Strawberry Milk Chronicles

Morning Routine

2012-03-02T05:47:00.002-08:00

My girls can be so slow in the morning. I found this idea online to keep the oldest on track in the morning. I bought the chalkboard for $3.00 at Hobby Lobby and a white paint pen. She loves checking her list off!

I soon learned that the younger one wanted a chalkboard.

I couldn't justify it because she can't read

and it would take longer to buy/make it than she'd use it.

I'm such an unfair mom...

So I found these morning routine flash cards online. I love the simplicity of them.

You can follow this link to get the printable cards -

http://www.livinglocurto.com/2009/08/school-morning-routine-free-printable-cards/

More adventures in geocaching

2012-02-29T15:55:00.000-08:00

Today had an unseasonably warm 68º on Leap Day!

I took the kids out for some geocaching adventures...

Notice the rocks on the headstones at this local Hebrew cemetery?

Jews have the custom of placing rocks (as opposed to flowers) on a grave that they've come to visit. This stems from the modern-day Jewish custom of not having flowers at a funeral. It is Jewish custom to have simple funerals, and flowers are considered expensive, excessive, and they only last a few days. Cool fact!
(Oh and there were a couple geocaches here too!)

Couldn't find this geocache until I stepped back
and realized that a brick wall around a dumpster
did not need an electrical outlet.

And I was right!
This little guy was just a magnetized treasure chest
with a faux pipe.

Beekeeping 101

2012-02-27T06:29:00.001-08:00

Guess what I did this weekend? Here's a hint....

I went to Beekeeping School! I've been contemplating beekeeping for about six months since my friend told me about her amazing experiences. I found an accomplice, my mom, and headed to bee school to learn more. At the end of the day, I was completely sold on the idea, shopping catalogs and planning where to put my hives.

We each decided that we'll have one hive each on her property - away from kids and more resources for the bees.

Basic hive...pretty unsuspecting!

This beehive was being raffled off.
Some beekeepers paint their hives,
especially if they have more than one
to keep bees at the correct hive.

I'd love to have more but it's quite an expensive hobby! The hives themselves cost anywhere from $100 - $250, plus equipment ($100+) and to order your nuc (3 lb. package of 10,000 bees with queen!) is about $90. Clearly it'd be cheaper to find a swarm. And, yes, I'm completely serious about finding a swarm because we now own this...

Now, who wants honey?

The Year of the Valentine

2012-02-14T07:05:00.000-08:00

This year I gifted Jeff with 11 months of dates for Valentine's Day.

I packaged them up in simple envelopes with white string...

A date for every month of the year

It took some time to think up ideas. Although they may not be especially creative, they are something to look forward too. My date ideas included movies, a wine trail tour, historic ghost walk of downtown, dinners, hiking, geocaching and a museum date. I also snuck in a something racing related for May since that's the way to his heart.

What shall we do this month?

Joseph Moore Museum

2012-02-12T17:59:00.000-08:00

Our final stop down the Old National Road was Richmond, Indiana. We read about this national history museum on the campus of Earlham College. This was a very cool place - and free!

Real mummy!

Liddy made some friends

Snake skins

Mastadon bones

We are still talking about this one!
A ground sloth!

"I'd be more afraid of this than a bear" (Jeff)

Old National Road

2012-02-12T17:49:00.000-08:00

We took a day trip down Old National Road (US 40 East). Not only did we get geocaches in 6 more counties (18 total now!), but we saw some really cool things!

Pinky the Elephant in Fortville

Hoosiers gym in Knightstown

Phone booth, aka Clark's Dressing Room

Rapunzel's tower?

The tower was actually the remaining part of the
Indiana's first consolidated school in Raleigh

Heidi's Collection

2012-02-11T16:44:00.000-08:00

I needed an afternoon out by myself today so I headed to the one place I can (and must) go alone, the antique mall. Among other things, I am always keeping my eye out for old Heidi books. I started with the first one when she was a baby. Then I kept seeing them one by one. I'm not sure when or if I'll stop, but for now it's fun to compile a shelf in Heidi's room! I added the green book today...

How many is too many?
(Don't answer.)

Complimented by the Heidi bear
brought back from Europe from Mrs. Steff, our neighbor!

Acres of Land Winery

2012-02-07T07:53:00.000-08:00

Who knew that Kentucky had so many wineries? To be exact, they have 56! So on a recent road trip, we decided to swing by a winery and check it out. Six miles off the interstate, over some hills and through the woods, we came to this...

Grapes? In Kentucky?

The simple building was a bit unsuspecting
among the rolling hills of Kentucky
(and a charging Ryno)

A very friendly welcoming kitty

And then...we went inside! WOW!! This place was beautiful!

All these award winning wines! Which to taste first?

One of each, please!

Next time we are passing through Central Kentucky, I'd love to stay for lunch at the restaurant. I imagine it's beautiful in the summer. Road trip, anyone?

Happy 10th Birthday, Hunter!

2012-01-30T12:42:00.000-08:00

Tobaggoning in Pokagon State Park

2012-01-29T17:56:00.000-08:00

The perfect snowy day to visit!

The best part, the 1/4 track downhill!

Back up hill!

Lots of walking, but worth it!

Our fearless and beautiful snow adventurer!

Geocaching in Northeast Indiana

2012-01-29T17:50:00.000-08:00

Today we headed up north for a fun day trip (see upcoming blog). On the way, we found a few interesting geocaches...

My mom, the newbie, actually found this one.
Hidden in an empty utility box along the interstate,
she found the "World's Most Visible Cache".
Termed that because it is seen daily
by thousands of people who have no idea what it really is!

"Rebel Without a Cache"
We drive so close to his gravesite several times a year,
but had never seen it!

The sunset welcoming us home

Cache the Big Game!

2012-01-27T13:47:00.000-08:00

Our county offered a geocaching challenge called the Cache the Big Game series starting today. Since it is Friday and the possibility of snow tomorrow, I wanted to try to get as many as I could. There is also a prize for the first 100 people to find them all!
Read here to learn more about it.

We, my mom, little ones and I, started out early for our big day. We ended up finding 5 out of the 8 on the challenge, plus 4 more. We collected a total of 9 geocaches! What's impressive about this is that it was 37º AND I had two little (bundled up, well-bahaved and happy) kids.

Checking them off our list!

Little cacher

Our micro cache
(There's actually a log book rolled up inside!)

We wore them out!

Cabbage Patch Kids

2012-01-24T17:28:00.000-08:00

Although mom loves the occasional cabbage and onion, the girls would prefer to play with the food. After that, they won't touch it again.

Liddy's hat

Leafy earrings

What is a Delorme Map?

2012-01-23T11:26:00.000-08:00

I got my Delorme Map of Indiana today!

Not only are we doing the 92 county challenge, but we are doing the Indiana Delorme challenge. They are very similar, but the counties are based on the county lines and the Delorme is based on a straight vertical/horizontal grid that divides the state in 43 blocks. We'll try to cover both maps when geocaching this year to accomplish both challenges. (Which, by the way, are actual "challenges" on geocaching.com. So, if you thought we were crazy, there are many more of people like us!)

Cold Puppies!

2012-01-21T12:49:00.000-08:00

Getting ready to go out!

Sunggling for warmth

Footy Pajamas

2012-01-20T05:51:00.000-08:00

Something about seeing all my babies bundled up in their footed pajamas

makes me what to snuggle them up!

85 Counties to go...

2012-01-19T12:19:00.000-08:00

A few of my wishes this year is to visit more local places. As a tourism major, I should remind myself that there's "more than corn in Indiana". We've had some great memories stumbling across geocaches in unique places.

So with that said, I had an ambitious goal to visit each of the 92 counties in Indiana - AND find a geocache in each one! So, with that said, we have 85 counties to go. I'm looking forward to what we see and learn. And, I'm hoping, that we find out that Indiana really does have a lot to offer.

I'd love some input on fun places, cities, landmarks to help guide us. Contrary to high school, I love historic sites and little unknown places. That's the beauty of geocaching is discovering new places!

I've started with a few ideas -

Toboggan Run at Pokagon State Park

Holiday World

West Baden Springs/French Lick

Shipshewana and Amish Country

George Rogers Clark National Museum (Vincennes)

Angel Mounds (Evansville)

Indiana Dunes

Indiana University, Ball State, Notre Dame, Indiana State

State Parks

Other Historic Landmarks

And after I started manually entering my statistics, I found mygeocachingprofile.com that allows me to see a map of my finds automatically. I love visuals!

Casino Bunco

2012-01-09T19:38:00.000-08:00

I am the host that will find one thing and base an entire party off of it. It started in Vegas when I found these mardi gras dice necklaces...

And when I think of dice....I think of my bunco group!

Fast forward to January - my month to host - and Casino Bunco came alive! I had so much fun putting together some fun decorations for my "full house" of friends!

You can "bet" that the little ones were
desperate to get their hands on those chocolates!
And, yes, those are Stud playing cards!

I covered the tables in green felt and decorated with poker chips & gold coins.

Our bunco score cards, made my friend and fellow bunco junkie, Sarah!

Put my new wine tabs to good use too!

Dice, hearts & spades sugar cookies

We are a bunch of gambling women, ya know!

Birthday Sunrise

2012-01-05T05:06:00.000-08:00

Good morning!

This is what I saw out my window this morning...

Year to Year

2011-12-27T13:49:00.000-08:00

A year and a half ago (some of us) didn't realize what our future held,
but as you can tell we've got our hands full now! Unfortunately we missed
Jennifer for this year's photo, but I'm sure a 2012 one is in order!

Grandma's grandkids

Have a Laugh!

2011-12-23T17:38:00.001-08:00

I've captured lots of funnies with my phone camera over the last few months. Here's some for laughs....

Jeff loves weddings!

My niece using her photo booth prop
for some humor!

Jeff is mocking my
"soup on a chilly night" dinner!

Rudolf Ryan

Family comedian

Our little ham

Sorry for the black boxes!

2011-12-23T09:34:00.000-08:00

Unfortunately I deleted my Google+ photo album which contained ALL my blog photos. I'm so bummed :( So, from here on out, I'm starting fresh....

Sugar Angels

2011-12-23T05:19:00.001-08:00

Riding into Bethlehem

2011-12-21T09:05:00.000-08:00

Feels Like Home in Here!

2011-12-16T08:05:00.000-08:00

The girls are loving this Elf on a Shelf; however Ralphie is very low on creativity. He saw one of his elf friends doing this trick, but was cautious how I'd react. Green milk, quite frankly, is disgusting. But I allowed him to take control the last bit of this milk. I'm sure the girls will drink more milk that usual tomorrow....lucky me? them?

Raphie turned the milk green!

Ralphie, The Trouble Maker?

2011-12-15T05:35:00.000-08:00

He's been busy!

Game night anyone?

2011-12-12T05:57:00.000-08:00

Ralphie & Barbie were up all night playing cards!

What's the Elf's Name?

2011-12-11T06:40:00.000-08:00

Liddy's Christmas Recital

2011-12-10T18:50:00.000-08:00

New music hair bow

Waiting for her turn

Good job Liddy!

Hot Cocoa Cookies

2011-12-09T15:13:00.000-08:00

Thanks to my sister-in-law for sharing this cute recipe for the holidays! Not only do they taste like hot cocoa, but are very, very cute for a cookie platter!

Look at those plump little marshmallows!

I found that my cookies took more like 14 minutes to cook. Also, the marshmallows browned after 2 minutes so I had to be sure to add them at the very last minute or so.

Here's the official recipe -

http://bakedbree.com/hot-chocolate-cookies-ii-week-2-of-12-weeks-of-cookies

A Caroling We Go...

2011-12-09T15:09:00.000-08:00

Ralphie felt like a little caroling today!

By the way, this Merry Okee Elf Microphone
from Hallmark has been a huge hit with the kids.
Thanks Great Grandma!

Elf on the Shelf.....Day 2

2011-12-08T14:32:00.000-08:00

Ralphie thought it would be funny to toilet paper our tree last night!

Elf on the Shelf.....Day 1

2011-12-08T14:30:00.000-08:00

Meet Ralphie! He visits us from the North Pole to keep on eye on the kids and report back to Santa. This is his first day here. He was already answering Liddy's questions!

Gingerbread Fairy Village

2011-11-30T18:18:00.000-08:00

We, meaning Liddy & I, decided to make a gingerbread house for the annual competition at Connor Prairie. At first glance, I figured the $10 entry fee was worth a try. Then, I bought supplies - and went back for more supplies.....it wasn't cheap to make this gingerbread house! We decided to make a fairy mushroom house.

First I had to 1) figure out how to make a dome and 2) hoped it would work. I baked the gingerbread over a metal bowl - and it worked!

We went through 2 lbs. of powered sugar to make the royal (rock hard glue like) icing to make it stick. Added a few details...tic tac toe game table, pine trees, fence and bonfire. And ta-da!

Then off to Connor Prairie we went!

We just got back from the Gingerbread Awards & Reception. The creations were amazing! We didn't win any awards, except a certificate acknowledging our hard work - and some ideas for next year!

Homemade Vanilla Extract

2011-11-27T15:50:00.000-08:00

This year I made homemade vanilla to give as gifts. I had no idea it was so easy to make. I just took "a lot" of vodka and filled the jar with split vanilla beans (I think it was about 2 beans per ounce). A few shakes and 8 weeks later....

Merry Christmas, Tony Stewart!

2011-11-25T18:14:00.000-08:00

I added a little Christmas spirit in Jeff's racing room! We've had a few racing ornaments in the past, but when I saw the #1 Racing Fan ornament I knew it was time for a separate themed tree. Still thinking of creative topper for the tree....

Thanksgiving Day Naps

2011-11-24T14:48:00.000-08:00

From Monsters to Monster Cookies

2011-11-07T09:42:00.000-08:00

All I see lately is this....

And this....

Time to put an end to the Halloween candy! But before chucking it all in the garage, I had Liddy sort out the good stuff, M&M's, Kit Kats & Snickers, to add to our Monster Cookies.

Disclaimer: the wrappers above were from this experiment, not that I let my kids eat uncontrollable amounts of chocolate :)

I asked Miss Organization to unwrap the candy,
but I also got sorted by type.

This colorful concoction of dough
can't keep those 3 year fingers away!

Anything with oatmeal AND peanut butter
is my favorite! Yum!

Monster Cookies

3 eggs
1 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon corn syrup
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 cups peanut butter (be prepared to surrender almost an entire jar of PB!)
4 1/2 cups rolled oats
1-2 cups of candy pieces (I ended up using M&M's and chopped up Kit Kats)

Beat eggs. Add remaining ingredients in order shown. Bake at 350 for 14 minutes. Make generous portions so they stay soft.

Share with anyone that comes over - and celebrate the end of the Halloween candy in your house!

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T18:54:00.000-07:00

We've really got into the Halloween spirit during the month of October....

A beautiful fall day with Heidi

2011-10-06T16:35:00.000-07:00

A friend & I took our little ones for a walk in the woods today.

I love these pictures I got of Heidi...

It's all fun and games until you lose your pennies....

2011-10-06T16:13:00.000-07:00

We hit the Strip!

We went sight-seeing!
Recognize the Little White Chapel from Hangover?

Or the Pawn Stars shop?

We did it! We ziplined down Freemont Street!

We sat poolside!

Some of us hit the jackpot on penny slots.....
Some of us lost 1,000 pennies...
(Notice I'm in the background frowning
while my friend Amber is hitting the jackpot!)

Vegas!

2011-10-04T08:26:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I spent a 3 day weekend in Vegas with 20 of my closest friends!

Here's a little backstory how I ended up there...In a nutshell, we were all pregnant and due in June 2004 - and met on a chat board. Eight years after starting our friendships, we planned a huge reunion in, none other than....Vegas!

Of the 100 of us, 22 of were able to swing it. Here's a few of us...

Catching up!

Hitting the town

The hills are alive with the Sound of Music!

2011-09-18T18:24:00.000-07:00

In honor of my sister-in-law's upcoming marriage,
we threw her a Sound of Music bridal shower!

Austrian flag in bouquet

Sound of Music Bridal Shower

Let Them Eat Cake!

2011-09-15T18:41:00.000-07:00

Revisiting the kids' first birthdays - and their cake personalities!

Always so prim & proper....
Alydia, 2005

The snarf bunny...
Heidi, 2008

Biting off more than he can chew...
Ryan, 2011

The (not so) itsy bitsy spider

2011-09-10T07:21:00.000-07:00

Morse Mini

2011-09-03T08:12:00.000-07:00

This morning my friend, Carrie and I cheered on another friend, Heather, in the Morse Mini. We tracked her down at mile 3, 7, 9, 11 and the finish (13.1 miles). What a fun way to start the weekend!

Looking so happy at mile 3!

Mile 9

Finish line!

She's pretty dang awesome!
2nd place in her division!

How are all these pictures the same?

2011-08-29T15:54:00.000-07:00

If you guessed that Heidi was wearing the same gold shoes in every picture, you were right! In addition to creek stomping, horse riding, geocaching, power washing by dad and formal events, these shoes have also been left out in the rain. Phew! You can imagine they don't look or smell good! But, she still insists on wearing them day after day. In terms of kids' clothes, probably the best return on investment for the $10 I spent on them. Time to upgrade to a new pair, you think?

Cicadas!

2011-08-28T10:07:00.000-07:00

The girls love bugs, especially cicada shells this time of year. While walking the backyard looking for shells on the trees, we discovered this....

Adult cicada emerging from shell

We all thought was cool to see! After he emerged, we went back to our cicada shell hunt. I'm not sure how many we collected, but it was quite a few!

Heidi's collection of cicada shells

Watch Out 2nd Grade!

2011-08-22T05:56:00.000-07:00

Off to 2nd grade!

The little ones got up early to see her off!

The mandatory Hunter & Liddy photo

Zip, Zip Away!

2011-08-20T18:14:00.000-07:00

After seeing this local attraction, I told Jeff we should bypass our usual boring date night to zipline. I'm pretty sure he thought I was nuts. However, he would agree it was the best $30 we could have spent on a date!

I am the Warrior Princess, hear me roar!

2011-08-16T08:07:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I competed in my first organized race - the Warrior Dash! It's basically a 5k with crazy obstacles throughout the course. Running with me this year were my friends Heather & Chrissy. I half attempted a warrior camo costume with a mere pink camo hat and wristband. However, after seeing the costume possibilities, we'll be amping up our attire for next year. And yes, there will be a next year!

Although I (kind of) trained for the running portion, I neglected to think of the steep trails that were involved. The only bonus to the terrain was using ropes to climb and scale down the embankments. Running on pavement is a piece of cake compared to those hills! Despite the rough terrain, it was a fun challenge! We had a total of eleven obstacles. Here's a few of my favorites...

Afterwards, we cleaned off in the lake like hillbillies, drank beer and ate turkey legs!

Cat Naps

2011-08-10T18:11:00.000-07:00

Gymboree Memories

2011-07-29T05:57:00.000-07:00

I remember when my sister-in-law found out she was having a girl, I was ecstatic. Not only because I'd have a niece, but I could pass all my favorite girl clothes to her. My girls' clothes have so many good memories, that I cringed at the thought selling them to a stranger for mere pocket change. They are worth millions of dollars in memories! Thank goodness I have the sweetest sister-in-law who knows about my sentimentality. Each time I see Maggie, she's wearing a recognizable outfit that makes me beam!

Heidi at 8 months
in her goldfish hat

Maggie at 8 months in the same hat.
I'd say they both wear it well!

I was looking for a photo of Heidi in the matching swimsuit.

For giggles, here it is!

Cooling Off at the Creek

2011-07-22T08:06:00.000-07:00

This is about as wet as Heidi got

Chillin in the creek

Give Ryan his yellow shovel
and he'll be happy for the longest time!

Catching crawdads!
Those buckets had minnows, crawdads, shells and a frog!

Hillbilly Slip n' Slide

2011-07-21T15:11:00.000-07:00

Our friend Jonah broke the speed record!

Here she comes!

Wanna race?

Even grandma got into it!

Heidi wasn't so sure about it...

But, she finally caved!

Geocaching in Bear Territory

2011-07-11T10:01:00.000-07:00

During our vacation, we decided we should get a geocache in every state we passed through. If you understand geocaching, it's a big deal to get state badges on our profile.

While crossing through Virginia, I directed Jeff to exit for a supposedly quick "park & grab" cache in the Jefferson National Forest. As we are driving through this thick forest, Jeff claims he saw a bear. He throws the car into reverse until we reach a clearing. Luckily, Jeff's vision of a bear was a mere flock of these....

About 1/2 a mile later, we find a small gravel spot with a little trail leading off it. The GPS says the geocache is about 250' from the spot. Ryan is sleeping so Jeff tells me to jump out and get it. About 50' up the trail, I realize I can't see the car. My heart is still a bit jumpy from Jeff reminding me that bears live around here. Then at that moment, with my senses on full alert, I hear a stick break in the woods. Full panic sets in and I'm frozen with fear. I hustle back to the car. After telling Jeff my story and requesting backup, he refused to get out of the car. I think he said something along the lines of, "I'm not risking my life for a geocache!" So, needless to say, we came so close, but decided to pass on geocaching in bear infested woods!

* After Googling the bear situation, it is extremely rare that black bears attack unless provoked. However, I'm not one to test this evidence!

** And, in case you were wondering, we conquered 6 states of the 8 we passed through.

Funny-isms

2011-07-10T05:12:00.000-07:00

I had to start writing these down to remember all the funny things I hear from Heidi.

Heidi referring to the horn on Ryan's walker, "Look, he has a honker!"
----------------
Heidi standing in the pantry.
Me, "What are you doing?"
Heidi, "I'm the luncher lady"
(That is what she calls the Costco sample ladies. Not sure how that relates to standing in the pantry...)
----------------
"Let's go to the mulch park!" (Playground)
---------------
"Where is my hooker I got from treasuring?"
(A hooker is a Christmas ornament, hence the hook, that she got from geocaching.)
---------------
"Mom, I almost drained!"
(Her raft flipped over in the pool and she went underwater....thus thinking she was going to drown.)

What we did in June...

2011-06-26T06:01:00.000-07:00

We put some mileage on the stroller...

We looked cool at the splash park...

Some of us got wet...

We geocached...

...and geoacached some more.

And we visited some local parks!

World's Greatest Dad...2011 Semi-Finalist

2011-06-19T16:56:00.000-07:00

If he has the shirt, it must be true!

The higher you can throw kids,
the higher your rank!

Three Musketeers

2011-06-18T18:58:00.000-07:00

Cute 7 year olds playing in the bounce house!
(By the way, these two BFF's are 6 days apart)

New caption...
Crazy kids trapped in a bounce house?

I didn't notice they were holding hands
until I downloaded it.
Heidi really looks up to Sean!

This is the image of Summer 2011...
these kids are wiped out from playing!

Mom of the Year

2011-06-14T17:19:00.000-07:00

How hard can three kids be? She makes 12 look easy!

Alydia is SEVEN!

2011-06-08T04:29:00.000-07:00

June 8, 2004

2nd Birthday

3rd Birthday

4th Birthday

5th Birthday

6th Birthday
with Uncle Brent & Aunt Jamie

7 Years Old!

Recommend Reading....1st Grade Journal

2011-06-07T13:24:00.000-07:00

Liddy has had a journal at school all year. She brought it home today so we could read all about her life through her eyes. Here's a few funny entries....

I like the part about fostering the cat for 101 days.

'On Sunday my dad started a fire.
[While] the fire was going my little sister was wondering around the house"

Party Like a (7 Year Old) Rock Star

2011-06-03T18:20:00.000-07:00

My Little Explorers

2011-06-01T04:54:00.000-07:00

These girls got the outdoor/dirt/bug-loving gene. No prissy girls at our house!

Working together to catch something...
Nothing is safe in our yard.

Looking for crawdads.
She only found a claw...which she brought home
and put in a container of water. Weird, I know.

These sparkle shoes go everywhere,
including the creek!

Well Hello, Mr. Oberweis Man!

2011-05-17T12:17:00.000-07:00

We are the newest family on the Oberweis delivery route. I've longed for home delivered milk ever since I knew it existed. Obviously cost was way out of our budget. That was, until, I was offered free delivery, free cooler AND no minimum order. How cool is that? I'm not sure how I got so lucky, but they had a promotion at a recent event I attended. So, today, this arrived on my porch....

The cooler that holds all good things

Today's order....
2% milk, vanilla milk and salsa

Tuesdays might just be my favorite day of the week. I'm already planning next week's order which might include some ice cream.

Cucumber Feta Salsa

2011-05-15T15:19:00.000-07:00

I was hooked once I tried this! It's so simple, but super yummy.

Cucumber Feta Salsa

1 finely chopped cucumber
1 finely chopped red onion
4 oz. feta cheese
dash of dill (optional)

I finally had a chance to use my Pampered Chef chopper! Otherwise, I suggest dicing the veggies really small. Mix all together in a bowl. I had to sample some right away, however it does get better the longer it mingles...maybe a couple of hours in the fridge. This is perfect with tortilla chips.

Alydia's Piano Debut

2011-05-13T19:22:00.000-07:00

Notice the beautiful corsage
that daddy bought for her!

Five months of hard work!

One Tough Cookie

2011-05-13T18:47:00.000-07:00

Although Heidi may be a girlie girl, she never slows down for a little blood or bruising. She's one tough cookie. Here's a glimpse into the coming summer....

Mother's Day

2011-05-08T16:46:00.000-07:00

My request was to get a pedicure
with my favorite spa companion, Liddy.
Notice she got special flowers!

...and I opted for a crazy manicure with crackle paint. Yikes!
The best way to show them was while holding
my special Mom's Day margarita.

I was also treated to wonderful homemade muffins for breakfast. I awoke to Heidi holding a plate & muffin beside my bed. Happy receive breakfast in bed, I sat up and waited for her to hand it over. She then informed me that it was her muffin and began eating it. To her credit, it was hers and Jeff had no idea that she came upstairs to taunt me with it!

Tadpoles!

2011-05-07T16:39:00.000-07:00

Every year we see tadpoles in a horse pasture puddle down the street....

I think those "bubbles" might be tadpole eggs.

The girls are intrigued....and begging to take them home.
(This has been attempted before!)

Hundreds of them!

Then this guy shows up to see what we are doing.
Hi Spots (his kid-assigned name)!

Notice Spots helps himself to a nice cool drink from the puddle.
...possibly slurping up some tadpoles!
(Imagine lots of drama from the girls!)

Sunflower Peep Cake

2011-05-06T05:52:00.000-07:00

If you can still find Peeps, here's an idea for a fun Spring cake! I made this at Easter, but just now got around to posting. There is no talent involved and it was so easy. I just made a chocolate boxed cake mix with store bought frosting, then arranged the Peeps around the edge & chocolate chops in a circle pattern.

Operation Dry Bum

2011-05-03T04:54:00.000-07:00

Just by reading the blogs, I found out about a diaper study. I called a number and left my information. Time went by and I figured I wasn't chosen. A few weeks later I got a call asking me to participate! We got two packages of diapers (40 total), a survey, a follow-up phone call and.....$10 when we are complete!

Today is our first day. There are two separate packages so I'm curious how they are different, what brand could they be and hoping they don't leak! Wish us luck!

This is what 30 looks like...

2011-04-30T07:23:00.000-07:00

Look at those youngin's having a good time down there

Exchanging life stories...or good iPhone apps

My little brother turned 30!

No more gummy smiles at our house!

2011-04-29T13:51:00.000-07:00

Don't let his charm fool you....
he'll chomp your finger with these babies.

Racing Room

2011-04-23T19:00:00.000-07:00

It all started with this little boy
at the race track with this dad...

Whose racing dream just continued to grow....

Regardless if I like it or not, its best to embrace and accept that racing is a big passion for Jeff. As a surprise, I decided to create a racing room, AKA "Man Cave". After all, he is out numbered by women and all our drama. Thus, the racing room was inspired. Staring out, I thought, "Oh, he's just got a few posters and model cars that I could put out". WRONG! His guy has been hiding a serious addiction all these years. I found totes after totes of pictures, trading cards, car models, EVERY Racer magazine he ever got, programs, posters, hats and a library of books. This has become more of a museum. I'm pretty sure he'll live in this room in every free moment he has....in fact, he's there now!

So without further adieu, here is Jeff's official Racing Room...

Piece of car that's been living in our garage

Checkered ceiling tiles

This is how Heidi feels about it.

I never thought I'd have so much fun with camo tape...

2011-04-19T14:50:00.000-07:00

For those that know us, know that we are obsessed with geocaching. Maybe me, more than others, but we've had some great experiences, seen some cool places and made it a family activity. We planted our first geocache back in summer 2004. Since then it's been found by 192 people! All those people came to that spot to find our geocache and saw a place that they probably didn't know existed. This geocache called "Widows Peak" is in an old cemetery in our town.

We hid some others over the years, but they've never been as successful, mostly due to flooding. We've hidden two on pedestrian bridges - underneath with magnets, but unfortunately the creeks around here flood and recede leaving us unsuccessful.

This spring we are creating a geocache series in a local trail park. There are over 8 miles of trail and we are confident that we'll find plenty of opportunities! With that in mind, I set out to create our caches. I like to do things differently so I brainstormed some crazy hiding places. Here is what we designed...

Did I mention I love camo tape?

It didn't feel right making the incision....

but it was the only way to hide a film canister inside.

We'll see if we can find a place to hid him in the woods!

Old birdhouse with camo'd canister in hole

Suet cages covered in camo tape on both sides.
Great for hanging in trees

Ryan's 6 Month Photos

2011-04-15T07:04:00.000-07:00

My friend, Vera

2011-04-15T06:46:00.000-07:00

Now I can check it off my bucket list....I've been to the Vera Bradley Outlet Sale. Wow, was that a crazy experience. I've heard horror stories, but luckily this year was very well planned out. My only complaint is due to my own physical exhaustion and overwhelming anxiety. I went without a plan thinking I'd be free to shop, but that resulted in me aimlessly wandering from table to table. I did end up with some fabulous finds in the end.

Our ticket to paradise! We had the 6:30 - 9:00 PM time slot
and got in line at 5:45. Not too bad of a wait!

Just wanted to point out the restrictions....
"Purchases will be limited to $3,000 per buyer"!!

Success! Happy shoppers!

My absolute favorite finds...matching Frill bags.
Now, I just need to travel somewhere!

First Geocache Trip of '11

2011-04-10T16:44:00.000-07:00

Today we resumed geocaching. We haven't been since three days before Ryan was born. I can't believe I was trekking through a field at 9 months pregnant, but I was probably trying to get him to come out! Regardless, after a 7 month hiatus, we were back to business! We found five geocaches today along Sheridan's Monon Trail. My favorite part of geocaching is finding new places I never knew existed. We have now have.....92! Only 8 more to find and we'll hit our milestone 100 finds....only 7 years after we started!

Off we go!

Treasure!

This one was called Medusa's Tree.

Our little cachers found it right away!

This is how Ryan feels about his first geocaching trip.

Makes us proud!

Oh, to be a kid again!

2011-04-10T16:34:00.001-07:00

If you are on a diet, don't read this.

2011-03-30T15:24:00.000-07:00

Homemade deep dish pizza....yum! This is a heart attack on a plate, but it's so worth it! Four cups of cheese - check! Italian sausage - check! Fresh basil - check!

Click here for the recipe to this fabulous Deep Dish Sausage Pizza that I'm referring too.

Introducing my new favorite grocery store finds...
I can get three months out of these,
never run out and never have to chop them up.
Perfect for tonight's dinner!

I forgot to take a picture before the family got to the pizza.
This is all the proof I have...

Try your luck!

2011-03-28T14:20:00.000-07:00

If you try your luck at sweepstakes, you might just win!

This is what I got in the mail today...

Beauty bag & coupons from Target

Skincare kit from bareMinerals

Adopt a Highway (or country road) by the Norris Sisters

2011-03-19T06:46:00.000-07:00

On a recent walk Liddy informed me she was irritated by the amount of litter on our street. I told her if she was good we'd come back the next day with gloves & bags and pick it up. Ironically, picking up litter is a privilege her! The next day I said, "Liddy remember what we are doing today? We are picking up litter?" to which she replied, "Yesss!"

I'm so proud of my good little citizens!

Lots of "treasure"???

Their biggest fan

Who's Who?

2011-03-05T10:27:00.000-08:00

Answers:

Alydia, Ryan, Alydia, Ryan, Heidi, Alydia

Sleeping Babies

2011-03-05T09:50:00.000-08:00

They definitely all sleep alike...eyes shut & mouth open!

Big Savings at CVS today!

2011-02-23T16:44:00.001-08:00

Check out the deals I scored at CVS today -

Colgate ProClinical toothpaste marked down to $1.37.
Minus the $1.00 off coupon for a total price of $.37.
I was able to buy two since I had double coupons.

Purex 3-in-1 laundry sheets were $3.99 with Extra Care card.
Minus $3.00 coupon for total cost of $.99 each.

Total cost $2.72 for two toothpastes and two cartons of laundry detergent. These deals are good until Saturday, February 26th. Jackpot!

Girl Talk

2011-02-22T15:38:00.000-08:00

Snack time is always more fun
when shared with a friend!

Vanilla Lime Smoothie

2011-02-20T14:17:00.000-08:00

In an effort to make healthier snacks for the kids, I came up with this yummy treat. I was pleasantly surprised how good it is!

2-3 scoops lime sherbet
1 small carton of vanilla yogurt
3/4 cup milk (I actually used the yogurt carton)

Blend and enjoy!

My (Updated) Coupon Book

2011-02-20T14:13:00.000-08:00

In less than a month, I've already upgraded to a bigger binder. Today, in an effort to stay organized, I had splurged on tabbed dividers. This hobby is really too fun for me despite Jeff's confusion about the whole thing! I've come up with my own categories, based on how I visually shop -

Cleaning
Drinks
Bread
Snacks
Breakfast
Dairy
Meat
Frozen
Refrigerated
Canned & Boxed
Baby
Pets
Rx & Vitamins
Skincare
Oral care
Hair care
Deodorant
Beauty

I also read on a blog to put your name & phone number inside in case you lose your book.

More helpful sites

2011-02-13T13:31:00.000-08:00

I just finished the book Pick Another Checkout Lane, Honey. It is written by two woman, one of which was featured on Extreme Couponing on TLC. If you are into it, I recommend reading or watching their story.

They also have a website called the Krazy Coupon Lady. Contrary to the Grocery Game from an earlier post, this website guides you to many deals without a fee. I still recommend the Grocery Game for the first 4 weeks since it's free, but afterwards its $10 a month for one store, plus $5 for each additional store. I alternate shopping at three local stores, so $20 for a list of deals, is a bit much. Especially now that I'm loving saving every single penny.

I also came across a website called Hip2Save. These (free) blog sites are so helpful in finding deals and telling you which coupons to use with them. For a busy mom who can hardly focus for more than a few minutes, its nice to have someone else do the leg work!

"I can taste the value"

2011-02-13T13:18:00.000-08:00

This post is titled after one of Jeff's comments regarding my new shopping tactics. I sense some sarcasm...

Today's savings

I've been saving these...

Catalinas are the coupons
you receive from the cashier with your receipt.

I put the catalinas with my manufacturer coupons - plus waited until the item was on sale - and some really awesome deals! Here's some of my big deals today -

This stuff, especially the Very Vanilla, is yummy.
Today it was on sale for $2.99
Minus $1.00 off catalina
Minus $.75 coupon
Total = $1.24

Dannon Light & Fit yogurt
Today it was on sale for $1.88
Minus $1.00 catalina
Minus $.50 coupon
Total $.33!

Daddy Daughter Dance

2011-02-11T07:50:00.000-08:00

Take two pretty girls

Add sparkle shoes

Don't forget daddy!
And they are ready to go to the Daddy Daughter Dance 2011!

Grocery Saving

2011-02-10T11:42:00.000-08:00

I've been scaling back our grocery budget this year. I have to brag about how 1) easy and 2) fun it is to find deals. Since I've started, I've averaged 45% savings on my grocery trips. That is huge! Here's some of my tips:

1. Buy the Sunday paper and save every single coupon. Even if you think its something you might not buy, it could align itself in a great sale and end up free or close to it. Plus, you could always donate it to a food pantry. I'm still learning how to sort my coupons, but for now I'm using a binder with "baseball card style" clear slots for my coupons. I'm always looking for easier ways to organize them.

2. Join The Grocery Game. I had been trying to watch for sales that I could combine with my coupons, then I realized that the website will do it for me for any store(s) I want. Plus, its the first 4 weeks for free. If you join, please use my name as a referral. It would be under gourmetlisa@gmail.com. Thank you!

3. Look up your favorite products online and join their mailing list. As much as I hate giving my email out, it most usually results in promotions and coupons. Examples for me include Beechnut baby food, Gerber, Pampers, etc.

4. Get a shopper card for every grocery store. I just found out Meijer Perks that is a virtual card via your cell phone number. Also, Kroger cards offers gas discounts (I just got $.40 off a gallon!) and additional coupons in the mail.

5. Follow these wonderful blogs for information on free samples, coupons, Facebook offers, store sales and more.

I have to admit I feel so empowered to be aware of what I'm spending. Its such a rewarding feeling! The best part is that its making an impression on Alydia. Last weekend she helped me shop with my list and coupons. On the way home she was pondering and says "Mom, do some people just buy stuff and not pay attention to how much it costs?" Oh, my little sponge...I love her!

Trash to Treasure

2011-02-04T12:34:00.000-08:00

I'm not sure when we got this table, but I recall it being one of the first pieces of furniture when we got married. This was a big deal because it didn't require assembly. Over the years, kids colored, cut and spilled things all over it. And it looked like this....

It sat in the basement for awhile awaiting its ride to Goodwill. That was until I saw my friend's repainted table at her house. Wow, it was beautiful! I wish I had a picture to brag about her work! When she told me she did it all, I was determined to try myself. If you know me, I am not a detail-oriented craft person. I don't have patience. That's where this comes in handy...

Canned magic

Spray on for 15 minutes and scrape off the varnish with a flat tool. It was quite really therapeutic. Or maybe it was because I was hiding in the basement, alone, watching Inside Edition.

A day later I was able to paint it, and it was complete. I have yet to distress it a bit more on the edges and put the protective coat on...that'll require another day.

Painted with "Eddie Bauer Cabin Red"

Brrrrr!

2011-02-03T10:38:00.000-08:00

Don't stand here!

I'm not sure how this happened, other than the snow sliding off the roof.
Poor dogs had to climb over it to get to and from the door.

I followed a little raccoon's tracks
go from bush to bush.

And this dog, with practically no fur,
insists to go outside in the above conditions
about once an hour.

Couples Cooking Class

2011-01-31T10:39:00.000-08:00

For Christmas, Jeff gifted me with a couples cooking class. It was a nice change for a date night. Best of all, I came out of it with the best salad dressing recipe...

Daddy Jack's Vino Russo

Tuscan Harvest Salad
(those are some interesting olive/oil croutons)

Corn chowder before blending

The best part of this meal was the salad dressing. Its so simple. Take 1 cup marinated artichoke hearts, 2 tablespoons fresh thyme, 1/4 olive oil and 1/8 red wine vinegar in a food processor. And that's it! Its also really good to dip cucumbers in!

Be My Valentine!

2011-01-29T14:32:00.000-08:00

These are the cutest Valentine's Day cards I've seen! I had the girls hold imaginary suckers for their photo. Then I edited with my new favorite (and free) program, Picasa. They were simple and cheap. Each photo was $.09 a piece at Snapfish, plus $.05 suckers at the dollar store makes this a no-brainer for Valentine's Day!

A Baby's Wonderland

2011-01-27T13:57:00.000-08:00

The cheapest baby entertainment around!

My heart is full of love!

2011-01-25T14:05:00.000-08:00