Today Jillian Michaels kicked my butt. I am so out of shape, but I'm working on it. Luckily Sasha napped and let me do the complete abs workout today. Some days I don't even get through the 5 minute jogging-in-place warm up. And other days I don't even turn on the wii. I will be jello in approximately 7 1/2 minutes. I can feel it coming on.
Morning snack today is a smoothie. orange-celery-banana with a dash of cinnamon and brewer's yeast. yummy. I should do this every day. Or at least every other day. Definitely a nice post-Jillian Michael's butt kicking snack. :-)
Friday, January 22, 2010
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Tree Huggin' Tuesday
TakeOutWithOut
This is something I need to work on (*ahem* sonic strawberry limeade). Because, really, there are only so many things you can do with those styrofoam containers in the name of re-use.
I've got a cabinet full of pyrex lidded containers, as well as tupperware, of course... I bet you do, too. ;-) Also, there's room in my purse for a couple of cloth napkins wrapped around my own silverware.
EnviroRambo said it better than I am.... so read this, if you have a minute.
This is something I need to work on (*ahem* sonic strawberry limeade). Because, really, there are only so many things you can do with those styrofoam containers in the name of re-use.
I've got a cabinet full of pyrex lidded containers, as well as tupperware, of course... I bet you do, too. ;-) Also, there's room in my purse for a couple of cloth napkins wrapped around my own silverware.
EnviroRambo said it better than I am.... so read this, if you have a minute.
Friday, January 15, 2010
fog
I'm in a fog. Ugh, no me gusta!
This week we made a menu, and stuck with it really well. Got next week's menu made today. I love that. So much less stress that way. Now if I could somehow convince myself to do something similar with housework (Mondays = clean the floors, Tuesdays = launder the bedding, etc.).
Oh, and I answered sonic's call this afternoon, and am enjoying a Route 44 strawberry limeade as I type. If I'm going to eco-sin, might as well super-size it, right? ;-)
Have you read the children's book, Flat Stanley? I have not, but we want to now. Our friend Sydney in Wisconsin read it in school, and she and her classmates each made a Flat Stanley to mail to a friend with an assignment: take Flat Stanley on an adventure (take pictures, collect brochures, etc.) and return Flat Stanley with notes of his adventure. Hopefully tomorrow will be nice and sunny so that we can have some outdoor adventures.
It's raining, it's pouring, the old man is snoring..... and I want the sunshine, dangit!
One other thing - did I tell you Aubrey's Christmas Tree adventure? At my folks' house, my girls were sleeping on the living room floor with my sister. All in a row - Aubrey, Ali, Lauren. In the middle of the night Ali awakes to a crash. The Christmas Tree had fallen over. On top of Aubrey. Aubrey never woke up. When Ali hollered, "Mommy (we each still call our mom Mommy at times)! The tree fell on Aubrey!" my mom kept right on sleeping, while I bolted out of bed. The tree shifted in the stand just enough that it was never going to stand again, so we rotated the heaviest Christmas Tree ever* so that it would lean into the wall, not onto my oldest. After we got the tree situated, and confirmed that Aubrey was in fact still breathing (how can you sleep through that? she was buried by tree!), we discovered the ornaments that had found their way underneath Aubrey. So weird. No explanation for the falling tree.
*well maybe not the heaviest, but it was really, really heavy.
anyway, happy Friday. I hope your weekend is grand.
This week we made a menu, and stuck with it really well. Got next week's menu made today. I love that. So much less stress that way. Now if I could somehow convince myself to do something similar with housework (Mondays = clean the floors, Tuesdays = launder the bedding, etc.).
Oh, and I answered sonic's call this afternoon, and am enjoying a Route 44 strawberry limeade as I type. If I'm going to eco-sin, might as well super-size it, right? ;-)
Have you read the children's book, Flat Stanley? I have not, but we want to now. Our friend Sydney in Wisconsin read it in school, and she and her classmates each made a Flat Stanley to mail to a friend with an assignment: take Flat Stanley on an adventure (take pictures, collect brochures, etc.) and return Flat Stanley with notes of his adventure. Hopefully tomorrow will be nice and sunny so that we can have some outdoor adventures.
It's raining, it's pouring, the old man is snoring..... and I want the sunshine, dangit!
One other thing - did I tell you Aubrey's Christmas Tree adventure? At my folks' house, my girls were sleeping on the living room floor with my sister. All in a row - Aubrey, Ali, Lauren. In the middle of the night Ali awakes to a crash. The Christmas Tree had fallen over. On top of Aubrey. Aubrey never woke up. When Ali hollered, "Mommy (we each still call our mom Mommy at times)! The tree fell on Aubrey!" my mom kept right on sleeping, while I bolted out of bed. The tree shifted in the stand just enough that it was never going to stand again, so we rotated the heaviest Christmas Tree ever* so that it would lean into the wall, not onto my oldest. After we got the tree situated, and confirmed that Aubrey was in fact still breathing (how can you sleep through that? she was buried by tree!), we discovered the ornaments that had found their way underneath Aubrey. So weird. No explanation for the falling tree.
*well maybe not the heaviest, but it was really, really heavy.
anyway, happy Friday. I hope your weekend is grand.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
What the?
That's what I say, an awful lot. "What the?" or sometimes it's "What the hay?"
I didn't realized I said it so much until Lauren said, "What the?" At least I don't add assorted naughty words at the end. :-)
~~~
I love Conan. I'm kinda lukewarm on Jay. This whole mess makes me love Conan even more. Like Jay even less. And maybe that isn't fair, because maybe Jay is as much at the mercy of the Powers That Be as Conan is. But I can't help it.
~~~
I've been watching very little coverage on the earthquake, because I've got little eyes all around, and I don't want them to see too much. Also, I cry every time I think about the tragedy. I'm praying that everyone that is hurting may find comfort and peace, and that aid is quick and overflowing.
~~~
Tomorrow I may venture down to Austin. I 'm dying to find a true health food store, not a GNC-like vitamin store. As much as I LOVE small town life, there are some serious drawbacks.
~~~
I just started reading The Jungle Effect. So far, so good. I'm very intrigued.
~~~
Tonight we had eggs benedict for dinner. Followed up by lava cake for dessert. Mistake-o-rama, let me tell you. Too much richness, I have a belly ache. But atleast there's no lava cake left to make me sick tomorrow. :-) (We also had green beans and cantaloupe - some healthy food!)
~~~
I gave Andy so much grieve about him wanting to buy The Hangover, but I love that movie. It's hilarious. Not as vulgar as I expected. On a related note, one of Andy's long time friends said, "When I watched that movie, I kept thinking about Andy." Andy did not take that as a compliment. I laughed. And said a little prayer of thanks that he's grown up a lot.
I didn't realized I said it so much until Lauren said, "What the?" At least I don't add assorted naughty words at the end. :-)
~~~
I love Conan. I'm kinda lukewarm on Jay. This whole mess makes me love Conan even more. Like Jay even less. And maybe that isn't fair, because maybe Jay is as much at the mercy of the Powers That Be as Conan is. But I can't help it.
~~~
I've been watching very little coverage on the earthquake, because I've got little eyes all around, and I don't want them to see too much. Also, I cry every time I think about the tragedy. I'm praying that everyone that is hurting may find comfort and peace, and that aid is quick and overflowing.
~~~
Tomorrow I may venture down to Austin. I 'm dying to find a true health food store, not a GNC-like vitamin store. As much as I LOVE small town life, there are some serious drawbacks.
~~~
I just started reading The Jungle Effect. So far, so good. I'm very intrigued.
~~~
Tonight we had eggs benedict for dinner. Followed up by lava cake for dessert. Mistake-o-rama, let me tell you. Too much richness, I have a belly ache. But atleast there's no lava cake left to make me sick tomorrow. :-) (We also had green beans and cantaloupe - some healthy food!)
~~~
I gave Andy so much grieve about him wanting to buy The Hangover, but I love that movie. It's hilarious. Not as vulgar as I expected. On a related note, one of Andy's long time friends said, "When I watched that movie, I kept thinking about Andy." Andy did not take that as a compliment. I laughed. And said a little prayer of thanks that he's grown up a lot.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
beat 'em or join 'em?
So, do we buy a minivan or suv? We aren't in the market this week, or this month. Maybe later this year. So, go for the more environmentally friendly minivan, or the safer suv?*
That's one of the problems with being environmentally aware. I'm leaning towards suv because of the safety factor. But then there's guilt, because I know our chances of being in an accidnet are pretty slim. Oy.
We aren't in the market any time soon - we're doing fine with what we have for the time being. I'm just dreaming. And feeling guilty about dreaming of a gas guzzler.
THAT's frustrating. I can't turn off my environmental awareness. Some days I just want to turn it off. But I can't. Or, I can, but as soon as I turn it back on (involuntarily, I might add) I feel bad about whatever I did while it was off. Sonic strawberry limeade in a big ol' styrofoam cup, anyone? What about Taco Bell in their handy-dandy plastic bags? Roadtrips are the worst for this, but it happens often enough without roadtripping, too.
Ugh. Now I want a strawberry limeade, but feel guilty about wanting a strawberry limeade. I'm a dork. Such a dork.
Anyway, what would (or did) you do? minivan or suv?
*to explain, in case you don't know... we are a family of 5. Most of the time we don't all 5 of us go out, but on the rare occassion that we do, we currently take 2 cars. We roadtrip a fair amount (the girls and I - we let Andy stay home and work, aren't we sweet like that? ;-) )
That's one of the problems with being environmentally aware. I'm leaning towards suv because of the safety factor. But then there's guilt, because I know our chances of being in an accidnet are pretty slim. Oy.
We aren't in the market any time soon - we're doing fine with what we have for the time being. I'm just dreaming. And feeling guilty about dreaming of a gas guzzler.
THAT's frustrating. I can't turn off my environmental awareness. Some days I just want to turn it off. But I can't. Or, I can, but as soon as I turn it back on (involuntarily, I might add) I feel bad about whatever I did while it was off. Sonic strawberry limeade in a big ol' styrofoam cup, anyone? What about Taco Bell in their handy-dandy plastic bags? Roadtrips are the worst for this, but it happens often enough without roadtripping, too.
Ugh. Now I want a strawberry limeade, but feel guilty about wanting a strawberry limeade. I'm a dork. Such a dork.
Anyway, what would (or did) you do? minivan or suv?
*to explain, in case you don't know... we are a family of 5. Most of the time we don't all 5 of us go out, but on the rare occassion that we do, we currently take 2 cars. We roadtrip a fair amount (the girls and I - we let Andy stay home and work, aren't we sweet like that? ;-) )
Tree Huggin' Tuesday
dispose the disposables
easy as it sounds... try to reduce your use of disposables. you can bring your own travel mug to starbucks, buy a loose bunch of carrots to peel, cut and put in portion-size reusable containers (instead of buying individual serving size bags of baby carrots), give cloth diapers a try, keep a real plate and silverware at work for lunches.
pretty much any time you drop something in the trash, ask yourself if you needed it to begin with. kleenex? a hanky would work well in most cases. a paper towel to wipe up that drip of coffee? how 'bout a washcloth instead.
Happy Huggin'!
Rachel
easy as it sounds... try to reduce your use of disposables. you can bring your own travel mug to starbucks, buy a loose bunch of carrots to peel, cut and put in portion-size reusable containers (instead of buying individual serving size bags of baby carrots), give cloth diapers a try, keep a real plate and silverware at work for lunches.
pretty much any time you drop something in the trash, ask yourself if you needed it to begin with. kleenex? a hanky would work well in most cases. a paper towel to wipe up that drip of coffee? how 'bout a washcloth instead.
Happy Huggin'!
Rachel
Monday, January 11, 2010
blessings
#42 ~ gingerbread house kits on clearance. we're gonna have some fun tonight!
#43 ~ Twinnings Lady Grey tea. I know I've mentioned it before, I'll try to not mention it again.
#44 ~ tabletop centerpieces created by 3 year olds. our current centerpiece is a pewter goblet holding clearance candycanes (nick jr, of course!) and two pheasant feathers. one of a kind, no doubt!
#45 ~ homemade split pea soup.
#46 ~ my nest planner. one of the things I asked for for Christmas. so far I love it. this week's menu is in there, along with the grocery list. and some crafty ideas, and a lofty to do list (mostly invloving the crafty ideas). :-)
#47 ~ $0.44 avocados.
#48 ~ my church. as Dorothy once said, "There's no place like home."
#43 ~ Twinnings Lady Grey tea. I know I've mentioned it before, I'll try to not mention it again.
#44 ~ tabletop centerpieces created by 3 year olds. our current centerpiece is a pewter goblet holding clearance candycanes (nick jr, of course!) and two pheasant feathers. one of a kind, no doubt!
#45 ~ homemade split pea soup.
#46 ~ my nest planner. one of the things I asked for for Christmas. so far I love it. this week's menu is in there, along with the grocery list. and some crafty ideas, and a lofty to do list (mostly invloving the crafty ideas). :-)
#47 ~ $0.44 avocados.
#48 ~ my church. as Dorothy once said, "There's no place like home."
Saturday, January 9, 2010
wassup?
Ever want to blog, but just not know what to blog about? That's me. So, here's a jumble of crap. I mean, here are some wonderful insights and stories. Yeah, insights and stories.
Sasha spent the last week raspberry-ing all the time. It's so cute and fun. I love it. But tonight she entered the scream at an ungodly high pitch phase. NOT cute and fun, especially when she's cuddled up next to your ear.
Lauren is watching Star Wars, at her request. Return of the Jedi. She's loving it. Oh, and her new favorite song to sing is Yankee Doodle. THAT is cute. Much cuter than screaming "Buttman" all around the house. Thank you, Bart Simpson.
Aubrey is spending the night at a friend's house. Ahh, the quiet.... :-)
I want another feline. I need another feline. Not necessarily a kitten, but a shelter cat. I'm browsing craigslist (though really, I want a shelter cat). And, today at the bank, in the middle of shopping malls galore - not a residential area, there was a cat, sitting in the sun. I approached him very carefully, but he ran into the storm drain. Really, though, I know we can afford another pet, and there are so many cats (and dogs and other animals, I know) that need loving homes. Now I just need to convince Andy that he needs another cat.
I pulled my sewing machine out and made some cloth wipes. Just in time, 'cause, you know, Sasha is almost 5 months old. I have loads of excuses, by the way, for why it's taken me this long. Of course, I think I'm the only one really concerned, so I'll apologize to myself for the procrastination, and I'm sure myself will forgive me. I think so, at least.
All our Christmas decorations are still up. Maybe tomorrow they'll come down. Maybe not.
I recently got a blackberry. One of the cool features is that if you hold down the 'a' button, it capitalizes. Know what happens when I try that on the computer? 'aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa.' I think I've been spending too much time on my blackberry lately!
Andy just bought the winning lottery ticket. I know it's the winner because I told him he could only buy it if it was the winner. So we're golden. ;-)
I LOVE LOVE LOVE my pressure cooker. Tonight we did short ribs, in beef broth. Freakishly tender. Mmmmm. Andy said that any food we eat tomorrow will be a letdown. I can't disagree.
Kettlecorn is some tasty stuff. Sam's Club sells Popcorn, Indiana brand kettlecorn. Popcorn, Indiana is based in New Jersey. And I might complain about the misleading name, but ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhmyyyyyyyyyyyyyy, this stuff is too tasty to care where it is made.
Hey, did you read this article about HM Clothing and Wal-Mart destroying and tossing clothes that didn't sell? So many people could benefit from those ruined-and-tossed-away clothes. Not to mention the waste. It kinda makes me sick. And sad.
Now, to keep my hand from finding it's way into the bag of kettlecorn again, I'm off to make a cup of decaf Lady Grey. My current favorite tea. Oh how I love hot tea weather.
toodles,
Rachel
PS - Lauren grew tired of Star Wars, now it's Tom & Jerry.
Sasha spent the last week raspberry-ing all the time. It's so cute and fun. I love it. But tonight she entered the scream at an ungodly high pitch phase. NOT cute and fun, especially when she's cuddled up next to your ear.
Lauren is watching Star Wars, at her request. Return of the Jedi. She's loving it. Oh, and her new favorite song to sing is Yankee Doodle. THAT is cute. Much cuter than screaming "Buttman" all around the house. Thank you, Bart Simpson.
Aubrey is spending the night at a friend's house. Ahh, the quiet.... :-)
I want another feline. I need another feline. Not necessarily a kitten, but a shelter cat. I'm browsing craigslist (though really, I want a shelter cat). And, today at the bank, in the middle of shopping malls galore - not a residential area, there was a cat, sitting in the sun. I approached him very carefully, but he ran into the storm drain. Really, though, I know we can afford another pet, and there are so many cats (and dogs and other animals, I know) that need loving homes. Now I just need to convince Andy that he needs another cat.
I pulled my sewing machine out and made some cloth wipes. Just in time, 'cause, you know, Sasha is almost 5 months old. I have loads of excuses, by the way, for why it's taken me this long. Of course, I think I'm the only one really concerned, so I'll apologize to myself for the procrastination, and I'm sure myself will forgive me. I think so, at least.
All our Christmas decorations are still up. Maybe tomorrow they'll come down. Maybe not.
I recently got a blackberry. One of the cool features is that if you hold down the 'a' button, it capitalizes. Know what happens when I try that on the computer? 'aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa.' I think I've been spending too much time on my blackberry lately!
Andy just bought the winning lottery ticket. I know it's the winner because I told him he could only buy it if it was the winner. So we're golden. ;-)
I LOVE LOVE LOVE my pressure cooker. Tonight we did short ribs, in beef broth. Freakishly tender. Mmmmm. Andy said that any food we eat tomorrow will be a letdown. I can't disagree.
Kettlecorn is some tasty stuff. Sam's Club sells Popcorn, Indiana brand kettlecorn. Popcorn, Indiana is based in New Jersey. And I might complain about the misleading name, but ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhmyyyyyyyyyyyyyy, this stuff is too tasty to care where it is made.
Hey, did you read this article about HM Clothing and Wal-Mart destroying and tossing clothes that didn't sell? So many people could benefit from those ruined-and-tossed-away clothes. Not to mention the waste. It kinda makes me sick. And sad.
Now, to keep my hand from finding it's way into the bag of kettlecorn again, I'm off to make a cup of decaf Lady Grey. My current favorite tea. Oh how I love hot tea weather.
toodles,
Rachel
PS - Lauren grew tired of Star Wars, now it's Tom & Jerry.
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
more and more and more blessings
#33 ~ Sasha's raspberry concerts, performed several times a day.
#34 ~ my car, that safely carried us 1500-ish miles in the last 16 days.
#35 ~ my sister-in-law, Dolores. I've always liked her, but getting to spend so much time with her, I really got to know her better. She does such an amazing job taking care of her family, and she helped me fold clothes. That may sound petty and inconsequential, and, in the big picture, it is. But I HATE folding laundry. HATE it. And I know hate is a strong word, but seriously, anyone who wants to fold my laundry is on my WOOHOO I LOVE YOU list, regardless of anything else they do or don't do. (psst - think Andy would fold all the laundry if he never had to do the litter box again? I think I'll find out!)
#36 ~ old friends. I was able to have breakfast with my childhood best friend, after 11 years of not seeing her. It was great. She's great. And, a peanut butter malt at Owl Cafe is part of a healthy breakfast. Right? Right?!?
#37 ~ neighbors. Our neighbors, my in-laws' neighbors, my parents' neighbors. There are some awesome neighbors out there.
#38 ~ New Year's Eve parades. Especially the homemade variety. 6 of us paraded up my parents' street, blowing horns, clanging wind chimes, puffing train whistles, and streaming homemade streamers. With a blue moon lighting the way. perfection.
#39 ~ tea parties with far away cousins, using Great Aunt Ibby's hand painted china. more perfection.
#40 ~ Grandma Marg's piano sitting in my mom's living room, being gently (and not so gently) pounded on. And, my mom's beautiful piano playing amid the pounding. pa-rum-pum-pum-BANG-rum-pum-BLAM-pum-BANGBANGBANG
#41 ~ my camera.
#34 ~ my car, that safely carried us 1500-ish miles in the last 16 days.
#35 ~ my sister-in-law, Dolores. I've always liked her, but getting to spend so much time with her, I really got to know her better. She does such an amazing job taking care of her family, and she helped me fold clothes. That may sound petty and inconsequential, and, in the big picture, it is. But I HATE folding laundry. HATE it. And I know hate is a strong word, but seriously, anyone who wants to fold my laundry is on my WOOHOO I LOVE YOU list, regardless of anything else they do or don't do. (psst - think Andy would fold all the laundry if he never had to do the litter box again? I think I'll find out!)
#36 ~ old friends. I was able to have breakfast with my childhood best friend, after 11 years of not seeing her. It was great. She's great. And, a peanut butter malt at Owl Cafe is part of a healthy breakfast. Right? Right?!?
#37 ~ neighbors. Our neighbors, my in-laws' neighbors, my parents' neighbors. There are some awesome neighbors out there.
#38 ~ New Year's Eve parades. Especially the homemade variety. 6 of us paraded up my parents' street, blowing horns, clanging wind chimes, puffing train whistles, and streaming homemade streamers. With a blue moon lighting the way. perfection.
#39 ~ tea parties with far away cousins, using Great Aunt Ibby's hand painted china. more perfection.
#40 ~ Grandma Marg's piano sitting in my mom's living room, being gently (and not so gently) pounded on. And, my mom's beautiful piano playing amid the pounding. pa-rum-pum-pum-BANG-rum-pum-BLAM-pum-BANGBANGBANG
#41 ~ my camera.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
happy new year!
I'm back. We were in New Mexico for Christmas and New Year's. Spent lots of time with lots of relatives. Ate almost enough green chile.
Exhausted my brain such that I can't think of a tree huggin' tip to share. So I'm hoping you can share a tip with me. Please? :-)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)