A Million Things I Love . . .

#639 - breakfast

2012-01-19T13:00:00.002-05:00

This is what our typical breakfast looks like. Lightly toasted sprouted bread with almond butter and fresh fruit to top it (ie: blackberries, raspberries,strawberries). I just smash them on the top.

Then we'll have a green smoothie (fruit with spinach or kale) or sometimes steal cut oatmeal.
ps - todays green smoothie = 1/2 cup of baby kale, 4 strawberries, 2 oranges pealed, 1 tbls flaxseeds

#638 - Andes Creme de Menthe Cookie

2012-01-17T08:30:00.000-05:00

Girl Scout Thin Mints

Andes Mint Thins

Andes Creme de Menthe Cookies

Amazing!

#637 - Before and After - Kitchen

2012-01-16T08:00:00.000-05:00

And now for the kitchen before and after. Below is the entrance to the kitchen.

Before (above and below) - notice the brown vinyl floor (it has padding under it, so it was bouncy when you walked on it), dark brown paneling, lacy window curtains

After (below) - new vinyl flooring, and we added a door in place of the window

Before (below) - fan with shoe strings to turn on the light, cabinets from the 50s (that look like they are from the 70s), they had grease caked on them from the past 60 years. Notice the awesome pot on the counter - yep the one the previous owner's left and I broke and turns out it is worth a lot!

After - recessed lighting (fan is gone), new lower cabinets and counter (the old lower cabinets had rotted out), added an above stove microwave, took doors off the upper cabinets and painted them white, painted the wood paneling white, new fridge and put it in the left hand corner. Again, notice the orange pot above the sink and we have a portable dishwasher now. And the poster, love it there.

Before (below) - old fridge

After (both photos below) - chalkboard wall (which my boys love, but it never gets really clean), more counter space since fridge is in the other corner, shelving on the wall. Notice the quote.

Love - the door instead of the window, more counter space, more light.

I don't really mind the cabinets without the doors, it makes me keep things clean. Just don't look in the bottom cabinets.

Cost - this is a guess, but I'll try:

Dishwaher - $300
Microwave - $150
Lower cabinets/counter - $1,000
Recessed lights - $100 (but took some wiring that my husband was able to do)
White paint for cabinets and wood paneling - $50
Vinyl floor - $300
Shelving - $30
Door and trim around door - $200
Fridge - from my sister in law

#636 - Before and After - bathroom remodel

2012-01-13T23:23:00.000-05:00

Before (above and below) - dark wood paneling, awesome tiles in the tub and on the floor (but they were broken in lots of places), old cracked sink/vanity, sliding shower door, old tub, oh and there was flower wall paper on the ceiling, large purple flowers (see photo above) - you have to look

really hard, it matches the flower on the trash can)

During (above and below) - we basically gutted the whole thing)

After (both pictures below) - new everything (except the toilet), we even got a new toilet seat

Things I love about our new bathroom - we raised the shower head and put the handle to the shower high so the boys can't reach it; we also put inserts in the tile to put shampoo/soap (I need to take a picture of this), the diagonal tile on the floor

Things I wouldn't do again - we used the wrong grout on the floor, so it is super hard to clean; we got a whirlpool tub - another pain to clean

Cost - ??? - it's has been a while so I don't know, but we did buy inexpensive tile at home depot and the an inexpensive vanity at lowes

#635 - Before and After - Kids' Bedroom

2012-01-13T19:33:00.001-05:00

I love before and after photos of homes. So, I thought I would share some of our home.

BEFORE (below and above) - green paneling, green striped wall paper, low curtains, dark green light

AFTER (below) - wall paper gone (there was 4 layers), grey walls with hand painted letters/numbers (one day this will be painted over in grey), white light, crown molding, tall baseboard, honeycomb blinds

BEFORE (below)

AFTER (below) - notice the chalkboard painted on the wall and we moved our wall unit a/c to the window that doesn't get any direct sunlight and secured it with a board (were saving for central a/c)

Before (below) - green wall paneling, mirrored tiles that went around their dresser, pink closet, with 1 hanging rod

After - grey & white walls, crown molding, tall baseboard, white closet with a closet organizer (thanks dad!)

I have this last picture as my desktop picture on my computer. Not because it is the most amazing transformation, but for 2 important reasons.

1. It is clean - and it feels so good when it is clean. 99% of the time it is messy!

2. I love this area of the house. It is where I get to cuddle with my boys after they have taken a bath, put on their jammies and gotten ready for bed. We read many stories here, talk about our days playing, crafting, baking, eating, playing, watching spiderman, etc. It is a good place!

Cost:
grey semi-gloss paint "oops" paint from Home Depot - $5
wall paper removal supplies - $10 (plus lots of help from our friends - thanks!)
crown molding/base board - $300 (this is a guess because it has been a while)
glossy white paint (for trim) - $15 (but we've used this on all our rooms)
chalk board paint - $12 (but we've used this in our kitchen too)
light - $25
closet organizer - $150 (guess again)

#634 - red & white stripe pjs

2011-12-21T01:10:00.002-05:00

These red and white pj bottoms would be fun to wear on Christmas Eve, or any night of the year.

Too bad they are sold out of my size.

Saw these over on Elise's blog.

#633 - Little People Nativity

2011-12-16T15:34:00.000-05:00

Little People Nativity = amazing!

Kids get to play with it and learn the real meaning of Christmas.

Funny story about this Nativity = Oster and I were playing "nativity". You know, Mary and Joseph are going to be taxed, she rides on a donkey, they knock on doors and there is no room, Mary has a baby in the stable, the angel comes, shepards come, 3 kings come, the end.

Well, I let Oster tell the story to me and he got it right until the very end when he said, "up yours!"

WHAT!

I calmly asked him, "what does that mean?"

Oster, "it just means you are saying goodbye"

I guess we'll be watching a little less Elf in our home this year.

#632 - exception to every rule

2011-12-15T10:02:00.000-05:00

Ironic...I think the universe is speaking to me.

#631 - RIP MAC

2011-10-05T23:30:00.003-04:00

Sad to hear about Steve Jobs!

And some random thoughts:

I can't believe I haven't blogged for almost a month.

Longest I've ever gone without blogging since I started in 2008. (that's sort of scary)

I sort of missed blogging, but sort of didn't.

Parker spilled water all over my MAC and I haven't gotten it running again, any thoughts on how I might salvage it? (one reason for my lack of blogging)

I got to visit my family for 2 weeks in September, so much fun! (another reason for not blogging)

I really wish I lived closer to my family.

But I do love living close to Pepe's family.

I have lots I want to share, so hopefully I can get my computer running again soon.

#630 - 9/11 exhibit @ the American History Smithsonian in DC

2011-09-09T10:20:00.000-04:00

For all of you that can't make it to this 9/11 exhibit in DC, I wanted to give you a peak. Be prepared for a picture overload.

airplane parts, seatbeat, window shade, flight attendant button (Shanksville, Pa site)

water cooler, announce booklet, logbook, United Air flight handbook (Shanksville, Pa)

a can of burnt money, melted metals, a clock that feel off the wall at the exact time the plane hit the pentagon (Pentagon)

phone, badge, uniform, m&m dispenser from someone's desk (Pentagon)

airplane window, beeper, cell phone, doll (twin towers)

fireman tools, a briefcase, badge, camera that took the first video of the plane flying into the World Trade Center (twin towers)

Oster writing his thoughts

Where were you on 9/11/01?

I had just woken up and was trying to find our phone (back in the day we didn't have cell phones) so I push the button to make the phone beep (does that make sense) and my roommate Mel came in the front door (she had the phone and was at our neighbors watching the twin towers on tv) and she told me. We didn't own a tv, so we went next door to our neighbors to watch it all unfold.

At the exhibit, you can write down your memories of 9/11 and pin them to the wall.

This is my friend Rachel reading some of the comments.

I brought both of my boys to the museum and they were wild! But while we walked through this 9/11 exhibit, they were surprisingly good. It's almost like they sensed there was a reverence in this area.

Just every day objects, like a clock on the wall, a tin of coins, the airplane window cover, and a cell phone, have now become part of history.

It's weird to think that my boys will never know a world where we don't have to be concerned about terrorism.

#629 - "30 Parenting Tips, Easy ways to show your children you love them"

2011-09-09T09:08:00.000-04:00

Just a photo of Parker on the Jefferson Memorial steps

Wow, it's been a while. Hope you are well.

I saw these 30 things on my friend Judith's blog and I thought they were a great reminder.

Source: Hubpages; by In the Doghouse

1. When was the last time you looked deeply into your child's eyes for at least 5 seconds? There is no better way to see--or be seen, by a child. Take time to look into those eyes.
2. Really listen to your child. Don't interrupt them when they are talking, or finish sentences for them.
3. Introduce your children to people. Don't act as if they aren't there.
4. Spend time with each of your children separately. It will be an experience they never forget.
5. Hold hands with your child.
6. If you're wrong, promptly admit it, and be willing to say you're sorry and that you make mistakes sometimes.
7. Always tell your children the truth. Trust, over the years will bring it's own rewards.
8. Always give your children hello and good-bye kisses.
9. Display your child's artwork and schoolwork. That is what a refrigerator door is for. If your child makes it, cherish it.
10. Remember, if your child thinks it's important, it's important. Show them you value their opinions and ideas.
11. Respect your child's privacy.
12. Be genuinely interested in your child's day. Ask about how their day went, and let them share their triumphs and disappointments with you. Make sure you listen carefully.
13. Work on a giant jigsaw puzzle with your child.Use it as quality time to talk; and make sure the TV is off.
14. Make your home a comfortable and safe place for your children to bring their friends, even when they are teenagers.
15. Start a journal for each child when they are born. Write about special moments in their life until they can write in it themselves.
16. Do more bragging than nagging.
17. Include an unexpected love note in your child's lunch box or bag.
18.When you're away, call to tell them you miss them.
19. Share with your children the hobbies that are important to YOU.
20. If you want your children to confide in you, show them that it is safe to do so first. Don't break their confidences and share their secrets with your friends.
21. Never be embarrassed to give hugs or to say "I love you" to your children, no matter what age they are.
22. Take notice of what they like.
23. Eat meals together as a family, without the distractions of TV or cell phones.
24. Take advantage of "chauffeuring" time.
25. Carry up-to-date photos of your children in your wallet or on your cell phone. They love when you show them off.
26. PLAY with your children.
27. PRAY with your children.
28. Make it a big deal when it's your child's birthday.
29. Let your child eat from a "special plate" at mealtime when they have had an extra "good day" or accomplished something great, or maybe just because.
30. Try to attend every event, game, and performance that your child is involved in.

#628 - scenes from Hurricane Irene

2011-08-31T13:58:00.000-04:00

We bought an almost 30 pound watermelon. That's larger than my 15 month old and only a few pounds from my 3 year old.

We bought 3 cases of water and 36 rolls of toilet paper (we actually ran out of tp they day of the hurricane.)

Pepe and Oster braving the storm...Oster wanted to wear his winter jacket.

We lost our power for 25 hours, but no damage really. My garden was a bit blown over.

Yes, I know my garden looks like it's a late bloomer, but I planted in in July, so it's about 2-3 months behind most.

Do you see the pumpkin growing?!

Ok, it's really hard to spot, but it is in the lower right corner next to that yellow flower.

Hope you are all well and safe!

#627 - Best DC souvenir - big coins

2011-08-25T00:36:00.000-04:00

If you are looking for a good souvenir to take home when you visit Washington DC, I highly recommend getting some large coins from the street vendors.

They are about $3 each (you might be able to talk them down a little, but not much). Oster has used them to sort coins.

And we use them to play "hide the quarter". Have you ever played "hide the quarter"? Basically, one person hides the coin in plain site and then everyone else tries to find it.

#626 - 2 years later

2011-08-23T00:38:00.000-04:00

It's amazing how much can change in 2 years!

#625 - raspberries and trader joe's frozen yogurt

2011-08-18T02:17:00.002-04:00

raspberries . . . probably one of my most favorite summer foods . . . reminds me of picking them in my grandparents garden when i was a kid . . . yum!

so currently i'm loving organic raspberries from trader joes atop trader joe's plain non fat frozen yogurt pleasantly tart . . . delicious!

top photo - me
bottom photo - here

#624 - dip dyeing coins

2011-08-16T14:12:00.000-04:00

Or more correctly, dip dyeing pennies.

I was going through our coin jar with the boys and decided it would be fun to clean some coins. It's super easy and fun to watch.

Cleaning Pennies Recipe

1/4 cup vinegar (i used distilled white vinegar)
1 teaspoon salt (i used plain table salt)

Mix in a clear glass bowl. Toss pennies in for 10-60 seconds (or longer). Rise with cold water.

And before I knew it I was half dyeing the coins. I just held the half the coin in the "cleaning pennies solution" for about 30 seconds, pulled it out and washed it in cold tap water.

The boys were quickly over the excitement of dyeing coins (they were on to mixing up stuff in my cupboards - see below), but I was just getting started. I was looking through my coins to find birth and anniversary years for my family, so that I could make "lucky us" keychain charms.

Do you notice the different coin above?

I found my sister's birth year and put her name in vinyl letters on the coin. ( I think you could make tape work). I only dyed the coin for about 15-20 seconds because I didn't want the solution to get under the letters.

I'm so excited to try this again with initials, fun words, and cool designs. And the awesome part is that I didn't deface the coins (at least I don't think it's defacing), because I was just cleaning them.

Let me know if you try this...I'd love to see pics! I'm off to build a fort with Oster before he mixes up another popcorn kernel, balsamic vinegar, ginger, bouillon cube concoction.

ps, casi, this is in the mail (sorry to spoil the surprise on my blog and give away your age)

#623 - basil

2011-08-16T00:37:00.001-04:00

Every now and then I like seeing what other people eat for lunch, so I thought I would share my sandwich I had for lunch the other day.

sesame seed ezekial bread
avocado
tomato - picked 10 minutes earlier
organic spinach
basil leaves - also picked 10 minutes earlier

The basil leaves were AMAZING!!! Mom - you should totally try this with your basil.

Do you like basil? How do you eat it? What do you eat for lunch?

#622 - wedding/birthday cake

2011-08-10T08:35:00.000-04:00

When Pepe and I got married, we opted for a less tradition cake and bought a cake from Whole Foods. People loved it! In fact, there were no left over slices by the end of the evening.

So, every now and then, Pepe will buy me our "wedding cake" for my birthday or our anniversary. It's delicious and I highly recommend Whole Foods "Fresh Fruit Cake".

the pic above is the cake Pepe bought for my birthday this year.

#621 - setting up the chess set

2011-08-08T12:27:00.001-04:00

Pepe and Oster love chess!

In fact, they both got a chess set for my birthday....how did that happen?

The other day I was cleaning and I walked into the living room and Oster had set up his chess set all by himself. I'm not sure I even know where all those pieces go. And he even knows the names of them...not me, he's teaching me. Way to go O!

post edit- pepe said it is set up backwards (white is supposed to be on the 1 & 2 row and black on 8 & 9), so not perfect, but sure close.

#620 - some favorite quotes

2011-08-03T08:12:00.000-04:00

Here are a few quotes that I'm loving. All of them via pinterest.

Are you on pinterest yet? Careful, it's addicting.

#619 - which shoes?

2011-08-02T08:19:00.000-04:00

I just bought 3 pairs of dress shoes, but I really only need 1 pair.

(I want all 3, but don't have the space/I feel guilty having too many shoes)

Which do you like best?

1st pair - wool and patent leather gray flats from Wally World ($15)

2nd pair - black wedges from Target ($12.48 on sale)

3rd pair - black patent leather ballet flats ($12 on sale) - i think i like the red flats the best

And here are the obligatory "me wearing the shoes (with the tags still on) shots":

my thoughts:

comfort - gray #1, ballet flats #2, wedges #3

cuteness - wedges #1, gray #2, ballet #3

gray pros - a new color for me, comfy, flat

gray cons - dull (i think) and look like cold weather shoes

wedges pros - cute, make me tall

wedges cons - not sure if i'll get blisters, i'm taller than Pepe in them, my pointer toe is longer than my big toe :)

ballet pros - flat, comfy, shiny (would love the red ones!)

ballet cons - not sturdy, not the cutest

Now, if you are still reading this (are you?), let me know what you think.

#618 - school supplies

2011-08-01T22:36:00.000-04:00

Didn't you love getting new school supplies every year when you were younger? I got a few school supplies for Oster (and Parker) and they are in heaven! They love playing "school".

And bonus, they were a steal of a deal:

Pencil Box - $0.97
Crayons - $0.40
Pink Erasers - $0.97
Colored Pencils - $0.97
Notebook - $0.20
Makers - $0.74
Sharpener - $0.97
Scissors $0.74

Total = $5.96

#617 - cutting down a tree

2011-07-29T08:13:00.002-04:00

Our big tree died, so we had to cut it down before it fell on our house. Oster and Parker loved watching it fall!!!

Happy Friday!

#616 - Waiting for Superman

2011-07-28T08:51:00.000-04:00

Have you seen Waiting for Superman? It's about how our school systems in America are failing the kids. After seeing this, I think we really need to rethink tenure and teachers' unions.

For the most part, I had some pretty good teachers in school (elementary, middle school, high school).

I do remember one teacher who did not teach us anything and didn't really care because he had tenure...what a waste of my time and his. They need to pay teachers more, but they also need to get rid of the bad ones.

Have you seen this movie? What did you think? I highly recommend it.

#615 - triple lemon blueberry cake

2011-07-27T08:30:00.009-04:00

I used this Triple Lemon cake recipe for Oster's birthday.

Lemon cake + lemon curd filling + lemon cream cheese frosting = triple lemon.

He wanted a Batman cake (see below) and I was craving lemons and blueberries, so it worked out perfectly.

I added blueberries to the cake batter...so good!

And like usual, I was running behind and didn't get a chance to let the cake cool before I frosted it, so it was a gooey mess. (this picture was taken after Oster blew out the sparkler candles, so those black specs are from the sparklers) (And I had grand illusions of making a black fondant or blackberry fruit leather batman logo, but no time!)

My favorite part was the lemon curd (martha stewart's recipe) filling. I could eat that by the bowl!

#614 - new blog header

2011-07-21T08:57:00.005-04:00

1st blog header - Oct 2008-Mar 2009 - Oster & Pepe playing chess

2nd blog header - Mar 2009-May 2009 - Oster's eyes


3rd blog header - May 2009-Aug 2010 - mini cupcakes from Oster's 1st birthday

4th blog header - Aug 2010-July 2011 - Parker's cute legs

latest blog header - i wanted to put tons of pictures, so it looked like a million things, but 45 pictures seemed like the right amount. my dream is that you could scroll over the pictures and they would pop up and you could click to the picture you like . . . someday

#613 - birthday card

2011-07-20T15:06:00.000-04:00

I just got this birthday card in the mail from my grandma! Love it and it works for any birthday!

card is from Prune Orchard Press

#612 - only thing better than butter

2011-07-19T14:43:00.000-04:00

I'm still trying to finish remodeling my kitchen, but in the meantime, I thought I'd share my favorite (food) quote that I recently put up in out kitchen. It is right above my toaster and blender where 99% of our butter gets used.

The wall behind it used to be fake white brick wallpaper, but I painted it with black chalkboard paint and added these vinyl letters.

I'll probably change it around, but in the meantime, I love looking at my favorite quote. Maybe some day I'll make a print of it with brown/yellow colors (think toast and butter, not the other way those colors go together)...

And seriously, the only thing better than butter is more butter! Sounds like a Paula Dean quote, but it's actually from my cousin Peter (although, I don't know if he remembers saying it.) It's also a quote from a bakery in Chicago.

#611 - handfuls of popsicles

2011-07-18T12:09:00.001-04:00

We made homemade popsicles and the boys can't get enough of them.

Mango Pineapple Popsicles

1 champagne mango - these are the best mangos out there

1/2 cup of pineapple pieces

1/2 cup whole milk

(you can add more or less of what you like)

Blend in the blender and pour into popsicle molds to freeze.

Strawberry Blueberry Popsicles

6-7 strawberries

1/2 cup blueberries

1/2 cup whole milk

(you can add more or less of what you like)

Blend in the blender and pour into popsicle molds to freeze.

Enjoy! Happy Monday!

#610 - few of my favorites on pinterest

2011-07-13T11:07:00.000-04:00

I have a couch like this I got of craigslist a few years ago and it would be so cool to do a couch redo like this.

I want to redo the back of our medicine cabinet to look like this.

I have a chair just like this, just need to figure out what color to paint it? I like white, black, red, navy blue and yellow or basically any of these colors.

Pepe just got 8 pairs of glasses from Zenni Optical for the price of one pair of glasses. I just need to figure out a cool glasses holder like this.

I think I want something where the glasses are horizontal on the wall, not vertical though.

YUM! crisp coconut and chocolate pie

kit kat cake - my sister totally made this with white kit kats and it looked so cool!