R.I.P. Michael Jackson, Farrah Fawcett

What a sad day.

Although I do know who Farrah Fawcett was, she was kind of before my time. Any kid raised in the eighties though, like me, knows Michael Jackson. I remember being spooked out by the Thriller video, the one white glove, the shiny red jacket, that black fedora hat pushed forward, the flashing lights on the floor from the Billie Jean video, the white socks with the high-water pants and soo much more. I will always remember watching on TV the Motown 25 performance of Billie Jean, where the moon walk was first performed. Amazing doesn't even begin to cover it. I never was able to copy that move.

Regardless of his questionable mentality and charges of child abuse/pedophilia, one cannot argue that the man was a musical genius. So, rest in peace Michael.

Summer reading

One of my most favorite things about summer is that we go to the library more often. Since I'm not working this summer, we have even more time to spend at the library. We have been going once or twice a week and I have been utilizing the interlibrary loan program to get some decent crochet pattern books and vegetarian cookbooks.

Our library also offers a summer program for kids where have a fun kid friendly activity or performance. So, once a week we go to the library and the kids get treated to anything from a One Man Circus to an Australian Themed Musical Performance. So much fun!

The only bad thing about the library is the A/C. Don't get me wrong, here in FL air conditioning is practically mandatory. But when it's 98 degrees outside, sometimes it feels like it's 68 degrees inside. My poor tank-topped shoulders get cold. What's a girl to do? Dig through her yarn stash and work up a little shrug, of course. Didn't follow a pattern on this one, just worked in a rectangle until it was the right length and seamed up the sides to make arm holes. It's a little snugger than I intended, but fits well and looks soo cute over a tank top (or a button down!).


So what's on your reading list right now? I currently have in my possession the Super Natural Cooking and Quick Vegetarian Pleasures cookbooks, Tasty Crochet (which I am loving - will have to actually buy this one!) and Adorable Crochet for Babies and Toddlers. I also picked up and can't wait to start reading The Alchemyst but Michael Scott. This is book one in The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel series. Now anyone who know Potter, knows who Nicholas Flamel is, so I feel compelled to point out that this is *not* a book set in the Potter-verse. Click the book for a link to the official web-site.

Tuesday (er, Wednesday) Heads or Tails

So, I'm a bit late this week. Oops.

This week's theme is:

TAILS - "Summertime memory"

So we are supposed to share a memory related to summer. I think the memory that I will share is from our first summer here in Florida. I was 9.5 when we moved from Augsburg, Germany to Palm Bay, Florida. What a shocking difference! I mean, sure it got hot over there but NOTHING like the FL heat.
When we first moved back, we lived on base housing right on the beach, so we spent a good deal of time on the beach, playing, swimming, sun-burning. We learned that summer about tide pools and currents and low-tides and high-tides and sand dunes and sand in your toes and salt-water in your eyes. My oldest sister had to save me and my younger sister one day when the tide came in and we got stuck.
We also visited the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex for the first time that summer. Gawd I was in awe! For a kid whose childhood hero was Neil Armstrong, this place was heaven. We walked around and I stared at the rockets. I remember walking around the museum type area and gawking at the space-suits and other gear that was used. I also remember being soo sun-burned that it hurt to walk, but I wouldn't have wanted to be anywhere else.

I have a picture (or rather my mom does) of me sun-burned at Kennedy that summer. I'm hoping she's able to find it and email it to me. If she does, I'll update this post with the picture.


Visit the Heads or Tails blog to see some other summer memories!

Menu Plan Monday

Pretty laid back week here for us. Just put my oldest on a plane to TN this morning (*sniff, sniff - where's those damned tissues*) and with Hubbster at work Tuesday - Saturday evenings, it's just me and the littles. So, no elaborate dinners planned this week.

Monday: Grilled ham steaks with homemade mashed taters and corn.

Tuesday: Grilled cheese sandwiches with fresh fruit.

Wednesday: Veggie-burgers with Baked Purple Hedgehog Potatoes from the Super Natural Cooking cookbook.

Thursday: Broccoli and 2 Cheese Mini Quiches and Fruit Smoothies.

Friday: Tortellini Salad with Pesto from the Quick Vegetarian Pleasures cookbook (can't find a link to the recipe).

Saturday: FREE NIGHT! No plans.

Sunday: Jamaican Curry Chicken with Rice and Peas. Served with BAS. If anyone has a good *authentic* Jamaican recipe for this, please let me know. Every recipe I've found Hubbster says isn't quite right.


I also plan on baking up some of these yummy looking Banana Crumb Muffins with some naners that we've got that are turning brown.


Have a great week! Check out the Organizing Junkie blog for more menu ideas!

More Crochet Updates (Photos Galore)

Ok, so in this post I set a rule for myself that I wasn't allowed to start any new projects until I completed at least 2 of my WIPs. Already showed off the Cow Potholder - that my mom LOVES, by the way. Finally finished the Acorn Bag, so I'm free to start new projects! Yay! I kind of cheated and started these before actually finishing the Acorn, but I just needed buttons! Honest. I've been on a play-foods kick lately and the kids are loving it! Some pictures to share:


And the finished Acorn Bag. It's soo stinkin' cute! I'm glad I finished it.

Wordless Wednesday - The Perfect Snack

For more Wordless Wednesdays, go here. :)

Tuesday Heads or Tails

This week's theme is:
HEADS - Lost
*OR*
TAILS - Found

First thing that came to mind was the TV show "Lost." I figured, though, that since I have only ever seen one episode of the show, it would be better to find a different topic.

So, instead I will go with Lost AND Found and share a poem by Cummings that I happen to like. By the way, have you ever noticed that all Cummings poetry (that I've read anyway) is always in all lowercase. Why is that, do you think?


maggie and milly and molly and may by e e cummings

maggie and milly and molly and may
went down to the beach (to play one day)

and maggie discovered a shell that sang
so sweetly she couldn’t remember her troubles,and

milly befriended a stranded star
whose rays five languid fingers were;

and molly was chased by a horrible thing
which raced sideways while blowing bubbles:and

may came home with a smooth round stone
as small as a world and as large as alone.

for whatever we lose (like a you or a me)
it’s always ourselves we find in the sea


Visit the Heads or Tails Blog to read other people's interpretation of the words!

Menu Plan Monday

Monday already??? At least I'm somewhat prepared this week. I went ahead and planned my week out on Saturday so that I could get my grocery shopping done on Sunday and be prepared for the week come Monday/today. We are totally in a "use what's already in the pantry and buy as little as possible" week here. Hubbster goes back to work on Tuesday, so we'll be back to primarily veggie after that.

Monday: Easy Grilled Shrimp on a Stick with steamed rice and green beans.

Tuesday: Parmesan Chicken with angel hair pasta, broccoli and garlic bread.

Wednesday: Stuffed Shells with steamed broccoli and a BAS.

Thursday: Hot Dogs (veggie) with baked beans, BAS and fresh fruit.

Friday: Make Your Own Pizza Night with yummy fruit smoothies.

Saturday: Free Night, no plans.

Sunday: Pork chops with mashed potatoes and peas, or go out to dinner since it's Father's Day.

Check out this YUMMY looking dessert recipe - When is a watermelon, not a watermelon? We might be adding that in sometime in the week. I love raspberry sorbet!

Check out Organizing Junkie for more menu ideas.

Awesome Giveaways

A few Giveaways that I found thanks to the DealSeekingMom site.

8 Muddy Boots is hosting a giveaway for a free Lauren Nicole Gifts Mother's Necklace - it's soo pretty. You should definitely check it out! Or better yet, don't... that way I have a better chance of winning.


"Cents"able Momma, Thrifty & Chic Mom, BargainBriana, PennyPinchingDiva and STL Mommy are all hosting a $100 Home Depot Gift Card giveaway. Check out the Home Depot Garden Club for some great DIY projects - there's tips for everything from Starting Veggies from Seeds Indoors to Pruning a Rosebush. Or go to their main site where you can find anything from Power-tools to Patio Pavers (how's that for alliteration)!


Catch the Drift with Momma Snow is hosting a giveaway for a pair of Fairy Wings from Tiara's Boutique! O.M.G - Celeste would LOVE these. I love Etsy, you can find just about anything there.


And last on my list - Contest Corner is hosting a giveaway for paperback copies of The Alchemyst and The Magician, as well as a special-edition Challenges of the Elder mug! The books are the 1st and 2nd in the six-book series The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel. What are the books about? From the official Secrets of the Immortal website:

"A world where immortal alchemists battle undying magicians, where creatures from myth still survive and the characters from legends are alive.

More than half a millenia ago, Nicholas Flamel, a poor French bookseller, came across the Book of Abraham the Mage. Written in an ever-changing language was the entire knowledge of humanity. The book told of an ancient race that predated mankind, the Elders, and contained within it and extraordinary prophecy: that one day a pair of twins would come, either to save the world or destroy it. "

These look like books that my 15 year old daughter (and myself!) would really enjoy. We will definitely be on the look out for these.



Such great giveaways to be found out there!

Happy 8th Grade Graduation

Kaitlyn is officially a High Schooler! Eek! Her school had their 8th Grade graduation on the 2nd. She is soo grown up and I'm soo proud of her. Here's a picture of the graduate receiving her President's Award. Such a schmarty-pants!

Wordless Wednesday - Play Time

Check out more Wordless Wednesdays here!

Tuesday Heads or Tails

Just found this Blog Meme called Heads or Tails that looks pretty cool. If I'm getting the directions right, you're given a word and are to write a post based on that word. Sounds easy enough, right. Today's word is TUNE. Now, I can't carry a tune to save my life, but I do love music. Pretty much any kind of music, but I mostly listen to punk, pop punk, indie alternative, etc.
My all-time, absolute favoritest (yeah, I made that up - so what?) band is Green Day. They just came out with a new CD last month called 21st Century Breakdown and it is freakin' awesome. Sometimes when I'm listening to it, it reminds me of Dookie, sometimes Warning, but at all times I am just in awe - because it is awesome.
My favorite song on the album is probably definitely 21 Guns. Billie Joe's voice on this song is just...GUH. Love. Feel free to sing along - I will be.

What's your favorite song, favorite band? Leave a comment and let me know. And check out the Heads or Tails blog for more interpretations of the word TUNE.

Oh and just a little "YAY ME!" - for my 100th Blog Post. Okay, end dorky moment.

Menu Plan Monday

Hey, technically it's still Monday. I mean for at least 10 more minutes. This past few days has been relatively insane in our house and I can't figure out a specific reason. Not a lot actually going on, but I feel like I've been run ragged.

Last week's menu plan didn't go perfectly. It's going to take us some time getting back in the habit of following a menu and *gasp* cooking dinner nightly. The hubbster is officially on vacation for the next week, so there will be less vegetarian meals planned. Here's our plan for this week. Hopefully we'll do better.


Monday: We had make your own pizza night again. We had extra pizza crust to use up.

Tuesday: Italian chicken with black beans and rice and a BAS.

Wednesday: Vegetable Lasagna (never got around to making this last week) with crusty garlic bread and a BAS.

Thursday: BBQ Chicken (left-overs from the freezer) with baked potatoes and steamed broccoli.

Friday: Breakfast for Dinner night - French Toast with this Strawberry Topping that I found on Everything's Coming Up Daisies blog. Served with scrambled eggs and (vege) sausage.

Saturday: Free Night, no plans.

Sunday: Roasted chicken with homemade mashed potatoes and snap beans. I think I might also make some yummy glazed carrots, I keep thinking about them so I think I need to add them in the menu otherwise their going to get cooked in place of something else. lol

Visit Organizing Junkie's site for more menu plans.

Some Crochet Updates

Yesterday I spent a good chunk of time sorting through and reorganizing my yarn and unfinished object/WIPs box. I had a lot more WIPs/abandoned projects than I realized.

I found a bunch of hats and scarves that I made when I first started crocheting that have just been sitting in a box for 2+ years, so I bagged those up and they will be sent to Goodwill with our next donation. I organized all of the unfinished projects and bagged them with tags stating what the pattern is, hook size being used, yarn, and how much has been completed/what’s left to be completed. I’ve decided that I will NOT be starting any new projects until I finish at least 2 of the WIPs-in-bags.

In that box of WIPs, I found the Cow Potholder that I was making for my mom for Christmas… 2 years ago. I thought I had finished it. I thought I had already given it to her. Yeah, I thought wrong. All that was left to finish was the ears and horns! So I finished that up in about 15 minutes, and then decided it looked better without the horns so took them back off. Now it’s ready to go to mom’s house! Yay!


I also took a few new pictures of Milly’s Round Ripple Blanket. I’m so stinkin’ happy with this blanket. It’s no longer wonky, it no longer smells, I no longer hate it. And even better, Camille LOVES it. This is EXACTLY what I wanted when I started making it.


Now let’s just see if I can keep myself to my “no more new projects until 2 are complete” rule. Hey, I finished the cow, that means only one more!

Tuesday To Do List

Soo much to do today, so little time. This is the last week of school for the girls, and they are on half days.

1. Clean out the bathrooms, really good.

2. Return movies to the library. Maybe check out some new ones as well.

3. Check Jo-Ann's and Michael's for a specific yarn type. Also, need to pick up some crafty supplies for summer.

4. Find a dress for Kaitlyn to wear to her 8th Grade Graduation.

5. Wash the sheets on the girls' beds and the towels.

6. And I almost forgot, I have to come up with some sort of snack for Celeste's Daisy troop meeting tonight. They are having their annual year end tea party.

Guess I should get off the computer and get my ass in gear, huh?

Official New Moon Trailer

So, who's seen it??? I missed the MTV Awards last night, but found the trailer online today. Looks like it will be just as cheestastic as Twilight was. Pretty disappointed with the birthday scene clips shown. When I read that scene, I'm picturing in my head that scene from Finding Nemo where Bruce the shark smells Dory's blood and goes apeshit and everyone has to hold him back. Not Jasper taking a running start like he's in a race or something, everyone else just standing around like nothing is happening and Edward-o bouncing people around like they're strapped to harnesses (oh wait...). And I know I'll get crap for this, but WHY does Rob always look confused. I think he's going for tense/angsty, but I'm seeing constipated and confused. lol

However, I was happy with the Jake/wolf explosion. Me likey.

Menu Plan Monday

I'm seriously in need of getting back into the habit of planning and following a weekly menu plan. We've gotten really bad at eating on the fly and just grabbing whatever, or take-out which is far too costly for our one-income household. So, since I'm back to blogging, I'll get back to participating in the Menu Plan Mondays from Organizing Junkie.

My oldest has decided to throw me a curve ball and announced last week that she was now going to be a vegetarian. Should be no problem, right? After all, I am vegetarian about 90% of the time. Not so easy with her though, she is such a picky eater - I'm pretty sure she'd be ok with eating nothing but vege-burgers and cheese pizza. We've already discussed that we will support her choice entirely however, she will need to broaden her food horizons and make sure that she is getting enough protein through other sources.

The hubbster is at work during dinner-time 5 days out of the week, so our menu plan will be predominately vegetarian. Without further ado:



Monday: Grilled Chicken with baked beans and steamed broccoli.

Tuesday: Steaks with cheesy twice-baked potatoes and green beans. Vege-burgers for Kaitlyn and me.

Wednesday: Cheese quesadillas with fruit smoothies.

Thursday: Easy peasy make your own Pizza night with fresh fruit.

Friday: Vegetable Lasagna with garlic crusty bread.

Saturday: Free Night, no plans.

Sunday: Outside cooking day - BBQ burgers and dogs (vege for Kait and I), grilled roasted potatoes, corn on the cob.

We'll have a Big Ass Salad with available with dinner every night as well.

Check out more menu plans at Organizing Junkie's site!