Wordless Wednesday

 

Confessions of a Not-So-Desperate Housewife

Last night I decided to wage war with the out of control rugs in the house, namely the ones in the laundry room, the guest bathroom, and the ones that go under the dog dishes. Ew ew ew. Feeling super-productive, I threw them all in the wash and didn't give them a second thought. Until I moved them to the dryer. Red laundry room rug, meet white guest bathroom rugs. Do the math. And while I fully intended to redecorate the guest bath soon, Pepto Bismol-inspired bath mats were not exactly what I had in mind.

Next.

Matt was testing out a new fried baked zucchini recipe tonight, and since I was making the rest of dinner, I thought I'd be helpful while he was playing with Avery and flip the zucchini when it was halfway through. We have a flat stovetop. I was running out of counter space. I threw a couple of pot holders on the stove so I could just keep the cookie sheets on top of them while I worked my magic. When I threw the zucchini back in the oven, I remarked that it must've been a seriously hot cookie sheet because the pot holder was steaming! Two minutes later when the pot holder was still steaming, I realized that I had left a burner on. Oh yeah, and that burner was underneath the pot holder. It was thisclose to catching on fire. I threw it in the sink and tried to rid the kitchen of the offending odor. Fortunately it was gorgeous outside and we already had the windows open. And even more fortunately, the kitchen was still intact.

Ruined laundry, burning pot holders.

And this is why I should not attempt to be domestic. Goodnight.

S-a-t-u-r-d-a-y NIGHT

Haven't updated in a week. Liking fragments tonight. Exciting week since posted last.

Mother's Day Out and BSF this week. Social Avery.

Cousin night in Keller= Fuzzy's Taco Shop, Grey's and Private Practice, and garage sales Friday.

Matt in Coppell all day judging all-region. Mommy/daughter trip to Brownwood with friends to see Al's soccer game. Home at last. Baby in bed. Matt getting food (relative term) on way home.

Full day tomorrow, too. Want rest. Need rest. Loving this completely blessed life.

Weekend Update

Friday

One of the perks of not having to be at work is that I could to go to Allison's day game at ETBU. We left around 10 and, after a lunch stop at Dairy Palace in Canton, made it to Marshall by 1:30. Mom Fail: not bringing sunscreen. Mom Win: getting dinner at Walmart (Hawaiian rolls, lunchmeat, cheese, bananas, apples, and carrots) to eat at the field before we left instead of making an hour-long dinner stop on the trip home. HPU coaching drama aside, it was a good day trip.

Loving Grandma's sunglasses

Nick and Dad intently watching the game

I know I have tons of pictures like this. So what?

I am LOVING the fact that Avery loves baby dolls now. She's so sweet with her "bebes."

Oh brother.

I love this! And I definitely miss all those trees.

Avery can make anybody's bad day better. :)

Can you tell she likes to be the center of attention?

Saturday

Every other Saturday there is a farmer's market in our town. We always see the signs for it, but we've never actually made the time to go. We decided it was time to check it out.  It was tiny but good! We got a basket of tomatoes, 3 massive zucchinis, and some cilantro lime pasta that I cannot wait to try.

At least it's shaded since it's still burning up here in Texas.

Sunday

After church we went with Kendra and Carlos to Lauren and Brian's house for Carlos' Venezuelan empanadas. YUM! 

There was much Cowboy watching

And the girls trekked across the street to check out the new house. I trekked in the mud.

Avery loves her some Kendra!

Oh, and Cheerios. Especially stale ones that have been at Lauren's since the last time we were there (around 2 months ago, yuck).

Friday Five: Better Late Than Never

So what that it's almost Saturday? Here's the Five:

1. The reason this is late, in case you're wondering, which you're probably not, is because Avery and I took a little road trip today. Woohoo! We made the trek out to Marshall, home of my beloved alma mater, ETBU. (Go Tigers!) Seriously, I loved spending four years of my life at that place. Granted, the town is pretty ghetto, and you can't sneeze without the whole school knowing about it (it's tiny). But I have some super special memories there. We went today because Howard Payne (my sister's team) was playing ETBU (soccer, if you don't know me at all). I even wore an HPU shirt. Does that make me a traitor? Kidding. It is a little weird to 1) watch a soccer game there without being on the field, 2) watch said game in non-ETBU garb, and 3) go back to a place that I loved that just doesn't feel the same anymore without the people who made the experience special. That said, it was great to see Allison and spend the day with family.

2. Go Rangers! Holy cow, they're on FIRE! Well, except for the game they're playing at this very moment. I just want to make sure it's publicly known that I have loved the Rangers win or lose for years and years and, therefore, am not jumping on any bandwagon. I do miss watching the games though. Stupid contract with Fox Sports that makes the antenna TV watcher miss every game except for Fridays. Now if only we could afford those playoff tickets.

3. Who invented Nutella? I would like to hug and kiss him. Or her. But if it's a her that could be awkward. I guess it's awkward if it's a him, too, since I'm married and all. Anyway. I decided I love the stuff. Especially on animal crackers! Who knew? I wonder if Matt will notice that I've pretty much finished off his entire jar.

4. And now I'm scarfing down some cappuccino oatmeal chocolate cookies made by my fantastic husband. I should leave him to fend for himself more often. Yum!

5. I should step away from the cookies long enough to drag myself to bed. I'm spending my Saturday organizing closets in the children's wing at church. It's a project that been postponed for entirely too long. Try to contain your jealousy.

I hope your weekend includes more excitement than organizing closets and pigging out on cookies!

Blogs I'm Loving

I've gotten a couple of shout outs in the blog world lately, so I'm using this post as an opportunity to share the love. I subscribe to a LOT of blogs (thanks, Google Reader!), so I won't list all of them (you're welcome). Here are some I think are worth checking out:

People I Know in Real Life

Allison Jean Photo. Mi hermana. It goes without saying that I loooove her. She hasn't updated in awhile (ahem, get on that, please!), but her posts are sometimes funny, usually include phenomenal photography, and are always genuine.

Living Well. Kati! Despite our disdain for each others' taste in sports, we were good friends in high school. We went our separate ways in college but have recently reconnected through Facebook and our blogs. Kati's blog is about food, exercise, life, and now pregnancy! Kati is having a baby in a few months, and it's been so much fun following her journey.

The Petty Adventures. This is my neighbor Brooke and I just love her! She and her husband are both twins, and they have two dogs and the same house as us, so I love to get decorating inspiration from her (and our other neighbor Whitney). Hehe. Brooke always has funny stories to share about family, faith, and friends.

Pieces of April. April and I went to college together. But we didn't know each other. Well, I knew who she was, but I'm pretty sure we never spoke. She was friends with my husband, and I got to know her well after college through her Facebook status updates (how lame does that sound?). I've decided that we're long lost soulmates, but I'm pretty sure that's creepy. Anyway, check out her blog. I love reading her thoughts on motherhood and ministry, and she's just real.

Southern Mother. Corrie does a great job with her blog about photography and her life as a mom and wife. She's a Texas girl living in Missouri, and I just love her writing style. Plus her photography is just gorgeous (which I don't say about just anybody!).

Casa del Arnold. Sarah was one of my teaching partners during my last two years MHS. She is just so sweet, and she's witty and artsy, and her blog is fun. Love her!


Bring on the Crazies. Write this down. I am an inspiration. Haha! I suckered Tiff into blogging and she just started her blog on Monday. So I think you should send her a little love and encouragement because you will want her to keep blogging. I promise. She's really funny and has lots of crazy stories about teaching and life with a newborn. Maybe she'll share them with you. If you're nice.

Randomness

Catalog Living. Remember the Sonic commercials with the short haired brunette mom-in-a-minivan? Well, she has a blog. She's funny as all get out. The whole premise of the blog is that Gary and Elaine live in your catalogs. You know the ones, Pottery Barn, Ethan Allen, West Elm, etc. She picks one picture a day and writes a caption for it. Subscribe to it. You won't be disappointed.

There's No Place Like Home. This chick has the cutest house ever. And she has a cute baby. And she has a cute blog. Are you picking up on a trend?

Stuff Christians Like. Some Christians find him offensive. Some Christians also don't have a sense of humor (in my opinion). This blog is about the stuff we like getting in the way of the God we love. It's satirical and serious all at the same time. Love it.



MckMama. Life with 5 kids ages 5 and under. Crazy! But MckMama can make me laugh and cry all in the same post. I adore the way she lives out her convictions (even the ones I don't necessarily share). Plus, her kids are beyond precious and her photography is impressive.

Kelly's Korner. I actually don't even know why I read this blog so religiously. It's really just about Kelly's life, and I have absolutely no ties to her. It's not exceptionally well-written and doesn't make me laugh out loud, but she's doing something right because she has a kazillion subscribers and I, for one, just can't stop reading.

Love From Texas. This girl lives in a neighboring town, and I feel like she's my long lost best friend. However, she has no idea who I am, so I'm pretty sure it would make me a stalker if I acted on that. Although her grammar and spelling sometimes drive me up a wall, her blog is just cute (I'm running out of adjectives). I do wish she'd bring back Tuesday's List though...

Home Sanctuary. I've known Rachel since I was just a geeky little adolescent with braces. Her blog is dedicated to helping women make their homes a sanctuary by doing one "Small Thing" a day. There are even points involved, which is heaven for a competitive freak like myself. 

Money Money Money

I used to subscribe to around 10 budget-friendly blogs, but it was just, well, overwhelming. I've since whittled down my reading list to three.

My Dallas Mommy. Warning: she posts a TON. I don't even try to read each one. But I've found some budget-friendly tips, free magazine subscriptions, and coupons here. She's the chick on WFAA if you watch the morning news.

Money Saving Mom. Same principle, but not nearly as overwhelming. It's worth checking out if you need help with your home economics, lol.


Baby Cheapskate. This site tells you where the baby scores are, from the cheapest places to buy diapers that week to online deals and coupons.

Okay, so these aren't ALL the blogs I love, but I just don't have the time to list and describe them all. My house is messy. I should fix that. 

Which ones am I missing? I'd love to hear from you.

Happy reading!!

Revenge and jalapenos.

If you've known us for longer than, say, a month, you know that we live behind Mr. and Mrs. Crazy. Long story short, they like to call animal control (and the police) on a regular basis to complain that our dogs bark. (Which, for the record, they don't bark any more than any reasonable dog. We have the notarized letter signed by each of the rest of our neighbors to prove it.) Any time we're in our back yard we see them watching us from their windows. It's more than a little creepy.

So last night I was getting Avery's bath ready, and I heard the dogs bark maybe three times. I filled the tub, but before I set Avery in it I heard Nutmeg start freaking out. I ran to the back door to see Meg standing at the edge of the deck barking her little head off at the Crazies' house. Their blinds were all the way open and I saw Mrs. Crazy standing there staring at us. (Note: I've never seen this woman in the entire 3 years we've lived in our house.) I waved to her to let her know I had the "situation" under control, and she flipped me off. Flipped me off! Um, hello woman. YOU were the one creeping out the window. YOU are the one who has made us bend over backwards for you (i.e. bark collars and minimal time outside). And you flip me off??

Matt marched over to their house to find out what the heck their problem is, but of course they don't answer their door. Ever. (We're told they don't even answer the door for neighbors who bring misdelivered mail. Antisocial much?) They do have two video cameras on their front porch. So James Bond.

I suppose we will just have to "love our enemies" and "turn the other cheek" and all those other Biblical directives that are really hard to do when the flesh just wants revenge.

And now to change subjects completely.

I made some super yummy BBQ Beef Casserole (Don't knock it. I told you it's yummy. Either believe me or try it yourself.) tonight. Matt devoured his because he had to go to a meeting and I'm a slow cook (and, I think, because it was incredibly delicious), and Avery was shoveling it in as well. She still eats with her fingers (mostly because I lack patience and the desire to clean the mess that would prevail after her use of utensils), so it was a little messy. Did I mention yet that it was more than just a little spicy? Jalapenos, meet Avery's eyes. Let's just say that when Matt left, dinner got a little chaotic. I wiped down Avery's hands and face, finished feeding her with a spoon, and promptly took her to the tub.

Seriously, where has the time gone? She's not my helpless little baby anymore. She's a little girl with a gigantic personality and ever-growing independence. When did that happen?? I let her have an extra-long playtime in the tub tonight because I was so caught up in watching her read her book, figure out the logistics of bath splashing, and fill up and dump out the rinsing cup. It really doesn't seem like it's been that long since we were fumbling around trying to figure out how to bathe a newborn who hated the water. 

My hope and prayer is that I won't waste time letting the frustrations of life rob me of the joy that is found in the life that Christ gave me through His Son.

Problem solved.

Earrings are my go-to accessory, so awhile back I found myself searching for a storage solution.

Enter Google. I found all sorts of options. None of which were remotely cute or under $20. Case in point:

Enter DIY. I found some cute ideas, complete with ribbon and fancy painted picture frames. Please, I just needed a place to stash the earrings.

Now enter practicality and a cheapskate.

My earring storage dilemma was solved, and it only required a $3 drawer basket (courtesy of Walmart), a couple of hooks, and minimal effort.

Now about those necklaces...

Weekend Update

Weekends rock. So do weekdays now for that matter, but since this post is titled Weekend Update, I'll stick to that.

FRIDAY

Dinner at Mom and Dad's. Yum. Avery discovered how to take off her diaper. Hilarious. Scrapbooking with some ladies from church. Made 34 cards. Blue Bell ice cream before bed. Alliterative goodness.

SATURDAY

Semi-spontaneous visit to Denton to hang out with Aaron and Chelsea (bro and sis-in-law). Lunch at my new favorite place for Mexican. Fuzzy's Taco Shop. Bliss. Festival downtown. Frozen yogurt. Dinner at Nana's. Overdue and such a blessing to spend time with grandparents. Late night talks on the way home.

SUNDAY

Church's 12th anniversary. Sang Shadowfeet for the offertory (thanks to my multi-talented husband who is officially better than me at the piano). Heard the Word. Spent the afternoon with Kendra and Carlos. Backyard is (finally) mowed. Church dinner. Babysat the kiddos. Cowboy game.

On a side note, I need to take more (and better) pictures.

Friday Five

1. I am loving being a stay at home mom. During the first couple of weeks I wasn't sure I would. Getting into more of a routine (plus having Mother's Day Out twice a week so I can work at church) has helped SO much. Avery is so much fun these days; she's walking really well now, so she loves to play chase. She just cracks up! I'm so thankful not to be missing these moments. 

2. Unless you (and your husband) live in a cave, you are aware the NFL kicked off last night. What you are probably not aware of, however, is that I have now joined the craze that is Fantasy Football. Don't be too scared yet; I have no idea what I'm doing. All I know is that our league's automatic draft gave me Tom Brady, so if that means that I need to watch more of the Patriots' games, I will gladly do so. He is very pretty.

3. Next on the reading list: Same Kind of Different as Me. It's been sitting on my nightstand for about a month now because I'm dreading reading it. I just know I'm going to bawl my eyes out, and I'm afraid to subject myself to that kind of emotion. I should probably start it though since it is a library book. What late fees? (Oh, and after that I'm going to delve into Crazy Love. I'm taking a hiatus from my mindless chick lit.)

4. My next project: cleaning out our guest/scrapbook room. I'm determined to consolidate all my crafty stuff to move it to our bedroom. That project also entails me finding an attractive storage solution. There's a craft desk I absolutely LOVE at Hobby Lobby, but it's black (I need brown) and I know I can find something cheaper (and probably better made). I want something that I can close up and hide everything. Any ideas?

5. This weekend's agenda: scrapbooking with some girls from church tonight (I'm SO behind on Avery's book already), visiting my bro and sister-in-law tomorrow morning, hanging out with my grandparents tomorrow night, and church/relaxation/churchwide dinner on Sunday.

I love weekends.

Meatless Monday on a Thursday

I try to eat healthy foods, really I do. But Oreos, ice cream, and pizza just call to me. I can't help myself.

But in an effort to reduce our meat consumption (thank you, Food, Inc.) and our grocery bill, I've added Meatless Monday to the menu (much to my husband's chagrin). In case you're wondering, we also have breakfast for dinner on Wednesdays and Mexican food Fridays. But you probably weren't wondering. I digress.

This past  Monday was Labor Day (duh), so Matt had the day off and we ended up going on an impromptu happy hour date (translation: fried food and sodas at TGI Fridays. YUM.) We were still stuffed by dinner time, so we just ate sandwiches. All that to say, I moved Monday's dinner to tonight (lest all that food go bad), and I felt the need to share the deliciousness.

This is not a cooking blog. In fact, I'm not even a very good cook. But hey, I'm getting better since I have plenty of time to practice these days. I digress again.

Back to my point. You have GOT to try this recipe. It is easy easy easy and soverygood. You can thank me later.

Quick Quesadillas

 

Makes 8 servings

• Nonstick olive oil spray
• 2 zucchini, chopped
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced (I left this out)
• 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 16 (6-inch) flour tortillas
• 8 oz shredded reduced-fat Monterey Jack cheese
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Drain and rinse the canned beans. Put in a large mixing bowl. Grate the zucchini. Toss the grated zucchini with a teaspoon of salt in a colander, then squeeze out excess water. Combine the zucchini with the beans, spices, grated cheese, and scallions. Spritz one side of each tortilla with olive oil spray. Place eight tortillas oil-side down on a baking sheet. Spread some filling on each tortilla then top with another tortilla (oil-side up). Broil 1-2 minutes (until golden) and flip. Broil the flip side another 1-2 minutes.

Wordless Wednesday

Roomie Weekend

Everybody always says that your best friends are the ones you meet in college. Something like that anyway.

Mine are Candie and Tiff. Candace and Tiffany. Howie and Harold.

We've come a long way from that fateful day in August of 2001 when I met them at our first day of soccer two-a-days. I was a sheltered little freshman who was beyond terrified of moving to a place where I knew no one. Candie and I clicked right away (she was a sophomore transfer, so she was in the newbie boat with me), and since she and Tiff had been assigned to be roommates, Tiffany hated me from the beginning (a little tidbit I learned way after the fact).

It's a good thing I'm so lovable (ha!) because Tiff eventually came around. I ended up spending the majority of my freshman year hanging out in their room in Linebery instead of my own in Merle Bruce, and we bonded over road trips, spelling games, chick flicks, late-night conversations, coffee houses, Walmart runs, and Chick-fil-a.

I got to be their official roommate my sophomore year, and we lived together until Tiff graduated and Candie got married in December of 2003. I still had three semesters left, and I was so sad they left me. (p.s. I did live with some super cool chicks for the rest of college, so all was not lost.)

(p.p.s. It is killing me that I can't find pictures from "the early days." OMG. Where are they?!? I know I have prints; I'll just have to scan them later.)

There are way too many stories to tell. We've been there for each other through break-ups, new jobs, family drama, new relationships, weddings, and now even babies.

You know those friends you can go for a month without talking to but then call them up and it's like time never passed? Yeah, that's them. Now that we're spread across Texas (Tiff in Houston, Candie in Austin, and me in DFW), we try to all get together at least three times a year.

Labor Day Weekend 2009

New Years Eve 2009

This past weekend was one of those times. It was just a short visit this time, but we got to meet Tiff's brand spankin' new daughter, Macyn. She's just too precious.

And Avery wasted no time trying to be the center of attention. No surprises there.

We even got to go swimming at the rec center (which has a sweet indoor play pool), and continued working on Avery and Jacob's arranged marriage. It's worth a shot.

I love these girls so much! Here's to many more years of laughter, ice cream, and sharing life.

Wow, that was cheesy.

Friday Check-In

I love Fridays. However, today's Five is taking a hiatus because we're leaving for Houston in -5 minutes. Yep, we're supposed to be on our way to pick up Matt, but Avery took an extended nap (praise the Lord!), so we're a little late. Story of my life these days.

Anyway, I'm beyond excited to see Tiff, Candie, and their precious babies!

I-45, here we come!