Genius moment

Sometimes in life Most days I feel like I'm doing an adequate job at this Mom thing. I try to teach my kids right from wrong and how to make positive choices all the while knowing they are going to do their own thing. I try to teach them about healthy eating and nutritional choices despite the bombardment of fast food and advertising of crap around us. I don't pretend to live in a Pinterest perfect world or have a house that is pristine. I try my best and that is all I can do.

BUT as hard as I have tried over the YEARS, my children still use an ungodly amount of cups on a daily basis. Yes, cups. My dishwasher overflows with their madness. I know they are capable of using ONE cup per day (they do it at other peoples' houses) but no matter how much I ask, harp, preach, nag, and scream they DO NOT get it. Sooooo, I have to outsmart them.

Amanda got her blue-lidded Tervis for her birthday from a friend. That is when I had my lightbulb moment. Everyone needs their own cup.......one they can call their own, one that they cannot blame on someone else when left randomly all over the house, one they can reach for and then remember that they love it because it keeps their drink hot/cold. Even Collin got a large sized Saints/Camo Tervis. Score one for MOM! I have my Starbucks straw cup so we all now have an insulated style cup to help minimize the dishes.

 

I am happy to say that so far it is working. I highly recommend the splurge for Tervis. There are not many things that I pay extra for but I am glad that I didn't skimp on these (grateful for the sale though). 

 

Now, if I could figure out a better laundry solution. Any genius Mom ideas out there?

mmmm, can you smell it?

Nope --- not the manicotti in the oven. Or the coffee in my cup. And I wish it was cookies baking in the oven. Instead, it is the GLORIOUS smell of fresh school supplies. Is there anything more exciting than opening and organizing new school supplies. For as long as I can remember I have loved school supplies and the anticipation of getting new ones for a new school year sends adrenaline rushing through my veins. (and really makes me miss my old job, wah!)

Back in the day (going WAY BACK), my Mom used to pre-order our supply bundles and we would head to Fasullo's local drug store/pharmacy to pick it up a few days before school. I would rip that bundle apart as fast as I could to write my name on the fresh, clean goodness of notebooks, folders, and crayons. Oh yes, you know there is NOTHING quite like the clean aroma of a new box crayons.

Crayons, colors, 'crowns', however you say....they smell good!

Over a matter of days, I would organize, re-organize, pack and unpack my backpack in with pure delight.

When we lived in California, it seemed like school had just ended when Target put out the massive quanities of supplies. And then put them on sale. I was literally scooping up supplies within a month of school letting out. So, I had to keep the supplies hidden for about seven weeks before the kids could enjoy the adrenaline rush. Let's face it, there would NOT be any adrenaline if they had to even think about supplies at that point anyway. I hid them because I didn't even want to think about school either.

So today, I ventured out WITH a list and much to my dismay not one box of crayons was on the list! (Ian is getting a supply pack like I used to so I was only shopping for three.)  Not that we need any because we have plenty, but really? Nine binders, loads of dividers, and several composition books later my fingers were itching for something Crayola. I did wind up with two pack of colored pencils because we can never have enough of those but the list was void of Crayola requests. Gone are the days of crayons, markers, colored pencils by the basket full. Now it is mostly reams of college ruled paper along with notebooks, binders, and a couple folders. Binders are $$$$ and I am sad to know they won't likely last the year. We got a few other key things like pencils, pens, highlighters, and erasers, but it's not the same.

 

Maggie, Sean, and Amanda quickly organized and labeled their stuff but they are not quite ready to head back to the classroom just yet.

I will hold out hope that Ian will have some crayons in his supply pack. He will have the opportunity to rip it open, organize it, label it, and enjoy the scent of the fresh box of crayons. And if he doesn't, I might just have to buy a new box for .25 on sale and hid it in a Ziploc to savor the scent a little longer. (and be super sad that they don't need them in 4th grade)

My babies are getting older and their supplies are evolving as well, it doesn't mean I can't relive my childhood a little.

Another month/ another meal plan

July has been a wash so far with meal planning because we were on the go so much. However, now we are home for the long haul. People ask me all the time - how do you have time? why bother? So I will try to respond without sounding holier-than-though. Nothing is perfect but this system works pretty well for us.

1) How do I have time? --It really doesn't take much time at all. I only have to think about what to make for dinner 12 times a year. Isn't that surreal. It is a huge relief to pull out what needs to be thawed the day before and just have it in the fridge ready to go. No more daily hustle of trying to figure out dinner and ending up with pizza or fast food. Yesterday when we were just chilling I pulled out the folder of old menus; drew out a calendar on paper; and started asking 'dinner request?'. Usually I get several answers from each family member and then I start filling in the blanks from old menus. I try not to repeat things within the same month so when someone complains "spaghetti again?" I can respond with "we really on have it 12 times a year so hush :)"

2) Meal planning helps us stay on budget.  We spend a lot of money on food. Let me say that again, we spend A LOT of money on food but I shop sales, use coupons, and buy in bulk when it makes sense. For example, I bulk flax seed meal, brown sugar, nuts, couscous, etc. from the bulk bins at Sprouts. I buy smaller amounts than pre-packaged and it stays fresher because it all goes in a sealed container at home. I am also only buying what I'm going to use so there isn't a question about how long something has been hiding in the pantry because there isn't much extra in there. Of course, it has the essential snack, school lunch, extra items from a Costco run, but the core for cooking gets used. There is no random filling of the grocery cart; I buy what I need steering away from pre-packaged stuff. (here are some other specifics from an old post)

3) Meal planning reduces the amount of fast food we eat and keeps dining out to a minimum. If there is a plan, I/we have no excuse. Fast food and eating out are insanely expensive and terrible for you. Recently I have been noticing how SALTY food tastes when we eat 'convenience' foods. All of the traveling recently just reiterated how much I love when we have a meal plan and that I am helping my family stay healthy.

4) Meal planning is teaching my kids that eating a variety of foods is good for you. I would have never dreamed they would like mashed cauliflower, sautéed yellow squash, or polenta. They have come a LONG way and after years of exposing them to variety they will eat what I cook. They don't like sautéed spinach but I serve them a tablespoon full and still expect them to try it; they never know when their taste buds will change. I'm hoping one day they will thank me, but I'm not holding my breath.

So that brings me to the current plan --- end of July until August 17; I included my random notes about ingredients and meat so I can see what I have in the freezer or leftover.
22nd - baked chicken, stmd. broccoli, fruit salad
23rd - manicotti (ricotta, spinach, prosciutto, parm), salad
24th - tacos (ground turkey), black beans
25th - chicken pot pie (using leftover chicken from 22nd), melon & berries
26th - swiss steak (top round) with onion & bell pepp, mashed potato
27th - grilled red snapper, mashed cauliflower, asparagus
28th - parm.-lemon mahi mahi, sautéed grn beans, garlic mashed potatoes
29th - baked ziti with Italian sausage, sautéed eggplant
30th - chicken cordon bleu, creamy polenta, salad
31st - meatloaf (beef/turkey), green peas, baked mac n' cheese
Aug. 1 - chicken stir-fry, homemade fried rice
2nd - chicken quesadillas, refried beans
3rd - grilled fish (check sales), baked sweet potato, sautéed spinach
4th  - spaghetti with turkey meatballs, salad
5th - tuna melts, fruit salad
6th - chicken enchiladas, Mexican rice
7th - Boboli (make our own pizza), ceasar salad
8th - sausage sandwiches, sautéed yellow squash, cantaloupe
9th - chef salad, fruit
10th - rib-eye steak (freezer), Ranch red potatoes, creamed corn
11th - bbq pork butt (freezer), stmd. carrots & brocc., watermelon
12th  - red beans & rice, French bread, salad
13th - carnitas tacos (leftover from 11th), corn salsa
14th - tuna patties, wwht pasta salad, fruit
15th - sloppy joes, salad
16th - crusted tilapia, risotto, green beans
17th - hot dogs, fruit salad 

Some days are healthier than others; but overall I'm good with it. Home cooking is still better than most anything I can buy. I say 'most anything' because homemade French fries still don't hold a candle to McDonald's fries.

Off to prep the chicken for the oven............Happy Eating!

Fuming mad....rant alert!

Have you heard about the idiot (that is polite for douche-canoe) that is the CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch? How he only welcomes 'the cool kids'........if you haven't, read this. She sums it up pretty well. To me Mr. Jeffries looks like the kid from The Mask; and this poor kid couldn't do anything about his appearance because he had an disease/ he was an amazing human being; Mr. Jeffries chooses to look this way in an attempt to be 'cool.' Really? Do you own a mirror?

I won't go on about his appearance because that has nothing to do with the real issue. The issue is his agenda. His agenda is pure and simple - only the skinny cool kids can shop here; if you don't fit my mold, you aren't welcome. (and I would like them to look like whores too!). It is a free country and he is a business-man. He is free to do whatever he chooses; and I have the freedom to tell him to go take a leap.  And I have the freedom to encourage others to boycott his stores What teen-age girl doesn't have some sort of self-esteem issue.....from something as simple to how her hair looks to big things like how her body is shaped and what number her size is.....

So, I will offer you some alternatives that are super cute and WAY more reasonable on the bank account. http://www.hm.com/us/product/11610?article=11610-E    super cute and only $9.95
or this
http://www.hm.com/us/product/06947?article=06947-E appropriate and only $17.95 (there is actually fabric and not meager remnants of denim)
or this
http://www.rue21.com/en/for%20Girls/Tops/Short%20and%20Long%20Sleeve/WAVE%20STRIPE%20CS%20TF.aspx?color=SALMON not sure about the length but it covers more than a lot of clothing out there

Then there is always Old Navy for basic tees and shorts too. In reality, some of my most comfy basic pieces are from Costco, but that's just me.

So, before I get off my soapbox, I urge you to avoid A&F like the plague. There are many reasonable options out there. Please shop somewhere else.

Your ears will thank you as well.

Monday Morning Musings

Not sure I'll get to this every Monday morning, but ideally I'll stop and take the time to jot down some things that I'm thankful for, commitments of the week, maybe some recipes, and whatever my brain dumps out.
Today I am thankful for:
-free coffee Monday at Dunkin Donuts (and I didn't even know about it!). I got free coffee in a travel mug no less. That's like winning the lottery for me :)
-warm spring breezes
-Direct TV installation (if they would just get here already!) Need to program Deadliest Catch.....new season starts tomorrow.
-time to sit and a read a few blogs and laugh at the world. If you don't mind a little bad language, you must check out http://www.peopleiwanttopunchinthethroat.com/ and laugh with me
-strangers that are willing to extend a hand to someone totally new and they help you move in AND bring you food.
-a working washer and dryer
-school busses
-a Sprout's within minutes of my house

Anyone have any favorite spring recipes that are relatively healthy? I need to meal plan for the 2nd half of the month and I would love some new ideas. I can't figure out Pinterest to save my life and it leaves me feeling inadequate anyway. Guess I am not an overachiever.

I need to read Catching Fire before the movie comes out. I enjoyed Hunger Games but am dragging my feet on this one. The movie trailer was intriguing so I guess I'll get sucked into the madness.

Still on the to-do list - exercise. Gonna have to 'schedule' it because I am not self-motivated. It's on the list with a sports physical for Sean, IEP update mtg. for Amanda, DMV trip for car reg., camera repairs, unpacking, and grocery shopping.

Enough computer time for this Monday, bed to be made and boxes remain......

Food, glorious Food

Meal planning time again......all set until March 1st! Feel free to share some ideas and/or snag some of mine:
2/2 - baked potato bar with cantaloupe and strawberries
2/3 - Superbowl! hamburger/hot dogs, chips, etc......NOT counting calories
2/4 - beef stew over creamy polenta
2/5 - baked ziti with Italian sausage; baked eggplant
2/6 - pork chops, perogies, stmd. broccoli
2/7 - oven-fried chicken, beans, salad
2/8 - take n' bake pizza (Mom scrapbooking)
2/9 - bbq shrimp, sauteed green beans, homemade applesauce
2/10 - chicken piccata, brown rice, stmd. broccoli
2/11 - turkey tettrazini, salad
2/12 - Mardi Gras! red beans and rice, french bread (maybe make a pecan pie)
2/13 - pulled pork sandwiches, coleslaw, garlic steak fries
2/14 - tuna melts, fruit salad
2/15 - meatloaf, mashed potatoes, green peas
2/16 - Boboli, make your own pizza (saus., pepp., veggies)
2/17 - herb-grilled chicken, roasted red potatoes, stmd carrots
2/18 - ham steaks, scalloped potatoes, soy beans
2/19 - tacos/chicken quesadillas, refried beans
2/20 - lasagna, salad, garlic bread
2/21 - crab cakes w/ lemon aioli, green beans, risotto
2/22 - Sean is 13! Chip-HALL-tole (homemade burritos/ Chipotle style)
2/23 - chef salad (ham, turk., hb eggs, celery, cuc., bell pepp, bac. bits, avoc., carrot, lettuce, cheese)
2/24 - pork loin stuffed with spiced peaches, stmd broccoli, wild rice blend
2/25 - roasted whole chicken, couscous, steamed cauliflower w/cheese
2/26 - spaghetti w/meatballs, salad, garlic bread
2/27 - hearty minestrone soup, crusty bread, fresh melon
2/28 - baked fish, baked sweet potato, sauteed spinach
3/1 - popcorn-coated chicken, salad, mac n cheese

WOOT! So excited to not think about dinner for another month. The kids love it and have told me multiple times "I really like knowing what's for dinner." I like being able to log in the calories for my fitness pal/counter thing. AND I'm happy to say that except for the night out with Collin to The Habit while I was scrapbooking, our family did not eat out ONCE last month. I am really trying to spend money on good food and not eating out (too $$$$, too bad for you, blah, blah)

To answer a couple of questions that friends have asked:
1) I shop at Albertson's and Sprouts. I make an ingredients list twice a month. I go in the beginning of the month and again around the 16th or 17th. I buy meat when it's on sale or even clearance. I use coupons as much as I can for all the extra stuff like yogurt, cheese, toilet paper, etc. Buy store brand stuff; not loyal to any labels. Most of my produce comes from Sprouts because the prices are amazing; seafood comes from there as well; I buy bulk stuff there too (flax seed meal, nuts, couscous, brown sugar, etc.).
2) I shop only at Costco WITH a list. Things like butter, granola bars for lunches, eggs, lunch meat, canned chicken, trash bags, choc.chips, kitchen wipes. You have to have tunnel vision and avoid the samples (empty calories and way too much temptation). Trust me - I know how good those little chicken sandwiches are, Ma'am; AND why am I drinking this smoothie stuff because I will never buy it; Wait, maybe I do need that super-deluxe-mega-awesome-soup-making-blender.
3) I try to bake from scratch on a regular basis. I make chocolate chip cookies and banana bread (and add in wheatgerm and flax seed meal, muhahahaha)
4) We have family dessert on Sundays. Sometimes I make something; sometimes it's a Sara Lee cheesecake; sometimes it's an angel food cup with berries and whip cream.

BUT before you think my kids only eat healthy.....let it be known, they eat ice cream or popsicles after school every day!!!! (Did you know Blue Bunny is cheap at Walmart?) :)

Hmmmmm, maybe I know what they should give up for Lent?

Oatmeal!

Shopping at Costco is always an adventure. An adventure I try not to be a part of very often because it is always painful on the wallet. Even if I manage to go alone, I end up with 'extra' stuff because I was likely hungry while I was shopping and/or the sample lady found a sucker in me.

Today was another adventure with me and three kids. I was armed with a list and limited funds so we quickly meandered our way through only going down aisles where we needed something thus avoiding half of the store. It was going great until I was busy with a teriyaki chicken sample and the kids had time to peruse the cereal selection. That's when Sean found it......the oatmeal!

"Mom, you know I love oatmeal. If you get this oatmeal for me I will eat it everyday. It is so good for you. Can we please get this?"

I was quite overwhelmed with his randomness. "Um, ok, sure!" Amanda chose Frosted Flakes so she clearly had an understanding of what Maggie meant when she wrote cereal on the list.

The trip went quickly and I avoided making eye contact with any more sample ladies. We checked out and when they all parked their butts in the car leaving me with a cart full of food I laughed and said "you've got to be kidding, get your butts out here and load this car." Sean grabbed the oatmeal first.

The unloading at home went smoothly and I did the breakdown of surplus to the garage while they put assorted things away. Then came the oatmeal. I grabbed one of the two bags and poured it into one of the Snapware containers. Well, I should say I ATTEMPTED to pour because half of the bag remained after the container was full. 110 Servings advertised - they AREN'T kidding. Amanda's response to my bugged-out eyes "we are gonna have enough oatmeal for life!" I should have been more quick-witted and responded with 'and Sean's going to eat it all' but instead my brain started thinking about recipes.

So now we have..............Butter Pecan Granola

 and Oatmeal Raisin Chocolate Chip cookies.

And I'm sure after Sean has his oatmeal for breakfast we will have made it through about four of the 110 servings. Oatmeal, anyone?

It's summer so that means my kids have POPSICLES on the brain. Well, not only in summer, but summer makes the thoughts of cool, refreshing snacks explode. We don't have an ice-cream man that drives around and sends them into a frenzy running home for money like I did a million years ago when I was a kid. We just have an occasional Mexican guy pushing a cart with a bell when we are a baseball. (don't shoot me and tell me it's a stereotype; it's NOT; it's a true statement)

So I went in search of some popsicle molds just to try to add to the fun of it all (and maybe save some $$ in the process). I love William Sonoma stuff but can't bring myself to pay through the nose (+ shipping) for these cool molds.

I mean REALLY! They are cool and all that but not THAT cool........close to $25, yikes.

Then I came across theses nifty little ones at CVS in the bargin bin for $2! They've tried orange juice, apple juice, strawberry lemonade, and Coca-cola pops so far. Strawberry lemonade is the definite favorite. Maybe we'll try to make some limeade ones. And if I'm feeling really zany I might even buy some Kool-aid mix for them.

Not exactly the cool firecracker (red-white-blue) ones that I used to get from the ice cream truck, but definitely better than the frozen-Kool-aid-in-a-cup-and-flip-over-method my Mom used.

A little bit of this and a little bit of that...........


I have a LOVE/HATE relationship with Target. I love that I can get a few key groceries like milk, bananas, butter, and bread; a birthday gift; a large Rubbermaid organizer bin; a bathing suit for Mag; a razor for Collin and a few other items in one place. I HATE that my bill was $159. Really? How does that happen?

Last night we had turkey burgers and fresh strawberries for dinner. YUM! And good for us too. Now, we are having frito pie casserole. YUM! And channeling my inner-redneck too.
Maggie has a double ear infection. Guess all the recent swimming did her in. Hoping the abx work quickly and stop her cough so she can sleep again I can sleep again.

So You Think You Can Dance is amazing me once again this season. If you aren't watching, you are missing out. Our whole family watches (shhhhh, Collin won't admit it). And we also watched Lonesome Dove over the weekend. Such a great classic!

and finally.....the pictures I've been meaning to send. It's a little montage I call ....A Taste of Spring 2011...goes back to Sean's bday/Ian's bday/Easter at the Andera's/Maggie's bday/moving and beyond. Enjoy!

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Question: What is a hot commodity?
Answer: An umbrella in the Hall household (one that isn't broken)

See, in SoCal, umbrellas aren't really used very much. Well - they are if you count their use for sword-fights, battles in the hose and fort building while they play Survivor. Finding one that WORKS properly when it is actually needed is nearly impossible.

Now that means I have to set foot into Target. GAH.......I'm hoping they have a little display right up front b/c my budget does not permit browsing.

Marking things off the checklist........
gifts for family wrapped AND shipped - CHECK!
finish shopping for the kids - CHECK!
arrange for Fritz/pet sitting - CHECK!
work on a few more Christmas cards - CHECK!
get babysitter for while I'm in play & Dh is working tonight - CHECK!

Eat something..............I'll get right on that.

Just in case you are counting that's FIVE for one day. So I did accomplish something. Next on the top of the list is to WRAP, WRAP, WRAP!

I have to admit that I haven't really been in Christmas 'mode'. I'm usually 95% done with shopping by Thanksgiving. This year it just hasn't happened. Mostly b/c I can't take anyone with me now that they are all aware of what is in the cart and I've been busy working in their classrooms and such. With regular errands to run, Tues. & Thurs. morning with Ian in school doesn't leave me with much time to spare.

BUT after our winter storms this week AND the cold weather and SNOW that it brought AND the fact that we will be traveling for assorted times over the holidays, Christmas slapped me in the face and I'm in hustle & bustle frenzy. A good frenzy. I've got gifts to wrap, boxes to ship, and Christmas cards to finish. Kids have a Christmas gingerbread train to do.

In the mean time we've got Christmas with Scrooge shows to finish. And all Maggie really wants for Christmas in the lead in Annie. (fingers crossed: she's in the final 8 of those called back and the director is picking 6, eeeeek!)

Tapping the microphone......is this ON?

Lots to update about since the last time I posted --- I sorta got caught up in the Twilight zone, literally. I channeled my inner high-school girl and jumped through Twilight, finished it in a week(HUGE for me), and saw the movie last weekend. I'm crawling through New Moon, but I'm not diggin' it as much and it's slow-going.

Since it's late, I just want to let you in on my little gift find. I'm soooooo excited about it. I got THIS at Kohl's today for my dh (aka Mr. Griswold). It's mostly a silly gift that I know he will enjoy playing with Sean but my brother had one as a kid and we LOVED IT! We played it for hours. I laughed out loud when I found it today.

I REALLY need to go to bed. In my quiet home, that is almost fully decorated outside thanks to Clark.

The week in review ---
we've all been battling colds in one way or another. I still have a lingering cough that is just plain annoying. Now tonight, Maggie is throttled on the couch with a fever (????) - no one else got a fever and such. UGH! (apparently the Motrin is working b/c now she right this second she is making music with her straw and annoying the heck out of the others)....fingers crossed....

The girls and I had assorted rehearsals and there was tons of sports practice(s) as usual. However, next week will be different b/c Sean's football team LOST this afternoon. It was a smoke-filled, ash-laden game that was miserably HOT and we could just see that our boys weren't there. It was a hard fought game but in the end our season was done. As parents, we were so proud of the League Champs, but that didn't make them feel any better as many of them sobbed through the coach's game speech. Moving on to basketball.

On the book-reading front, I'm happy to say that I'm 240 pages into Twilight. I did complete 3rd Degree, so this has got to be some sort of reading record for me. Somebody flip me a fish? Anybody? Fine, I'll just grab some chocolate and go read some more.

And, last but not least, I am happy to report that I have begun Christmas shopping. Got any good suggestions because you know time keeps on tickin'.

Here is where I complain about the cost of food. I've been stewing on this over the last few months and have finally decided 'enough is enough'. $3.49 for a loaf of Sarah Lee whole wheat bread; $6.79 for a gallon of organic milk; .79/lb. for bananas; even $1.99/lb. for apples seems crazy when just a couple of months ago they were $1.49 or cheaper/lb. (even CRAPPY school lunches are $3.25 this year, I'm not even kidding. Thus the reason my kids are only buying on 'pizza' days)

For years I've done the grocery game (and if you don't do it, you should be!). I've always clipped coupons but this just made using them more efficient. I also am not name-brand loyal so if Wishbone Ranch is on coupon & sale then that is what I get; sorry Hidden Valley, I've got kids to feed. They even know -- if ain't on sale AND I don't have a coupon, don't even ask.

I do use Costco for some things ---example: I usually get ground meat there, but last week Ralph's had ground sirloin for $1.99 so that was even better. I always buy butter, milk, and eggs at Costco but I don't make a special trip just for those items; I also do Costco to stock-up on juice packs for lunches/ gatorade for sports/ cheese/ trash bags/ laundry detergent/ assorted meds.&vitamins. Things like toilet paper, toothpaste, shampoo, and 'lady supplies' are grocery game items that Costco can't touch the price on. I DO buy organic milk and thank goodness we aren't using four gallons a week anymore. I'll hit Trader Joe's when I need to grab just a few items, but overall I shop at Ralph's.

I don't spend my time or precious gas money driving around town store hopping with the assorted ads. I DO save money ($87 this week specifically) but I'm curious about what else I could be doing. Feeding 6 people (Sean could almost be counted twice sometimes) is HARD when I'm trying to be creative, healthy, and thrifty. When I see whole wheat bread on sale, I grab two --one to use, one for the freezer. Same goes for bnls/skls. chicken breast, etc.

Here is my question -- HOW do you do it? What can I improve upon? Tonight dinner was white beans with rice/ cornbread&greens casserole thing (so good! and I didn't lie when they asked me if it was spinach - it wasn't) and fresh mango with raspberries. Example: I had gotten one HUGE mango and cut that for the kids and then the pack of raspberries got divided by six (poof-it's gone!). I have leftover casserole & beans that I will eat for lunch this week or as a quick catch-can dinner. Tomorrow is marinated london broil; homemade pasta salad; steamed green beans; whole wheat hawaiian rolls. [It looks like a lot but when you know that the meat is starting out at 1-1/4lbs. before grilling for six, that is a smallish portion of meat]

Come out of lurkdom and toss me some suggestions......sorry, with all due respect, vegetarian isn't an option.

So my AWESOME friend, Nicole, decided that she would have my kids over to swim while I hit Costco.....ALONE! Did you read that; I said ALONE. :)

I got a cart and enjoyed my hotdog and Mocha Freeze in peace. Grabbed some new pjs; glue sticks for school; new beach towel; and then I conquered the list. Holy guacamole. I had ONE cart completely maxed out without one square inch available. It was piled high and I carried the Oxi-Clean at the end b/c there was no room and the cart was too heavy anyway. I knew it was bad; people were staring. And they weren't staring b/c my kids were behaving badly b/c I was ALONE, remember.

The cashier even said 'I hope you have a black membership card b/c if you don't you are losing money.' I was quite smug when I handed her my card, coupons, and rebate check. I exited with two carts b/c the packing folks aren't as efficient as I am. AND I lucked out by running into a friend with her kids in tow; she sent her 8th grade son with me to load my car. Sweet.

I have decided on two things: 1) next trip I will get the barge instead of the cart and 2) a bunch of flowers; milk; and gatorade are the best trade off for shopping sans kids!

So the other day I was saying how scrapbooking is good for your soul. It still is. But so is shopping.

I like to shop but I wouldn't say I'm a shop-a-holic or an over-spender. I don't pay full price and I'm pretty practical overall. I mostly shop for the kids (of course) and like most Moms out there I hardly ever buy for myself (unless you are talking about a random apparel grab at Costco). With Sean's 1st Communion coming up this weekend, I decided to get myself something. Well, truth be told, I had to return a sundress that I had gotten when I took him to get his outfit on Sat. So I was really going to use the return credit to get something else. (details, details)

I started with this skirt and then I saw another one; so I got two. Then I came across this top to match the 2nd skirt. Then I saw these fun pants; not for this weekend, but I need some new bottoms. And these bermudas dress down the yellow top so of course I had to get them (the outfit looked great on the mannequin). And then I saw this dress; it's a bit of a stretch for me b/c I'm not that fashionable, but it's fun and different. Oh look, a cami tank for $4.99; I'll take one of those. And wow, basic shirts for $6.99....ah, junior section; so what, I'll just get a large.

I grabbed a couple of pieces of random chunky jewelry (yeah, 80% off) and headed to the register.............total time 40 minutes! But I didn't have time for cute shoes, bummer!

I headed off with my new duds and one of those "here sucker, come back next week for $30 off" coupons. B/c THEY NOW I'll spend more than $30. Just like the sundress that started it all.

So, we try to read to (and with) the kids as much as possible. It's not an easy task with four very different reading levels and personal tastes.

Maggie still enjoys being read to but she struggles to find a genre/theme/catagory that she enjoys. I get it; it's all my fault. I hated to read as a kid b/c it was such a struggle and she is cut from the same mold. She always asks (more like begs & pleads) with me to buy her books; yet she never reads them. I'm encouraging her to use the library to find a good fit THEN we will purchase to our hearts content. It's so frustrating b/c she will read a few pages of a book and immediately hate it. [I just want to note that I have no problem buying books as long as they are going to be read.] She did finish Diary of a Wimpy Kid recently and she is working on The Tale of Despereaux right now.

Sean remains the non-fiction reading king. He loves, loves, loves animal stuff; mostly oceanography but he'll read about most anything. He is working on Step 3 beginning readers. He's moving toward chapter books, but he hasn't seen much that he likes there. I'm hoping he'll jump into Magic Treehouse soon. He's a bit behind on his reading fluency, but he is improving.

Amanda is really moving forward with her reading. She is currently breezing through Bob books and trys to figure out words constantly. I am reading a Magic Treehouse book to her and she is really enjoying the short chapters. She'll be reading these before I know it. One of her current favorites is I Ain't Gonna Paint No More; so fun, and it fits her personality to a tee.

Ian just appreciates the reading time he does get. He loves all the classics (Big Red Barn, Sandra Boynton stuff, etc.) but his two favorites these days are: Ten Clean/Dirty Pigs and Baby Bear, Baby Bear What Do You See? Of course, you have to pinch your nose when you read the skunk page.

Ahhhhh, it's feeling like it's REALLY fall and moving toward Christmas. Lately it's been in the 60s during the day and in the high 40s at night. For us SoCal weather-deprived folk, it is SO NICE. Many trees have even had some yellow & red color changes before losing leaves (unlike just losing leaves b/c they are dry from drought conditions). We've even had some rain recently. But enough about the weather.

It's all about --- fires in the fireplace, peppermint mocha, Christmas cookies, and the topper.....peppermint soap!

Trying to finish up my Christmas shopping......the adults are pretty hard to finish up. This time of year brings out the gift options and choices on kiosk displays everywhere. You know what I'm talking about-- watches, wallets, gloves, ties, generic blah/blah/boring and the holiday favorite, fruitcake!

Glancing through the Bed, Bath, and Beyond flier today I came across this treasure--
http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?order_num=-1&SKU=14399593
I don't if I'm skeeved more by the thought of someone needing to use one OR actually using one.

Here's another fun find -- http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?order_num=-1&SKU=14779434 it looks great in the grand scheme of things, but then reality slaps me in the face and it simply would be SILLY for several reasons: 1) wine in the tub -- it would look like a crime scene with me and my spastic self. 2) by the time I set it all up someone would come pounding on the door. and 3) I enjoy a soaking bath once in a great while, but showers are simply quicker.

So, I giggled my way through the flier and did find something I really need --http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?order_num=-1&SKU=14759174

Don't laugh b/c you probably have a tennis ball hanging in your garage to help. :P