Spring Cleaning - Get the Debt Out!

This is the last week for the Spring Cleaning carnival - holy cow, have I learned a lot! The final topic is debt, and you can find Claire from Money Saving Plan sharing her story at Kitchen Stewardship, then read how to get out of debt over at Money Saving Plan.

Since we are basically small business owners of our farm, we simply must carry some debt. However, we have been working on minimizing the amount of debt we must incur, and we keep careful track of the money we spend.

When I was still single, I tracked my spending on paper, using a pre-printed accounting book. For my needs, it worked fine...and it helped that I'm a math nerd and loved adding up all the numbers every month. Then I married Hubs, and it made more sense to use a spreadsheet. That also worked fine, though I got to a point where I wanted to be able to pull out data and I wasn't able to do that.

Now, I use Microsoft Money. It probably isn't the best program, but it surely does what I need it to do. For a very short time, I tried using Quickbooks, but I just couldn't wrap my head around it. (And apparently I'm not too ashamed to admit that!)

For me, one of the hardest parts is sitting down to input the data. If there is only a little bit, then I tend to put it off until I have more. Then I get too much, and I put it off because "I don't have time" - which is entirely not true. In theory, I try to do my data entry at least one time a month, when I get the credit card statement. That way I can match receipts to charges and make sure everything is OK. That doesn't always happen, though.

A few years ago, I created a home management binder and thought that scheduling an office day would be a good way to stay on top of things. Apparently sticking to schedules isn't my strong point, sigh.

Although all this sounds like I'm not doing all that good of a job, I actually have a decent handle on where our money goes. I have also started trying to pay cash for as much as I can - not because it helps me stay on a budget (which we don't really have, I'll admit it) and not because we use the envelope system (though I admit it intrigues me) but because it helps keep the credit card bill down. The checks that I cash come from my part-time work and various other minor sources, so it feels kind of like "free money" if you will.

I also admit that Hubs and I have both been blessed and we spent many years living below our means, so that helps. If you want to read more stories on debt and how to get it out, check out the linky at Saving Money Plan. You can enter there for the giveaway to win a $25 gift card to Best Buy OR one of two copies of Kitchen Stewardship’s Family Camping Handbook. (As much as I enjoyed the snack eBook, I can't WAIT to read this one!)

Finally, if you'd like to go back and read any of the previous topics in the Spring Cleaning carnival, you can find them here. Thanks for coming along for the ride!

Spring Cleaning Carnival - Get the Parabens Out!

It's spring cleaning day again! This week, Micaela at Mindful Momma is educating us on parabens. You can read the first part of her story at Kitchen Stewardship and the second part at Mindful Momma. You can also see the previous and upcoming topics here. Finally, go check out the lotion giveaway going on at KS! (whew.)

I'll admit that parabens have not been on my watch list. We all have priorities based on the many and varied dynamics of our household. I really appreciate the opportunity to educate myself on things like this, though, and as I continue baby-stepping my way toward healthier living, I never know when a bit of info I tucked away somewhere will suddenly click.

One thing that concerns me to learn about parabens is that they are prevalent in baby products. Yikes! (See how I make homemade baby wipes and spray detangler for my little one - just make sure you use paraben free inputs!) It was interesting to note that parabens are mainly used as preservatives. We typically think of preservatives in food, but it certainly stands to reason that health and beauty products "go bad" as well.

So, what's a mama to do? Micaela tells is in her post how easy it is to make our own products, and that way we know exactly what is in them. She also gives us permission to use up our paraben-containing products rather than throw them away immediately, and this also gives us time to find a good replacement!

Katie tells is in her Monday Mission at Kitchen Stewardship how she wears less makeup, uses homemade deodorant, and has gone to the no-shampoo method of caring for her hair. I never really got into the habit of wearing much makeup in the first place, and have worn it even less often since my daughter was born. The less you put on, the less you have to take off! I'm not sure I'm quite ready to give up my deodorant yet, but a quick glance at the ingredient list didn't show any paraben-containing ingredients. (Aluminum is another story, sigh.)

If you haven't heard of the "no-poo" method of caring for your hair, I encourage you to check the link above. It is important to note that there is a period of acclimation, but it's survivable. :>) Up until last summer, my hair was past my waist and my relationship with my conditioner rock-solid. I've since had my personal stylist (aka my mother!) cut more off every time and my hair is now the shortest it's been since middle school or so. Perhaps it's time for me to give the no-poo method a try? Well, I have a handful of bottles of Suave shampoo and conditioner tucked away, so perhaps not quite yet.

That isn't to say that I've not made a baby step at all, though it wasn't exactly intentional. I'm not quite there yet in my "About Me" series, but just after Christmas in 2006, we lost power for a week due to an ice storm that took down miles and miles of power lines and poles. During that time, we stayed at Hubs's grandmother's place along with Hubs's parents.

Our bathing choices were limited to a 1950s style added in shower in the basement (if you've ever seen - or showered in! - one, you'll know exactly what I'm talking about - if not, consider yourself lucky) or the teeny tiny bathtub. And either way, we had to be quick, because the water was pumped by electricity. Please note that I was 7 months pregnant with Goose at the time! So during that week, I took one "bath" in the tub (there was so little water, it barely qualified) and one shower at a friend's house in a nearby town that had their power restored much more quickly than we did. I still think about that pink-tiled piece of heaven...

My point is, my body soon adjusted to bathing less. Since I was due to deliver a baby in the next several weeks, I just kind of went with the reduced bathing schedule. Turns out it was one of my better decisions as skipping showers with a newborn left much more time for the important things like sleeping, eating, sleeping, and sleeping. Did I mention sleeping? :>)

Admittedly, while I don't want to like parabens, I am pretty sure I've been supporting their inclusion in ingredient lists because living in the middle of nowhere means that I prefer to have an extra of [insert item here] in the cabinet (or six of them). And these preservatives mean I can do just that. But just as I'm learning how to make do with fewer preservatives in our food, I think I can learn how to make do with fewer preservatives in the other items we use.

Next week, it's my turn to host the Spring Cleaning Carnival on getting food additives out. I'm learning a lot as I go, and looking forward to learning from others next week! I hope you can join us!

Spring Cleaning - Get the Sugar Out

Where on earth does time go?!? The week has flown by, and it's time to read more about why to avoid refined sugar at Kitchen Stewardship and some great tips for reducing your sugar intake at Naturally Knocked Up. Next week learn about parabens and how to find safer personal products with Mindful Momma, and find the entire schedule here. Make sure to click through to Kitchen Stewardship and Naturally Knocked Up for a chance to win an enormous jar of natural and super-yummy sounding dried fruit and a copy of Katie's e-book Healthy Snacks to Go.

I re-submitted my post on my Yeast Elimination Diet since it cut out sugar as well as white flour. I didn't notice a difference in how I felt back then, probably because I was pretty busy caring for a baby and struggling with baby blues and insomnia. I'm thinking it's time to give it another try, though!

Regular readers may have noticed (or not :>)) that I didn't get a Reading the Whole Internet post up this weekend... life got in the way and I'm a believer in Blogging Without Obligation. I also didn't write a Daybook post last week, and I'm hoping to get one done this week.

In good news, the sun is shining and the birds are chirping! In not-so-good-news, my washing machine drained on my (carpeted!) laundry room floor yesterday. This was especially interesting and exciting as about five years ago, an enormous jug of laundry detergent cracked unbeknownst to me and leaked quite a bit on the floor before I realized it. At the time, we decided to just leave it alone as we couldn't figure out a way to clean it up and we just figured we'd replace the carpet sometime.

I got out the shop vac and set it up for wet cleanup but the soap made waaaay too many bubbles and they started shooting out of the top of the shop vac (something with the foam filter, I think - and yes, the instruction manual said to leave the foam filter in for wet cleanup, I checked!). So, we're running the dehumidifier. I'm thinking the time to replace the carpet is NOW, but since Hubs is starting field work and planting, that means long days in the tractor and no time to help, and I'm not sure this is something I want to tackle on my own!

Here's hoping your week is a little less exciting than mine. :>)

Settling into the New Year

I've mentioned before that I'm a firm believer in blogging without obligation but I seem to forget to remind you guys of that before I decide that I don't feel obligated to blog. :>)

We have returned from a four-day trip to visit my brother's family where Goose was surrounded by and doted upon by her four cousins. And Grandma. Who, if she was holding one two year old, had to be holding the other. RIGHT NOW! The littlest is about seven months younger than Goose, and the others are 10, 6, and 5, so she gets carried around a lot by them.

At one point, the 6 and 2 year olds were petting Goose as I was holding her. Petting her, like she was a nappy! Goose clearly didn't care for it, so I taught her to tell them "no thank you!" which lasted about 90 seconds before they started petting her again. Oh, that she will always be so loved by someone! Hee.

The same day we got home, Hubs's sister and her family arrived after a 24 hour trip from Alaska. This is the first time Goose has met her only boy cousin (he's almost 10 months old), so we've been trying to spend a bit of time with them. We're planning a little meet-and-greet shower-sort-of-thing for this weekend, so I've been busy working on that as well. Even though I did a mostly handmade Christmas, I still squeezed our budget pretty tightly so my contributions are leaning towards the things that take lots of time and love and not so much money. (I think I have pretty much a final update on the handmade Christmas post, so if you'd like to see how everything ended up, you can click through. Unless you're one of the two people with whom we've not yet had Christmas. Sorry, girls.)

I actually started on a Reading the Whole Internet post while I was there, and a resolutions post, but haven't made the time to finish either since returning home. And right now, there is an enormous stack of dishes on the counter and I'm not dressed yet for the day, so those posts are going to have to wait a bit longer. Also? It's supposed to get crazy cold and yucky out again. So, we won't be going anywhere if we can help it, which will hopefully translate into a few posts getting written. But I make no promises, and I don't feel too obligated. :>)

Hope everyone is having a good start to the new year!

Almost Ready

We are having another round of lousy weather - just in time for people trying to travel to be with their loved ones. Prayers for all who are en route! We'll be celebrating Christmas Day with Hubs's extended family and then heading out on Saturday to see my brother's family. (Hopefully we'll have good weather! I think it's going to be too windy for Hubs to to fly us, but we'll see.)

In case anyone is wondering how to protect a Christmas tree from a two-year-old and two inquisitive cats, wonder no more...

This is the beauty of having a fake tree. I only put the branches on to halfway down. The toddler actually hasn't bothered the tree very much - and the ornaments on the lower branches are pictures of her cousins, so they are touchable. It's the white thumbed creature that keeps things exciting around here. I've caught her standing up on her back legs and swiping at anything that she thinks is within reach . . . and I've seen more than one dive at the piece of fabric I use as a tree skirt. That's when it actually happens to be under the tree, though. Usually Goose is using it as a wrap or a blanket to tuck in her Nappies.

I have really been enjoying Goose's love of Christmas things, and I'd like to think she actually is excited that it's Jesus's birthday. After her nap (since it's getting dark about the time she wakes up - or after she gets up if she doesn't fall asleep), we plug in the tree and flip on the outside lights, then we light the Advent wreath. I've been singing "O Come O Come Emmanuel" to open our prayers, and when she heard the song elsewhere this week, she told me it was time to light the candle. :>) She's especially looking forward to lighting the white candle, which I told her we can do on Christmas.

I'm *almost* done with my Handmade Christmas items, though there are a few that just aren't going to be done in time. And I'm OK with that. (Especially since we aren't celebrating with Hubs's immediate family for another week - that buys me some time!) I have a few more things to update at that post, and a few more posts to put together and link up. I think blogging about stuff takes almost as long as making it! Hee. But I'm really pleased with all I've done, and I hope the recipients are, too.

Holy Amazon Sales!

These are too super not to share! Amazon.com has some AMAZING deals on board games and Melissa & Doug toys. Those links will take you to a deal blog I enjoy very much, Want Not. The links are affiliate links for her - she works hard getting us fab deals, and deserves the bit that Amazon will send her way from them. No idea how long the prices will last, so grab while the grabbing is good!

Another note - my nieces and nephew are taken care of for gifts for a very long time. So, for my mom and sisters-in-law, here's a picture to enjoy instead of clicking through:

Laptop Spill

A while back, I linked to an old post at The Simple Dollar with instructions on what to do if you spill liquid on your laptop computer. Am I ever glad I did! Last weekend, I went to look something up on my computer that was sitting on the kitchen table, and I realized a glass of water had gotten knocked over on my laptop. After an initial OH MY CRAP moment, I quickly shut my computer down, remembering that was the first step. I made sure the battery was not connected, unplugged the power cord, and dumped out as much water as I could. I then headed downstairs to pull that post up on Hubs's computer.

Thankfully what I spilled was actually filtered water, so I was able to skip some of the steps. I put my computer in a spare room (away from a certain inquisitive Goose) and directed a fan on it. I waited 24 hours to power it back up, and I breathed a huge sigh of relief when it booted right up. The keyboard was a little quirky for a bit and has quirked a time or two since then, but for the most part, it was hardly a blip! (Breathe another sigh of relief.)

Valerie at Frugal Family Fun Blog noted that setting the victimized computer in a bin of rice may also be helpful as the rice will absorb moisture. I'm thankful I didn't have to try as most of my rice is currently wrapped up for Christmas presents.

The moral of the story here is be super careful with stuff around your computer, and know what to do or where to find help if it happens to you! A big thanks to Trent for linking back to that post several weeks ago - I'd have never known otherwise...

7 Quick Takes - Snowed In Edition

I've been so busy working on my handmade Christmas stuff and posting for Frugal Fridays that I haven't done a Quick Takes post in forever! Let's see what I can pull together before Goose gets up.

-----(1)-----
We got about a foot of snow this week. The first wave was Sunday night, the second was Monday night to Wednesday early early morning. Temperatures have been around zero.

-----(2)-----
The two-year-old and I did not poke out so much as a toe from Monday at noon to Thursday at 3:30 PM. That was getting a bit rough!

-----(3)-----
Aforementioned 2YO has taken to chucking most to all of the stuff out of her crib at naptime or bedtime, then hollers for mama to come pick it up.

-----(4)-----
#3 is a problem because her wall-mounted space heater isn't working well enough to keep up with the COLD temps, so we've had to move in another space heater that sits on the floor. Since Goose is a lousy sleeper, I don't peek in on her much for fear of waking her up. You'd better believe I've been peeking in, though, to make sure there isn't a pillow or blanket or stray Nappy resting on the space heater, waiting to burst into flames . . .

-----(5)-----
Goose started potty training back at the end of September, and after about a month or so, she seemed to have the hang of it and wasn't having too many accidents; and if she did, she was able to stop she'd holler "put the tinkles in the potty!" and we'd take care of it. After about a month of that, I decided it was time to stop telling her when to go potty (unless it was obvious - when she got up, before nap, etc.). After a few days of doing reasonably well, she started having accidents again. And, she started wetting her diaper in the morning and after naps instead of waiting for me to get her up. I'm kind of bummed, but since we've gone back to my telling her every 2 hours or so, it's been better. Except the diaper thing, which is a bummer because I'd been re-using her disposables since they weren't wet... I'd love to go back to using cloth for $$$ reasons, but I fear that since they're bulkier, they'll encourage her to wet.

-----(6)-----
(Note to self: now that Goose is mostly out of diapers, I *really* need to get a post written on our beloved cloth diapering methods.)

-----(7)-----
I've linked to Faith & Family Live a number of times - did you know that they have a magazine? It's an excellent read for Catholic families. I've been a subscriber for over a year now, and I really enjoy it. I've also read the website since its inception - it is both a blog for a handful of very insightful moms (with an occasional dad and/or priest thrown in for a guest post) and there are occasional articles as well, some crossing over from its sister publication, the National Catholic Register (also an excellent publication). Good stuff! If there's a mom on your Christmas list that you're not sure what to get her, this is a sure bet. You can subscribe here or get a gift subscription here. You won't be sorry!

A Friend When You Need Her Most

I've been a bit sad the past couple of days. Nothing huge, just a few things that didn't quite go my way. However, I was blessed with a visit from my friend Shaye. We met through our work with the Nebraska Friends of Midwives and since we live just shy of 400 miles apart, we'd not yet met in person.

(I had however read Shaye's birth story of her youngest son. Several times. Makes me cry each time. And laugh when I get to the part about her grabbing her headphones and singing her way through each contraction.)

That all changed today. Shaye's hubs had a conference in the nearby city, and their whole family packed up in the van and road tripped out. They even packed up in the van again this morning and came out to visit me! Her sweeties are 6, 4, and 17 months. (I pirated the picture above from her little one's first birthday. Of course, I didn't pick my camera up a single time they were here!)

Once they got here, we loaded BACK up in their van and went over to the farm to feed cats, pet kittens, chase chickens, and talk to cows. We also took a windshield tour of the area, including the pigs. We then came back home for some lunch, and I think between Shaye and me, we may have put together six complete sentences to each other. But it was wonderfully delightful as it was!

Since my Goose is an only honker and we don't get out much, I always wonder how she'll be with other kids. It started about as expected - "MY slide!" MY bike!" "MY baby Jesus toys!" (Nativity set) But after we came back from the farm, they were all a big jumble playing and having a great time. I think Goose especially took a shine to the 4-year-old . . . I don't know if I'm ready for her to be interested in "older men" yet but if she is, this would be a good one. :>)

So, in the midst of a bit of rain, God sent me a beautiful rainbow in this visit. Come back to the farm soon, Shaye, we miss you already!!

For more Finer Things, go visit another friend Amy - when are you coming back to Nebraska, anyway, Amy? :>)

About Me Part 2

Kitchen Tip Tuesday is taking two weeks off, so I thought I'd better come up with *something* else to post about, eh? :>) I managed to come down with a terrible head cold this week and am trying to get more things canned, so that's keeping me busy. Yesterday was a LOOOONG day - I couldn't sleep and finally got up around 4 AM to make salsa, thinking I could get it done and get a nap later. I didn't want to run the food processor thinking it might wake Goose, but by the time I got everything chopped and simmering, she was up for the day anyway.

By the time I put Goose down for her nap yesterday, I was *so* ready to eat my lunch and lay down, but she didn't take a very long nap. When I finally went in to get her, I discovered why - I'd accidentally shut her very best friend, our white cat, in with her. I think they had a good time, but there wasn't much sleeping. We all made it to bedtime without too many trials, thankfully.

So. As noted here in part 1, I knew within a few months of working my first job after college that Sam's Club didn't hold much of a future for me. I worked with head hunters, scoured the classified ads, networked the best I knew how, and applied anywhere and everywhere.

I finally landed at a marketing research company. The president hired me and told me I could pick one of three or four departments to work in, but just kind of tossed me into one of them for the afternoon. They took pity on me and treated me very well, but it wasn't exactly what I wanted. The next morning, I went in and said I wanted to write reports.

That job was actually pretty fun for a "stats geek" like me - and actually, that was my suggestion for the name of our company softball team. In my department, we would get a data file of statistics, create graphs, and then write out explanations. I met a fellow from the neighboring department who was also on the softball team and we began dating. At that point, I was still very lonely, and I fancied myself in love. We wanted to get married, so I co-signed for a diamond ring (and didn't exactly see THAT as a red flag yet, sigh) and he proposed.

My parents were less than impressed, and our co-workers were surprised because we had kept our relationship pretty quiet. I jumped into making wedding plans because I so badly wanted to be in love and married, but within a month, I knew it was never going to happen. I didn't break things off, though. I was in a city where I didn't know many people, and we did have fun. Plus he needed me, and for some reason, women seem to like to be needed.

I commenced another job search that summer. I had piled up my vacation time and spent a month traveling in Mexico. My roommate from the Puebla trip and I traveled La Ruta Maya and visited a number of lovely ruins starting in Cozumel, hitting Chichen Itza, swinging down through Chiapas, across Guatemala, and into Belize. It was an amazing time. I returned about the time of my two-year anniversary with the company and turned in my notice. A former co-worker (who just happens to own a lovely calico cat quite similar to mine) had connected me with a job in Colorado, and I was ready to begin the newest chapter.

Looking back now, I still don't exactly understand why I hadn't broken off my engagement yet. I knew it wasn't going to work out. But as I moved to yet another new city where I knew no one, I needed something familiar.

My job was fascinating - I was hired to coordinate a mission that the three dioceses in Colorado sponsored in Mexico. The office had been at the Archdiocese of Denver but moved to the Diocese of Colorado Springs when I began. I was lucky that a number of women there were nearly old enough to be my mothers, and they took me in.

As part of the job, I traveled around the state speaking at parishes for mission appeals to raise funds for the mission and just to raise awareness of our activities. I wrote articles for the diocesan newspapers. And I got paid to travel to Mexico! Our mission was located in Hermosillo, which is a few hours south of Tucson, Ariz.

Hmm, I think this is a good place to stop for now. Note that I moved to the Springs in 2000, and as a "teaser", I'll tell you that September 10th, 2001 was as significant for me as September 11th, 2001. Until next time . . .

Happy Labor Day!

I'm totally stealing this from Amy. Though I only have one labor to discuss.

How long was your labor?
Almost four days . . . with pretty tough labor for about sixteen hours.

How did you know you were in labor?
Contractions! They got serious after we had the car seat installed. :>)

Where did you deliver?
Hospital, though I'd have jumped on a birth center if it were available, and if the laws were favorable to allow home birth attended by a midwife, I'd have seriously considered it.

Drugs?
Sigh. I withstood 3.75 of the nearly 4 days of labor naturally. I even handled the pitocin. But when it became clear that Goose had to be yanked out with forceps, the OB on duty required me to have an epidural. I hated it.

C-section?
Thank the Lord, no.

Who delivered?
Sigh again. My Certified Nurse-Midwife was there nearly all the time at the hospital but an OB had to swoop in for the forceps.

Someday, I'll post Goose's birth story, since I'm a huge birth story junkie. I'd love to hear yours - leave a comment or link!

Any Atari Geeks Out There?

I have been reminiscing a bit lately, remembering all kinds of "this time last year, Goose was [insert action here]" - such as learning how to walk around the 4th of July. (She was a late walker.) About this time last year, I was comparing our life to the Atari game of Adventure. (Link takes you to Wikipedia.)

[Or better yet, click here to play! Though it's a bit tougher using the arrow keys instead of a joystick and I just figured out how to drop something without picking something else up: use the spacebar. Man, I could waste a ton of time there. We didn't need no stinkin' fancy graphics when I was a kid!]

Anyway. Where I actually was going with this - and it isn't necessarily going to make sense unless you have played the game a lot - is that having a newly walking toddler was kind of like having the bat in our house. I'd leave something somewhere, and when I went back for it, it would be gone. Something new might be in its place. And that thing would be somewhere else, and whatever was there would be gone.

I'm hoping *somebody* out there can relate having played Adventure in their glory days - because this comparison really cracks me up. And now I'm off to play Adventure again, and maybe lean on Hubs to hook up our old Atari . . .

Vacation Pics

So Goose is snoozing her way toward hour 3 of her first nap back in her crib, and I'm just now getting to this post. I've spent more time than I probably should have trying to knock down the numbers in my Reader (and I tried to spend some time each day keeping it below double digits!) so we'll see if I can get this done and published. Not that anybody was worried, but I have a number of posts bookmarked for this week's reading the whole internet post! Anyway, as we say in our house - ready, set, go!

This is Goose and me enjoying some ice cream at one of the stops in Yellowstone. At the last minute, I tossed in her favorite winter hat and I was glad that I did - not only did it help keep her warm, but she was so glad to see it. You can see her faithful favorite animals made the trip, too.

Here we are on the huge teddy bear sofa at the wolf and bear center. This and the playground there were the most exciting things . . .

Goose is talking to my mom here as we waited for Old Faithful. She saw the steam and told my mom "hot!" You can also see the necklace she made out of a shoelace and small empty thread spools. She wore it a lot. :>)

Hubs and Goose are checking out the Wind River behind our motel in Dubois, Wyoming. It was really pretty! We had a great room there, too - half the price of the one in Big Sky and every bit as accommodating.

Here are wagon ruts along the Oregon Trail near Gurnsey, Wyoming. Looking at them, I felt so . . . SOFT compared to those pioneer women. Could you imagine riding in a wagon all that way? With all your worldly possessions, many of which were abandoned along the way to lighten the load for the animals? Mercy. We also visited Independence Rock and Register Cliff, two places where pioneers carved their names (similar to Chimney Rock here in Nebraska). It was interesting to see how the scratchings had eroded - I'm sure the inscribers thought it would be there forever.

We were all pretty glad to sleep in our own beds last night. In fact, by early evening, Goose was saying "bedtime!" and asking to be put in her crib so she could play in the familiar surroundings. She went to sleep pretty quickly once it was actually bedtime, and slept nice and late, too. (So did her mama!) I need to upload a few more pictures to my post on keeping toddlers occupied in the car and provide a bit of feedback on how things went. Overall, Goose was an amazing traveler and did quite well . . . though there were a few times when I wished we'd have brought my parents' TV/VCR with a few of their beloved Care Bear tapes!

Thankfully I got this banged out before Goose woke up, so I'd better do a bit more unpacking. It's amazing what a wreck the house can turn into! See you tomorrow with a Frugal Friday post -

Almost Home/Sewing in Baby Steps

We are staying at my parents' tonight - it was one of those things where we just couldn't go another mile even if we wanted to. Goose has been a trooper, though! I think the only thing that got her through this evening's drive was the thought that she would get to watch Care Bears at Grandma's. My mom *just* took her upstairs to bed, so it's another late night. Here's hoping we'll be back on schedule soon once we get home.

I wanted to make a quick post to point out that Valerie at Frugal Family Fun Blog is hosting a beginner's sewing workshop called Sewing in Baby Steps to help anyone learn how to sew! Though I've been stitching away for several months now, I joined to see what she's cooking up - I know I will learn some new things, too. There are instructions on the linked post on how to join the Google Group, and it starts September 1st. Hope to see you there - tell all your friends! :>)

I have pictures uploaded to my computer and hope to share a few of them once we get honest-to-goodness home. Hope everyone is well!

Vacation Update

[I don't have too many links to share as of now, so I'm not doing a Reading the Whole Internet post yet.]

We're having a pretty lovely time on our vacation! We left home after Goose's nap on Wednesday, and stayed at my parents' that night. Goose got me out of bed about 1:45 with some pretty hard crying, but was able to go back to sleep after a bit. Thursday we drove all the way to Sheridan, Wyoming, intending to stop at Ft. Laramie but by the time we got there, Goose was asleep and I wasn't about to wake her up.

On Friday, we enjoyed a lovely lunch with a whole bunch of family on a beautiful lake. Hubs took the Goose back to the hotel for her nap, which she not-so-politely declined. Sigh. Of course, she slept about 10 minutes on the way to the wedding. She hung in there pretty well, but when she misses a nap like that, I really prefer to get her down for an early bedtime to make up for it. I gave in to some family peer pressure, though, and stayed for the late dinner . . .

[The wedding was outdoors and they zipped through towards the end as a thunderstorm made its way towards us. We rushed inside just as it started to rain. Unfortunately, the dinner was intended to be outdoors and no one in charge must have realized the storm was coming because they didn't pull in the tables. We waited quite a while for them to set up some alternate locations inside - I think we ended up eating in an excercise room? - then we waited for the bridal party to get back from wherever they went on a bus.]

Goose chattered all the way home, and didn't fuss much going to bed, which was nice. She didn't sleep in, though. We got packed up and headed on to Little Big Horn, which is where Custer's Last Stand took place. We ate lunch there then walked around the trails, and Goose ended up falling asleep in the stroller, which has *never* happened before. Better yet, she stayed asleep for the transfer into her car seat (never EVER happened before!) and actually ended up sleeping around 3.5 hours, tying her recently set car nap record. She woke up about the time we got to Bozeman for supper, and we continued on to Big Sky where we had hotel reservations.

Our room is fantastic for what we need - there are two queen beds in the main room (one for sleeping, one for stuff!) then another queen bed in a separate bedroom. I've learned that Goose and I both sleep better when we are not in the same room. (Someday, I'll do a long post or series of posts on what to do when your baby is a terrible sleeper.) Last night, she'd reached the end of her rope, though.

We splashed around in the pool for a while hoping to wear her out, and it was quite late by the time I put her down. She spent an hour and a half alternating between crying HARD and saying "blanket! help!" and holding her taggie blanket that my MIL made her. I couldn't for the life of me figure out what she wanted to do with it - I tried every part of the crib and her and finally gave up. I got her to sit down and patted her back until she was nearly out then I leaned her over and she thankfully stayed asleep.

This morning we visited West Yellowstone before heading into the park. We were walking with Goose when she slipped out of both our hands, fell, and bonked her poor head. I felt awful, but it was pretty minor. Hubs drove through the park while Goose and I slept, which was nice. :>) Actually, we only slept through about half of it, and stretched our legs (and had some ice cream!) then saw some spectacular sights. (Yes, I know I should post pictures but it's late and my borrowed camera and cord are all the way across the room.)

We went back to West Yellowstone and visited . . . something - don't remember what it's called. It was billed as some sort of bear and wolf place but it sure wasn't worth the money. The best part was the playground where Goose and another little girl had a blast on the slides. (The other little one was a week younger than Goose.) Then it was off to supper where the inevitable happened - Goose took a face plant. She has been running more and getting braver this trip, so it was bound to happen. It wasn't nearly as bad as it could have been - she didn't even cut her lip. But I still felt awful and I hope we don't spend much if any time in that town tomorrow!

As a blessing, she went to sleep without a peep tonight, and at a pretty reasonable time, too. Tomorrow should be a good day! We're planning to drive through the south loop of the park then toward home, though I don't know that we'll even make it as far as my parents'.

I'll get some pics posted soon, I promise. Hope everyone had a great weekend!

About Me

When I meet someone, whether online or in person, I often wonder what their story is. Here's mine. (I'd love to scan and insert a photo from this era but our scanner is broken. Bummer.)

I was born in south-central Nebraska, and my parents, older brother, and I lived on a farm just outside a small town until I was a year old. We then moved to a bigger small town of about 5,000 people in western Nebraska, where I graduated from high school. My parents still live in the same house where I grew up.

During high school, I loved being a big fish in a small pond! I was student manager for volleyball, boys basketball, and boys track, and I played softball. I sang in the choir, participated in drama, and qualified for state speech my senior year. I worked at the local putt-putt hut and baseball concession stands, waited tables, and learned the ins and outs of an office as an administrative assistant.

For college, I chose a small-ish liberal arts school that my brother also attended. It was a much bigger pond, although still pretty small compared to universities, and I struggled a bit. The summer after my junior year, I spent a month studying in Puebla, Mexico. Although my mother had to practically peel a crying me off at the airport (I was SO nervous!), I had a wonderful time, learned a ton, and met some delightful people.

I went on to graduate with a business administration major, a minor in Spanish, and emphasized in management and international business. Although I locked down a job early in my senior year as a manager-in-training for Sam's Club in Omaha, but I didn't really know what I wanted to do with my life.

After completing the three-month or so program, I was able to determine that I did not want to be a manager at a Sam's Club! The regional manager had indicated I would be sent to a location in Iowa that, in terms of sales, was the armpit of the region. It was farther away from my family than I wanted to be, and it just generally didn't feel right. I turned in my resignation.

My manager didn't seem particularly surprised, and he offered me a job as a check-out supervisor. I accepted it, and it actually turned out to be a very fun time! I was overqualified, but that made me really good at my job.

Overall, I learned things that you wouldn't imagine: the quickest way to write out a check as a customer; how lousy it is to have to put the store back together at the end of the day; how to push carts in from the lot (although I never learned how to use the rope and hook to steer them - and did I mention that it rained nearly every day that June?); how easy it is to provide friendly customer service; but how hard it is when customers take their frustrations out on you. During my management training, more than once I locked myself in the staff bathroom and cried until I couldn't catch my breath. Not my finest moments.

(Edit: Here's the fastest way to write a check. Start by filling in the store name (pay to the order of ---- line), date, memo line if you're into that sort of thing, and sign it - while you're waiting in line. You can also do it as the cashier is scanning your items, but it's not a bad thing to watch how the prices ring up. Then, once you have your total, write the numbers in the box as normal and on the line where you write the number out do it like this:
Sixty-three-------------------42
You need not put /100 on the cents, you need not write "dollars", you don't need any other information at all. The first time Hubs saw me write out a check, he said "will the bank cash it like that?" :>) Yes, they will.)

As the summer wore on, I found myself really homesick for anything familiar. I was staying with some wonderful friends of my parents and not only did my mom's friend treat me like her own daughter, she was also a valueable mentor as I jumped into the real world. At work, the personnel area where I spent a lot of time was next to the smoking break room (it was over ten years ago - people were still allowed to smoke back then). One of the custodians enjoyed smoking the same brand of pipe tobacco as my grandfather, and just one sniff as he puffed made me want to jump in the car and go home. It was an awkward, growing sort of time. You'd think I'd have done enough of that in my earlier teenage years, but apparently not enough.

By that fall, I had found another job. But that's another post for another time. :>)

Unsettled Tummy

I'm a firm believer in "blogging without obligation" so I haven't really felt compelled to write anything this week but thought I'd at least mention that.

The upset tummy is Goose's - not mine. I had intended to start potty training Goose but she thwarted me by coming down with the stomach flu. So far it hasn't been terrible, but I've had to switch her to disposable diapers, do some extra laundry, and she's had a number of baths.

Hubs and I are making tentative plans to attend a cousin's wedding in Wyoming in a few weeks, and I am the sort to not do anything without researching and planning the heck out of it (though it all usually goes out the window at some point) so that is giving me something to look forward to. Though it reminds me that we didn't get the DVD player for the car a while back . . .

I'm working on a very cool (at least I think it is!) gift for my sister-in-law's birthday that was last weekend, so I'll be posting about that as soon as it's done and in the mail.

Remember how I mentioned a while back that I am participating in a Bible study? It's on the Holy Spirit - good stuff. This morning, another participant asked if we'd noticed any difference in our lives. I mentioned that lately, I've been feeling like things are going pretty well. I've not won the lottery or anything, but even the little bumps like cleaning the carpet after a sick toddler hasn't been too bad. And I've tried to remember to be thankful for that - God is good all the time! (edit: He's even good at 1 AM, after yet another change of sheets and two diapers and papa's sweatpants. But I might not quite feel the same when the sun comes up!)

Hope everyone else is having a good week!

Chicken Salad in Pita Pockets

Tonight's kitchen experiment was a bit unintended, though it came together well - albeit a bit late. For whatever reason, I decided to marinate and grill two packages of chicken this week, so I had a lot of cooked chicken. A friend of mine makes the most delicious chicken salad, and thinking about it gave me a hankering for it. I've also wanted to try my hand at making pita pockets - and the two certainly go well together! The recipe:

Maxine's Chicken Salad

6-8 cooked and cooled boneless skinless chicken breasts
3 green onions (white and green parts)
3 stalks celery (use the ends too)

In food processor, chop chicken, remove, and then chop onion & celery together. Add to the chicken. Add Miracle Whip until desired consistency. Add salt, pepper, cayenne pepper (sparingly...you want just enough so that you get barely a taste after a bite of salad!) and basil to taste.

May add red grapes and/or chopped nuts if desired. Or, for a change, serve with chopped tomatoes & bacon on top.

Maxine notes that you really do want to chop the chicken and celery separately - or else you end up with green chicken! I don't keep Miracle Whip on hand, so I used mayo and added a bit of sugar and vinegar.

Unfortunately I didn't plan ahead well enough, and Hubs had to head out to mow hay before I finished the pita pockets. Too bad, because they're pretty good! I used a recipe from Tammy's Recipes. There is a whole wheat version as well, but I figured I'd better start easy. My biggest problems were that I can't roll out in a circle, and keeping Goose from doing too much damage as she was standing on the chair, "helping" me. If I'd have given it just a bit more thought, I could have used extra cooling racks to bake more than two at a time and spent just a bit less time in front of a very hot oven.

I think I'll make these again, though I'd double the recipe (now that I'm more or less comfortable with it) and put the extras in the freezer. To keep me humble, I tried giving Goose a bite and all she got was chicken salad, which she'd have spit out if she knew how. Must be a texture thing? Who knows.

We hit a used book sale this morning in one of the nearby "cities" (they're really just pretty big towns) and came out with a lot of books for just under $25. When I went to organize them, I was pleased to discover that I remembered correctly - I had volume one of a set of children's books and found volumes two through five. In fact, it made me wonder if I ought not try to talk Hubs into going back tomorrow to see if I can complete any of my other sets! Something tells me he won't go for it, and rightly so, I suppose . . .

Hope everyone is having a great weekend!

Weekly Link Roundup, Stuffed Head Version

It has now been eight days since I've nursed Goose. The engorgement hasn't been too bad (she was down to once a day) but I'll admit I'm not quite ready. A number of things indicate that it's time, though, so we're foraging ahead into this growing-up business. She hasn't really directly asked for milk, but she was somewhat upset that I moved the glider out of her room. We now snuggle in her reading nook to read books before nap and bedtime.

Of course, cutting out all those antibodies meant that she came home from my parents' with a bit of a cold. It doesn't seem to bother her too much, though I'd love to sit and cuddle and nurse when she gets cranky. She thoughtfully passed it along to me, and I feel awful! Here's hoping it passes quickly.

Fun things I found this week:

Deserving a catagory all its own, Chocolate on My Cranium has a fun post on making a summer activities calendar for boredom busting. There is also a tutorial for sewing the calendar and there are also instructions for making a similar paper calendar. If you need any ideas for activities, check out 50 summer crafts for kids at The Long Thread.

EAT
I love brownies and I don't love hot kitchens. These brownie waffles at Cook with Sara make me want to run out and replace my waffle iron RIGHT NOW. (There was an incident. No details are available.)

LEARN
I am so very awkward with knitting needles that finger knitting might be just the thing for me. (Craftzine)

I'm sorry to admit that I'm one of those who never knows what to say when someone has experienced the loss of a family member, from miscarriage all the way through a loved one who lived a full life. Being far away geographically makes it worse. Extraordinary Moms Network outlines what to put in a comfort box that gives ideas for you to personalize it to the one in need.

I mention Chasing Cheerios a lot, and not too long ago, the author was giving serious thought to shutting it down. You can read about her pictures being posted on another website here, and she recently linked to this site that explains how to disable the right click feature to make it just a bit harder for your photos to be stolen.

MAKE
Goose isn't quite there yet, but I love the look of these rag letters once she gets there. And that gives me time to get them made! (Happy Together)

This outdoor candle chandlier is lovely and looks reasonably easy, too. I'm filing this away for when Hubs builds me a gazebo (likely during our golden years :>)). (Sunset)

Craft Nectar came up with a word game for kindergartners with a pdf instruction file.

Happy surfing, everybody!

Long Overdue Garden Update, Week 10, Humbled Version

Today I received an e-mail with the stats from my blog, something I get weekly. I am *thisclose* to 3,000 visits and have surpassed 5,000 page views. And that isn't counting at least a few of you who subscribe, and my mom who gets updates via e-mail. :>) I think this is post number 81, and while I only have eight or so in my drafts, I have probably at least a dozen for which I have taken pictures, I just need to write the post out. Thank you everyone for joining me on this crazy ride! Yes, I think I will need to have a giveaway soon. I've hesitated in doing another one because, along the lines of having a party and no one showing up, I'd hate to have a giveaway and have no one enter! But, looking at the numbers, that may not be a problem. For those of you more experienced in these matters, do you know of a place to publicize giveaways other than Money Saving Mom's weekly roundup and the once-in-a-while Bloggy giveaway that Laura @ Heavenly Homemakers took over a few months ago?

Anyway. This afternoon, I had the opportunity to finally use a gift card for a massage that I've had for nearly two years. I also got some tips to hopefully help me keep better physical balance (not *literal* balance, though) and perhaps help resolve my insomnia and some of the other issues I've had since Goose was born. I'm already plotting when I can see her again - I have one more gift card to use!

And now, the garden. It's doing quite well, my friends! I decided to do individual pictures, not that you can see much better in them, though you can click to enlarge.

Sunflowers. The one to the back of the picture (in the shade) got snapped in a thunderstorm at least three weeks ago. I thought it would just die but it is proving me wrong! Considering they're volunteer to begin with, perhaps they're extra hardy.

(There is no picture of the peas, because they're doing nothing. I can get them on sale for 88 cents a pound frozen, so it looks like that's what we'll do.)

Carrots. Except for the random completely bare spots in the rows, they're doing well. They probably should have been thinned, but I didn't have the heart to do it. (I know - they're vegetables, not kittens!) I pulled a few tiny ones and put them in some grilled potatoes the other day, just for fun.

Tomatoes. I haven't gotten in there (it's a jungle, as you can see!) but I did notice some green ones earlier this week. I'm hoping they won't be the proverbial "all hat and no cowboy", though - or all plant and no fruit! One of my sweet cousins picked a ripe tomato yesterday - lucky her!

Onions. I really need to plant these more deeply next year. I have followed the directions two years in a row, and half the onion ends up above the soil. I think, for that reason, they likely won't get terribly big.

Peppers - hot and sweet. Not doing great, but I still have hope.

Potatoes. They look good from up here! I've not counted to see how many of the ones I planted actually came up.

Indian corn. Taller than I am and starting to tassel! I'm thinking of trying to sell some on eBay this year, or some such thing. I have a lot from previous years, too. I love the stuff! Also pictured, volunteer potatoes. Lots of them!

Green beans. I told a cousin today to please come over and pick to her heart's content once they're ready! I should have thinned them, too . . . Last year, I vacuum-sealed and froze them. One of my favorite ways to prepare them is to heat them with a bit of water (microwave or stove) and add a packet of Italian dressing mix - just the seasoning. Though as I type this, I'm betting they would be good with a squirt of Italian dressing, too! (See Laura's recipe for a homemade dressing mix. I've had luck just throwing together seasonings that are listed in the ingredients - the stuff I recognize, that is - but don't have a specific recipe myself.)

Last but not least, my gourds. I had a fair number of blossoms, so I'm hopeful for them, too.