Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Let's Get Creative

OK, so I love getting homemade things & especially surprise packages. One of my friends had this on her blog. I'm not the best at coming up with ideas but I'll do some research and send you something... unique?cute?hopefully.

The first 3 people to leave a comment on this post will receive, at some point during the year, a handmade gift/treat from me. What it will be and when it will arrive is a total surprise! The catch is that you must participate as well. Before you leave your comment, write up a pay it forward post on your blog to keep the fun going (or be lazy and copy and paste like I did). Then come back, let me know you're going to play and sit back and anticipate the arrival of your gift!

Yeah, for homemade things!

Sugar & Spice OR Snails & Puppy Dog Tails

The reason I've hesitated with this post is because it doesn't seem real and I keep thinking at the next appointment we'll find out a different sex.

This is what happened a couple weeks ago. My mom babysat BM while we went to the doctor. Before we left she gave us $20 to buy something for the new baby.




As the doctor was doing the ultrasound, he said, "I told you my guess last time was a boy, right?"

Roos': "No, you said girl."

He then moved the wand around and said, "Well, it's a boy."

As he kept moving the wand around more, "No, it's a girl."

Roos': "So what is it?"

Doctor: "Girl."

Roos': "How sure are you?"

Doctor: "99.5%."



We were of course very excited but like I said it just doesn't seem real, even now. We stopped at Kid to Kid (a consignment store for children's clothing & toys) and spent the money my mom gave us. HeRoos LOVES to torture my mom. I told him to go easy on her so this is what he did when we got home.

He pulled the items one by one out of the bag and said, "This is what we got (very long pause)....
Max."




"This is what we got the new baby."




Then my mom unfolded it and got very excited.




"And we got this."



We are thrilled for BM to have a baby sister. I am looking forward to decorating her room but I think I'll wait until after the next appointment, just to be on the safe side. :)

Monday, February 23, 2009

Mardi Gras/Birthday Dinner

Two of my friends have birthdays in February and since it's almost Mardi Gras time, we thought we'd celebrate. HeRoos and I tried a new recipe recommended by Sandi.

Louisiana Shrimp Boil: Corn on the cob, onions, red potatoes, shrimp, sausage, grilled chicken. Everything turned out OK except for the potatoes. I overcooked them.



The fun part of this meal is that you eat it with your fingers- no utensils & one little plate for the sauce. The gang was a little hesitant at first but we all ended up digging in. We just threw everything on the table cloth and tossed it after. Easy clean up


This is what made the meal yummy and fattening. Lori whipped up a large batch for us. It tastes very similar to fry sauce.




HeRoos and I in the kitchen trying to be chefs. haha




We made Lime Ricky's: Grenadine, lime, & Fresca. S brought very tasty cupcakes to tempt us with.




Does BM look excited or what? He is such a serious boy but he enjoyed chewing on a lime and getting attention from the ladies.




Coconut Dream Cake. Get your minds out of the gutter people. ;)




Happy Birthday C & L and Happy Mardi Gras to everyone else!

Thursday, February 19, 2009

White Out

I'm beginning to wonder if we moved to the North Pole. On Tuesday is snowed and snowed and snowed.




HeRoos tried leaving for work without shoveling the driveway and he got stuck. He finally got our other car out and made it to work. This is what the car looked like a few hours later.



My dad came to save the day. He brought his snow blower and spent quite a bit of time getting the driveway and sidewalks cleared. Can you imagine how long it would've taken to shovel all this?!







Grandpa and BM sitting on the snow pile on the side of our driveway.




BM & his mama (me) standing in front of our house.



HeRoos was happy and surprised to arrive home to a shoveled driveway.

Thanks Dad, we love you!

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Senior Citizens Rule the Wii


My parents are experiencing shoulder and arm pain. Why? It's not just because they qualify for the senior citizen discount. They purchased a Wii a few months ago and they use it almost daily.

Before the Wii, I must admit that I was opposed to video games and thought that they were a waste of time and a contributor to child obesity. My opinion has changed. It has been a great way to spend time with family while getting a work out.

HeRoos and I talked BIG and took them on at Wii bowling. We walked away with our tails between our legs. Those old people (my parents) know how to get strikes!

To redeem our pride, we invited them to join us at Fat Cats for pizza and real bowling. I'm relieved to say that we showed those old people that they may rule the Wii but we rule the lanes.

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Kitchen Talk

The pantry is bare & I'm not about to venture out in this freezing weather so I consulted google for dinner ideas. We just happened to have all the ingredients for the first recipe I found when I typed in "Crock Pot Recipe with Chicken." Chicken, ketchup, onions, and cola (fortunately, we keep a stash of Diet Coke here for when my mom visits). It may turn out disgusting but hey, dinner will be ready when HeRoos comes home & I don't have to leave the house.


Which brings me to the most important part of this post- Time Saving Kitchen Ideas! There are a couple things I've discovered that make cooking much more convenient. I'll share if you will!

If I would've made this discovery sooner, there would be less time spent scrubbing burners.

* Put a little bit of olive oil in the pot of water before boiling pasta. It prevents the water from boiling over & the pasta isn't as sticky.





* I try to keep this in our fridge at all times. We used to keep fresh garlic in the pantry but it smelled up the place and often went bad before we used it. Instead of peeling and crushing, this is fast and I think it tastes just as good.




Your turn!

Monday, February 9, 2009

Snow Angel

This is our driveway a few hours after HeRoos shoveled it.





I tried to shovel the sidewalk but that is hard work! I'll wait for HeRoos to get home from work and use his manly muscles.



Three more days of snow this week? We really need a snow blower!

Saturday, February 7, 2009

Snipits!

Our Mr. Serious Boy got his first professional hair cut. He sat still and as you can tell thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience (his face doesn't show it but he really did).



Look how handsome! The stylist was able to redeem my very bad haircut.



Do they look a little similar?




He even got a certificate & toy for good behavior.



I highly recommend this place, Snipits. It's located in Layton, Utah by Cafe Rio. We were able to use a coupon for $9.99.

Thursday, February 5, 2009

Toy Repair Night

Two of my dear friends gave us this bouncer for a baby shower. When BM was a newborn, this was a great way to comfort our fussy baby. Now that he's older, he still loves to stand & play with it.

There was one BIG problem with it. The frog on it would get stuck and make LOUD annoying sounds. It drove me crazy! Ten months later, we finally took it apart and fixed it. We tolerated the noise for way toooooo long.




We gave this toy to BM for Christmas. I was unaware of how agitated I get with some noises. The man's voice on this is one of them. I was actually quite relieved that it stopped working because I knew Costco would let us return it. Then we decided that we should replace the batteries just to make sure. Darn it! The thing works again & BM is one happy guy.