Wednesday, November 28, 2012

CrockPotting

In an effort to help preserve whatever sanity and serenity I can ... I've been crockpot cooking anything and everything. Here's lunch: pasta w.sauce! Desired amt of uncooked pasta, cover w.watered down sauce of choice.

One hour (I've eaten this same dish after 30-40 min too), on high,  ¡viola! Ready to eat pasta!  I put it together just before leaving to pick up from PreK, it's ready when we arrive.   Prep time: 30 seconds to 1 minute. Yeah!! My kinda dish!


*update: add a scoop of cottage cheese to the bowl, seems much like lasagna! Mmm!

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Time flies

Well, I'm shocked it's been 9 months since my last post. Life gets busy with two toddlers, phew!

I have created many Pinteresting things, including the cinnamon-bun-pancakes that I said I would make once my husband found them and pinned it on his own Pinterest board! (He did it!)

Most recently I made a weekly menu board. Being impoverished and unable to spend $10 to make this cool menu board, I made due with what we had on hand... cardboard from a previously used box, markers, paper, clothes pins. I color coded the papers to make sense for our families needs.  It may not be the cutest, but it functions and makes my week a smidge easier. Hooray! ((Used glu stick to adhere clothes pins to the cardboard, some office clips stapled to the wall -- yes, that's right-- stapled.)) [McGuyverette here]

Friday, February 24, 2012

Crafting: kiddos

 Crafting with garbage, foods, and recyclables!

As I tossed an empty chip bag towards the garbage, my baby abruptly turned, starring at the crinkley bag, reaching in the air as if to say "momma, I want that!". Hmmm... what can I make with it? I got it! A shakey crinkly bag! I cut the top half of the bag and threw it away (some things actually do make it into the garbage, lol).




With the bottom half, I turn it inside out [shiny side out] and gave it a hot rinse and dried. Then put  about 1/4 cup of uncooked rice into the inside-out-bag. Folded the top edge over, folded the corners in to avoid pokey points, and sealed with a long thin strip of duct tape [don't ya just love that amazing wonder-all tape?!]




Viola! an impromptu shakey toy! Both kiddos were pleased for many days on this piece of 'garbage' turned toy! I'd say it was a hit! And well worth the monies spent! (ha!!)




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

Toddler was uber bored with me one day... so we tried some fine-motor-skill-play time!
Spaghetti Dough Mounds!



Stick spaghetti into a mound of dough (playdoh shown, can use homemade salt dough too!), have toddler place cheerios onto spaghettis. Of course, she came up with her own rendition... shortened the spaghetti [because she was rough-housing them and they snapped], counted a few out, and  *precisely*  replaced the newly shortened pieces back into the already-used holes. Nothing else would do.


SUCCESS!




Zoo

Some lovely warm weather has filled our winter, a trip to the zoo was a must! I love our local zoo, we are blessed to have a fantabulous and yet manageable zoo nearby. I can't wait til warm spring and summer months and all the Zoo-ing we will do!

Eagles the size of toddlers...



Diving Polar Bear Cub
 Doesn't every zoo have a lovely state-of-the-art Polar Bear exhibit? With a 30 foot pool? With above ground surround windows? With a wall of window looking into said pool?!?  It's awesome! We  *love*  it!



Striking beauty Goose

Artsy Fartsy II

As a breastfeeding mommy, I have pockets of time that allows me to search Pinterest, [Pin like crazy], doodle on my phone, anything quiet (sometimes I'm calm enough to actually rest too). Here are some of my doodles / drawings/ sketches.



Rosary



Celtic



Pnk n Grn




Pnk n Brn



Brn n Grn


Pnk n Grn n Brn

Purple Vaz


Pour




Curve




Hammock



Palmy



Palm



Prpl O



pastel



Kings Circle




Prpl on Black




Sq2




Spring Heart



Springgy




Buttercream



Cncrs



Purple Drop



Peacock Cross



BluGreen Cross



EspressoBlu Cross



I do hope to print some of these and display, craft with some, and wrap with others! For the novice I am, I have been thoroughly enjoying this discovery process... what will I doodle next??






Thursday, February 16, 2012

Homeopathic Remedies

Who needs all the otc drugs for sinus issues?.... just buy a bag of onions and start chopping! YEAH! Who doesn't tear up or start a nose running from chopping onions? I know I do! When hubby and I recently had sinus and cold symptoms, after chopping some onions, he received hours of relief, well worth the crying and runny nose whilst chopping [keep tissues handy and wash wash wash those hands]. Plus there are ready-chopped onions you can bag and freeze for future use!

Also, how about some sinus clearing with homemade staunch mustard on your next vittle... or, some Asian horseradish otherwise known as Wasabi!


And this, I have not tired but am eager to: MilkOfMagnesia as a deodorant, ringworm ridder, treating athletes foot or other bacterial issues... hmmm? Seen in a comment at the very bottom of this blog, I am willing to give this a try (at least the homemade deodorant and perhaps the m.o.m. deodorant).

Anderson's Natural Honey  for sore throat coverage! Did you know honey is antimicrobial, therefore ickies cannot grow in honey? Why not coat the ailing throat [for those over 1year of age, NOT acceptable for babies!] with straight honey. Also helps reduce cough due to post-nasal-drip, and helps to minimize allergy related irritations... triple bonus!



Thursday, February 9, 2012

Artsy Fartsy

While I am so not an arteist, I do appreciate it when I can make something artsy. These are some cool prints I've just created, doodling on my phone...




Ribbon



Zoing



Doot




Mezm

Luv luv luv




Saturday, February 4, 2012

Heart Diet



Having a condition that will require surgery to correct, this is near and dear to my heart [pun intended].  I had heard about this diet years ago. It was developed by the American Heart Association for cardiac patients who were needing to loose actual body fat, not water weight, before surgery. I have done this diet a few times, successfully losing weight ever time, albeit not necessarily 10 pounds as the write-up suggests (perhaps didn't have that much to lose back then?). Any progress is better than none!!
So what is this diet? Well, it is simply called The Three-Day Diet. I know, it doesn't sound that impressive, but don't always judge something's merit by its name. During the process of the diet, you will lose 10 pounds of actual body fat. But how? Well, it happens through a chemical reaction due to the type of foods that you are eating. When you are on this diet, you know that you are dieting, however, after the first day you can tell that it is working.


Below is the recipe and grocery list, as well the directions. Follow the plan, and you will lose  pounds of actual body fat!
1st Day:
BREAKFAST:
Black coffee or tea
½ grapefruit
1 slice of toast
2 tablespoons of peanut butter
LUNCH:
½ cup of tuna
1 slice of toast
DINNER:
2 slices of any mean (about 3 oz.)
1 cup of string beans
1 cup of beets
1 small apple
1 cup of vanilla ice cream
2nd Day:
BREAKFAST:
1 egg
½ of a banana
1 slice of toast
Black coffee or tea
LUNCH:
1 cup of tuna or cottage cheese
5 saltine crackers
DINNER:
2 slices of meat
2 cups of broccoli
½ cup of carrots
½ of a banana
½ cup of vanilla ice cream
3rd Day:
BREAKFAST:
3 saltine crackers
1 slice of cheddar cheese
1 small apple
Black coffee or tea
LUNCH:
1 hard-boiled egg
1 slice of toast
DINNER:
1 cup of tuna or cottage cheese
1 cup of beets
1 cup of cauliflower
½ cup of cantaloupe
½ cup of vanilla ice cream
DIRECTIONS:
When you are on this diet, you may not use any other seasonings EXCEPT for salt and pepper. Also, you may drink either water or diet soda or tea with artificial sweetener. However, make sure that you drink at least 9 glasses of water per day in order to aid the flushing process that your body will be going through. Also, don't snack throughout the day.

When you do this diet, you will be "on-diet" for the three days, and then you will take three days off, and then repeat the process until all your excess body fat has disappeared. MAKE SURE you take those three days off! When you are off of the diet, you are able to eat anything that you want, however, eat moderately. Also, when you are dieting for the three days, keep your exercise routine to a minimum, due to the fact that your energy level will be lower than normal for the first two days.
As with all diets and weight loss routines, you are going to need to listen to your body. If you are feeling overly weak, or lightheaded, eat something. Everybody is different, so please, be careful with yourself. Below is a grocery list for you to print


GROCERY LIST:
Coffee
Tea - cold or hot
Artificial Sweetener -recommend All Natural Splenda.
Grapefruit
Bread - Whole Wheat
Peanut Butter
Tuna
Cottage Cheese
lean meat
green Beans
Beets
Apples
Vanilla Ice Cream
Bananas
Saltine Crackers
Cheddar Cheese
Broccoli
Carrots
Cauliflower
Cantaloupe

Remember: NO seasonings, NO ketchup, No mayo, etc

HAPPY DIETING!!!


link here

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Must Pin's

These are things that I cannot figure out how to Pin, other than putting them here on my blog (yes, I am that old school!)...







Add: #5 "ur" (I despise that one!), and  no/know


How glorious a greeting the sun gives the mountains ~ John Muir




~ In moments of quietude...the music of the world filters in...between the silent spaces ~







NOT A THING!


Granny's Garden Lotion
http://honey.henrycountyky.com/



snooze proofing








7 Homemade Toys for Baby









((( THANK YOU to all my friends whom I have copied these from! If I could link back to you, I certainly would.)))