Everyone is sick. Everyone. I don't know how we all got sick, but somehow it is sweeping through the house. It started a few weeks ago when I got strep throat. Then the kids got sick. Colds, mainly. Then Nick got sick. He may have strep but since he refuses to go to the doctor we won't know. I've told him what can happen if strep goes unresolved but he doesn't care.
Then last night Ruby got sick. Now I'll be the first to admit, I complain about Ruby a lot. She pees in my house, she pukes randomly, there is hair everywhere, and she barks her head off. But I still love her and don't want anything bad to happen to her. She was sick. She literally wouldn't even lift her head off the floor.
I took her to a 24 hour vet hospital. She was super dehydrated. Her blood counts were way off. Her respirations and heart rate were elevated. So we did a bunch of stuff. X-rays, blood tests, fecal tests, urinalysis, etc. They wanted to admit her for 2 days to give her IV fluids. They gave me the estimate and I nearly had a heart attack. $1,750.00. Yeah, that's not happening.
We decided to treat her outpatient. They gave her 2 fluid boluses subcutaneously (she looked like a camel), and sent us home with a prescription for Flagyl. That along with the treatment she already had at the hospital was just $397.62. Much better. She got home and she drank a whole bowl of water. I'm keeping an eye on her, and we'll go to the regular vet this afternoon or tomorrow depending on when we have time and how she is drinking. She's doing better already. I also have a friend who's a vet so we're keeping in touch with her as well.
I have high hopes she'll recover just fine. This was scary though because we've never had a dog get sick like this before. Yosha tore his ACL and his hips went out. Brady had a stroke. But they were both 9+ years old. Ruby is 5 at the most.
Praying for speedy recoveries for everyone in this house! We need to get better ASAP!
Monday, October 20, 2014
Wednesday, August 27, 2014
Gretchen Suzane
My little Gretchie bear is getting so big!! She's almost 2 years old and I can't believe it. She's so smart and coordinated and talented and I love my little miracle baby. Here are some of the things she's doing:
She's climbing:
This little monster is going to be a gymnast, I swear. She can climb, run, jump, do amazing things. On the playground, it's borderline scary. I have to watch this kid so carefully or else she could do something dangerous, or at least more dangerous than the things she already attempts. Like her other favorite new thing, climbing out of her crib. Which she hasn't perfected, so it's a terrifying job of putting her to bed and listening for any thuds. It's just about time for a big girl bed, but man I don't want to start that yet either.
She's talking:
I swear she talks better than Annabelle. She can say so many things and she gets better everyday. Her newest thing is asking to go to the potty. She likes to try to use the potty 4 times an hour, I promise. I don't like to sit with her and stop whatever we're doing every 15 minutes but I don't want to stifle this new passion for the potty. So we sit. All the time. And it's really hard to resist that sweet little voice saying, "Mama, I wanna use the potty!". She also knows everyone's name in our family. Daddy, Mom, Dom, Sissy and she calls herself baby. Grandpa is Pa-pow and she talks about him ALL THE TIME. So sweet to hear our names nowadays.
She's hilarious:
She likes to be everyone's center of attention. If I'm holding her and Nick talks to me and I turn to him, she will literally pull my face back until it's facing her. She will repeat your name over and over again until you are facing her again.
She's huge:
My sister went to give me an old pair of Addie's shoes and they wouldn't fit. When we compared their feet, Gretchen's are actually bigger than Addie's. Not yet 2 and she's wearing a size 7. Big girl. Also wearing all 3T clothes. I'm interested to see her stats when we go to her 2 year appointment...which I guess I should make.
Anyway, she's an adorable, fun, playful, gorgeous little monster and I wouldn't trade her for the world.
She's climbing:
This little monster is going to be a gymnast, I swear. She can climb, run, jump, do amazing things. On the playground, it's borderline scary. I have to watch this kid so carefully or else she could do something dangerous, or at least more dangerous than the things she already attempts. Like her other favorite new thing, climbing out of her crib. Which she hasn't perfected, so it's a terrifying job of putting her to bed and listening for any thuds. It's just about time for a big girl bed, but man I don't want to start that yet either.
She's talking:
I swear she talks better than Annabelle. She can say so many things and she gets better everyday. Her newest thing is asking to go to the potty. She likes to try to use the potty 4 times an hour, I promise. I don't like to sit with her and stop whatever we're doing every 15 minutes but I don't want to stifle this new passion for the potty. So we sit. All the time. And it's really hard to resist that sweet little voice saying, "Mama, I wanna use the potty!". She also knows everyone's name in our family. Daddy, Mom, Dom, Sissy and she calls herself baby. Grandpa is Pa-pow and she talks about him ALL THE TIME. So sweet to hear our names nowadays.
She's hilarious:
She likes to be everyone's center of attention. If I'm holding her and Nick talks to me and I turn to him, she will literally pull my face back until it's facing her. She will repeat your name over and over again until you are facing her again.
She's huge:
My sister went to give me an old pair of Addie's shoes and they wouldn't fit. When we compared their feet, Gretchen's are actually bigger than Addie's. Not yet 2 and she's wearing a size 7. Big girl. Also wearing all 3T clothes. I'm interested to see her stats when we go to her 2 year appointment...which I guess I should make.
Anyway, she's an adorable, fun, playful, gorgeous little monster and I wouldn't trade her for the world.
Ice Bucket Challenge
This ice bucket challenge is a crazy thing. It's been going around the internet for awhile and raised a TON of money for the ASL foundation. Our family has avoided being called out publicly but we finally got called out, or at least a few of us did. Both Dominick and I got called out to take the ice bucket challenge. Dominick was challenged by his Nani and I was challenged by my good friend Lauren. We both completed the challenge and decided to spread the wealth and donate to another good cause, Friends of Kids with Cancer. Let me tell you, it was FREEZING and Dominick hated it! He immediately started crying and ran inside. Once we got dry though he was pretty proud of himself. :)
Nick stood by and watched us get drenched in ice water and all he said after it was over is, Thank you for not nominating me!
Happy ice bucket challenging!
Nick stood by and watched us get drenched in ice water and all he said after it was over is, Thank you for not nominating me!
Happy ice bucket challenging!
Tuesday, August 12, 2014
Back in action
I've been MIA for months. Now I have no excuses. I have a computer at home (thanks Emily!) and my kids are going to school. I can finally get back to recording about our life so we can reread all the important stuff.
Get ready blogger world, because I have some catching up to do!
Get ready blogger world, because I have some catching up to do!
Friday, December 13, 2013
DISHWASHER!!!!
I have a dishwasher!!!!!!!
It's not new, but it works and I love it. :)
My cousin got a new one and gave me hers and it's been installed for 3 days and that's how many times I've used it. LOVE it.
I'm hoping this is the beginning of me falling in love with our house again. Our house is in an AWESOME neighborhood, we have AWESOME neighbors, we have some really cool things about our house. But lately I've wanted to leave for more bedrooms and more storage and a nicer kitchen. I think this is the beginning of things to come.
Yay for appliances!!!
It's not new, but it works and I love it. :)
My cousin got a new one and gave me hers and it's been installed for 3 days and that's how many times I've used it. LOVE it.
I'm hoping this is the beginning of me falling in love with our house again. Our house is in an AWESOME neighborhood, we have AWESOME neighbors, we have some really cool things about our house. But lately I've wanted to leave for more bedrooms and more storage and a nicer kitchen. I think this is the beginning of things to come.
Yay for appliances!!!
Friday, November 29, 2013
30x30 a little over a month to go...
Dang. I'm not sure if I did anything since my last post on this! But my sister brought up my 30x30 and I realized that I better get going.
Here we go:
I'm not doing so hot on this 30 x 30 thing! But I have 6 months to finish...
Here's what's left:
2) Watch the Star Wars Trilogy - DONE!
3) Learn a foreign language - So I have decided on Spanish. I've bought a few books and just found out last night that my brother in law has Rosetta Stone and said I can borrow it when he's done!! I really need to learn Spanish because in the last few weeks I've had a few Spanish only speaking patients. I know a lot of the basics now with medical words. I've learned pain and eat, drink, etc. but I have a LONG way to go. But I'm working on it. As long as I'm working on it before I'm 30 I'm going to count it.
5) Take up golf - This is going to be hard now that it's freezing, but we'll continue to work on it.
6) Write a short story - In progress...
10) Play in a poker tournament at a casino - I talked to my brother in law last night about this one. We might go to a casino soon so hopefully I can knock this off my list. :)
11) Decorate the kids rooms - This will be done around Christmas! We decided to get the kids bunk beds for Christmas so when we pull everything out to do that, I'm going to paint and get some stuff for the walls.
14) Learn to drive a stick shift - Must do...
16) Get into cooking - We are sticking to our budget and cooking at home so this is happening. Not done yet because we aren't consistent enough but it's beginning to become consistent. We'll call this "in progress".
19) Consistently dedicate one night a month to a date night - Tonight we're going on a double date with my sister...we'll count this for November...
20) Start a savings account - DONE! I've had a savings account with little money in it but now Nick's name is on the account and we're going to start having a portion of Nick's paycheck go to this. So it's starting small, but hey, it's starting. And I'm counting it.
21) Make my own recipe - yeah, I've been slacking on this. Will work on it...
22) Go back to Signature Room in Chicago - Maybe for my 30th??
23) Go on a family vacation with my whole family - This is still the case: We have this one planned!!! Unfortunately it's planned for a few months after I turn 30, but it's before I'm thirty one so I'm counting it.
24) Start college funds for the kids - Ok, yeah must do...
25) Consistently have a clean house -Just got done scrubbing the kitchen and doing all the dishes after breakfast. I'm definitely better at this. Just have to keep it up.
26) Get into exercising 3x a week - Thinking of canceling weight watchers and joining a gym. I'm so used to being up at night now that it's hard for me to ever get out. I don't want to go running at midnight outside and I have Gretchen with me every day at home. If I joined a gym I could use their babysitting or go at night if I join a 24 hour gym. So that's my plan.
27) Reach my goal weight -Weight watchers isn't working for me this time. I'm addicting to food and wasting $42.95 a month. So I'm canceling weight watchers. And like 26 said, I'm thinking of joining a gym. That will help. So will eating at home. So I think this one is doable.
28) Finish my brewery quest - 1/3 of the way there. 5 down, 10 to go. I can do it!!!!
Here we go:
I'm not doing so hot on this 30 x 30 thing! But I have 6 months to finish...
Here's what's left:
1) Run a half marathon - DONE!
2) Watch the Star Wars Trilogy - DONE!
3) Learn a foreign language - So I have decided on Spanish. I've bought a few books and just found out last night that my brother in law has Rosetta Stone and said I can borrow it when he's done!! I really need to learn Spanish because in the last few weeks I've had a few Spanish only speaking patients. I know a lot of the basics now with medical words. I've learned pain and eat, drink, etc. but I have a LONG way to go. But I'm working on it. As long as I'm working on it before I'm 30 I'm going to count it.
4) Have 2 of my 4 children - DONE!
5) Take up golf - This is going to be hard now that it's freezing, but we'll continue to work on it.
6) Write a short story - In progress...
7) Complete an indoor triathlon - DONE!
8) Watch Gone with the Wind - DONE!
9) Watch the Godfather - DONE!
10) Play in a poker tournament at a casino - I talked to my brother in law last night about this one. We might go to a casino soon so hopefully I can knock this off my list. :)
11) Decorate the kids rooms - This will be done around Christmas! We decided to get the kids bunk beds for Christmas so when we pull everything out to do that, I'm going to paint and get some stuff for the walls.
12) Shoot a gun - DONE! I went to a shooting course with my neighbor
Jeff. I wasn't any good at it. At all honestly. But I shot a gun and can
cross it off my list. And I don't need to do it again. :)
13) Go back to school - DONE!
14) Learn to drive a stick shift - Must do...
15) Learn to french braid hair - DONE!
16) Get into cooking - We are sticking to our budget and cooking at home so this is happening. Not done yet because we aren't consistent enough but it's beginning to become consistent. We'll call this "in progress".
17) Finish entertainment center - DONE!
18) Register to vote in St. Louis City - DONE!
19) Consistently dedicate one night a month to a date night - Tonight we're going on a double date with my sister...we'll count this for November...
20) Start a savings account - DONE! I've had a savings account with little money in it but now Nick's name is on the account and we're going to start having a portion of Nick's paycheck go to this. So it's starting small, but hey, it's starting. And I'm counting it.
21) Make my own recipe - yeah, I've been slacking on this. Will work on it...
22) Go back to Signature Room in Chicago - Maybe for my 30th??
23) Go on a family vacation with my whole family - This is still the case: We have this one planned!!! Unfortunately it's planned for a few months after I turn 30, but it's before I'm thirty one so I'm counting it.
24) Start college funds for the kids - Ok, yeah must do...
25) Consistently have a clean house -Just got done scrubbing the kitchen and doing all the dishes after breakfast. I'm definitely better at this. Just have to keep it up.
26) Get into exercising 3x a week - Thinking of canceling weight watchers and joining a gym. I'm so used to being up at night now that it's hard for me to ever get out. I don't want to go running at midnight outside and I have Gretchen with me every day at home. If I joined a gym I could use their babysitting or go at night if I join a 24 hour gym. So that's my plan.
27) Reach my goal weight -Weight watchers isn't working for me this time. I'm addicting to food and wasting $42.95 a month. So I'm canceling weight watchers. And like 26 said, I'm thinking of joining a gym. That will help. So will eating at home. So I think this one is doable.
28) Finish my brewery quest - 1/3 of the way there. 5 down, 10 to go. I can do it!!!!
29) Read the Lord of the Rings trilogy - This one might not be done before I turn 30 but if I get one down or at least am getting into it before 30, I'll count it...
30) Become a nurse!! - DONE DONE DONE!!!
13 done, 8 in progress and 9 to get started/done. We're getting closer. :) As always I'll keep you posted. 47 days to go!
Happy Thanksgiving!!
I can't believe that it's already almost December!?!?!?
Where the heck has time gone? So not much is going on with us. Literally not much at all. We had a great Thanksgiving with family. We went to my Dad's side in the morning for brunch and to Nick's sister's in the evening. It was great to only have two things to go to. We had time to go home and take a nap in between events. And it really made us enjoy the time that we were there. Less complaining and whining on the kids part. ;)
Of course I didn't get a picture of anything because I'm super slacking in that department. I PROMISE I'll do better at Christmas!!
But something that came up at Thanksgiving (at both events actually) was that fact that I'm almost 30...EEK!
So my sister brought up my 30x30 and I realized how far behind I am and how much I haven't updated. So get ready for another post about my 30x30. Your favorite thing to read about I know!
On another note, I can't believe that Christmas is less than a month away. I think that I'm going to take full advantage of Cyber Monday. I plan on doing most, if not all, of my Christmas shopping in my PJ's in front of the computer.
Happy Thanksgiving and almost Happy December! Yikes!
Where the heck has time gone? So not much is going on with us. Literally not much at all. We had a great Thanksgiving with family. We went to my Dad's side in the morning for brunch and to Nick's sister's in the evening. It was great to only have two things to go to. We had time to go home and take a nap in between events. And it really made us enjoy the time that we were there. Less complaining and whining on the kids part. ;)
Of course I didn't get a picture of anything because I'm super slacking in that department. I PROMISE I'll do better at Christmas!!
But something that came up at Thanksgiving (at both events actually) was that fact that I'm almost 30...EEK!
So my sister brought up my 30x30 and I realized how far behind I am and how much I haven't updated. So get ready for another post about my 30x30. Your favorite thing to read about I know!
On another note, I can't believe that Christmas is less than a month away. I think that I'm going to take full advantage of Cyber Monday. I plan on doing most, if not all, of my Christmas shopping in my PJ's in front of the computer.
Happy Thanksgiving and almost Happy December! Yikes!
Thursday, September 26, 2013
Brewery #3 - Ferguson Brewing Company
This week I tackled another brewery: Ferguson Brewing Company. I was lucky enough to get a sitter (my parents live near there) so Nick could come too. We got a small group of people to go and had a blast!
I hadn't eaten much that day so I made sure to eat a good meal while we were there too. I highly recommend their beer cheese soup. Their crawfish Po' Boy, not so much. Just being honest.
But the beer was pretty good! I think this whole brewery quest with me grading the breweries etc is a bad idea. I'm not gonna lie, I like beer. So automatically everyone basically gets at least a C+. Give me a decent beer and you're an automatic B. But this is part of a quest, so grade I will.
I did two beer flights while there. The first one had the following beers:
Oatmeal Stout: I'm a fan of stouts. I like coffee stout, oatmeal stout, whatever stout! This was a pretty good one. Not my favorite, but definitely good.
Pale Ale: Like I just said, these can be boring and I had to say it, but this one kind of was. I'd much rather have a Schlafly Pale Ale than this one.
Pecan Brown Ale: I like pecan ales. They are just different enough. Pale ales can be boring, so this adds a little something.
Belgian Wit: This was a good beer. I really liked this one. It had a slightly fruity flavor, like most wheats and I liked it. One of my favorites.
The second flight I did had the following:
Seasonal: Pumpkin Ale: ordinarily I love anything pumpkin. Not kidding. ANYTHING pumpkin. Lattes, candy, and especially beer. But this beer disappointed me. Not a fan of this. :(
Golden Blonde: A VERY light beer. Too light for me. I like a little more flavor to my beer. It was a hit at the table I think but not for me.
Seasonal: Octoberfest: Now this was a hit. I like Sam Adams Octoberfest and I wasn't sure if this one would hold up but it did for me. I liked it. Another one of my favorites.
Hefeweisen: The last beer and the last of my favorites. I love Hefeweisen beers. From anywhere really and this one also didn't disappoint.
You can see on this one that there are two flights. Jim copied me (or I copied him, I really don't remember who ordered first) but it was completely unintentional. We just happened to order the exact same thing.
Overall I had a great time with the people and the location but it wasn't that fantastic for me. The beers were good but not great and while I loved my soup, the rest of my meal was sub par and took forever to come to the table.
Me and two of my favorite girls being goofy.
I give the Ferguson Brewing Company a B-. I'd go back but I'm not in any hurry.
I hadn't eaten much that day so I made sure to eat a good meal while we were there too. I highly recommend their beer cheese soup. Their crawfish Po' Boy, not so much. Just being honest.
But the beer was pretty good! I think this whole brewery quest with me grading the breweries etc is a bad idea. I'm not gonna lie, I like beer. So automatically everyone basically gets at least a C+. Give me a decent beer and you're an automatic B. But this is part of a quest, so grade I will.
I did two beer flights while there. The first one had the following beers:
Oatmeal Stout: I'm a fan of stouts. I like coffee stout, oatmeal stout, whatever stout! This was a pretty good one. Not my favorite, but definitely good.
Pale Ale: Like I just said, these can be boring and I had to say it, but this one kind of was. I'd much rather have a Schlafly Pale Ale than this one.
Pecan Brown Ale: I like pecan ales. They are just different enough. Pale ales can be boring, so this adds a little something.
Belgian Wit: This was a good beer. I really liked this one. It had a slightly fruity flavor, like most wheats and I liked it. One of my favorites.
The second flight I did had the following:
Seasonal: Pumpkin Ale: ordinarily I love anything pumpkin. Not kidding. ANYTHING pumpkin. Lattes, candy, and especially beer. But this beer disappointed me. Not a fan of this. :(
Golden Blonde: A VERY light beer. Too light for me. I like a little more flavor to my beer. It was a hit at the table I think but not for me.
Seasonal: Octoberfest: Now this was a hit. I like Sam Adams Octoberfest and I wasn't sure if this one would hold up but it did for me. I liked it. Another one of my favorites.
Hefeweisen: The last beer and the last of my favorites. I love Hefeweisen beers. From anywhere really and this one also didn't disappoint.
You can see on this one that there are two flights. Jim copied me (or I copied him, I really don't remember who ordered first) but it was completely unintentional. We just happened to order the exact same thing.
Overall I had a great time with the people and the location but it wasn't that fantastic for me. The beers were good but not great and while I loved my soup, the rest of my meal was sub par and took forever to come to the table.
I give the Ferguson Brewing Company a B-. I'd go back but I'm not in any hurry.
Friday, September 20, 2013
Dommie's New School!!
So I JUST realized that I never posted about Dom's first day of school!! OOPS!
So here's a recap. Dom's been in his school for exactly one month. And he loves it. He's already making a lot of friends and he's learning to spell and read already! He has homework every night which is an adjustment but in a good way. He also has a very set schedule which is different from his last school but I think that's good for him too.
Here are some pictures from his first day:
I seriously can't believe he's so big! But I love the school and I think this is a great place for him!
So here's a recap. Dom's been in his school for exactly one month. And he loves it. He's already making a lot of friends and he's learning to spell and read already! He has homework every night which is an adjustment but in a good way. He also has a very set schedule which is different from his last school but I think that's good for him too.
Here are some pictures from his first day:
I seriously can't believe he's so big! But I love the school and I think this is a great place for him!
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
Routines
It's taking us awhile but I think we're finally getting into our routines. All of us. Life is a little crazy around this house most of the time but in a good way.
Dominick is in his new school and doing very well. It will be one month tomorrow. I'm so happy for him and love that he's learning so many things every day. I don't even mind doing homework with him because it means he's learning. He has friends and it seems like he's adjusting extremely well. My big boy is SO big!!
Annabelle has been in her school for about a month and a half. She's doing great too. When I drop her off now, she gives me a hug, then a kiss, then another kiss, then she waves goodbye and she's off. Breaks my heart a little but she's happy and that's all that matters. Her speech has improved but definitely still has room to improve so we're keeping an eye on it. We'll probably go to a place and get another evaluation done but I'm happy for her and happy that I'm understanding more every day.
Gretchen is ONE now!?! Holy cow this past year has flown. She's doing so many things. She can take about 3-4 steps at a time and I'm so proud of that big girl too! She's babbling all the time and for the most part a happy baby. She is definitely a mama's girl. More so than any of the other kids. If she can see me, and I'm not holding her, she's screaming for me. If she can't see me, she's fine. But I better not be in the same room. She goes to a sitter 1-2 days a week and to my mom's maybe one day a week and the rest of the time she's home with me. We're learning how to get things accomplished and still have fun at home. It's a work in progress.
Nick is pretty settled in at his new job. I think he's doing well. He's putting in a lot of time and effort so I hope he's doing well! He's been pretty stressed trying to make sure everything is perfect but I think he's settling in.
I am done with orientation!! I am officially an RN on my own! Yay!!! I go to work tonight and get to do everything on my own and I'm thrilled! I love what I do and I especially love getting to do it without a shadow, no offense to my preceptors!!
Nick's mom is helping us in our routine. When I work at night, I don't get home until 8 am the next day. Nick leaves for work at 6:20 so we have an hour and forty minute gap with no child care. She's been coming over in the morning and helping out. It's been amazing. I hope she doesn't get too tired of it!! Because we need her and love her and appreciate it a TON.
All in all, we are getting there. Just in time for fall. My second favorite time of year (after March madness, of course!).
Oh fall. That's another post all by itself.
But we're getting there. On another note, now that we're getting into a routine, I only have 4 more months on my 30 x 30...better get to work! :)
Happy Wednesday!!
Dominick is in his new school and doing very well. It will be one month tomorrow. I'm so happy for him and love that he's learning so many things every day. I don't even mind doing homework with him because it means he's learning. He has friends and it seems like he's adjusting extremely well. My big boy is SO big!!
Annabelle has been in her school for about a month and a half. She's doing great too. When I drop her off now, she gives me a hug, then a kiss, then another kiss, then she waves goodbye and she's off. Breaks my heart a little but she's happy and that's all that matters. Her speech has improved but definitely still has room to improve so we're keeping an eye on it. We'll probably go to a place and get another evaluation done but I'm happy for her and happy that I'm understanding more every day.
Gretchen is ONE now!?! Holy cow this past year has flown. She's doing so many things. She can take about 3-4 steps at a time and I'm so proud of that big girl too! She's babbling all the time and for the most part a happy baby. She is definitely a mama's girl. More so than any of the other kids. If she can see me, and I'm not holding her, she's screaming for me. If she can't see me, she's fine. But I better not be in the same room. She goes to a sitter 1-2 days a week and to my mom's maybe one day a week and the rest of the time she's home with me. We're learning how to get things accomplished and still have fun at home. It's a work in progress.
Nick is pretty settled in at his new job. I think he's doing well. He's putting in a lot of time and effort so I hope he's doing well! He's been pretty stressed trying to make sure everything is perfect but I think he's settling in.
I am done with orientation!! I am officially an RN on my own! Yay!!! I go to work tonight and get to do everything on my own and I'm thrilled! I love what I do and I especially love getting to do it without a shadow, no offense to my preceptors!!
Nick's mom is helping us in our routine. When I work at night, I don't get home until 8 am the next day. Nick leaves for work at 6:20 so we have an hour and forty minute gap with no child care. She's been coming over in the morning and helping out. It's been amazing. I hope she doesn't get too tired of it!! Because we need her and love her and appreciate it a TON.
All in all, we are getting there. Just in time for fall. My second favorite time of year (after March madness, of course!).
Oh fall. That's another post all by itself.
But we're getting there. On another note, now that we're getting into a routine, I only have 4 more months on my 30 x 30...better get to work! :)
Happy Wednesday!!
Sunday, August 18, 2013
Crock Pot Steak Dinner?? Not so much...
It was ok I guess, but nothing like what I was expecting. It kind of became a soupy mess...
I think I'll stick with soups and pot roasts in the crock pot.
I think I'll stick with soups and pot roasts in the crock pot.
Saturday, August 17, 2013
Steak Dinner!
I found this on facebook...
"Use a thick 3/4 inch steak
Pour a 1/2 cup A1 or Heinz 57 sauce over meat
cover with a layer of foil
add foil wrapped potatoes
and foil wrapped frozen corn cobs
cook on low for 6 hours
Full steak dinner any night of the week! This can also be done with thick pork chops or chicken breasts and BBQ sauce. The whole meal cooks in the slow cooker."
I'm trying this out tonight! I'm really excited. We're using the "Tucker's Place" Steak Sauce, because it's awesome and then I'm going to do a rub on the fresh corn (not frozen). I'm hoping it turns out fantastic!! I'll keep you posted...
"Use a thick 3/4 inch steak
Pour a 1/2 cup A1 or Heinz 57 sauce over meat
cover with a layer of foil
add foil wrapped potatoes
and foil wrapped frozen corn cobs
cook on low for 6 hours
Full steak dinner any night of the week! This can also be done with thick pork chops or chicken breasts and BBQ sauce. The whole meal cooks in the slow cooker."
I'm trying this out tonight! I'm really excited. We're using the "Tucker's Place" Steak Sauce, because it's awesome and then I'm going to do a rub on the fresh corn (not frozen). I'm hoping it turns out fantastic!! I'll keep you posted...
Sunday, August 11, 2013
Fall Cleaning/Fixing up
Nick and I have been talking for awhile about our house... We love it. Absolutely LOVE the neighborhood and the neighbors but we're always thinking about moving. It's always on the back burner. However, we haven't done anything about this. Our house is full of half finished projects and a lot to do to get on the market. The one thing going for us is that our house hasn't lost value. It's actually increased according to Zillow and all the other websites telling you the "market value" of houses. So we just need to start working on things.
So we have.
We went and looked at a house yesterday in the same neighborhood that we used to live in. I loved the house. LOVED it. And it made me really sad that there's practically nothing we can do about it right now. I could picture us living there. I could picture all the space we'd have and it's a price we could afford. If we didn't have our house. So now, here's our plan.
We've (I've) made a list of things we have to do to get our house on the market. A lot of it is really easy things. Touch up paint. Organize. Clean stuff out. That kind of thing. Some of it is bigger. Fix the deck. Replace the upstairs toilet. Patch a few walls. But it's all doable.
So we're doing it. We're picking out a few things to do each week and then if the right house comes along, we'll be ready. Not stuck dreaming about what could have been. I've already starting selling some of the toys our kids have outgrown (that's a win-win. Stuff goes out and I make some money!). And the house we saw, is still on the market right now (the last two we've wanted to look at - sold before we could even get in to see them!) and they aren't moving until October so there is some wiggle room. Maybe we'll get lucky and be ready by then and it will still be on the market.
A girl can dream right?!
Time to clean up and fix it up!
So we have.
We went and looked at a house yesterday in the same neighborhood that we used to live in. I loved the house. LOVED it. And it made me really sad that there's practically nothing we can do about it right now. I could picture us living there. I could picture all the space we'd have and it's a price we could afford. If we didn't have our house. So now, here's our plan.
We've (I've) made a list of things we have to do to get our house on the market. A lot of it is really easy things. Touch up paint. Organize. Clean stuff out. That kind of thing. Some of it is bigger. Fix the deck. Replace the upstairs toilet. Patch a few walls. But it's all doable.
So we're doing it. We're picking out a few things to do each week and then if the right house comes along, we'll be ready. Not stuck dreaming about what could have been. I've already starting selling some of the toys our kids have outgrown (that's a win-win. Stuff goes out and I make some money!). And the house we saw, is still on the market right now (the last two we've wanted to look at - sold before we could even get in to see them!) and they aren't moving until October so there is some wiggle room. Maybe we'll get lucky and be ready by then and it will still be on the market.
A girl can dream right?!
Time to clean up and fix it up!
Thursday, August 1, 2013
Annabelle's First Day of School
TEAR!
I can't believe Annabelle is starting school! It's such a bittersweet moment. I'm thrilled to get to just have Gretchen at home. Being the youngest of three and the youngest by only 18 months, she doesn't get a lot of one on one time. So this is nice. But it's sad that my Belle-Belle is already in school.
This morning was her first day and she's joining in the middle of "spirit week". Today was pajama day. So her first day of school picture is pretty funny. She and Dom are in their PJ's and she looks so happy. Normally she doesn't want to leave in the morning, but this morning she was pulling me to the front store saying, "Go! Go! GO GO GO!".
When we got to school, Dom and I (and Gretchen) brought her to her room before going upstairs to Dom's classroom. She ran right in and made herself at home with the pretend house toys. She grabbed a baby and a highchair and literally couldn't have cared less that I was leaving. I tried to get a few kisses and I got NOTHING. But that's a good thing.
I then took Dom upstairs with one more glance at Annabelle and she was playing with another kid and having so much fun. I hope everyday goes this well.
Nick asked that I wait for him to pick her up today so he can come along so hopefully he doesn't work too late tonight (home past 7 two of the last 3 nights).
What a big girl I have. :)
I can't believe Annabelle is starting school! It's such a bittersweet moment. I'm thrilled to get to just have Gretchen at home. Being the youngest of three and the youngest by only 18 months, she doesn't get a lot of one on one time. So this is nice. But it's sad that my Belle-Belle is already in school.
This morning was her first day and she's joining in the middle of "spirit week". Today was pajama day. So her first day of school picture is pretty funny. She and Dom are in their PJ's and she looks so happy. Normally she doesn't want to leave in the morning, but this morning she was pulling me to the front store saying, "Go! Go! GO GO GO!".
When we got to school, Dom and I (and Gretchen) brought her to her room before going upstairs to Dom's classroom. She ran right in and made herself at home with the pretend house toys. She grabbed a baby and a highchair and literally couldn't have cared less that I was leaving. I tried to get a few kisses and I got NOTHING. But that's a good thing.
I then took Dom upstairs with one more glance at Annabelle and she was playing with another kid and having so much fun. I hope everyday goes this well.
Nick asked that I wait for him to pick her up today so he can come along so hopefully he doesn't work too late tonight (home past 7 two of the last 3 nights).
What a big girl I have. :)
Third Weigh In
Not a great number but it's still going down.
Lost .6 lbs this week. Not a good week but like I said, anything going DOWN is good. So I'll jump back on the wagon and try to do better next week.
Yuck, this is a long process. But it's worth it! Just 20.8 lbs to go! :)
Lost .6 lbs this week. Not a good week but like I said, anything going DOWN is good. So I'll jump back on the wagon and try to do better next week.
Yuck, this is a long process. But it's worth it! Just 20.8 lbs to go! :)
Saturday, July 27, 2013
Brewery #2 on my quest
I went to Schlafly bottleworks with my future sister in law this past week and it was awesome, like I knew it would be. We met after work so it was pretty late, but not so late that we still couldn't eat! We split their appetizer of soft pretzels with hefeweizen cheese sauce and we split a pizza (pepperoni and mushroom). It was delicious food!
But on to the more important part of the evening...the beer! :)
I liked pretty much all of these beers!
1) Pale Ale - This is a classic. Who doesn't like Schlafly Pale Ale?? It's a good beer that goes down smooth.
2) Hefeweizen - One of my favorites by Schlafly. It would have been better if it were the raspberry hefeweizen but regular hefe will do. :)
3) Kolsch - This is a light beer and pretty good. Not as good as the summer lager or the hefe in my opinion but definitely still good.
4) Dry Hopped IPA - Not a fan. But I figured I wouldn't be. I just don't like IPAs very much. Don't get me wrong, I still drank it all! Let's not get crazy but not my favorite. I'll drink it in a sample, but not as a pint.
5) Summer Lager - This is a great beer to drink outside at a picnic during the summer. It's light and has flavor and literally screams "summer". I like this beer and it's one of our favorites to get from Schnucks to just have around the house.
6) Oatmeal Stout - So incredibly pleasantly surprised by this beer. LOVED it. It's definitely heavier but I knew it would be. So much flavor, so delicious. Loved it.
Overall I had a great time at the Bottleworks in Maplewood. Good beer, good food, great company. :) Will definitely go there again and keep buying their beer! This brewery gets an A!
But on to the more important part of the evening...the beer! :)
I liked pretty much all of these beers!
1) Pale Ale - This is a classic. Who doesn't like Schlafly Pale Ale?? It's a good beer that goes down smooth.
2) Hefeweizen - One of my favorites by Schlafly. It would have been better if it were the raspberry hefeweizen but regular hefe will do. :)
3) Kolsch - This is a light beer and pretty good. Not as good as the summer lager or the hefe in my opinion but definitely still good.
4) Dry Hopped IPA - Not a fan. But I figured I wouldn't be. I just don't like IPAs very much. Don't get me wrong, I still drank it all! Let's not get crazy but not my favorite. I'll drink it in a sample, but not as a pint.
5) Summer Lager - This is a great beer to drink outside at a picnic during the summer. It's light and has flavor and literally screams "summer". I like this beer and it's one of our favorites to get from Schnucks to just have around the house.
6) Oatmeal Stout - So incredibly pleasantly surprised by this beer. LOVED it. It's definitely heavier but I knew it would be. So much flavor, so delicious. Loved it.
Overall I had a great time at the Bottleworks in Maplewood. Good beer, good food, great company. :) Will definitely go there again and keep buying their beer! This brewery gets an A!
Thursday, July 25, 2013
Second Weigh in
I was so bad this week. SO bad. I started at a new job and went through orientation where they give you food. I went out to Schlafly with my future sister in law and drank beer and ate pretzels and pizza. I ate ice cream. I was bad.
But even though I did all of those things, I still tried to eat better or eat less of the bad stuff. I only ate 1 pretzel and 2 pieces of pizza instead of 2 pretzels and 3 pieces. I ate a snack size McFlurry instead of a regular. And I made healthy dinners.
Somehow, I even managed to lose weight. I lost 2 lbs this week making my total 6.2 lbs lost. So I hit my first goal! And my second one is less than 3 lbs away. I'm going to be VERY good this week and hit that goal. I'm very proud of how this is going. I'm making it a lifestyle and not being too hard on myself and it's working. I'm even slowly getting back into exercising.
Yay for weight watchers and yay for my goals!! :) 5 1/2 months and counting!
But even though I did all of those things, I still tried to eat better or eat less of the bad stuff. I only ate 1 pretzel and 2 pieces of pizza instead of 2 pretzels and 3 pieces. I ate a snack size McFlurry instead of a regular. And I made healthy dinners.
Somehow, I even managed to lose weight. I lost 2 lbs this week making my total 6.2 lbs lost. So I hit my first goal! And my second one is less than 3 lbs away. I'm going to be VERY good this week and hit that goal. I'm very proud of how this is going. I'm making it a lifestyle and not being too hard on myself and it's working. I'm even slowly getting back into exercising.
Yay for weight watchers and yay for my goals!! :) 5 1/2 months and counting!
Saturday, July 20, 2013
Weigh in (a little late)
So I weighed in last week and I lost 4.2 lbs!! Woohoo!
However, my motivation has gone this week. I'm trying to get my act together but man all I want is sugar and ice cream and carbs and BAD BAD food!!
But I'm trying to straighten back out by Tuesday's weigh in. Yikes. Wish me luck!!
However, my motivation has gone this week. I'm trying to get my act together but man all I want is sugar and ice cream and carbs and BAD BAD food!!
But I'm trying to straighten back out by Tuesday's weigh in. Yikes. Wish me luck!!
Tuesday, July 16, 2013
Weight watchers...AGAIN
So I broke down and joined weight watchers again. I know there are a million losing weight apps out there but they weren't working for me. I'm too stubborn. I need the accountability that weighing in at a weight watchers facility gives me. Someone else is going to see my weight. And I'm going to have a little book with a record of it. I MUST lose weight for those reasons alone!
So I joined on the 7th. I did my first official weigh in on the 9th. One week ago today. I weighed 182.4. Yikes. The highest "healthy" weight for my height is 169.0. So here are my goals (because if you know me at all, you know I like lots of small goals so I feel accomplished):
1) Let's start easy, 5 lbs. It's doable and a good number and makes me feel better about myself.
2) 5% of my body weight lost - so 9 lbs. So that would have me weighing in at 173.4. That's a good goal because it's close to that healthy range and it's halfway to 10% which has a TON of health benefits.
3) Getting to that healthy range of 169.0
4) 10% of my body weight lost - so 18 lbs and weighing in at 164.4.
And my last goal is: 5) Weighing 155-160. That's my goal range. The technical healthy range for my height is 135-169 but I think 155-160 is much more realistic for me.
So here we go. Today is my first weigh in. I'm going in 20 minutes. Hopefully I at least lost a lb! I've been sticking to it for the most part (who doesn't have cheat days?).
Last night I made an AMAZING meal from the weight watchers website. I'm going to share it here so I always have it. It was SO good and SO easy and I loved it. Nick probably didn't, but he'll survive. :)
It's chicken, tomato and basil packets!
You take a piece of foil and spray it with cooking spray. Then place one 4 oz piece of chicken in the center. Spread 1/4 tsp of minced garlic on the chicken. Then top with 1/8 tsp of each salt and pepper. Sprinkle 1 tsp of olive oil over the chicken and add 1/2 cup of grape tomatoes and 1/4 cup of fresh basil leaves around the chicken (or on top if they will stay). Fold the short ends of the foil up and fold over twice to make a good seal. Then fold the sides with a double fold to create another seal. Just make sure there is enough space in the packet for steam. Bake in an oven set to 450 degrees for 30 minutes. Be careful when opening because there's a lot of steam in there and it will be hot!
The chicken is So juicy and tender and just plain fantastic! And each packet is only 5 points!! I made those and cut up a cantaloupe, make some mixed veggies and had a salad (dressing on the side). Delicious and low in points. Loved it.
I think this is my time to finally hit my goal weight. My 30th is looming and I know I want to hit that goal weight before then. I have just under 6 months. I KNOW I can do it.
So I joined on the 7th. I did my first official weigh in on the 9th. One week ago today. I weighed 182.4. Yikes. The highest "healthy" weight for my height is 169.0. So here are my goals (because if you know me at all, you know I like lots of small goals so I feel accomplished):
1) Let's start easy, 5 lbs. It's doable and a good number and makes me feel better about myself.
2) 5% of my body weight lost - so 9 lbs. So that would have me weighing in at 173.4. That's a good goal because it's close to that healthy range and it's halfway to 10% which has a TON of health benefits.
3) Getting to that healthy range of 169.0
4) 10% of my body weight lost - so 18 lbs and weighing in at 164.4.
And my last goal is: 5) Weighing 155-160. That's my goal range. The technical healthy range for my height is 135-169 but I think 155-160 is much more realistic for me.
So here we go. Today is my first weigh in. I'm going in 20 minutes. Hopefully I at least lost a lb! I've been sticking to it for the most part (who doesn't have cheat days?).
Last night I made an AMAZING meal from the weight watchers website. I'm going to share it here so I always have it. It was SO good and SO easy and I loved it. Nick probably didn't, but he'll survive. :)
It's chicken, tomato and basil packets!
You take a piece of foil and spray it with cooking spray. Then place one 4 oz piece of chicken in the center. Spread 1/4 tsp of minced garlic on the chicken. Then top with 1/8 tsp of each salt and pepper. Sprinkle 1 tsp of olive oil over the chicken and add 1/2 cup of grape tomatoes and 1/4 cup of fresh basil leaves around the chicken (or on top if they will stay). Fold the short ends of the foil up and fold over twice to make a good seal. Then fold the sides with a double fold to create another seal. Just make sure there is enough space in the packet for steam. Bake in an oven set to 450 degrees for 30 minutes. Be careful when opening because there's a lot of steam in there and it will be hot!
The chicken is So juicy and tender and just plain fantastic! And each packet is only 5 points!! I made those and cut up a cantaloupe, make some mixed veggies and had a salad (dressing on the side). Delicious and low in points. Loved it.
I think this is my time to finally hit my goal weight. My 30th is looming and I know I want to hit that goal weight before then. I have just under 6 months. I KNOW I can do it.
Saturday, July 13, 2013
Granite City Brewing Company
Well one brewery down, just 14 to go!!
Some wonderful friends joined me for my first brewery in my quest. Abbie, Jim, Michelle and Ashley joined me at Granite City Brewing Company in Creve Coeur. I thought it was great!
First things first, I did a beer sampler platter. Four of their signature beers AND four of their seasonal beers for $3.95. And they are 5 oz samples. Um, Yes please! Good price, good drinks. I liked it.
I'm going to break down the beers as I liked them in case anyone ever goes there or in case I go back and forget how great some of them were. :)
The beer sampler!
1) Northern Light Lager - a little too light for me. It was the closest thing to Bud Light and I didn't like that. I know a lot of my friends liked it but I'd rather have more craft beer flavor in my beer.
2) Duke of Wellington India Pale Ale - I'm not normally a fan of IPA's, but this one was pretty good. It was a little hoppy for me, but good flavor overall.
3) Brother Benedict's Bock - This was a pretty good beer! Again, not my absolute favorite, but better than I thought it was going to be. I got a little nervous of the color. (It's a little dark and I love wheats and white ales so I was nervous, but it was good).
4) A double IPA that I didn't get the name of... - I was expecting to hate this. I LOVED it. I thought it was really good. Not my favorite but top 3 for sure.
5) A blend between the Northern Light and the Brother Benedict's Bock - This was ok. More flavor than just the Northern Light but again, just ok in my opinion. Which was a shame, because I loved the Bock but the Northern Light just brought it down.
6) A seasonal unfiltered wheat - #1. I loved this. It had such great flavor. Almost citrus-y without any fruit added. I wish I knew the name, but they just told me it was a seasonal wheat. I see they have the Whag's American Wheat on their menu so maybe this isn't seasonal and they were confused?? Hopefully because I'd love to try it again!
7) A white ale - Again, I love a white ale. Blue Moon, Shock Top, White Rascal, love those beers. This was a good beer, but nothing compared to the Wheat.
8) A blend between the Duke of Wellington India Pale Ale and the Northern Light - This was decent. But since I didn't love the IPA and I didn't love the Northern Light, it was just ok in my book.
Overall, good beer sampler (can't beat that price!) and everyone else liked the food (I didn't eat since I started weight watchers and was using all my points on beer!). I give this brewery a B+.
Here are a few pics of the night:
Some wonderful friends joined me for my first brewery in my quest. Abbie, Jim, Michelle and Ashley joined me at Granite City Brewing Company in Creve Coeur. I thought it was great!
First things first, I did a beer sampler platter. Four of their signature beers AND four of their seasonal beers for $3.95. And they are 5 oz samples. Um, Yes please! Good price, good drinks. I liked it.
I'm going to break down the beers as I liked them in case anyone ever goes there or in case I go back and forget how great some of them were. :)
The beer sampler!
1) Northern Light Lager - a little too light for me. It was the closest thing to Bud Light and I didn't like that. I know a lot of my friends liked it but I'd rather have more craft beer flavor in my beer.
2) Duke of Wellington India Pale Ale - I'm not normally a fan of IPA's, but this one was pretty good. It was a little hoppy for me, but good flavor overall.
3) Brother Benedict's Bock - This was a pretty good beer! Again, not my absolute favorite, but better than I thought it was going to be. I got a little nervous of the color. (It's a little dark and I love wheats and white ales so I was nervous, but it was good).
4) A double IPA that I didn't get the name of... - I was expecting to hate this. I LOVED it. I thought it was really good. Not my favorite but top 3 for sure.
5) A blend between the Northern Light and the Brother Benedict's Bock - This was ok. More flavor than just the Northern Light but again, just ok in my opinion. Which was a shame, because I loved the Bock but the Northern Light just brought it down.
6) A seasonal unfiltered wheat - #1. I loved this. It had such great flavor. Almost citrus-y without any fruit added. I wish I knew the name, but they just told me it was a seasonal wheat. I see they have the Whag's American Wheat on their menu so maybe this isn't seasonal and they were confused?? Hopefully because I'd love to try it again!
7) A white ale - Again, I love a white ale. Blue Moon, Shock Top, White Rascal, love those beers. This was a good beer, but nothing compared to the Wheat.
8) A blend between the Duke of Wellington India Pale Ale and the Northern Light - This was decent. But since I didn't love the IPA and I didn't love the Northern Light, it was just ok in my book.
Overall, good beer sampler (can't beat that price!) and everyone else liked the food (I didn't eat since I started weight watchers and was using all my points on beer!). I give this brewery a B+.
Here are a few pics of the night:
The menu at GC Brewery
My sampler - what a deal right?!?!
Me enjoying a nice sample. :)
One down and 14 to go. Hopefully going to hit up Urban Chestnut in a few weeks. Can't wait!!
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