Odds & Ends

*I cleaned the house yesterday. I know, nothing special, but I cleaned the whole house with homemade cleaners. I've been running seriously low on cleaning supplies, and have been wanting to switch over to products that are a bit safer, and cheaper, to clean with. I had a few Clorox Green Works cleaners, but even then, I wasn't sure of all the ingredients. After a bit of research, I decided on these recipes, and after trying them yesterday, am quite pleased with the results.

• Hardwood Cleaner: 1/2 C vinegar, 1/2 herb tea (I used lemon), 2 gallons of warm water
• Soft Scrub: 1/2 C baking soda, add enough liquid detergent (I just used dish soap) to make a texture like frosting.
  
• All Purpose Cleaner: 1/2 tsp washing soda (found in the laundry aisle), a dab of liquid soap, 2 C hot tap water
• Furniture Polish: 1/2 tsp olive oil, 1/4 vinegar or lemon juice
• Mold Killer: 2 tsp tea tree oil, 2 C water
• Window Cleaner: 1/4- 1/2 tsp liquid detergent, 3 tbsp vinegar, 2 C water
• Tile Cleaner: 1/4 tbsp washing soda, 1 tbsp ammonia, 1 gallon of water
  

For the window and all purpose cleaners I used distilled water since we've got hard water.

*Part of what prompted the need to clean inexpensively was the need to clean our new coffee table so often. I really like it, and it was a great price at Costco, but Claire sure loves to leave her grubby little hand prints all over it!


*I think I'm ready to redecorate Claire's room. I had pretty much made up my mind that her room would be purple, but I wasn't totally sold on the quilt I'd picked out. Then I saw this. I LOVE IT! I think I'll paint her room blue and green. I think that these decals and butterflies would be totally cute too. Now I'm excited to get going on it!

*Here is my most recent favorite picture of Claire. I think it should be called "The Punk". Can't you just feel the attitude?

Something Yummy

In my quest to straighten up my diet I made this recipe this morning. It's a bit like hummus. Yummy, easy and cheap. I love my veggies, but they're always better with dip.

1 (15 0z) can of cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 TBSP of chopped fresh rosemary (I just sprinkled in some Italian Seasonings)
1 clove of garlic, crushed
1/2 lemon, juiced
2 TBSP olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Just blend it up in the blender or food processor... that's it!

And for that Saturday morning muffin craving I tried these out:

Banana Blueberry Muffins

Ingredients:
2/3 cup skim milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 medium ripe banana, mashed
1/4 cup egg substitute
2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup sugar

2-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries, thawed

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Line 12 medium muffin cups with paper baking cups or generously spray with nonstick cooking spray. Beat milk, oil, banana and egg substitute in a large bowl. Add remaining ingredients except blueberries and mix just until flour is moistened. Place blueberries in a plastic bag and sprinkle with flour. Gently shake to coat berries with flour to prevent them from "bleeding" into the muffins. Gently fold in blueberries and divide batter evenly among muffin cups. Bake 18-20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pan immediately and cool on a wire rack. Makes 12 Servings; Serving Size: 1 muffin

I substituted the flour for whole wheat flour, and 1/3 cup of Splenda for 1/3 cup of the sugar. They were yummy and delicious.

Enjoy!

Back to "Normal"

I'm getting there. I'm finally starting to feel like my old self again, maybe just a little fatter... My body feels normal and though my belly isn't quite there, I purged my closet of maternity clothes (a little sad, I really love elastic waistbands) and managed to find a few pairs of capris I can squeeze back into. I went shopping for a few new tops yesterday, since new clothes always make a girl feel better, and this morning I got up bright and early for a date with my trainer. After a great workout, putting on my "suck your gut" underwear and a cute new t-shirt, I'm feeling pretty good. Now I have a mere eight weeks to trim down our vacation, but I really feel ready for the challenge. I supplemented my last few weeks of mild depression with a healthy dose of "eating-whatever-the-heck-I-want", so it looks as if an adjustment to my diet is in the works as well. Costco cupcakes and McDonald's will not get a girl the body she dreams of. Combine my new resolve with a visit from Merry Maids (time to cash in my mother's day gift card) and it's looking like it's going to be a pretty great day!

Three Proposals

So, after my "stuff about me" post, I had a few questions about who the third proposal was from, and some of you may not even know about number two. Here's a recap:

After Jeff dumped me in high school I started "going out" with Rick. He was my high school sweetie for a little over two years. Most of my junior year and all of my senior year Rick was my best friend and boyfriend. And though I loved him, I knew he wouldn't be the one I spent the rest of my life with, and I certainly didn't think he felt that strongly for me. Once in college, I was pursued and won over by Brad. Breaking up with Rick wasn't easy and I didn't do a very good job of it either. He really didn't take it well and amongst his crying and lamenting his loss, he and Jeff became best friends. (Jeff and I jokingly refer to this as "when Jeff was dating Rick"). And at some point after I broke up with Rick and started dating Brad, Rick made a desperate attempt to save our relationship and proposed to me. I said no, convinced that I was madly in love with Brad. And I was convinced he felt the same for me since he proposed to me only three months into our relationship. After a whirlwind courtship and the beginnings of wedding plans Brad decided just three months before the wedding that he wasn't ready to be married, broke off the relationship and move to Oregon. Guess who was there to help heal my broken heart? Jeff, of course. We resumed our friendship and within a few months were dating again. Brad realized his mistake and tried to win me back, but I must have known that Jeff was finally "the one" because I stuck with him and after more than a year of dating I received my last and most precious proposal. Third time's the charm...

Free stuff!

Want a chance to something great? For free? Check out Knitty Bitties for a give away.

It's been awhile, and I was tagged SO LONG ago, Jessie may have even given up on me, but better late than never, right?


5 things on my to do list:
*Clean the house (well, I'm in the middle of doing it right now)
*Decorate Claire's room - this includes a whole list in itself, but she's just about ready for a big girl bed and I'm really excited to redecorate with a whole new color scheme
*Run to Costco for diapers
*Potty train Claire - I'm not sure she's quite ready yet, but it's worth another try soon
*Order pictures

5 jobs I've had:
*Planet Kid - Party Hostess and Manager
*Treasure Valley Hospital - Billing, Admitting and Supervisor
*Dr. Susan Hegstad - Receptionist
*St. Luke's - Registration and Education
*Claire's mommy

5 Places I have lived:
*Swan Falls, ID (Kuna)
*Twin Falls, ID
*Brownlee, OR
*Hagerman, ID
*Caldwell, ID

5 Favorite snacks:
*Garlic Trisquits with Pepperjack Cheese
*Salt & Pepper Pistachios
*Popcorn
*Yogurt and Cottage Cheese mixed
*Apples and PB

5 things you may not know about me are:
*I like to have my nails painted, but I'm embarrassingly bad at it
*I never really liked pink until I had Claire
*I LOVE math, if I had the chance, I'd take classes just for fun
*I used to play bridge with my boyfriend and his parents in high school, in fact, that's what I did the night after graduation, no parties for me
*I've been proposed to three times

5 things I would do if I was a billionaire:
*Of course, pay off all debts.
*Buy several houses around the world. I love to travel, but it'd be so much better if I could do it, and still be "home".
*Get a personal chef and a personal trainer and a maid.
*Devote myself to a charitable organization. I don't have a specific one in mind, but I think it would be better to focus my money and energy on just one instead of trying to give to all.
*I'd still make Claire get a job and have an "old beater" for a first car. I wouldn't want her to miss out on those learning experiences.

5 things I love:
*Smelling Claire's hair after a bath
*Kitties purring
*"After romance" munchies
*Pumpkin pie
*Sleeping in

5 people I tag:
*Anyone reading this who hasn't been previously tagged.... yes, you...

Life Means So Much

With the loss of a life I've been given the blessing to see how much the life around me means.
My life, the lives of my husband, my daughter, my family, my friends... all given as a gift by the Giver of All Life

Teach us to count the days
Teach us to make the days count
Lead us in better ways
Somehow our souls forgot
Life means so much
Life means so much
Life means so much