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| Playing Kinectimals on the Kinect! |
Happy New Year!
Friday, December 31, 2010
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Three things for Thursday
Here are the three things I'm loving today, on this last Thursday of 2010:
1. Sundried Tomato Risotto. Oh Pioneer Woman, how I love you. A little heavy cream makes everything taste divine. I made this for dinner tonight. It makes enough for a small army, but that's okay, because it's one of those recipes that tastes better the longer it's been in the fridge.
2. Ugg Australia Classic Tall Boots. I don't care what anyone says about the way Uggs look. They are heaven for your feet! Pilot Pete bought me the Classic Cardy boots last year for my birthday, and I love them. I couldn't wait for fall to hit so I could bust them out of the closet. Unfortunately they're not really practical for wet winter weather. So now I have these too. I love them so much, I hate to take them off. But I'd look pretty silly sleeping in boots...right?
3. Your Shape: Fitness Evolved for Kinect. I know I listed Kinect as one of my three things last week, but I just got this game this week and we tried it out last night. Wow. I think I used muscles in my body I didn't know existed. Let's just say that getting around today has been a challenge. It's pretty neat the way the system scans your body for height, leg length, shoulder span, etc., and then selects workouts for you based on this and other information you provide. I think this is going to be a fun way to get into better shape!
1. Sundried Tomato Risotto. Oh Pioneer Woman, how I love you. A little heavy cream makes everything taste divine. I made this for dinner tonight. It makes enough for a small army, but that's okay, because it's one of those recipes that tastes better the longer it's been in the fridge.
2. Ugg Australia Classic Tall Boots. I don't care what anyone says about the way Uggs look. They are heaven for your feet! Pilot Pete bought me the Classic Cardy boots last year for my birthday, and I love them. I couldn't wait for fall to hit so I could bust them out of the closet. Unfortunately they're not really practical for wet winter weather. So now I have these too. I love them so much, I hate to take them off. But I'd look pretty silly sleeping in boots...right?
3. Your Shape: Fitness Evolved for Kinect. I know I listed Kinect as one of my three things last week, but I just got this game this week and we tried it out last night. Wow. I think I used muscles in my body I didn't know existed. Let's just say that getting around today has been a challenge. It's pretty neat the way the system scans your body for height, leg length, shoulder span, etc., and then selects workouts for you based on this and other information you provide. I think this is going to be a fun way to get into better shape!
Monday, December 27, 2010
Over the weekend
How was your weekend? We had a wonderful Christmas here - Little Dude let us sleep until 8:30, and then we had a peaceful morning enjoying presents and our traditional brown sugar macadamia nut coffee cake. In the afternoon we had some dear friends over for dinner. It was a quiet, restful day. Santa was so good to us - I don't think we could have asked for anything more. I hope you enjoyed your day!
Enjoy the scenes from our weekend!
Enjoy the scenes from our weekend!
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| His first view of the presents |
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| Digging into his stocking |
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| Mom, stop taking pictures and let me open this! |
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| Our dinner table |
Friday, December 24, 2010
'Twas the night before Christmas
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care, in hopes that Saint Nicholas soon would be there!
Foto Friday
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| Little Dude's not the only one who's ready for Christmas...it's been a long holiday season! |
Merry Christmas!
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Three things for Thursday
Happy Christmas Eve Eve! I hope you had a lovely Thursday. We're enjoying the time off, and a certain little one can't wait for Santa to visit.
Here are the three things I'm loving today:
Here are the three things I'm loving today:
Seven years
Yesterday was our seventh anniversary! I had a post planned, but when I went to start it last night, I found blogger and google were down. And when they were still down at 1:30 AM after we finished watching "The Kids are All Right", I decided it was time to call uncle and hope for better today. Luckily blogger is back up and running.
Monday, December 20, 2010
Over the weekend
We had a fun weekend out here. Pilot Pete had to work on Saturday, but he's off for 2 weeks now (yippee!). We made a little time for ourselves on Saturday night so we could attend Pilot Pete's work holiday party (special thanks to J for sharing her babysitter with us). Yesterday was a chilly, blustery day, so we stayed in, taught Little Dude about Old Maid, and made stuffed shells for dinner. I hope you had a great weekend too!
Friday, December 17, 2010
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Three things for Thursday
Today I'm loving:
1. Pop-Tarts! The strawberry with frosting variety. I haven't had these in years, but saw them at Walmart and had to have them. Oh so good, and yet oh so bad (I can never eat just one!).
2. Carnations. Martha Stewart (I guess I'm a little obsessed lately) did a segment on carnations. I've never liked them - they always remind me of the flower buy in high school for Valentine's Day. You know, where you buy carnations and have them sent to the recipient's homeroom? Plus, they smell after a couple days. Well, thanks to M.S., I have a new interest in them. And, I learned out how to get the stink out (a drop of bleach in their water).
3. The Nook Color. I have an original Nook (best Mother's Day present ever!) and love it. The new features on the Nook Color are so exciting to me. I can't wait to eventually have one, and read my magazines on it. What a great way to save on paper waste!
1. Pop-Tarts! The strawberry with frosting variety. I haven't had these in years, but saw them at Walmart and had to have them. Oh so good, and yet oh so bad (I can never eat just one!).
2. Carnations. Martha Stewart (I guess I'm a little obsessed lately) did a segment on carnations. I've never liked them - they always remind me of the flower buy in high school for Valentine's Day. You know, where you buy carnations and have them sent to the recipient's homeroom? Plus, they smell after a couple days. Well, thanks to M.S., I have a new interest in them. And, I learned out how to get the stink out (a drop of bleach in their water).
3. The Nook Color. I have an original Nook (best Mother's Day present ever!) and love it. The new features on the Nook Color are so exciting to me. I can't wait to eventually have one, and read my magazines on it. What a great way to save on paper waste!
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Growing pains
So apparently when Little Dude turned three, he also turned into a boy. My sweet little baby who liked to cuddle in the morning and say "Momma..." lovingly, while gazing up at me, is seemingly gone. I get glimpses of him from time to time, like today when he got scared by something on an episode of Thomas the Train and wanted to "snuggle on the couch". But for the most part, my sweet little baby has turned into a full fledged boy: annoying habits, snappy comments and all.
Monday, December 13, 2010
Over the weekend
Someone turned three! I can't believe Little Dude is another year older. It is really starting to fly, and I have to admit, it scares me. I'm afraid I'll blink and he'll be 16. But that's a discussion for another time. For now, enjoy the scenes from our weekend. My parents were here to celebrate, and we invited his two best buddies and their parents over for a quiet little celebration last night. Then, after all the merriment, while he was asleep, the elves (Pilot Pete and I) put up the "Christmastime Tree". It was a big weekend.
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Foto Friday (on Saturday!)
Yesterday was a big day. Gran and Granddad flew in from Florida. We got a little distracted and I forgot to post. So here is our Foto Friday, better late than never!
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| Watching You Tube videos with Granddad |
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Three things for Thursday
Because it's Thursday, and my brain is rotting from having listened to Little Dude watch Santa Buddies: The Legend of Santa Paws one too many times and I can't really think of anything original, I thought I'd share three things that I'm loving today:
1. These Morse Coded Necklaces. I hope I find the Love necklace in my stocking this Christmas!
2. Stuffed Shells from Mad Hungry. I watched Lucinda Scala Quinn make these today, and they look yummy. My parents are flying in tomorrow afternoon, and I think these shells will make a great meal while they're in town. I'm excited about the caramelized prosciutto and intrigued by the addition of radicchio.
3. These Coffee Filter Wreaths Martha Stewart made today. I'm thinking about using brown filters for a more rustic look.
1. These Morse Coded Necklaces. I hope I find the Love necklace in my stocking this Christmas!
2. Stuffed Shells from Mad Hungry. I watched Lucinda Scala Quinn make these today, and they look yummy. My parents are flying in tomorrow afternoon, and I think these shells will make a great meal while they're in town. I'm excited about the caramelized prosciutto and intrigued by the addition of radicchio.
3. These Coffee Filter Wreaths Martha Stewart made today. I'm thinking about using brown filters for a more rustic look.
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
The Muppets...again
Yesterday in my blog about holiday music, my top pick was A Christmas Together with John Denver and The Muppets. Today I can't resist writing a bit more about those lovable characters who were a big part of my childhood.
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
We're listening to...
Holiday music, and lots of it! I have never really been a huge fan of holiday music, probably because what I remember from my childhood was the old and boring music playing on the radio on Christmas Eve. But this year is different, and I find myself in the mood for some great holiday music. Luckily for me, over the years the quality of holiday music has vastly improved, and it seems like nearly every big name in the music industry releases at least one holiday album during their career. Thanks to iTunes, I can get my hands on pretty much any kind of holiday music I could imagine.
Monday, December 6, 2010
Over the weekend
I thought it might be nice to bookend my weekends with photos. For me this serves two purposes: to get me to blog more often, and to get me to take more pictures. So, on Friday I'll still be posting along with Andrea and others in Foto Friday, and then on Monday I'll post a few scenes from our weekend.
This weekend was holiday card picture weekend. Every year since Little Dude was born we send out photo cards with his mug on them. Normally we include our dog Athena, a 5 year old rescue, but this year we decided to seek out some cool locations in our little town and I figured it would be too much for her. We happened upon this great old building with a phenomenal red door. This served as the backdrop for what will be our photo for this year. Below you'll find a few outtakes from our "session" yesterday. Can you tell I've discovered Flickr and Picnik?
How about you? What were you up to over the weekend?
This weekend was holiday card picture weekend. Every year since Little Dude was born we send out photo cards with his mug on them. Normally we include our dog Athena, a 5 year old rescue, but this year we decided to seek out some cool locations in our little town and I figured it would be too much for her. We happened upon this great old building with a phenomenal red door. This served as the backdrop for what will be our photo for this year. Below you'll find a few outtakes from our "session" yesterday. Can you tell I've discovered Flickr and Picnik?
How about you? What were you up to over the weekend?
Friday, December 3, 2010
Foto Friday
Fun with Dad at the end of the day. I love the joy on his face - Little Dude sure loves his dad!
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Our Elf
Add this to the list of things I swore I'd never do as a parent - we are soliciting good behavior from our child with the help of an Elf on the Shelf this year.
Have you heard of the Elf on the Shelf? Basically, it's a little stuffed elf that you put up on the shelf in your house. He (or she) watches over your child during the day and reports back to Santa at night. Then, every morning your child finds the elf in a different location in your house and the "game" starts anew. You can read more about it here.
Before we had children we had big aspirations in terms of how we would raise our child. I'm sure that bribery, exaggeration, and fibbing were just a few things we swore we would never engage in. Three years in, I can safely say that all that has gone out the window and we are now simply making it up as we go.
Last year when I first learned about The Elf on the Shelf, I had mixed feelings. We had always planned for Santa Claus to have a part of our Christmas traditions. Personally, I think there's not enough magic in the world these days, and I really want my child to hold on to the wonder and fun of his childhood as long as possible. But in my mind, telling him about a mystical man who mysteriously brings presents on Christmas Eve seemed a little different than trying to convince him that a stuffed elf sitting on the shelf was actually flying to the North Pole at night to report his daily behavior to said mystical man. Plus, shouldn't we be teaching him that good behavior is important all year long, and not just in time for presents (we are, but it does bother me a little that there is an emphasis on being extra good for Christmas)? I know - it's all totally outrageous and I was overthinking it. So I just decided to go with it and see what happened.
Our elf is visiting for the first time this year - last year I didn't get him until 3 days before Christmas, and I figured a two year old who was barely talking wouldn't really notice or care. This year is different though. The second Thanksgiving was over I was bombarded with questions about whether it was Christmastime yet and when Santa was bringing presents. So out came the elf and the advent calendar. I can't say that the presence of our elf (who remains unnamed - Little Dude refuses to give him a name and instead says "Please Mommy, what's his name?") has made any significant difference in his behavior to date. But that's okay, because he's pretty well behaved normally, and I would be a little suspicious if all of the sudden the presence of a stuffed elf changed his behavior drastically. Mostly, he's enjoying the game of finding his elf' every morning (which means not only do I have to remember to move him, but I have to be creative!).
I believe that, for kids (and probably for all of us), Christmas should have a little mystery, excitement and wonder to it. So I'm leaving all my questions and concerns about good parenting at the door and focusing on the fun little tradition we've started and the spirit of the season.
Have you heard of the Elf on the Shelf? Basically, it's a little stuffed elf that you put up on the shelf in your house. He (or she) watches over your child during the day and reports back to Santa at night. Then, every morning your child finds the elf in a different location in your house and the "game" starts anew. You can read more about it here.
Before we had children we had big aspirations in terms of how we would raise our child. I'm sure that bribery, exaggeration, and fibbing were just a few things we swore we would never engage in. Three years in, I can safely say that all that has gone out the window and we are now simply making it up as we go.
Last year when I first learned about The Elf on the Shelf, I had mixed feelings. We had always planned for Santa Claus to have a part of our Christmas traditions. Personally, I think there's not enough magic in the world these days, and I really want my child to hold on to the wonder and fun of his childhood as long as possible. But in my mind, telling him about a mystical man who mysteriously brings presents on Christmas Eve seemed a little different than trying to convince him that a stuffed elf sitting on the shelf was actually flying to the North Pole at night to report his daily behavior to said mystical man. Plus, shouldn't we be teaching him that good behavior is important all year long, and not just in time for presents (we are, but it does bother me a little that there is an emphasis on being extra good for Christmas)? I know - it's all totally outrageous and I was overthinking it. So I just decided to go with it and see what happened.
Our elf is visiting for the first time this year - last year I didn't get him until 3 days before Christmas, and I figured a two year old who was barely talking wouldn't really notice or care. This year is different though. The second Thanksgiving was over I was bombarded with questions about whether it was Christmastime yet and when Santa was bringing presents. So out came the elf and the advent calendar. I can't say that the presence of our elf (who remains unnamed - Little Dude refuses to give him a name and instead says "Please Mommy, what's his name?") has made any significant difference in his behavior to date. But that's okay, because he's pretty well behaved normally, and I would be a little suspicious if all of the sudden the presence of a stuffed elf changed his behavior drastically. Mostly, he's enjoying the game of finding his elf' every morning (which means not only do I have to remember to move him, but I have to be creative!).
I believe that, for kids (and probably for all of us), Christmas should have a little mystery, excitement and wonder to it. So I'm leaving all my questions and concerns about good parenting at the door and focusing on the fun little tradition we've started and the spirit of the season.
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| Our elf, chilling out on the airplane that hangs above our fireplace. |
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