we have done together, created, made our own. Just a few of numerous pieces that inspire:

I've been collecting images on Pinterest (not on Pinterest yet? You need to be!) for the future, looking at blogs of crafty, talented refinishers and reading how-to articles on stripping paint, sanding and painting techniques. Enamoured.

friday faves: work, destinations and words...

2011-02-25T07:00:00.081-05:00

Dream job: What would I truly love to be when I grow up? A photographer. Specifically, maternity and newborn photography. I love capturing the bloom of pregnancy and then a brand new life. I

have a very long way to go toward this goal with so, so much to learn but I love to dream on this. Here are a few of my favorites shots from shoots I have done for friends and family:

Favorite vacation: I love to travel. No, I LOVE to travel. Put me on a plane to anywhere, get me in a new destination and give me time to explore and immerse myself in someplace else and I am a happy girl. From the moment I stepped off the Britih Airways jet at Heathrow airport to begin my study abroad experience years ago, I was hit with wanderlust. Choosing a favorite vacation spot is likie asking me to choose a favorite book (oh wait, I need to do that next, hmm...). Nearly impossible. The California mountains, several gorgeous spots in Mexico and the untouched perfection that is Alaska. But, in the end, I am one of the luckiest that I have the privilege to go back to one of the most amazing places on earth time and time again. Greece.

Favorite book: I have likely read thousand of books in my lifetime. My parents instilled me with a love of reading at a very young age and I was never denied a new book. I lose myself in books, tuning out the world around me and not recognizing when the sun has fallen and a room has gone dark. Many evenings my mother or father would walk in my room to find me engrossed in a book and rouse me from the pages saying, "Don't you want a light? You're going to strain your eyes in the dark." So caught up in the plot, I hadn't noticed squinting in the twilight.

That happened as I joined Anne Shirley on her many adventures and more times than I could possibly recount here. So, I'll share a couple of my more recent favorites:

I could not get enough of either of these novels and was so disappointed when they ended. Turning to the last page was like saying goodbye to a close friend after a particularly wonderful visit. Do yourself a favor, read them soon.

home hunt, vol. 2: when open houses slam shut...

2011-02-24T07:00:00.003-05:00

Getting much more serious in our search for a larger home, Mr. Boom and I attended our first Open House together last weekend. Not too far north and that, by realtor description, seemed as if it could be a good match for us. With George in the carrier, we walked our way through the two stories of a charming 4 bedroom, 2 bath center hall colonial.

Cute, right? There were beautifully refinished original hardwood floors throughout and a h.u.g.e. master bedroom (just estimating, it was about 40' long by 15' wide) with his and hers closets. The two other upstairs bedrooms were good size, both with full closets and architectural ceilings due to dormers. This house had a TON of storage. Closets everywhere, pull-down access to a sizable attic, crawl spaces in the bedrooms and an attic garage. The full basement contained a laundry room with updated high efficiency appliances, another room that would serve as a great workshop and that rest of the basement was all set to be finished off.

BUT...(here's hoping there won't always be a "but")...

#1 - The kitchen was impossibly small. As in, smaller and with less cabintry and counter space than we have in our condo right now. The cabinets were tiny, original and not in good shape. The countrertops? Old woodgrain formica. Original 1960's stove. Poor layout. and, did I mention tiny? Not good. Not functional. The only good thing about this kitchen was the brand-new french door, bottom freezer refrigerator. But, that could not nearly make up for the rest. Moral of this Open house? Beware relator listing lacking a kitchen photo. Sad, so sad.

#2 - The living space on the first floor was very chopped up adn the exact opposite of an open floor plan. The family room was so long and narrow that we weren't sure how we would even go about furnishing it beyond the staged teeny loveseat and miniscule ottoman/stools. There just wasn't a good flow to this downstairs and we would have had to gate every single doorway in order to keep George in sight. Not practical.

Still, it was a good begining to knowing what is out there, what we do want and what will actually be liveable for our family. Stay tuned for more updates as we move forward...

{nearly} wordless wednesday: a glimpse of spring...

2011-02-23T13:00:00.000-05:00

Last Friday we had a sudden and brief burst of beautiful spring weather. Nearly 70 degrees, sunny and perfect for a long stroll through town. Of course, George snacked on his ever-present apple as we met a friend for coffee...

The doors of one of our local churches flung wide open to let in the warmth...

And, his adoring reaction as he saw his Pappou approaching...

I love this kid.
I am grateful being home on Fridays with him.
I adore our beautiful town.

Thank you Mother Nature for this day of sun and a day of respite from the cold and snow.

recipe: peanut butter oatmeal chip cookies

2011-02-23T09:44:00.000-05:00

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
Adapted from: Stephanie Cooks, Cathy's Kitchen Journey

1 cup butter
1 cup white sugar
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 cup peanut butter (smooth or crunchy will both work)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 egg
2 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup milk chocolate chips
1 cup white chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350° F (175° C).

2. In a medium bowl, cream together the butter, white sugar and brown sugar until smooth. Stir in the peanut butter, vanilla and egg until well blended. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; stir into the batter just until moistened. Mix in the oats and chocolate chips until evenly distributed. Drop by teaspoonfuls on to lightly greased cookie sheets. (Flatten the cookies because these don’t spread.)

3. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven, until the edges start to brown. Cool on cookie sheets for about 5 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

Notes: I doubled the original recipe because I knew I would be sharing and sending off some of the cookies. The measurements above reflect the doubling. The original recipe called for semisweet chips but, I had white and milk chips on hand so used those - use what you like! Lastly, heaping tablespoonful measures had been recommended. I tried that for the first pan and the cookies were enormous! Teaspoonfuls still make for a decent sized cookie and, therefore, far less guilt if you end up eating two or three or... The baking time remained the same.

home hunt, vol. 1: must-haves and would-likes...

2011-02-22T12:51:00.001-05:00

Since last week I mentioned that we are starting to look for a larger home, I thought I'd share a bit more of our experience in the process and document the journey as we move forward. I have been calling it a house hunt, depersonalizing the process but it's so much more than that. Looking through online listings, a little voice is always asking, "Could we call this place home?" or "Would this be a comfortable place to begin traditions, have family meals, raise our child(ren)?" It's a HOME hunt.

Disclaimer: I have never shopped for real estate in the past. Mr. Boom purchased our current home the year before we met and I moved in after we were engaged. While I have some idea of how the process works after asking many questions and seeing family and friends take the plunge over the years, the reality is eye-opening and I clearly still have so much to learn. My task is to not be overly idealistic in this search.

One of the on-going conversations in our house has been around what we actually require of a home and what would be nice to have. These are two very different things and more so due to the limitations of our search area (the need to have a reasonable commute to New York City) and budget (largely due to the inflated taxes in this region). Out of many talks, what we really need are these key things:

3 bedrooms, minimum
2 full baths
garage (attached or detached)
good storage space
basement - finished or able to be finished
a usable yard
a kitchen that is in decent shape, a good size and with ample cupboard space

If we could have it all, I would like:

4 bedrooms
2 car garage
an updated kitchen
pantry
laundry room
easy access to main roads and highways
neighborhood with sidewalks, ability to walk to shops and services
or, at least, the ability to safely take walks around the neighborhood

The kitchen is a big sticking point. Many of the listings we are seeing have kitchens that appear to be original to the house and look something along the line of this (*shudder*):

The stuff of nightmares that could only be helped with a complete gut. We cannot will not buy a home that will require an immediate investment of that magnitude. Cosmetic changes? Yes. Replacement appliances? Okay. Change of countertop? Sure.

We are not looking for a 100k showpiece kitchen, not by a long shot, but it needs to have be a good size, have good bones and a decent layout. I like to cook, I love to bake and I spend a large amount of time in our kitchen. I hope to spend even more time in the next and further expand my skills. So the kitchen has a separate and detailed list of needs:

good cabinet space - enough to store all of the basics, our everyday dishes and wedding china and all of my pots and pans. No more storing pans inside the oven (dinner will become much more iontereasting with a readily available oven!). Basic wood is fine and color/finish isn't a dealbreaker. Cabinets that are in good condition and plentiful can be transformed with a paint job and new hardware. HGTV tells me so ;-)
counterspace and lots of it. The type of counter isn't so much of an issue. A solid surface would be great but, we can put in what we really want.
a good layout for cooking
an island or the space to add one. I really like the look of a "furniture" type piece as an island with a differend color and finish than the rest fo the cabinets so just the space to add this would be fine with me.
pantry space with easy kitchen access (*wish list item)

Later this week, I'll be writing about our first Open House experience. The good, the bad and the kitchen that was, well, not what we had in mind.

friday favorites: tv, shopping and food...

2011-02-18T08:40:00.002-05:00

Favorite TV Show: Even deciding to stick with my favorites in the current television line-up, I couldn't choose just one. In the end, it was that these two shows always leave me wanting more, get me singing and often laughing out loud. What more can you ask for from prime time entertainment?

Modern Family is the funniest comedy I have watched since the advent of Friends and had me hooked from the pilot episode. The motley crew of this family and excellent comedic acting have me in hysterics every Wednesday night. And, Glee? If a show can get me to sing along and not only keep me riveted to the t.v. every Tuesday night but also fill my iPhone playlist it's a sure winner. I'm a Gleek :)

Favorite Store: While I could have categorized this one there is really one above all favorite. Some weeks it seems I might be better off just direct depositing my paycheck to a giftcard since it as close as I get to one-stop-shopping. Oh Target, how I love thee... For great deals on food, toys, clothes, baby needs and just about everything else I could ever want. You are the it store for me.

Favorite Recipe: The toughest choice of this round. I have gotten to the point where I enjoy cooking. I love, love, love baking. There are so many recipes that have made it into regular rotations and on the favorites list in this house. But, I'm going back to a very happy discovery that never fails to impress and is even a special request from my father-in-law.

About seven years ago, I joined Weight Watchers and made the commitment to lose weight and change the way I was eating. At the same time, I wanted to eat food that really tasted good and didn't leave me wanting. A tall order. Then, at a meeting one night, I flipped through a new WW cookbook "Turnaround" and found the recipe that I would come to love, that would be my new comfort food and that would simmer on my stove for many years to come. Bolognese Sauce. I posted this recipe when this blog was in it's very early days and it's time for a comeback. This time I'm sharing the doubled version that I now use because, really, a single batch just isn't enough!

Bolognese Sauce
Source: Adapted from the WW Turnaround Cookbook

2.5 lbs ground lean turkey

2 onions, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
3 carrots, chopped
5 cups fresh sliced mushrooms (I use two packages of pre-sliced white or baby bellas)
3 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 small can tomato paste
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 c fat free milk
½ tsp salt
½ tsp ground pepper
3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 pound whole wheat spaghetti
fresh basil leaves for garnish, if desired

1) Spray a large pot with cooking spray and set over med-high heat. Add the ground turkey and cook, stirring frequently to break up, until browned, 5-8 minutes.

2) Add the onion and garlic; cook, stirring occasionally until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the carrot and cook about 2 minutes. Stir in the mushrooms, tomatoes, tomato paste, basil and oregano; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, 10 minutes. Add the milk and cook, uncovered, until the sauce is thickened, about 15 minutes longer. Stir in the salt and pepper. Stir in balsamic vinegar, let simmer 5 minutes.

3) Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti according to package directions. Drain, divide among plates and top with sauce.

Serving size: 1 cup pasta, 3/4 cup sauce. (WW: 8 points per serving)

recipe: chewy oatmeal chocolate chip cookies

2011-02-17T07:00:00.004-05:00

Not having baked since the holidays, I was missing my right, red mixer and the satisfaction of pulling a delicious baked good hot out of my oven. While I don't believe there needs to be a real occasion to bake, I also didn't want to have a full batch of dessert hanging around our house.

Last Friday I was invited to a dinner party of sorts, gathering a number of old friends and colleagues together for an evening. I knew dinner would be covered and decided to bring a homemade dessert. Cookies seemed like the way to go for the large group who were sure to be moving and mingling about. A search through the "Cookies" tag in my Google Reader turned up this recipe which seemed like a good bet.

They turned out light, not too sweet and, as promised, chewy in the center. I don't know if these will end up a go-to cookie recipe but, they were delicious and very easy to put together. In fact, I whipped up the batch at about 7:45 in the morning as G sat next to me in his high chair eating breakfast. By the time he had finished eating, the third tray was in the oven.

Chewy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

(Source: Adapted from Allrecipes.com)

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp cinnamon (my addition)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups quick-cooking oats
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional; I omitted)
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (I used half semi-sweet and half white chips)

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).

2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs one at a time, then stir in vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt; stir into the creamed mixture until just blended. Mix in the quick oats, walnuts, and chocolate chips. Drop by heaping teaspoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets.

3. Bake for 12 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Yield: 5 dozen.

After a dozen had completely cooled, I was setting up for a photo when a dimple handed cookie monster snuck into my frame. Caught!

Not even the littlest person can resist the scent of cookies fresh out of the oven :)

wordless wednesday: hello clementine...

2011-02-16T12:00:00.005-05:00

working mommy wednesday: he said, she said...

2011-02-16T07:00:00.055-05:00

The prompts for this week were a choice of #1: He said/ She said... things you and your spouse just don't see eye-to-eye on, or #2: Show us your life (work, house, family, etc in pictures.). I'm going with the first today because it's relevant to a rather large issue Mr. Boom and I are facing right now.

We are searching for a larger house.

Sort of.

The "sort of" is the source of our on-going discussions and assertions of differing viewpoints. Right now, we own a cozy two bedroom condo right in the heart of a bustling river town. We have walking access to just about everything we could need. Out of infant Tylenol? Need a gallon of milk? Have a craving for an ice cream cone or a gourmet coffee drink? We need only walk a few blocks and we have a grocery store, drug store, dozens of excellent restaurants, a wine shop (mmm...ChocoVine!), a fantastic library, several parks and playgrounds, schools, the express train to New York City...well, you get the idea. We are in a major hub. Ideally, we would purchase a larger home in this or one of the neighboring towns with a similar composition. If it were not for the taxes. We can afford a nice home with everything we are looking for. But, the taxes? Notsomuch. Not where we would really like to live.

And, there is where we don't see eye to eye.

Most of my childhood was spent living in a rural setting. I remember well needing to get in the car to go anywhere. It's just something you get used to. My husband has always lived where we are right now. The need to drive to a park or to a place to safely take a walk is foreign to him. I adore our town, our condo and the just-out-the-front-door access to everything we could want. What I'm not so fond of is the lack of space and the price we pay for such conveniences. While I will certainly miss the walkability, I'm willing to make the move out of town to have what we do not right now: much more space inside and green space outside.

We're trying to figure out how to make a compromise. It is not easy.

So, for now, we look at online listings. When we see something that looks like it could be of interest, we'll do a drive-by to see if we like the property, the neighborhood. And repeat. Eventually we will make a real decision about a town and compromises we are willing to make. Right now, we talk and look and wait.

in the still of the night...

2011-02-15T07:00:00.029-05:00

It seems I have lost the ability to relax.

Thursday night, my husband went out to spend some time with an old friend who was back in town for a few days. The babe was sleeping peacefully in his room. I had basically the whole house to myself. Alone. Can you comprehend the enormity of this situation for the mom of a toddler? Apparently, I couldn't either.

I could have scrapbooked. But, that would have required planning ahead. All of my on-hand supplies are neatly organized in George's closet. To risk waking him for the love of my hobby? Not a chance.

I could have sat with a glass of wine and watched HGTV or whatever else I wanted. Well, okay, I did indulge in a very delicious glass of chocolate wine. The television plan didn't work out so well. Since we had programmed the DVR to record two shows at once, it was either watch one or turn off the tube. It got turned off.

So, what did I do with all that precious alone time? I washed dishes, straightened up some things in our bedroom, made a grocery list and looked through recipes to make a meal plan for the week ahead. Oh, and I spent a good amount of time online trying to figure out how to get my hair in one of those artfully messy buns (like Christina on Parenthood). Because I am so hopeless at doing my own hair, always have been, and need some kind of course on what is likely the easiest hair trick going. For my effort, I came way with this:

Me time = FAIL

Being still and taking time for myself used to be a given. Now, it is such a foreign concept that I'm hard pressed to do the smallest thing for myself. Is this a new mom thing? Is it just a normal part of taking on so many different roles? Or, am I an anomaly?

joy of love: day 14 - wedding bands/jewelry

2011-02-14T20:00:00.001-05:00

Valentine's Day was day 14 of the Joy of Love class. In the interest of transparency, I have to admit that I have not been keeping up with the lessons. Instead, glancing at each one in the morning and filing the e-mails away in a separate folder until I have time to print the .pdfs and play catch-up. My variable work schedule, the cold and lack of light in the evenings just threw a kink in my best intentions.

Today, Mr. Boom surprised me by taking the day off work so that our family could spend the holiday together. Better than any flowers or chocolates could ever be. By George's bedtime I realized that I had not taken out my camera once during the day. As he and Daddy snuggled on the couch, winding down after a wonderful day, I knew I had to capture the sweetness of that moment. As I moved around taking a few shots, I noticed his left hand holding up George's chubby little feet and snapped...

Settings: f/2.8, ss 1/30, iso 1600

While the iso was bumped up to compensate for the lack of light and the photo was taken under an incandescent lamp, it was perfect for today's assignment and tugged at my heart. My guys.

happy valentine's day...

2011-02-14T07:00:00.004-05:00

George would like to give you all a virtual Valentine!

This is the Shutterfly card I ended up selecting to send to our family. Not at all traditional but, if you can't have a little fun and whimsy with this holiday, when can you? This design was perfect for that cheeky, dimpled smiling face. And, he looks good in orange.

friday favorites...

2011-02-11T07:00:00.029-05:00

Favorite piece of clothing: This changes all the time but, right now, I am loving the two-toned grey wool/cashmere cardigan that I picked up at Banana Republic on sale last fall. It's snuggly and warm, goes with just about everything and is just a bit fitted so it doesn't add any bulk (I really, really don't need any added bulk right now!)

Favorite Superhero: Any successful working-out-of-home mom. Okay, so it's not the stuff of comic books but a job out of the house, parenting, being a good spouse and keeping up a home is not easy. I admire moms who manage to juggle it all successfully and gracefully. If they can manage a minimum degree of guilt while they are at it? An added bonus.

Favorite Movie: My Big, Fat, Greek Wedding. Yes, really. Slumdog Millionaire, The Blind Side and pretty much any Julia Roberts movie (I know, I know) are also on my list. Except Closer. Because, eww...horribly, terribly, traumatizingly awful.

on kindness and compassion...

2011-02-10T14:47:00.000-05:00

One day last week George and I made a Target run. The closest to our home is in a multi-level center that also includes a movie theater, grocery store and a Barnes and Noble. The nice thing is that you can access all stores and levels through the interior elevators - perfect for this frigid winter. I've been taking G to this particular B&N since he started cruising because they have a large Thomas the Train table in the children's book section and (usually) have trains for children of shoppers to play on the tracks.

This day when we arrived at the table, George seemed to remember and made a run for it, bending down to say "hi" to the train faces on the sides of the table and running his chubby little fingers along the tracks. But, there were no trains to be had. Another little boy, a three year old, was playing with trains he had brought from home. George occupied himself following the boy around, chattering and interested in every little movement. The boy's nanny introduced herself and pulled a matchbox car from her pocket, offering it for George to borrow. He saw the shiny little sedan and squealed with delight as he took it from the woman's outstretched hand and proceeded to the table.

That's when it happened.

The other boy saw George playing with his car, turned the most unnatural shade of deep red and began to scream. Screamed so loud, so long and so frighteningly that other shoppers started to gather.

George stood, rooted to his place, looking at the boy with a startled expression while I moved to stand at his side. The boy's caretaker was able to soothe him after a couple of minutes (not moments, minutes). As he gave my baby the side-eye and went back to playing with his trains, G approached him. One step from the boy, George stretched out his little hand with the car in his palm, returning the toy.

In awe of my tiny son at that moment, I wondered how he knew to practice kindness and compassion at such a tender age. He knew the right thing to do in that moment, without suggestion, without coaxing. I do believe that people start out innately good and this one moment restored my faith in that belief. Reflecting on this today, I remembered this passage referring to "the Golden Rule":

"But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you." Luke 6:27-31

I live in hope that I am a positive role model and that my husband and I will raise George to be a good, kind man. What I know for sure is that, right now, he is the sweetest boy a Mama could dream.

what's for dinner: creamy baked ziti

2011-02-10T07:00:00.000-05:00

For several years now, I have been a subscriber of Kraft Food & Family magazine. It started out free and now it is inexpensive enough that it's still worth keeping (published quarterly). While many of the meal suggestions are not all that creative, every once in a while I make one that ends up being a keeper. If you are looking for a traditional Italian version of this classic recipe, you've come to the wrong post my friends.

This is a cheater. A riff on the real thing that is still delicious and a whole lot less expensive (have you seen the cost of cheese lately?!?!). If you are not an ethnic food purist, please do give this a try. It was a huge hit here!

Creamy Baked Ziti
Adapted from Kraft Food & Family

4 cups ziti pasta, uncooked

1 jar (26 oz.) marinara sauce

1 can (14-1/2 oz.) diced fire-roasted tomatoes, undrained

6 oz. (3/4 of 8-oz. pkg.) reduced fat cream cheese, cubed

3/4 cup light sour cream

1 pkg. (8 oz.) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese

1. Preheat oven to 375.

2. Cook pasta in large saucepan as directed on package, omitting salt. Remove from pan; drain. Meanwhile, add marinara sauce, tomatoes and cream cheese to same pan; cook on medium heat 5 min. or until cream cheese is melted and mixture is well blended, stirring frequently. Return pasta to pan; mix well.

3) Layer half the pasta mixture in 13x9-inch baking dish; cover with layers of sour cream, 1 cup mozzarella and remaining pasta mixture. Top with remaining mozzarella and parmesan.

4) Bake 20 min. or until heated through.

working mom wednesday: good and bad...

2011-02-09T07:00:00.002-05:00

This week’s Working Mommy Wednesday prompts are:

#1) I'm not good at... OR #2) I'm very good at...

Funny story: I walked around Target on my lunch hour yesterday and was thinking about what I would write for this post. Shopping alone is a rarity and it's hard to just stay present in the moment. I end up strolling through aisles trying to plan in advance for birthdays, cards to send, toiletries we may soon need and to be alert for sales. Not quite as restful as it used to be. But, those rare trips are also used for thinking. Mulling over ideas and occasionally being hit with a mild stroke of inspiration. As I looked around for a birthday gift to send to my cousin's daughter, it struck me. I knew exactly what I would write for what I'm good at and not.

Then, I sat down at the computer to type it out and *poof*

Gone.

I am very clearly not good at remembering things unless they are written down.

What I am good at is making lists. I never take a trip to the grocery store anymore without a very detailed list in hand. I have post-it notes stuck around my computer monitor labeled with dates and to-do items. When an occasion arises to send out cards, I have a list ready to check off.

True, I've always been a list person. Writing is one of the ways I learn and absorb information. I used to make lists and just that process alone was enough to help me remember, not having to refer back very often. Now, with Mommy brain, lists rule my life, keep me going, provide a semblance of organization.

My name is Jen.

I make lists.

For sanity's sake.

it starts with a goal...

2011-02-08T07:00:00.002-05:00

Always inspired by my cousin and her success at this project in January, I decided to give 3 in 30 a try for myself. It's a simple concept. Instead of setting lofty and complicated resolutions, choose three manageable goals at the beginning of each month and work toward finishing them in 30 days. Or, a mere 28 days this month ;)

Three goals in a month? I can do that. Narrowing down the list of what I feel needs to be accomplished might be the toughest task. So, I'm just mentally pointing to three. Forget dwelling on prioritizing, just need to make it happen:

Scrapbook ONE layout/Get going on Project Life 2010 album: I will not continue to allow my son's photos and memories to live on a hard drive. They need to be printed, stuck on a page and the story written out. One a month I can handle. And, one paves the way for two...
Clean off the dresser top in our bedroom: Our bedroom is not baby proofed and, as such, not much used and becomes a virtual dumping ground for mail piles and other things we don't have room for in our main living areas. I dread walking through the door at times because it isn't a restful place right now. Really romantic. Last week I purged my closet. This month the dresser top need to be cleaned off. And it needs to stay that way.
Purge the bathroom shelves: We have a tall, narrow shelving unit in our bath that is over-run with toiletries (samples, old stuff, half-full pots and bottles, new). If it isn't being used, it needs to go. We will eventually be selling this condo and creating the illusion of more space is key.
I'd like to get that piece out of the bath completely and send it to the cub for large trash pick-up but, the purging must happen first.

Since I am posting this a full week into the month, here a few pics of my progress to this point. Yesterday I took out my long neglected PL '10 album (all contained in one bag so it's easy to grab) and sat down for an hour putting the first few pages together. There are placeholder spots for photos I need to find and I haven't done too much personalization yet but, it is started. And, away we go...

Call me crazy but, there is something nice about putting this together in retrospect. Look how tiny my little boy was! It's a perfect excuse to go back over all of those tired, sweet new moments :)

keeping it together...

2011-02-07T07:00:00.000-05:00

When you have a toddler in the house, despite all best efforts, there will be a ~~crazy boatload~~ lot of toys. Big toys, little toys. Toys that are (blessedly) silent and those the beep, whirl, sing, whizz and blink. Try as you might, the toys will come and they will appear to multiply at an alarming rate. I often ask myself how one tiny little person, only 1/5th of my size could possible need so much stuff? But, he uses it all. Sometimes one little piece at a time. Sometimes appearing to orchestrate the whole lot to make noise at once.

A couple of months ago, our living room was a wreckage of primary colors, board books and noise. The madness needed to be contained in some manner. It was just a matter of time before G's first birthday and Christmas arrived back-to-back and those two occasions would (and did) inevitably bring even more stuff. I informally polled mom friends, looked at solutions online and finally, just browsed around my local Target and our existing containers to find the combination that might help and wouldn't break the bank. Remember, we are in a cozy (read: tiny) condo and space is at a premium. This is what we came up with for the living room.

Cloth storage bins (REstyle, sold in a 2-pack at Target) and a recycled, lined basket sit in the corner between our tv cabinet and couch. One bin is full (FULL) of board books. The other bin and basket hold small toys, pop beads, cars, small stuffed animals and things that can easily be tossed in after a play session or at bedtime:

For the large items, we decided to sacrifice the wall under our living room window. Foam alphabet squares (from the One Step Ahead catalog, a gift from my mom) are arranged on the floor - 2 tiles deep, 6 long - and toys sit on top. When he's playing they get moved all over the condo but, after playtime, they get moved back here:

Any toys that aren't holding his interest anymore or are aged-out go into bins in the large Ikea Expedit storage unit in the nursery and will eventually (when we move) be packed away for future babes. It's not a perfect system but, it is easy, functional and the little man seems to like it just fine :)

If you'll forgive my bragging for a moment, I also have to say that I am so, so proud of G. In the past few weeks he has begun responding to a lot more direction/requests in both English and Greek. He isn't saying a whole lot yet (very typical for bi-lingual babes) but, he understands a great deal. Love it.

friday favorites and giveaway winner...

2011-02-04T07:00:00.004-05:00

Favorite Song: "Scenes from an Italian Restaurant" by the master songwriter, Billy Joel. The storytelling, the emotion, the change in tempo and style all in one beautifully crafted masterpiece that I could listen to on a loop forever. If I had to choose just one song to live on my iPhone, this would be it.

An extremely close runner-up would be "American Pie" by Don McLean. Iconic, full of symbolism and even the full eight minute and twenty-seven second version always ends too soon for me. This song conjures up so many memories of road trips of my childhood and happy times.

Favorite Food: Thai. No, Italian. No, it's Greek. I am a self professed foodie. To choose one is just ridiculous.

Favorite day of the week: Friday. Three weeks a month, my weekends (all blissful four days of them) begin when I wake up on Friday morning and get to spend the day with George. Yes, it has to be Friday!

Now, for what several of you have been waiting for. The winner of the 25 Shutterfly.com photo card giveaway is comment #12...

Congratulations Brian!!! I'm sure you will find the perfect Valentine card to compliment Julia and Grace's sweet smiles. Enjoy!