The Smaller Two

Savannah had an Easter Egg Hunt at school on Thursday. Apparently, she got zero eggs. For someone reason, that totally cracks me up. She was so tickled by watching the other kids scramble around, she just stood there laughing. At least she was having fun. The "Academy" sent home two stuffed ducks, one for each girl. How sweet is that? They also got her immobile hunt on film and will be posting pictures on Monday. I can't wait to see them.

Top 10 ways to keep that car clean

Top ten ways to keep your car clean and organized.

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Twenty-five tips on staying married fit for wedding gift : O

Great advice on how to keep your marriage alive.

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Call me Blue, but I am Over Green

What isn't green these days? You cannot turn around without seeing a new advertisement for some product that has now gone green (and doubled in price). Are they serious? I am going to pay twice as much for green toilet bowl cleaner? No thank you. Gimme something with good old fashioned bleach, and I am good. And when times are tight, regular bleach will do.
As if it is not hard enough to afford raising children in this day and age, but now advertisers are telling me that I am murdering the earth if I don't pad their pockets. THAT is the real green we are talking about here folks. Give me a break.

Stupid Questions I Should Know the Answers To...

1. Do Episcopals go to confession? No, but.... This is a good example of the Anglican maxim: "all may; none must." Different from so many other aspects of our Tradition, this sacrament has the potential for restoring one who may be in trouble to wholeness. In such an instance, "all may, none must" might be expanded to "some should". Consider embracing this sacramental encounter with the forgiving Christ when you find you have wandered far from the communion of love given freely in Christ. It might be an opportunity to meet the Risen Christ and receive the Spirit's gifts in a unique and personal way, especially where healing and re-ordering of one's life seems timely.

2. What is castor sugar? Castor or caster sugar is the name of a very fine sugar in Britain, so named because the grains are small enough to fit though a sugar "caster" or sprinkler. It is sold as "superfine" sugar in the United States.

Do you have a wild child?

Let them create their "wild self" at www.createyourwildself.com.

The Great Swing Set Search

Now that the weather is warmer, and it is staying light longer, we are longing for outdoor play equipment for the girls. We are planning our "great backyard." We will be expanding our fence to increase the space that is fenced in. We are enlarging our deck (for the adults) and are looking for a nice swingset for the kids. We would like a wooden swing set/play equipment. But, oh my! You have to be a MegaMillions winner to afford one! I had no idea that you were looking at a minimum of around $600 for a nice wooden swing set. We got a catalog from Rainbow that has playsystems that run up to $47,000. Um.......

So, the search continues.

Whoa!

Children in the US have eaten an average of 1500 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches by the time they graduate high school.

We did it!

Savannah and Addison survived their first week of daycare. I survived my first week back at work being a pumping and working mom. Michael survived all of us trying to survive. He is probably the biggest hero of all. Here's to you, baby! Thank you for all of your help. I know things are crazy right now, but we will all adjust and get into a rhythm.

How sweet is this Dress????

Black flowered baby dress

Are You Turning into Your Mother?

We all know it's going to happen — the question is when. Take our quiz and find out if you've already started to fill Mom's sensible shoes....

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Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Did you know that the The Chicago River is dyed green each year for the St. Patrick's Day celebration?

Taking kids to BWI Airport

Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall (BWI)
A major focus city for discount airline Southwest, Baltimore/Washington has lots of kids passing through. The best place to take them between flights is the children’s
play area. You’ll find it upstairs in the main terminal, in BWI’s Observation Gallery. This is a one-of-a-kind place. There’s an array of airplane parts: a wing, tail, wheels, even
part of a fuselage. There’s also some really innovative play equipment, and the area is carpeted.

Ashes to Ashes

Years ago, I worked at a Veterinary Clinic. We had many moms come in with a young child who was carrying a small animal (fish, hamster, mouse, gerbil, etc) that was near death or already there. Of course the child wanted to bring the animal to the doctor to "fix" him or her. Well, the parent knew that nothing could be done, but was appeasing the child.

Our veterinarians always told the parent, "You have 2 choices. You can have the 'death' talk with your child OR we can take the animal in the back and you can have someone go pick up a matching, healthy animal that we will switch with the sick animal in the back." It was about 50/50 what the parents chose.

Well, Mom Logic initiated this memory when they posted a Small Pet Funeral Set that included a cardboard coffin, paints, paintbrush, headstone, and a poem and prayer booklet. I just find it totally cute and funny. And for only $12.50, I think it will be cheaper to have the talk.

First Day of School

Yes, it is March 10th and it was the first day of school in our house as I returned to work from maternity leave. One funny story that the teachers told me about Savannah.

Apparently, when she got up from her nap, she threw her blanket in the garbage can. Then, a little boy, Will, got up and threw his socks in the garbage. Then, Savannah threw her socks in the garbage. Then, the two of them, thinking they were very clever, started throwing all kinds of things away. Apparently, it was a very fun game.

Way Cool Argyle Tees

Cool Mom Picks highlighted the Urban Baby Runway site focusing on the Flying Mono T-shirt. This shirt is so cool. It comes in either grey argyle or pink argyle and displays any letter of the alphabet complete with wings. These cool tees cost $20. Check 'em out here.

The Great Chili Debate

Michael and I have very different tastes in food, but we can come together on many things. One thing that we both love, but do not agree on: chili. I like mine super chunky with lots of meat, beans, and veggies with medium heat. I like it served over rice with lots of cheddar cheese on top. Hubby on the other hand, likes a thin chili with simply beans and burger, mild heat, and cheese on top.

I have friends who serve it over noodles, friends who put sour cream on top. I have tried chili with all different kinds of meat and of varying amount of burn. I still have my favorite. How do you like your chili?

Blocks for Tots

I love these giant building blocks! Savannah would have a ball with them. Find them on sale now at Back to Basics.

Pass the Honey

Don't give up on the crystalized honey left in the bottom of the jar. Place the jar in the microwave oven (as long as there is no metal on it) and microwave for 30 seconds. The hardened honey will turn back into liquid.

Top 5 Things on my Mind

1. Daylight Savings Time - Why did I choose to return to work the Monday after I lose an hour of sleep? Not only am I losing an hour of sleep, but it will be extra work getting the smaller two used to the change. CRAZY! I am stressing it!

2. Building a Backyard - Now that our backyard is cleared out, we are planning on what to do back there including expanding the deck, moving the fence, building a playhouse, installing a swingset. I am totally excited to have warm weather now that Savannah is walking.

3. Tummy Time - We started tummy time with Addison and it is going really well. As a baby, Savannah HATED tummy time, but so far, Addison is enjoying it.

4. Dinner Out - Michael and I have been trying to go out to dinner for about 3 weeks now. I think we might actually get our chance tonight! Olive Garden here I come!

5. Rent - Just bought tickets for Rent which is coming in April. Cannot wait!

10 Uses for a lemon

According to Real Simple...

Use Lemon to:

1. Sanitize a chopping block. Run a slice of lemon over the surface to disinfect.

2. Eliminate the browning that occurs when food sits out too long. Sprinkle apple or pear slices with lemon juice before serving, or squeeze a bit into guacamole and give it a stir.

3. Remove tough food stains from plastic and light-colored wooden cutting boards. Slice a lemon in half, squeeze the juice onto the soiled surface, rub, and let sit for 20 minutes. Rinse with water.

4. Fade tea stains on cloth. Dilute lemon juice with an equal amount of water. Use an eyedropper or a Q-tip to make sure the juice targets the stain. Thoroughly flush with cool water.

5. Decorate on the cheap. Fill a glass bowl with lemons for a sunny centerpiece. Or display a row of them along a windowsill.

6. Relieve a sore throat. Cut a lemon in half. Skewer one half over a medium flame on a gas stove or an electric burner set on high and roast until the peel turns golden brown. Let cool slightly, then mix the juice with 1 teaspoon of honey. Swallow the mixture.

7. Whiten fingernails. Rub a wedge on the surface of your nails.

8. Shine the interior of copper cookware. Sprinkle a lemon wedge with salt, then scrub.

9. Brighten laundry whites. Add 1/2 cup lemon juice to the wash cycle of a normal-size load.

10. Remove soft cheese or other sticky foods from a grater. Rub both sides of the grater with the pulp side of a cut lemon.

How to Succeed in Business...

Michael and I are working on officially starting his flooring business. After searching the internet for many days, I am surprised to find that there isn't one place you can go to find out what you need to do to start a business or tips about starting. I mean, there is a site for the county business license. There are sites for starting your LLC. There are sites to assist in designing a logo. Etc, etc, etc. But what are we missing? How do we know how much insurance is needed and how to get it? What else needs to be done? In what order does everything have to happen? Do you have to have an LLC in order to open a bank account in the company name?
Does anyone have advice? Is there a site that I am missing? Is there a book I haven't found?

Random Picture

What to do with the "little trees?"

Need some uses for broccoli? Try these...

1. Warm with melted butter and/or lemon juice
2. Warm with soy sauce and sesame seeds (toasted)
3. Cold with ranch dressing and bacon bits
4. Added to a stir fry
5. Added to a tossed salad
6. Warm tossed with Alfredo sauce or cheese sauce
7. Added to pasta salad
8. As a snack, plain or with dressing for dipping
9. Chopped in omelets, quiches, or quesadillas

Cagleheads Unite!

If Chris Cagle were nothing more than a man who lives life at full-speed, taking corners on two wheels, he would still be one of country music's more interesting characters. There aren't many in the industry who can put passion and energy on stage or on record the way he can. But a man doesn't go gold with his first two albums and produce seven hits--including four Top Tens--on nothing more than bravado.

Chris's secret weapon lies in his ability to rope the whirlwind, to capture its motion and emotion with his pen and his voice. It is, as Wordsworth said, where emotion is recalled in tranquility that poetry is created, and it is there that Chris's untamed spirit becomes art.

He has a new album, My Life is a Country Song, which debuted at #1, and is his best yet! Listen to snippets of each song on Amazon. He will be featured in the April issue of Country Weekly. If you haven't been introduced to Cagle and his music, the time is now!

Magazine Recap - Every Day with Rachael Ray 3/08

This is a post about things I found interesting in recent magazines...

• Raw onions can help keep your cholesterol in check.


• Have you heard of the coolest utensil fad since the spork? This one is the knork, which is a forklike utensil with side prongs that function as a dull knife. Check it out at http://www.knork.net/.


• Washington DC gets the credit come cherry blossom season, but Macon, GA is by far the winner. Macon has 300,000 cherry treas compared to DC's 3,750. Check out the Macon International Cherry Blossom Festival from March 29 - April 6 to see the city in full bloom. There is a parade and fireworks and a Bengal tiger show.


• The Ceramic Orb Birdhouse is one cool birdhouse (and is only about $18).


• 66% of meals purchased from restaurants are for takeout or delivery (this seems crazy to me).


• 23 pounds of pizza is eaten by the average American each year.


• Put a paste of baking soda and water on wasp or bee stings to make the pain go away.


• Let dough rest a few minutes if it is too elastic to roll out.


• Sand may appear pink on some beaches (ex. Warwick Lng Bay) due to a combination of crushed coral, calcium carbonate, and a red organism called foraminifera.


• If have heard many raves for Sabra hummus. It looks like I am going to have to try it!

What is a GOOP?

What is a Goop you ask? A Goop is the little bit of naughty that lives in all of us. And the Goops are the wonderful turn-of-the-century cartoon characters; each Goop representing a bad habit, childish tendency, or immature longing that we all were terribly familiar with at one point in our lives... or still are.

Were you ever Verivaine? Did you always say, "I Dowanto?" Did you feel free to Tuchim and Takim the candy your mother put out for guests? See! You are a Goop.

Every Goop has a story to tell, a sing song tell all story about why they are a Goop and what they do that is so Goopish. Goops are charming, precocious, devilish, mischievous, unique, clever, funny, wild, whimsical, really, who wouldn't want to be a Goop?

Personally I like XCITABELLE since she reminds me of my oldest daughter who does not know the meaning of "indoor voices." When she is happy or excited, it is at full volume.