Monday, February 28, 2011

Menu Time 2.28.11

This is going to be a week for easy recipes.  My parents are coming into town and Krew's birthday party is Saturday, so I'm going to be doing simple repeats to save on time and energy.  (And to avoid the always-present possibility of a meal flop when you're trying a new recipe.)

Teriyaki Tenderloin (leftover from last week's menu) - with potatoes and salad
Crescent Roll Chicken Pot Pie
Bean and Cheese Quesadillas
Beef Stroganoff

In regards to last week's menu, the Shepherd's Pie came out more like mush than pie. I'm not sure what went wrong. Neither Dave nor I had ever had it before, so we didn't know the difference (we'd have been clueless if it hadn't been for the word "pie" in the title). It still tasted pretty good. But after consulting with Kristin (who claims to love shepherd's pie) and having her confirm that no, it is not supposed to be mushy, I think I will try a different recipe next time.

The chicken and broccoli-parmesan pasta was ok.  I may possibly make it again.  I think I will leave out the mayonnaise next time and just use cream cheese and sour cream.  I'm really not a mayo person.

And the winner is...

We had a good number of entries for the Daniadown Sherpini Throw giveaway!  

I made the list...


Went to random.org and entered my values...


And the winner was...


#15!


Krista!!!

Yay, congratulations Krista!!
Your new throw will be on its way soon. :)

Thursday, February 24, 2011

Got any tips?

{via}


My little boy is turning 1 in just over a week!

Crazy!

Any last-minute suggestions for planning a stupendous first birthday party?

Watch Your Mouth

{via}

Have you ever said something you later regretted?

If not, go ahead X out of this window tab in your browser.

If you do happen to be like me and many all other people I know, however, I want to encourage you to listen to the message below.  It's from our church this past Sunday.  It really got me thinking, and more than anything I thought it was an excellent reminder to be extremely cautious with what words we allow to come out of our mouths.  It spoke of how we can make or break a relationship or a situation simply with what we say.  Its focus is James 3.

Check it out.

http://www.crosspointe.org/messages/mp3s/2011_02_20.mp3

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

CradleJoy.com Review


Are you a mommy or mommy-to-be (or daddy/daddy-to-be!)?  And do you feel best when you know you are using natural and organic products?

Then CradleJoy.com may be the place for you. :)

From one of the co-founders of CradleJoy.com, Ro:
"CradleJoy.com features top-quality boutique gear and accessories for moms and infants from almost 30 brands today. We focus on partnering with select brands who share the same values related to natural and organic life style that we have. We are keen on the quality of our brands than quantity and as such will be adding new unique products from as far away as Tibet and Scandinavia that promote mother’s comfort & baby’s wellbeing."

CradleJoy.com recently provided me with a free purchase in order to review and rate their site.  I was overall very pleased with my purchase experience.  When I first entered the website, an optional chat window popped up.  I ended up using the chat window when I couldn't figure out my coupon code, and the person who helped me was very friendly and efficient.  I was impressed.  I chose to order the Noodle & Boo Extra Gentle Shampoo for Krew.  The package was shipped very quickly and was waiting at my doorstep within two days.  I really like the shampoo...it smells fresh (in a baby way) and leaves Krew's hair clean and soft.  And I feel good knowing that I'm using something natural and safe.

CradleJoy.com has a strong focus on customer service, with a 45-day return policy, Live Chat (which I used and really liked), and toll-free telephone support. They also run a lot of promotions. The current promotions include:

  • Get 3 multi-layer inserts FREE with every FuzziBunz Diaper purchase (A $9.00 value).
  • Free shipping on all orders above $49. Flat rate shipping of 4.99 on all orders below $49.
  • Free standard shipping on your next order and access to exclusive deals if you sign up for their newsletter.
  • Become their fan on Facebook and follow them on Twitter and get a free gift. (Email support@cradlejoy.com with your FB/Twitter ID and mailing address.)
Check out all of their current deals and promotions at: http://www.cradlejoy.com/coupon-codes-special-offers/.

And for a limited time, readers of my blog can get 15% off their purchase using coupon code JUST1STEP.  This offer expires on April 16th and is only available to the first 50 buyers.

So what are you waiting for?? Go check them out! Head to CradleJoy.com.


Disclaimer: As mentioned, I was given a free bottle of baby shampoo as compensation for writing this post.

Monday, February 21, 2011

Giveaway! - Daniadown Sherpini Throw

It's giveaway time!

I figured since the cold weather keeps dragging on and on and on (especially for you northerners), it'd be nice to have something to cheer you up and make the chilliness a little more enjoyable.

Which is how I chose my next giveaway item:  The Daniadown Sherpini Throw.

{via}

Doesn't it look so incredibly soft and cuddly?  It totally makes me want to curl up on the couch with a cup of coffee and a good read.  In fact, I have a blanket just like it in brown that I absolutely love.  Thanks to CSN Stores for sponsoring this giveaway!

One lucky reader will get a Daniadown Sherpini Throw in his or her choice of the following colors:


Here are four ways you can enter:

One entry:  Leave a comment on my blog (not Facebook!) telling me which color you like best.
Additional entry:  Post a link to this giveaway on Facebook and leave a comment telling me you did so.
Additional entry:  Put me on your blogroll (that list of blogs that shows up on the sidebar of your own personal blog) and leave a comment telling me you did so.
Additional TWO entries:  Write a post on your own blog mentioning this giveaway with a link to this post.  Then comment below and provide a link to your blog post.

That gives up to 5 entries per person!

Please note:  If you are reading this on Facebook, please leave comments in my blog.  Facebook comments will not be counted.

The giveaway will run now through 11:59pm this Thursday February 24th.  All entries must be received before that time point.

Enter away!


Babyhood: Week 50

Babyhood through the eyes of Krewson...

Week 50 (February 11th through February 17th)

*Daddy and Mommy and me went to Charlotte for the weekend to visit my grandparents on Daddy's side.  It was lots of fun.  We celebrated Daddy's birthday early twice and then I got to open some birthday presents early too!
*My 6th tooth broke through my gums this week.  So now I have four on top and two on bottom.  Hopefully the bottom starts sprouting a few more soon so I don't get too lopsided.
*My love for the outdoors has grown exponentially stronger.  I would play and sit out there all day if Mommy and Daddy would let me.  Luckily it's been warm this week, so they've let me crawl around on the back porch and play in the garden dirt quite a lot.

Playing games with Grandpa Todd.

Hanging with my Grammie.

Riding in Grandpa Todd's new toy with him and Papoo.

Birthday presents for me!

Cuddling with Mamoo, which quickly led to...

me asleep.

Grandpa John singing to me.

Look we match!

Sleepy time with Grandma Teri.

Helping Daddy blow out his candles.

Bath time!

Mommy got a new camera lens and a new photoshop program, so she's been taking lots of random pictures lately...




On a family walk in the nice weather. :)

Sunday, February 20, 2011

Menu Time 2.20.11

Here's what I'm planning for the coming week:

Shepherd's Pie (leftover from last week) - made with ground turkey instead of ground beef
Teriyaki Tenderloin (new recipe) - served with potatoes and salad
Chicken and Broccoli-Parmesan Pasta (new recipe)

The Bean and Cheese Quesadillas from last week were really yummy, and I didn't even add chicken.  The Creamy Italian Chicken was a bit lacking - I felt like it needed veggies or something mixed in with it.  On the upside, Krew absolutely loved it and has been eaten the leftovers mixed with pureed veggies for many meals.  So maybe it's worth making it for that.

Friday, February 18, 2011

Blogger "Blog This!" Trick

For all you fellow bloggers out there using Blogger, I recently discovered a new trick that I really like.

It's called, "Blog This!"

How often are you browsing the web and you see something on a web page and you're like, 'Oh, this would make a good blog post!'  But then you have to bookmark or write down the link, then write a note to yourself to remember to blog about the topic, and eventually your idea disappears into oblivion and the post never gets written?

Yeah, I do that a lot.

Until now. :)

"Blog This!" adds a button to your browser bar.  When you're on a web page you like, you just click the little button, and then a "create post" box pops up with a link to the webpage in the post body.  You can either write the blog post right there and publish it, or you can "Save as Draft" and go back to it later.  (I tend to save as draft.)

Getting the button is easy.  When within your blogger dashboard, click "Help" in the upper right-hand corner and then search for the "Blog This!" extension.  In Chrome, it is right at the top of the help page.  It will walk you through installation instructions...just follow along and you will have your button in no time.

Neat, right?

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Future Giveaway!


I'm excited to announce that I'm going to be doing another giveaway sometime soon!

Once again, CSN Stores has offered for me to give away one of their products on my blog. CSN Stores offers just about every product you could think of...from home decor to furniture to hardware to car seats to wooden swing sets. I was recently looking for a small desk for our downstairs and really liked some of the desks they had to offer. (Unfortunately they were not the correct dimensions.)

So again I get to choose what the item will be (within a certain price range). Last time I chose a decorative bowl. What should it be this time? Something for the kitchen, like an innovative kitchen gadget? Something to spruce up the living area, like a decorative pillow or a blanket? Some item for the kiddos? Something for outside like a bird bath? (I had the option of reviewing an item instead of doing a giveaway, and was really feeling the urge to get a bird bath for our backyard. I resisted. I figured it'd be about 100 times more exciting for you readers if I did a giveaway rather than buying something for myself and then telling you how cool it is.)

Share your thoughts and then look for the giveaway in an upcoming post!

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Worst.Dream.Ever.

If you could imagine the worst possible dream, what would it be?  

It would probably be a dream about the worst possible thing that could happen in your life.

Well that's what I dreamed last night.

I dreamed that Dave died.

It was so real...the mourning was so real.  I had to go through a day in life without him before I woke up, and the pain in the dream was so intense I could barely breathe.  I was kicking and punching things, sobbing.  Trying to figure out how to even move through the day, because all I wanted to do was collapse and disappear into nothingness.

I finally reached the point where I was able to stop crying for a moment in my dream and breathe, and then I was praying and thanking God for numbing the pain enough for me to function.  That's when I woke up.

It took a moment for the reality to hit me...that I'd been dreaming and that my hubby was laying next to me, alive and well and breathing.

Then the sobs started all over again, but this time they were real.  I reached over and grabbed him and woke him up.  I continued crying, holding onto him for dear life.

Luckily I've had several similar nightmares of people dying in the past (although never about him), so he knew what to do with me.  Tell me it was just a dream, soothe me, remind me to breathe deeply, try to get me to calm down.  Get me a glass of water.  Hug me to reassure me it was all okay.

I laid there and called out to God in my head, Why would You let me dream that, God??? And then it dawned on me, that He lets people actually experience that as a reality. My nightmare is someone else's life. I just can't even imagine. How do people cope?

And at the same time, it was a reminder to me - that's why we need to depend on Him for everything.  He needs to be our reason for living, our source of hope.  We have to trust Him, that if something as terrible as that does happen in life, there is purpose behind it, and that He will give us the strength and grace to make it through. I remember hearing a speaker once talk about how God gives us grace and strength for each day.  She said if you can't imagine how you would make it through some terrible experience, such as losing a loved one, that's because you aren't currently experiencing the grace needed for it.  God provides day by day.  If your day came where you did go through a terrible experience such as that, God would be there, pouring out the needed grace. And then you would understand how people make it through. When you need it, He will provide it.

The dream also reminded me to appreciate all the moments with my husband, even the ones that seem trivial.  Because regardless of how inconsequential or mundane a moment with him may feel, he's there.  He's alive.  God has blessed me with one more moment with him.  I need to cherish it all.

Thank you, thank you, thank you God, for all the blessings in my life.  And for letting me have my loved ones around me at least one more day.

Monday, February 14, 2011

My Valentine's DATE

I got to spend some one-on-one time with my honey tonight for Valentine's Day. :)  Krew was conveniently super tired, so we put him to bed around 7:15 and Dan stayed home with him while Dave and I headed out just the two of us.  Yes that's right...we got to go on a DATE.

Red Bowl for dinner...

followed by Kilwin's for dessert...

meant one happy couple. :)

To My Love

To my hubby -

Thank you for being my other half and best friend.  I still can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you.

I thank God for blessing me with such a wonderful man over and over and over.

To think it's already been over 2 1/2 years.  Quick, but blessed and fun years.







Sunday, February 13, 2011

Babyhood: Week 49

Babyhood through the eyes of Krewson...

Week 49 (February 4th through February 10th)

* I started walking by myself with my push walker this week! One day out of the blue I crawled over to it, grabbed it, and started walking.  (It's a bit of a choppy, hunched-over walk, but it's a walk nonetheless.) Mommy and Daddy were shocked. I think it's so much fun. I'm not very good at steering yet, and I walk it into the wall a lot of the time. Then I stand there and whine until Daddy or Mommy comes over and helps me out. Then I continue on my way until I hit another wall. Then I whine. Then Mommy or Daddy comes to the rescue. And so it goes. It's great fun.  And I don't think Mommy and Daddy mind helping me out when I hit walls, cuz they seem to be super psyched that I'm walking.  (Regardless of the fact that it's choppy and hunched-over and toy-assisted.)
* I started sitting Indian style this week.  It's my new favorite way to sit.  Of course, my little legs are still so short that my Indiana-style consists just crossing my legs at the ankles.  But 9 times out of 10, if I'm sitting, I'm sitting Indian-style.
* I turned 11 months old this week! You can check out my 11-month post here.
* I may have mentioned this previously, but I love to share my food with Maggie and Rogan.  Especially Rogan, since she's always by my side.  This week I decided to be nice and try to spoon-feed her my slobber while I was sitting in the living room with her.  But she didn't want any of it.  I thought maybe she didn't understand what I was trying to offer her, so I just kept trying to shove the spoon in her mouth over and over.  Much to my dismay, she wouldn't even open up her jaw.  She just kept tossing her head side to side and I followed her with my little fist wrapped tight around the spoon.  It did no good...she didn't want it.  So sad.
* Mommy moved my blue chair into the living room this week and boy do I love it!!  I sit in it all the time now.  In fact, even when she moved it back out of the living room, I still went and sat in it.  Sometimes I sit in it to watch tv, sometimes I sit in it while I play with a toy, and sometimes I sit in it just to sit in it because I think it's awesome.
* This week I decided that I love the outdoors.  Whenever Daddy opens the back door to let the doggies go outside, I try to crawl out after them.  Sometimes he lets me crawl out and play a bit on the back porch if it's warm enough.  But whenever he brings me back inside, or if he doesn't let me go out in the first place, boy I get mad.  I usually scream and cry. A lot of times when he holds me, I point my little finger at the back door, and he knows that means, "Take me outside!!!!!" Sometimes he obeys, sometimes he doesn't. Mommy thinks my love for the outside will be a good thing since I will be outside a lot to watch Daddy play ultimate frisbee this summer.  I think she's right.



Longing to go outside.

In my blue chair! The best chair ever!