Overheard in our house this week...

Ryan: Kaylin, is your lion ready to get out of time out yet?
Kaylin: Yes. (pause) Lion? Why were you in time out?

Ryan: That's right...you threw something. It's okay, just don't do it again.

Kaylin: Yeah. Eva, eva again!

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Ryan: You stink, Mommy.

Me: It's not nice to tell people that they stink, Ryan. Please don't ever say that to anyone again.

Ryan: It's your breath. It smells like a toot.

Me: It's probably the eggs I just ate for breakfast.

Ryan: Well those eggs make your breath stink. Bad.

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Kaylin: Why did you spit out that cheese Ryan?

Ryan: Because it tastes like someone tooted in my mouth.

(apparently he's not used to swiss cheese)

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Me: Ryan, please get your foot out of the recycle bin and stop walking in it.

Ryan: Why?
Me: Because it's not a shoe.

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Ryan: (looking up into the sky) Wow, that plane is really, really high. The bottom is red.
Me: (looking up) It sure is.
Ryan: I've never seen a red bottom before. (laughed to himself) Well, except Kaylin's, of course.
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Kaylin: I love you, Mommy. I love you always.

Everything's Amazing, Nobody's Happy

This video clip from Conan O'Brian is right on. As a generation, we have become so spoiled and discontented. My friend, Jessica, just posted about some great steps to work toward contentment here. It's a short read, but about a 5 minute video. It wouldn't let me embed the video into the post or I would have...it's funny. Go watch it then read Jessica's post.

Sunscreen Season is here

Here is my picture of the day for Project 365. The word "OOPS" comes to mind. Apparently we were at the park a little longer than normal today...

Who wants to Swag?

Has anyone else heard the buzz about SwagBucks? It's a search engine, similar to Google, that gives you points (or "Swag Bucks") every time you do an internet search. You turn the Swag Bucks in for gift cards to Amazon, Starbuck's, places like that. For doing what you would normally do...web searches...just on a different site.

Well, apparently today is Swagbuck's birthday and they're giving away higher points and bigger and better prizes. Good publicity stunt, because I finally signed up! Why not - I love free stuff.

I haven't read the fine print, but apparently you also get points for referring friends, so if you DO sign up, I'll get some Swag Bucks for it...not sure how many or what it all means.

Click here to start swagging with me!

Lent

We had friends over for dinner last night and the husband announced that he's giving up sweets for Lent. I had totally forgotten that today was Ash Wednesday!

I'm on the bandwagon. I'm going to try REALLY REALLY hard to give up sugar completely, but am only committing to giving up chocolate, just in case I'm weak and sinful and have very limited will power...as I've proven to have in the past.

If I can give up sugar the whole time, I'll fulfill #30 on my list of 101 Goals in 1001 Days. I am just SUCH a horrible sugar addict...I don't have much confidence that I can go all 40 days without sugar. I mean, if I give up chocolate, at least I can make some oatmeal cookies or have a muffin, right?

Okay, now I'm feeling weak. I mean really...Jesus gave up his life for me, the least I can do is give up something that would be an actual sacrifice for the 40 days before Easter. Ugh, I just really need a sweet treat now and then...

And let me tell you...last night I had a GREAT "last dessert." I made chocolate cupcakes (from just a regular boxed mix) with chocolate chips in them and mixed in about a cup of sour cream. Everyone was drooling over these cupcakes...they were CRAZY MOIST. (do you feel like I'm yelling at you with all of the caps in this post?!??) Anyway, I highly recommend adding a few spoonfuls (spoons full?) of sour cream to your cupcakes next time you bake them. Decedent. Simply divine.

Is anyone else out there giving something up for Lent? You don't have to be Catholic to participate. Please leave me a comment if you're giving up something sacrificially for the next 40 days to spur me on with my sugar fast. (and don't give up something like coffee if you don't actually drink and/or have a strong daily desire for coffee...that doesn't count!!!)

It pays to behave

Literally. In my house, it pays a dime.

I'm so sick of repeating myself that I decided to start paying my kids to behave. Judge me all you want...it's working. I could have done a sticker chart or marbles in a jar, but no. I'm paying my kids a dime each time they listen and obey something I say the first time. Without arguing. Or getting distracted and deciding to strip down and put on a Spiderman costume before clearing their plate from the table. (hypothetically speaking of course...)

Ryan is doing beautifully with this and has caught on right away. Kaylin is seeing how often he's getting paid for following instructions the first time and has made it into a little game of her own. This has to work.

I just needed to do something drastic to kick start my kids back on a positive track again. They love the *plink* sound that change makes when it hits their piggy banks and they also love taking their coins to Target and buying a toy out of the $1 bins with their earnings. I'm even having them pay for treats like gum or lollipops now instead of getting them freely.

Today was a good day. I'm not sure how broke I'll be at the end of this little experiment, but it has to be cheaper than therapy, right?

100s of FREE pictures!

A few weeks ago, I heard about a new photo processing website called ArtsCow.com. When I signed up, the site gave me 100 free 4x6 pictures and 50 free 5x7 pictures every month for 6 months. I love me some free pictures, even if I have to pay shipping!

I am so glad I waited to post about it because NOW they're offering new members 100 free of each size every month for a YEAR. 1200 free pictures!!! That's more pictures than I would ever print (and I'm a scrapbooker!!!) so for most of you, it's basically free pictures for a year.

I just put in my first order for 100 4x6s and a handful of 5x7s and the shipping was around $8.50. More than most online printing services, but it worked out to less than 8 cents a print; half of what I'm used to paying at Costco. So I still think this is a smokin' deal.

Even if you don't print lots of pictures, consider signing up for the free prints at Christmastime. I usually include a picture in my Christmas cards and if you're getting free prints for a year, that covers November/December! (not for me because I got overexcited about their first freebie offer, but I'll get over it...)

They also have a referral program where you can earn 200 free prints for referring friends, but with 100 free 4x6 each month, who needs 200 MORE?!?!?

Tuesday's Time Saving {Grocery} Tips

I recently developed the most amazing grocery list EVER! I got the idea from my friend Erin.
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When I'm not store hopping for specific super-sale items, I tend to go to the same stores and buy the same stuff over and over again. So I typed up a printable grocery list with each store and the items I usually buy from that store. I've been printing off the list every week or two and as I need an item, I check the box next to that item on the list.
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I used to shop at Trader Joe's weekly, but since we reduced our grocery budget, it's more like every other week now. And I make a Costco run every 3-4 weeks as needed, so I hate forgetting a staple item there. And for the locals, did you know that Wednesdays are "Double Ad Day" at Sprouts? Their ads run Wednesday to Wednesday, so on Wednesdays (I'm getting sick of typing that word!) you get last week's sales AND next week's sales. It's the only day I shop there.

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What's even MORE efficient (this makes me feel like a genius) is that I listed the items in the order that I usually walk through each store. That way, when I'm shopping, the grocery list is in the logical order of where I'm going next.
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On this list is pretty much everything I buy regularly, at the stores where I've found that the non-sale prices are the cheapest. Please feel free to steal this idea...it's been an amazing time saver for me!

Olive Oil Bread

This recipe is from Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook and tastes a LOT like the foccasia bread at Macaroni Grill. It's delicious dipped in a little olive oil, but just as good plain. The salt content is perfect...I once tried to brush the top with olive oil and dust with kosher salt, like Macaroni Grill does, but it was way too salty. Then when I made it most recently, I accidentally left out the salt and it was very, very bland. So don't forget to add that in the middle of the process!

The recipe calls for making it with a Kitchen Aide mixer, but I'm sure you could make this if you didn't have one, too. Just adjust the instructions, if needed. Also, if you've never made a Martha Stewart recipe before, pay attention to the details! If she says, "mix for 3 minutes" or "let rise 20 minutes" - just do it. You'll be surprised how her over-controlling instructions change the result of the end product.

Olive Oil Bread

2 cups water, room temperature

1 1/2 pounds (about 4 cups) bread flour (actually buying bread flour makes a huge difference!)

1 ounce fresh yeast

3/4 cups extra virgin olive oil

1 Tablespoon course salt

cornmeal for dusting, if desired

In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the water, flour, yeast and olive oil; stir with a wooden spoon until all ingredients are incorporated. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about an hour to an hour and 15 minutes. (It's so dry here in Phoenix, that I usually turn my oven on to about 200 degrees, then I turn the oven OFF, place a cup of warm/hot water in the oven with the dough, and let it rise that way...it creates some moisture and warmth and it rises nicely. FYI: in this picture I forgot to put the dough in the mixer bowl, but it easily transferred.)

Attach the bowl to the mixer fitted with the dough hook. Add the salt and mix at low speed to combine. Raise the speed to medium and mix until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl but is still sticky, about 3 minutes.

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Fold the bottom third up, the top third down and the right and left sides over, tapping off the excess flour after each fold and pressing down the seal. Flip the dough on the work surface, with the seam side down, and cover with oiled plastic wrap. Let rest for 15 minutes.

Dust a baking stone with cornmeal (you could use a cookie sheet) and set aside. Transfer the dough to a clean work surface (if the dough is overly sticky, lightly flour the surface). Shape the dough into a tight round, rolling it in a circular motion with your hands. Transfer the dough to the stone (or cookie sheet) and cover with oiled plastic wrap. Let the dough rest until slightly puffed, about 30 minutes.

* I usually make this into 2 loaves and freeze one after baking OR I use a bench scraper to divide the dough out and make rolls. If you make one loaf, it's BIG...plenty for company.

With a sharp knife, make four slashes on top of the loaf to make a square, so the dough can expand evenly in the oven. Bake at 450 degrees for 45-50 minutes (or 20 minutes for 16 rolls). Allow bread to cool slightly before serving.

Meal Plan - 2/22/09

Breakfast
Oatmeal
Eggs and Toast
Pancakes

Lunch
Turkey sandwiches
Leftover Corn Soup
Salads for me

Dinner
Monday - Chili with cornbread
Tuesday - Bowties with Sausage and Broccoli (with eggplant added in)
Wednesday - Rice, Bean & Cheese Casserole with Olive Oil Bread
Thursday - Dinner swap night - no cooking!
Friday - Leftover Pasta e Fagioli
Sunday - Pre-made Turkey Tetrazzini from the freezer with Black Bean Brownies for dessert

Carnival Party

Oh. My. We went to a birthday party today unlike any I've ever seen. I've heard of the parents that spend gobs of money on parties, but I've never attended one before. You know what though - I can see how this type of party can be insanely over the top (with a clown, pony or balloon animals) or done very frugally (homemade games and cheaper prizes). I have to share these ideas because I know someone out there will LOVE to steal borrow this concept, whether frugally or extravagantly.

I'm totally doing this someday. For one of the kids...we'll see who. My kids have never had a themed party, and parties like this make me feel like I'm cheating them. Isn't that bad??? Personally, I think we might do the "big party ever other year" idea and do something simple on the off years. This would be a BIG year idea.

I knew this would be something special when I saw the invitation, pictured below. (the date, time and address were on the other side) For food, they did hot dogs on the grill, chips, juice boxes, fresh popcorn, nachos and cotton candy.

There were tables set up all over the backyard with games in front and prizes (for the winners and non-winners alike) on top of each table. "Non-winner" prizes were simple things like candy or Oriental trading company type stuff, "winner" prizes were higher-dollar items like stuffed animals.

Games included a bean bag toss (which a handy dad could totally make), a ring toss, a kiddie-sized basketball shooting game, balls thrown into a big milk jug, a spinning wheel (similar to roulette in Vegas - Ryan had to play that a LOT to win his little stuffed monkey - I hope he learned a lesson about the odds of gambling!) and the randomly numbered floating ducks in a pool game.

The party favor was a jester hat for each child...even siblings! I think this party was pushed into a whole new level because all of the little details. Also, it was so organized: there was an adult at each game station accepting tickets for the games (which were handed out to each child at the beginning of the party), each child got a bag to hold all of their goodies, lunch was served right in the middle to give everyone a break from the games and over-stimulation, cupcakes and ice cream bars were already individually packaged and passed out easily...it was just a really well-planned party.

The kids had a blast and Kaylin was so hyper that it took her over an hour to fall asleep. Ryan crashed immediately - you can see the glossy eyes in the picture above. It was such a fun day!

Two First Dates

While Mike took Kaylin to our church's Daddy/Daughter Dinner & Dance last night, I took Ryan on a date of our own.

Kaylin got all dolled up, complete with fingernail and toenail polish, lipstick and even some mascara. (I couldn't help it...her eyelashes are invisible!) Mike said there were 4 other girls with her same dress on...I guess other people shop at Costco, too - who would have thought? (thanks for the dress, Grandma Barb!!!)

Here are some pictures before they left for their date...

Kaylin had so much fun that when Ryan and I got home, she couldn't stop squealing out the details of the event and kept covering her mouth with excitement. I asked if there were other little girls there who looked like princesses and she said, "Yes! I said, 'What is your name?' and one of them said, 'My name is Addy.' Her name was Addy!" As she was talking about the whole evening, I wished I had my video camera...it was adorable. I think she had as much fun drinking lemonade as she did getting dressed up and dancing!

Here are pictures from my date with Ryan, which consisted of Chick-Fil-A, pottery painting and Dairy Queen...

Ryan changed his shirt twice, put on a watch so he could tell me what time it was all night, and he asked to put a chapstick in his pocket. (because I gave Kaylin one for her purse that she didn't even bring with her) He asked about Daddy and Kaylin so many times throughout the night...he wanted them to be with us so badly. But by the end of the night, he thanked me for our date, even gave me a kiss, and said he had fun. (I think it was the ice cream talking...just look at the sugar high in this final picture!)

#41, #52, and #99

I've accomplished a few less-than-exciting things on my 101 Goals in 1001 Days list that I wanted to jot down before I forget. None deserve their own post, so I'm combining them:

#41 - (2/19/09) Buy more memory for the computer - After being laughed at by our computer genius friend, we learned that our dinosaur computer couldn't hold the amount of memory that computers need these days. So intead of buying more memory, we bought a new computer. And I have to say, we got quite a deal. We found one on eBay for $299, offered the guy $200 (his fault for showing a picture of dozens of computers he had stacked up on shelves) and he totally accepted it! We didn't need any of the accessories, but many thanks to this same computer friend who took pity on us and found this deal.

#52 - (2/18/09) Pray for Mike every day for a month - I found that this is easiest to do first thing in the morning. I was in a wonderful little habit of sitting up and praying (for Mike, the kids, my attitude, my patience level, etc) for about 10 minutes before I got out of bed each day. Then my weak pregnancy bladder began encouraging me to go to the bathroom before praying and the habit was quickly broken. Curses! The point in doing this for a month was to develop a good habit that would stick, so I kind of feel challenged to start this one all over again.

#99 - (2/18/09) Floss daily for one month - Could it get any more boring than this? I did get myself in the habit though, partially out of fear that we have no dental insurance. The only person responsible for these pearly whites is ME!

500th post

Really? I've written 500 posts? I hardly feel like that's possible, but yet, here we are. As a celebratory gesture, I've decided to make my blog public. Up until now, I haven't allowed the search engines to crawl my site, but since I've tailored the content of this blog away from personal details about me and my family and more toward my ideas for frugal living, parenting and all things homemaking, well, I'm going to give the public thing a try.

Yesterday I had 193 individual visitors...by far my highest day yet! Lately, I'm around 100, but I linked the french toast casserole recipe to The Happy Housewife and she gets some good traffic on her blog, so I'm sure that was the reason behind the spike in my numbers. If it gets too crazy too quickly now that I'm "searchable," I may un-do that feature. I'm not sure why, but it still freaks me out a little bit.

On a more personal note (didn't I say I'm trying not to be as personal anymore?), I am having another a rough day. Again, I have NO idea why, but I'm overtired, cranky and every little thing is getting on my nerves.

It could have started yesterday when Kaylin was really whiny all day. And clumsy, causing more whining and crying. And PICKY about every little thing. It wasn't until she was headed to bed that Mike suggested that maybe she's getting molars? It would explain a LOT.

The kids have continued their fighting. I know my post earlier this week was funny, but seriously...I feel like I'm losing my mind. I'm going back to "nasty Nazi witchy Mom." I think maybe I've loosened up so much that the kids don't know what to expect from me anymore. There's nothing worse for kids than an inconsistent parent. So from now on, I'm sticking to my guns and going back to some of the hard-fast rules that have applied in the past. I'm cracking down on just a few things for now and will see if my tension level reduces as a result...

- When the kids fight over a toy, it's being taken away, period. I don't care who had it first.

- If Kaylin screams (this always sends me over the edge)...everyone gets in trouble. I'm no longer concerned with whose fault it is. Ryan knows her hot buttons and can avoid them if he chooses to. It will give him good practice for being a husband someday!

- When I say, "No" to something, that's the end of the discussion. No more attempts to negotiate a different answer out of me! Ironically, I don't change my mind after I've given my answer, but they continue to ask again and again. NO MORE!

Over the last few days/weeks, I couldn't figure out why I was doubting my parenting and questioning every little decision I made. Why was I being so insecure? Then it hit me: I have been feeling really, REALLY bad about my body. No seriously, people. This 10 (okay, 15) pounds that I've been joking around about as being my "unemployed look" is getting old. Mike has a job. The holidays are over. How am I continuing to make excuses for eating this way? Even as I sit here, there are rolls in places I'm not used to having rolls. I feel like I'm in somebody else's body and I'm SICK of it.

I'm reminded of this new, fluffier version of myself every morning when I get dressed. Because, you see, I refuse to buy bigger, comfier clothes. I refuse to get comfortable at this size. This is temporary, now I just need to decide to DO something about it. And I have, but it's a slow process.

I've lost 3 pounds in the last 2 weeks, which doesn't feel like anything. Especially since I am conscious of this desperate desire to lose weight every time I make a food choice in the kitchen. And believe me...I have the appetite to prove it. I've completely stretched my stomach to be used to bigger portions and much more food than my body needs. I'm hungry all the time, it's awful. I'm chewing a lot of gum and snacking on a lot of apples to cleanse my pallet after meals and tide me over in the afternoons. I hate losing weight...HATE it.

Anyway, I told you all of that to vent, but also to keep myself accountable. I'm ready to shed these pounds. They are unwanted and unwelcome and arrived WAY too quickly!

On to another irritation: our computer has been having tantrums for weeks and finally...FINALLY...we have a solution! We were going to get new memory until I was informed that our computer will only hold 768 MB and nowadays, you need 1GB at the LEAST, preferably 2GB of memory to run the programs we use. That meant upgrading our 2001 computer, which I didn't think Mike would go for. But our I.T. genius friend, Erik, found a great deal on eBay. This guy is selling a bunch of refurbished Dell computers for $290, no shipping or tax, and it's perfect for the limited purposes in which we use our computer. (PS - if you're interested, the link to the auction is here. The Buy It Now price was $290 and we offered $200 - which I thought was low-balling the poor guy - but he totally accepted the offer!!!) I'm so excited to get our new computer and put this OLD thing in the craft room for Ryan to play his little online Disney games on.

I have to jot down that Kaylin finally got her first piece of gum this week. She asks (relentlessly) every single day when Ryan asks for gum. Last week, I almost let her try a piece, but we were in the car and if she choked and I couldn't pull over, she'd probably die and I am not in the mood for that. But on Tuesday, Ryan asked for gum at home and when Kaylin asked, I agreed. She chewed it without swallowing and has had a piece each day since. She feels so grown up and gets so excited that she does a lap of skipping around the house after I give her the gum. It's quite cute.

Tonight is a Daddy/Daughter Dinner Dance at our church. While Mike and Kaylin are on their date, Ryan and I are going to have some fun of our own. If I can find the 50% off pottery painting coupon that I know I have around here somewhere, we'll go do that. Otherwise, I heard that Madagascar 2 is at the $1 theatres. I'm looking forward to some bonding with my boy. It was so sweet...I asked what he wanted to do for our special date and he said, "I want to go to a Mommy/Handsome Little Boy dance." Aw, buddy...they don't have those! I'm sure I will cherish those words someday soon when he refuses to hug me as I drop him off at school.

Kaylin has a published twin!

I was flipping through Creating Keepsakes scrapbook magazine last weekend and about fell out of my chair when I saw this picture...

I did a triple take - it looks exactly like Kaylin to me! I showed my mother in law today and she actually said (after staring at it for several seconds), "How did this magazine they get a picture of Kaylin?"

This little girl's mom is featured in the January issue twice with these two layouts, which show different angles of her face, obviously NOT Kaylin. But she does her hair in 2 piggie tails, the way Kaylin often wears her hair, and the side-angle shot is a spitting image at first glance. They say "everyone has a twin" - whoever THEY are.

Here is a side by side...the best angle shot of Kaylin I could find to compare it to. I actually think this other girl looks more like me than Kaylin does! THIS is what my daughter might look like if she didn't have her father's narrow nose and lips...

At first, I was thinking it would be cool to find a way to email this other mama and share pictures of Kaylin, then I remembered the creepy stalker family that we met at the zoo last year. They insisted their daughter looked like Kaylin and followed us around taking pictures...I didn't see it AT ALL. The red hair was the only resemblence to me and the dad started freaking me out a bit. The link to that post with the picture of the two girls is here, if you're curious.

Orange-Pecan French Toast Casserole

I posted about this recipe last year, but it's so good that it has to be shared again. I wanted something that I could make the night before and just stick in the oven for the Mother's Day brunch we have for our parents each year. I got the recipe from the Cooking Light website, so you know it's healthier than some similar recipes, but still AMAZING and full of flavor. I always look for the french bread loaves on the day-old rack at the grocery store and freeze them specifically for french toast. Thicker bread makes a HUGE difference!

Orange-Pecan French Toast Casserole
1 cup packed brown sugar (you could use less)
1/3 cup butter, melted
2 tablespoons light-colored corn syrup
Cooking spray
1/3 cup chopped pecans
1 teaspoon grated orange rind
1 cup fresh orange juice
1/2 cup fat-free milk
3 Tbs granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 large egg whites
2 large eggs
12 (1-inch-thick) slices French bread (or however many will fit in your baking dish)

- Combine brown sugar, butter, and corn syrup; pour into a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle chopped pecans evenly over sugar mixture.
- Combine rind and next 7 ingredients (rind through eggs); stir with a whisk. Arrange bread slices over pecans in dish; pour egg mixture over bread. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour or up to overnight.

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- In the morning, carefully turn bread slices over to absorb excess egg mixture. Let stand at room temperature 20 minutes.

- Preheat the oven to 350° and bake for 35 minutes or until lightly browned.

The Happy Housewife has a Hot Breakfast Challenge going on right now. She has me convinced that I'm over-spending on breakfast by doing cereal most days. Check out some other hot breakfast recipes on her site here.

Sibling Banter

I'm an only child, so this bickering between my kids is very foreign to me. Here are conversations that have happened in the last couple of days:

Kaylin - "Why aren't you wearing a shirt, Ryan?"
Ryan - "Because it got sweaty during my nap."
Kaylin - "I'll go get a new shirt for you..."
Ryan - "NO...don't! I don't want a new shirt."
Kaylin - "Don't worry 'bout it, Ryan. I'll get you a new shirt."
Ryan - "Kay-LIN! I don't WANT a new shirt!"
Kaylin - "Oh, don't worry 'bout it. I'll get your shirt..."
(and the fighting begins...he grabs her arm to keep her from going upstairs, she tries to squirm away and screams, he grabs on with both hands, I intercede...)
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(in the car)
Kaylin - "Ryan? Ryan??? Ry-YANNNNNNN?"
Ryan - "Can I have some space, please?" (a phrase I've taught them)
Kaylin - "Ryan - hey Ryan?"
Ryan - "Can I have some space, puh-lease?!?!?!"
Kaylin - "But I wanta tell you somethin'."
Ryan - "I don't want to talk right now."
Kaylin - "But I wanta tell you someTHIN'...right NOW."
Ryan - "Okay fine."
Kaylin - "I love chickens." (Seriously, that came out of her mouth...as an only child, I think, "WHY? Why did she have to say that? Just leave the boy alone!")
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(again, in the car, where most of the antagonizing occurs...)
Kaylin - "Stop it!"
(silence)
Kaylin - "Ryan, STOP IT!"
(I look back in the rear view mirror and see nothing)
Kaylin - (screams with a whiney undertone) "Mom-mEEEEEEE! Ryan is looking at me!"
(I look back in the rear view mirror and see Ryan staring at her)
Me - "He's not doing anything wrong, Kaylin."
Kaylin - "Ryan, would you PLEASE stop looking at me?"
Me - "Ryan, even though you're not doing anything wrong, she asked you really nicely to stop looking at her. Could you please be a good example and stop looking at her?"
Ryan - "Sure."
Kaylin - "STOP IT!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Me - "Now what?"
Kaylin - "Ryan's looking out my window! Please stop it - please stop it PLEASE!!!!!!! Please, I said PLEASE!"
Me - "Kaylin, stop being picky. He's not doing anything wrong and he already stopped looking at you. Ryan, any chance you can look out your own window so Kaylin will stop screaming?"
Ryan - "No. I like what I see out her window better."
Kaylin - "Please stop!"
Me - "Everyone's in time out. No talking till we get home."

Then there are the moments where everyone is agreeable. Like the picture below...I was looking up a recipe online and Kaylin wanted to work on "her" computer. Then Ryan tried to steal it, which didn't go over well, until he remembered that we had yet another computer given to us by a neighbor. This was the scene on Sunday...everyone happy. Everyone peaceful. Everyone QUIET...everyone working on their laptops.

So I could use some advice from moms with multiple kids. HOW on earth do I get them to stop fighting? Kaylin is doing as much of the antagonizing these days as Ryan and I need to stop the insanity. It's getting out of control and I won't be able to type very well with a straight jacket on, so if you like my blog and want me to continue posting...HELP. Ideas. Words of encouragement, even. (as in, "Oh, don't worry, that will stop on March 1st because that's the day all kids will begin behaving this year.")

Anyone?

Bowties with Broccoli & Sausage

This recipe has very little "sauce" and is healthy and really delicious. I forgot to salt the water pot for the pasta and was worried that the dish wouldn't be flavorful enough, but the sausage made a HUGE difference once it was added. Mike raved and there were no leftovers.

Bowties w/ broccoli & sausage

1 head broccoli, cut into small florets

Salt & pepper

1 tbsp olive oil

4 Italian sausages (I often find turkey sausages on "Manager's Special" for $1.99 then freeze them until I am going to use them - breakfast sausages even work well for this recipe)

1 lb whole wheat bowtie pasta (I found these at Albertson's - their store brand)

1 red pepper, diced or 1/3 cup sun dried tomatoes

½ cup parmesan

½ cup pureed, cooked vegetables, optional (I used butternut squash - I make sure we can't taste the hidden veggies when I add them in)

- Cook the bowtie pasta according to package directions. Add the broccoli florets to the pasta water with 5-6 minutes left before the pasta is done. (*If you're not adding pureed veggies, keep ½ cup pasta water before draining.)
- Cook broccoli till tender. Either keep the florets whole OR add salt, black pepper and oil to broccoli and roughly mash, depending on your family's preference.

- While the pasta is cooking, remove casing from sausages and crumble into large skillet. Add ¼ cup water and cook over medium-high heat until water is evaporated and sausage is no longer pink. (10-12 min)

- Add red pepper (or sun dried tomatoes) to the sausage with 3 minutes to go.

- Drain pasta and return to pot. Add broccoli, sausage mixture, parmesan, and either the pasta water or the optional pureed vegetables. Toss and enjoy.

Tuesday's Time Saving {Paper} Tips

Does anyone out there have paper clutter? I totally do - I'm not the best resource for telling you how to completely change and organize all of your paper, but I have a handle on a few of the sources of paper clutter. There is a great section on conquering paper clutter in Donna Otto's book, "Secrets to Getting More Done in Less Time." Check that out to hear from the expert...but know that the first versions of her book didn't include this chapter because even SHE didn't have a handle on her own paper issues.

* Mail - my rule is simple: don't bring in the mail if you don't have time to go through it immediately. We open our mail with the recycle bin nearby. Junk mail, ads and opened envelopes go directly into the recycle bin. Bills go in a pile to go upstairs to the office (though most are automatic withdrawal, so they just get filed, not paid). Magazines are put in a particular spot for easy access when I'm headed to the gym. Also, I used to have a huge problem throwing away magazines and would always give them to someone else to read. After I'd read through it and it was ready to be passed on, I'd put a checkmark by the label so I wouldn't accidentally grab a magazine I'd already read. I know it sounds anal, but I was SO sick of looking through the same magazines and have a tendency to get behind on my reading sometimes, so it worked for me.

* Coupons - I have a few places I keep coupons. I have one of those stackable letter trays with a shelf dedicated to magazines, paperwork that needs to go upstairs and two spots for coupons. Before they're put "away," I put coupons that need to be looked through and clipped in one tray and coupons that are clipped but need to be filed into the right envelope in another tray. Grocery coupons are put in a cheapy accordion file pocket that fits in my purse. Other coupons for meals, services (car washes, oil changes, hair cuts for Mike) and ALL of those Bed, Bath & Beyond coupons that come in the mail each go into envelopes dedicated to that category. That way, when I need something from BB&B, I just grab that envelope on my way to the store and figure out the best coupon to use when I get there. Same thing goes when we want to go out to eat: we'll look through the "dining" envelope. Most recent coupons go in front and whenever we go through the envelope, we'll pull expired coupons.

* Backpack Papers - I haven't yet entered the era of homework, but I have made it a habit to go through Ryan's backpack every school day while the kids are eating lunch. After I make their sandwiches, the backpack gets emptied, artwork goes on the fridge for a few days, the monthly newsletter is put with my magazines (it's a long read) and the weekly letter from the teacher is read while I eat my own lunch. Things that need to be signed or completed are done right away and put back in the backpack. Also, at the end of the week, artwork gets hidden put in the recycle bin...I know it sounds heartless, but he'll have a LOT of art over the years. One idea I can share is that if the picture touches me specifically or he's especially proud, I'll take a picture of it and I scrapbook the photos of his art into a 2 page spread at the end of the year.

* Receipts - In our house, we track our spending by entering all of our receipts into Quicken. I have a spot on my desk for receipts that need to be entered and immediately afterward, the receipt either gets shredded (gas, dining, etc) or filed (clothing, household items, other things that may need to be returned later). I have whole file folders for those little receipts (kids clothes, our clothes, household, gifts given and gift receipts received) and every once in a while will grab the back 1/2 of the stack and shred them. I always know where a receipt is if something breaks or needs to be returned for some reason.

* Bills - I don't do the bills in our house, but we have a spot for them in our office. I've heard some good ideas for paying them on time, including buying an accordion file with 31 pockets and putting bills in the corresponding day that they need to be paid.

Now don't get me wrong...I still have paper clutter in my house. It's just in piles. I'm the queen of piles! Stuff that needs to be PUT in one of the above areas is either in a pile next to our kitchen phone on the little counter by our microwave or it's in a pile on our desk in the office. If something isn't where it should be, look in a pile. :) I go through them weekly (or so...) to make sure everything is put in it's place.

I think I covered most of the paperwork nuisances. Did I forget anything? If you have other ideas for how to tame your paper clutter, please leave a comment!

Meal Plan - 2/15/09

Breakfast
Oatmeal
Eggs
Leftover Pancakes and Waffles

Lunch
Turkey sandwiches
PB&J
Salad for me

Dinner
Monday - Crock Pot Chicken Taco Stew
Tuesday - Corn Soup with homemade wheat bread
Wednesday - Baked Egg and Cheese Crepes
Thursday - Pasta e Fagioli with broccoli
Friday - Eating out - Mike's going to a Daddy/Daughter dance at church, Ryan and I are going on a date of our own.
Saturday - BBQ
Sunday - Vegan Shepherd's Pie