8 posts tagged “random”

Throughout the day I'm constantly composing blog entries - most of which never make it to my computer - and I always think about some of the things I use a lot or really like and wanted to start blogging about them. I love to hear about the latest gadgets or websites or cleaning supply or book or whatever that my friends are in to so I thought I would pass along some stuff that I really like right now.

• My CSA - Avalon Acres - www.avalonacres.com

This is my first year with a community supported agriculture program. I was a little nervous. I wondered what type of veggies I would get and if I could even identify all of them. Sure enough I'm only about a month into it and I've had a few unidentifiable veggies. I started to get frustrated then realized that Avalon Acres has a blog site that describes the weekly shares in detail including pictures, recipes and even "how tos" for cooking, baking, steaming etc. That has helped me immensely. We had a delicious slaw made with bok choy, apples and radishes with our dinner last night. Sounds funny but tasted great and James even ate some! The $30 a week I spend on meat (for 2 meals), a dozen eggs and a box of assorted fruit and veggies has been well spent and it's a great way to force my family to eat more vegetables as I begin to plan my meals around what's in my box. They deliver all over the greater Nashville area and it's not too late for the locals to join!

• Amazon Wish Lists - www.amazon.com

Jim has been putting books on his wish list for awhile now and it occurred to me that I could start my own wish list. I did this mainly because ever since I've had children my memory has never been the same. I'll think of something I want and forget it that quickly. Plus this automatically answers the question of "what do you want for (insert holiday/birthday/special day here)?" I think that all my friends should create a wish list and then we'll always know what to get each other for birthdays and such.

• My Friend Jessica's Simplicity Projects - www.ontheothersideofinfertility.blogspot.com

Jessica started doing these posts at the beginning of the year. She's chronicling her quest to get organized and simplify. Her projects have been very inspiring to me. I've been cleaning out things here and there as I could and this Saturday we're finally ready for a yard sale! Hooray for getting rid of stuff (and hopefully making a little extra $$)!

• My Favorite Mommy-Blog - www.doesmommylikeit.com

This blog reviews all kinds of kid (and mommy) related products. They are tested and reviewed by moms and their kids and they tell you the real story on whether or not they are worth your time and money. This has been so helpful!

• My Bose Speakers for my iPod

Bose Speakers

My in laws got this for me for a Christmas/You just had a baby gift and we use it all the time. I love being able to listen to music while I'm cleaning!

So got any cool things you want to share with me?

You Are a Cappuccino

You're fun, outgoing, and you love to try anything new. However, you tend to have strong opinions on what you like. You are a total girly girly at heart - and prefer your coffee with good conversation. You're the type that seems complex to outsiders, but in reality, you are easy to please

http://www.blogthings.com/whatkindofcoffeegirlareyouquiz/

I love Peeps and this picture made me laugh so hard!!

Funny-pictures-peep-show-easter-candy

OK so this morning didn't start quite the way I had hoped...

I usually get up between 5:30am and 6am so that I can have some time to myself before James gets up at 7am. Last night Jim was up late and then got a call from work at 2am that there was some critical computer problem. So he worked on that until almost 4am. I woke up at 3:45am and alarmed that he wasn't in bed, went searching the house in a tired stupor. He found me searching for him, explained about work and we went to bed. And when I say "we", I mean him because I was not able to go back to sleep. I was awake until about 5am. So when my alarm went off at 5:30am, I turned it off - not on snooze but off. So then I bolt awake at 7am, jump out of bed and go get the baby.

Now today has just gotten complicated. It's the first day of the brand new mom's group that I'm in and they meet at 10:30am in Green Hills (45 minutes from my house) At 10am the insurance adjuster is coming to close out my medical claim on a car accident we had back in October so the medical bills can be paid and the collections agents will stop hounding us.

I have to write (more like adapt) some two year old curriculum for our children's church this Sunday and it has to go out THIS AM so I'm frantically writing while James is occupying himself (which doesn't last terribly long) and I do finally get it emailed...whew!

James is not cooperating with his nap - maybe because the cat bit him again (and when I say "again", I mean for the THIRD TIME in a week! I am so livid and so through with this BEAST but Jim is still attached to him so I don't think I can boot him out just yet. Hmm...Jim's going out of town next week..maybe the cat will get "lost"? Ok, really I don't think I could do that but I'm telling you if he bites my kid again, I will inflict some serious bodily harm. I hauled off and hit him really hard today but I know I could do worse)

James was screaming in his crib so I go get him to calm him down. I decide to rock him for a moment but I trip over the ottomon while I'm carrying him to the rocker in his room. Thankfully I do not drop him and at that point I just dissolved into laughter which actually caused James to stop crying and start laughing at me. I'll have to remember this!

So here I am in a messy kitchen (I'm bringing a veggie tray today and am still cutting the veggies) in my pj's, with the insurance man on the way, a sleeping husband and (thankfully, now) a sleeping baby.

Can I get myself ready, get Jim up, get James' packed for a day away, meet with insurance man, finish veggie tray and get out the door in time to make it to a 10:30am mom's group that is 45 minutes away? hmm...I don't think so but I'm going to give it a try! Time now....9:05am CST - here I go!

So before Jim and I were dating we were in a college-aged group at church. This group had a retreat at this campground place with cabins out in a really pretty area of Tennessee. We were divided into groups to help with meals because there was a mess hall with a really big kitchen and dining hall area etc.

So Jim and I had breakfast duty one morning along with some other folks. He and I decided to make the pancakes. The batter was mixed up and ready to go and we proceeded to pour out the pancakes onto this huge stove top, making sure that we sprayed non-stick cooking spray in between the batches.

I'm not sure how long it took us to notice (hopefully not very long) but instead of the non-stick cooking spray that we thought we were using, we had actually been spraying Satin Shine stainless steel cleaner!

I honestly can't remember if any of the pancakes had already made it out of the kitchen. If they had, I'm not sure we said anything but we did throw out all the pancakes we had with us, cleaned the stove top and started again.

It was quite funny after the fact and something that we all joked about for years afterwards. In fact, Jim even used satinshine in our junk email address as a little fun reminder.

Aww...those crazy kids...

Spring Hill Snow - backyard

While this is not as impressive as the snow that some of my neighbors in the north frequently get, it is snow nonetheless. I hope it lasts long enough to get James out there and snap a picture of him.

The funny thing is that the schools will probably be closed and there will be a huge run at the grocery store for bread and milk. People in the south don't really know how to handle "winter weather". Ha!

Snow - front yard

Peanut butter, chocolate chip waffles....all brown and crunchy...just how I like them! YUM!

Don't worry, Jim - I made extra so you can have some tomorrow morning!

PB, Choc Chip Waffle

Tagged by Hannahbanana...

1. Grab your nearest book.

2. Open the book to page 123.

3. Find the fifth sentence.

4. Post the text of the next 3 sentences on your blog along with these instructions.

5. Tag 5 different people.

"What's so Amazing About Grace?" by Philip Yancey (first one I saw on the book shelf)

(Polish Christians speaking to mediator who wants to know if they will meet with other Christians from West Germany who want to apologize for what Germany did to Poland during WWII)

"What you are asking is impossible. Each stone of Warsaw is soaked in Polish blood! We cannot forgive!"

The book went on to say that they eneded up letting the Germans come and meet with them and as they all prayed the Lord's prayer, the Polish were so overcome with the line "forgive us of our debts as we forgive our debtors" and they realized that in their own strength they could not forgive. But God could give them to the strength to do it. This ended up being the beginning of many wonderful friendships that continue to this day.

I tag...java janie, nacwolin, ashbylane, Grandma-P and Mello

Cool idea...thanks Kelly and Hannahbanana!