What I'm Loving Wednesday

• I'm loving the fact that my electricity bill was only a 1/3 of what we have budgeted for. It was really low - and I'm not complaining because this is the hottest time of the year! Hurray for saving nearly three hundred bucks without trying! I'm hopeful that next month will be the same and it wasn't just a fluke. 

• I'm loving my new Pink Panther checks.  They are so cute. Life is too short for boring, plain bank checks.

•  I'm loving the Hunger Games trilogy. I have only read the first book but I finished it in less than a day. It was so good! I am hoping to start the second book soon. 

Tuesday Randoms

-We chose one of the hottest, driest summers in Texas history to move down here. Nice planning there! :) I'm honestly not too bent out of shape about it. Maybe I'm crazy, but it doesn't seem that much worse than Kansas. It's not like it's exactly cool and rainy there. If this is as bad as it gets, I can handle it - especially since this isn't likely to happen on a regular basis. At least I won't be traipsing through tons of snow all winter!

-Piper painted her first masterpiece yesterday! I meant to do this with her a long time ago but I had the paint packed in a box that I accidentally left in Kansas. Anyway, we painted Mitchell a 'happy birthday' picture yesterday. That one is going in the keepsake box, for sure! :)

-My feet are in desperate need of a pedicure. *coughAshleypleasehelpmecough*

-I ate Spaghetti-O's for lunch today. Talk about the picture of health! I should have outgrown my affinity for Spaghetti-O's, oh, about ten years ago, but I can't seem to shake it. 95% of the time, they sound disgusting. Every few months, though? Get in my belly!

Delcious and nutrici..okay, not nutritious. But delicious nonetheless. ;-)

-We're going to Red Robin for supper tonight with Ashley & Toby to celebrate Mitchell's birthday (again). Be jealous. Be very jealous. This is extra awesome because we have a gift card to use so it'll be a free meal! I looooove Red Robin. Yummmmm! (couldn't resist, sorry)

Happy Birthday to my wonderful husband!

Today, my wonderful husband turns 26 years old! I can hardly believe it. I was just fifteen years old when we met and I fell head over heels in love with him - to think that he is celebrating his twenty sixth birthday just blows my mind! It seems like it was just yesterday when we first met, but in all actuality, it's been eight years. Time sure does fly!

If you're not up for listening to me gush about my awesome hubby, you may want to quit reading now. ;-) 

He is the husband most people dream of having and very few are lucky to have. I'm not sure why God thought I deserved a man like him, but I am  forever grateful he brought us together. Mitchell is amazing in so many ways and I don't know what I'd do without him. I really didn't think men like him existed, as cliche as that sounds. He is my best friend and better half and I don't ever want to imagine my life without him in it. He is patient, he is calm, he can be strong AND gentle,  he is sweet, he is romantic, and he is one the hardest working people I have ever known. He's never had the male superiority attitude when it comes to housework or being a dad - he doesn't lay it all off on me just because I'm a woman and it's 'my place'. He's never tried to shirk his parental duties off on me - he is completely in tune with our daughter and does his fair share of the parenting. It's just as important to him as it is me that I stay home with our daughter instead of sending her to daycare and he has made many sacrifices in order to make sure this happens.

We celebrated his birthday Sunday evening by grilling steaks and had cheesy/garlic-y mashed potatoes and garlic "everything" bread to go with. It was delicious! Steak isn't normally in the budget, but I scored a few packages of sirloin for $3/lb and couldn't resist. 

The birthday boy's plate.

I also made him his favorite cake - an angel food cake with caramel icing, just like his mama and grandma make. It is so good. I haven't made one for quite some time so it was a long overdue treat.

I've yet to find a way to make this cake pretty. It's just destined to be an ugly cake, I guess!

It was a nice, mellow evening. He was supposed to wait until today to open his presents but he's like a big kid and hates waiting so he opened them last night. The budget is a little tight at the moment so it was a small gift but he enjoyed everything anyway. He got a tool bag (for when he needs to travel for the day at work), a work light, and a new polo. Nothing too exciting if you ask me but he was pleased!

We are going to celebrate again with Ashley and Toby tomorrow evening. Toby had to work last night or we would have invited them over but instead we'll just have twice the fun! 

Happy Birthday, Mitchell! I love you and I'm keeping you forever and for always. <3

Weekend Recap

It's been a pretty chill weekend here at our casa. It is the first weekend that we've been here that we haven't had a list a mile long of things to do as far as house projects go. Don't get me wrong, we still have a few things on the list, but we're finally in a place where we can kick back and relax a little. And that is a great place to be!

Friday morning, I had to run to Wal-Mart for a few things and noticed that they had their swing sets marked down. We have been wanting a swing set for Piper since she was pretty small, but not having a home of your own puts a damper on such things. ;-)

We always wanted a nice, wooden play set in our back yard, but the reality is that we're a young, middle-class couple living on one income. There is no way in the world we could ever justify spending $1,000 on a swing set. So, when I saw a swing set we had looked at a few times before marked down half price for the end-of-season clearance, I got really excited!

Needless to say, Mitchell and I decided that for sixty five bucks, it was well worth the splurge. Later that evening, Mitchell headed to Wal-Mart to buy it. My husband absolutely loves to build things and put them together. Most men I know moan and groan about tasks like this and put it off. Nope, not Mitchell - it's like a life-sized Lego challenge and he wants to conquer it immediately. And if he can do it without instructions, even better. ;-)

So, five minutes after he arrived home from Wal-Mart, he began his venture:

While he was opening the box, an airplane flew overhead. Piper loves airplanes (I'm sure you can imagine how this happened..ha!) and spots them in the sky and points every time she sees one. She always waves and says 'bye bye' when they are gone.

It was late when he started the project, but he did get the frame finished before it was too dark to continue!

Don't mind Mitchell's wet shirt - Piper was playing with the water hose and he got caught in the crossfire. ;-)

He finished building the swing set the next morning (Saturday). However, the set doesn't come with a toddler swing so he just gave her a little help on the regular swing the first morning.

After she woke up from her nap yesterday, we set out to find a toddler swing. This was a bigger challenge than we were expecting because a lot of places have already sold out of them. We had to run to Home Depot for a couple of other things, and lo-and-behold, they had a toddler swing! It kind of stinks that the toddler swing costs almost half of what the swing set did ($30),  but still, for under a hundred bucks, we have a pretty nice little set up! :) Compared to the DIY wooden swing set kits, this was a swingin' good deal (pun intended) because just the slide for the other kits is $78. Ouch! That's more than our entire swing set!

Initially, the toddler swing was way too low to the ground:

She was none too pleased when the low-to-the-ground swinging ended while daddy fixed the rope:

Kelly Ann, do you recognize the shirt?

Within a couple of minutes, he got the swing fixed. I think it's a little too high but he disagrees and thinks it will be easier for us to push her if it's up higher and we don't have to bend over to push her. He has a point. I guess it doesn't really matter how high she is as long as she's having fun!

She LOVES to swing so she is a big fan of her new backyard set up! :)

(the rose bush behind the play set is going to get ripped out ASAP)

Mitchell also managed to do the impossible last night:

If you're out of the diapering stage of your life, you may not realize what he did wrong here. Do you see that look of defeat on his face? Yep, he put the diaper on backward. Ha!! I was so tickled by this. We have heard stories of babysitters and grandparents doing this and we both just laughed wondering how that was possible. Well, Mitchell managed to figure it out! It's extra funny to me because it's even more difficult to put a diaper on backwards when it is a cloth diaper. In his defense, he never uses the diaper pictured because it's a prefold and a cover - not the type of diaper we typically use. I still had to laugh, though. He is very knowledgeable about cloth diapers (and he changes his fair share of diapers, believe me!), so it made it extra hilarious that he managed that one. Too funny. :0)

All in all, it's been a great weekend so far! It's not quite over yet so I'm headed off to go spend quality time with Piper and Mitchell and enjoy the rest of the day.  I love the weekends and having Mitchell home with us.

Saturday 9 : I fought the law

Saturday 9: I Fought the Law

1. Have you ever been on the wrong side of the law? -Nope, not that I can think of. Unless you count stupid little things like jay walking. ;-)

2. What was the last thing you described as either “surprisingly good” or “surprisingly bad?” -The movie "The King's Speech". I had heard good things but to be honest, it really didn't appeal to me at all. I finally watched it and I loved it!

3. When was the last time you unintentionally surprised someone else? -Unintentionally? Wow, I don't know! I've been sitting here thinking on this for a few minutes and I am completely stumped.  The only thing I can think of was last night when Mitchell and I were just chillin', Piper was already in bed, the house was completely silent, and I came across another gecko (about stepped on it) and I squealed really loudly. I'm sure that surprised him because I don't typically scream, ha!

4. When was the last time you deliberately surprised someone else? -A couple of days ago. I cleaned the house SPOTLESS which is nearly impossible to do when Piper is awake. I somehow managed to keep her out of everything for about an hour before he got home so it still looked really good when he got home. No matter how hard I try, it seems impossible for the house to look perfect when he comes home (anyone with little kids will feel me there!) but I did it that time and I was so happy. :)

5. What was the last really funny movie you watched? -We watched a hilarious comedian a few nights ago. I cannot remember his name for the life of me but he was hysterical. We also watched "Just Go With It" last night and it had a few pretty funny parts.

6. What is something that you've never done that you secretly are dying to do? -Secretly dying to do? Hmmm. There are lots of thing I'd love to do but they aren't secret. OK, I thought of one : how about get lasik eye surgery? I always swore that after I saw all the horrible, horrible things my mom went through to save her vision, after countless surgeries and recoveries and memories that haunt me to this day, that I would never let ANYONE come near my eyes. I think time has softened my opinion on this one a little - I am blind as a bat and I get sick of wearing glasses or contacts all the time. It'd be really nice just to get lasik and be done with it.

7. What do you hope is different in your life by August 2012? -Oh, there are so many things! I hope I've lost more weight, I hope we'll have built our savings back up, hopefully Piper is potty trained, and I hope we'll have found a church home and a few friends down here in Texas. :)

8. Who is the last person you greeted at your door? -Aside from Mitchell, it was a guy from the electric company to tell me he was installing a new high-tech meter.

9. If you could live in any ancient city during the height of the quality of its society and culture, which one would you choose? -  I would really prefer NOT to live in any time period but now, but if I have to choose, I guess I'll go with with Egyptians? Assuming I'm not a slave, of course.

Thursday Survey

1. In a relationship, have you ever hung in even when you knew for sure it was over?
-Nope. No point in hanging around when you know it's going nowhere. That was my motto anyway. Do keep in mind, though, that I was engaged at 18, married at 19, and we'd been together for almost three years at the point - so there wasn't exactly a long string of guys before Mitchell and I got together.

2. If you had the ability to perpetually alleviate any pain on your body, what would it be?
-I'm going to go with headaches/migraines. I have struggled with these for most of my life and I wouldn't wish them on anyone.

3. What place would you visit if money were no object?
-Hawaii! It's on my list of of top three places to visit before I die.

4. What is one thing you would love to change about yourself?
-I need to lose weight. I am still maintaining the weight loss from earlier this year but I need to kick it in to high gear again. I'd really love to lose another thirty pounds.

5. Do you think your parents were too strict growing up?
-Nope. I think they were just about right - definitely not 'softies' but they weren't over the top with it either. They were a lot more strict than some of my friends' parents but not overbearing.  I am grateful for not growing up in a super strict, uptight home - that's not the type of environment I like to be in now, I can't imagine it as a child!  I believe it's possible to shelter your children to the point of it being a serious disservice to them when they are out in the 'real word'. 

6. In general, how many old friends do you have that you talk to at least once a year?
-Quite a few. Facebook makes this a whole lot easier.

7. What was the last compliment you received?
-A friend complimented me on my blog! I really appreciate it when people let me know that they do read my blog and enjoy it - it makes me feel like I'm not talking to myself. ;-) She also mentioned that she thinks I am a gifted writer and that meant a lot to me. I've never considered myself a writer, nonetheless a gifted one so that took me by surprise!

8. Have you ever told someone you loved them but didn't really mean it?
-Um...yes? Oops. I was fourteen. That's what middle school aged nerds do. :0) Mitchell is the only man I've ever loved and I'm glad he was my first and only.

9. In your opinion, would it be harder to lose someone close to you more as a child or harder as an adult?
-Oh, wow. Now that's a loaded question. It could go either way, really. A child doesn't have the capability of understanding the gravity of the situation which makes it difficult to handle whereas an adult does. That can make it both easier and more difficult to process and deal with the grief. As hard as I think it is for children, I really believe it's harder on adults. Not only do you most likely have a stronger bond/history with the person you have lost but you know exactly what death means and that you will never get to speak to that person again. That's a hard pill to swallow. 









FYI : Thursday Survey will be transitioning  to 'Saturday 9' from here on out. :)

WOW. 10,000?

In just 9 months, I have already reached a milestone on my blog that I never thought would happen!

Ten thousand views? That just blows my mind! I never thought I'd have anyone look at my blog - nonetheless 10,000 views! I am flattered - especially considering the fact that my poor ole blog was almost completely dormant for a couple of months a while back due to the chaos in our lives! 

Thanks for reading my blog, everyone! I appreciate that you keep coming back. :) 

What I'm Loving Wednesday

-I love...the way Piper says "Rio" (our dog's name). Wo-wo (like whoa whoa) ...it's just too stinking cute.


-I love...cupcakes! I love, love, loooove cupcakes. It's a little funny to me because I'm not the world's biggest fan of regular cake. But give me a cupcake and I am one happy girl! Just don't make it chocolate. I hate chocolate cake/chocolate icing. My favorite is a white cake cupcake with white fluffy icing and sprinkles. Oooohhhh yeah. Not only do I love to eat cupcakes but I love to decorate with them as well! My daughter's entire bedroom is a cupcake theme and I love it.

-I love having all my pictures hanging on the walls! My sister came over last night and we finally hung all the pictures in the house and it feels so much more like home now! I still have a lot of empty wall space but I'm sure I will find lots of stuff to hang on the walls in the coming years.

Frugal Living : Cloth Diapers

Before you skim past this entry, hear me out. A lot of people hear the words "cloth diapers" and are instantly turned off. I get it. Believe me, I do. That was me a few years ago. I was right there in the thick of  'em, claiming how gross it was, I would NEVER do it, yadda yadda.

Here's the thing. Cloth diapers are NOT what they used to be. Modern cloth diapers are nothing like the diapers of our parents' generation. Thank God!

I would say the two most popular modern types/styles of cloth diapers today are the 'pocket' diaper and the 'all-in-one'. These could also be considered "gateway diapers" because a lot of people who start out with cloth diapering try out these styles first and then venture in to other styles when they get a little more comfortable with the idea. Both of these work just like a disposable. There is no folding, pinning, or plastic pants. Here is an illustration that gives you a basic idea of how they look:

See? It functions exactly like a disposable.  The only difference here is that instead of wasting money and throwing it into the trash can, you throw it in to the diaper pail and wash and reuse it.

There are many, many different brands available and it can be a bit overwhelming to get started. I am more than happy to answer any questions you may have about it! I could talk cloth diapers all day, and have considered becoming a cloth diaper representative many times. I have helped a couple of friends get started with cloth and it is such a rewarding feeling! They have both stuck with it and now love it just as much as I do!

Personally, my favorite brand is BumGenius. I have tried out many different brands and styles of diapers, but they are far superior to any other brand I have ever tried. They are affordable, they are soft, they wash very easily, they have a great warranty and amazing customer service, and their quality is excellent. I highly recommend them.

When people find out we use cloth diapers, we get a wide range of questions. Below are a few of them. 


"But isn't it gross?" - This is the most common response I get when people ask me about cloth diapers. The answer is simply no. Well, actually, let's be honest. Poop is gross regardless of whether or not you're using disposables or cloth diapers. There is no disputing that. But I have not found it to be any more gross than disposables. Disposables, in my experience, are more prone to leaks and not containing messes. I never, ever have this problem with cloth. 

There is also an amazing invention for cloth diapering parents now called a diaper sprayer. I would not cloth diaper without it. It works a lot like the sprayer on a kitchen sink, only it hooks up to your toilet. When the diaper is soiled, you just spray it out into the toilet. You do not have to touch the poop, it just goes straight into the toilet. Once your child is primarily eating solids, the sprayer isn't as necessary because you can just dump the contents of the diaper directly into the toilet without needing to spray it out. But for the first year? I think a diaper sprayer is invaluable.

 "How do you wash them? Don't they stink?" -Truthfully, cloth diapers stink LESS. Seriously. When you are used to using cloth diapers, there is no smell when your child pees. In a disposable? The smell of the urine mixed with the chemicals is very, very strong and you can smell it a mile away. My diaper pail doesn't stink any more than a trash can full of disposable diapers does. Actually, it smells better, because any and all poop gets flushed down the toilet, it never sits in a trash can. I also wash every day or every other day and never have stink problems. My wash routine for the diapers is simple. I always encourage people to start simple and tweak as necessary. There are a million different methods of washing diapers - you just have to find out what works best for your family. Different types of water, washing machines, and diapers will all affect your wash routine. I personally use Tide Original powder detergent and it works beautifully. I have been using it for almost the entire time we've been using cloth diapers and have yet to encounter any problems. I do a rinse, a hot wash with detergent, and an extra rinse once it's finished to be sure all the soap is washed out. My diapers always come out perfectly clean. No stains, no smells, just fresh.

"How much money do you REALLY save?" -A lot. I was spending well over $100/month on disposables for the first few months. This could have easily paid for an entire stash of cloth diapers. The estimated cost savings of using cloth diapers is up to $2500-3000 per child. Depending on the type and brand of diaper you buy, you can diaper a child from a newborn to toddler for anywhere between $200-500 dollars. A realistic start up cost for most people using modern cloth diapers is probably going to run around $400-500. The beauty of it is that you only have to purchase the diapers once. You can use them for subsequent children making them even more cost effective!

"How many do you need?" -If you plan to cloth diaper a newborn, I would recommend a fairly large stash. Newbies go through so many more diapers per day than an older child does so you need to have more on hand. I would personally recommend at least 24 for a newborn unless you want to be washing constantly. I personally have always had at least 24 diapers and it has worked quite well for me. I am a firm believer in washing frequently so I have never felt the need to have an enormous stash. 

"What about all that extra laundry? How do you have time?" -It's not nearly as much work as you'd think. I really thought it was going to be a huge time commitment, but it's not. It boils down to having a few extra loads of laundry per week. I can handle that. 

 "Don't cloth diapers cause a lot of diaper rashes?" -Nope, quite the opposite, actually. Of course, any baby can get a diaper rash, disposable or not, but cloth diapered babies are less prone to rashes because the diapers aren't full of chemicals and perfumes. Piper has never had a diaper rash her entire life and I attribute a lot of that to the fact that she's been in cloth diapers the majority of her life.



I want to encourage anyone who may be considering making the switch to give it a try. Just buy one diaper (or a few) and see how you like it. You don't have to buy an entire stash to try it out. Don't let your friends and family talk you out of it, either. I know my family thought I was crazy for considering the idea and never thought I'd stick with it. I questioned myself, too. However, now they're all totally on board with the idea, too, and think it is awesome. If my dad, the most stubborn person I have ever encountered (aside from myself and Piper, HA!), can admit defeat on a topic, it's a big deal. Now he thinks they are just as great as I do!

Cloth diapers are so much easier than I ever realized they would be. I know if I were a baby, I'd much prefer to hang out in a cloth diaper all day than a disposable diaper. And really, there's no denying it. A fluffy butt is so much cuter!

I firmly believe that if I can do it, anyone can. Seriously! I never would have expected myself to be a cloth diapering mama, but here I am! Piper is nearing two years old and she is still in cloth almost 100% of the time (we don't use cloth when we travel - tried it once and it's not worth the hassle to me). Not only is it better for our budget, but it's better for my child AND the environment. It's a win/win!

I could talk about cloth diapers all day so I will stop here. If there is any interest in more cloth diaper talk, I will gladly share - just comment and let me know!

Frugal Tip : Pay attention to "junk mail", flyers, etc.

This tip is an obvious one but it's easy to overlook if you don't pay attention. Keep an eye on all junk mail, newspaper inserts, etc. Even if you're not a coupon person, some coupons are just too good to pass up.

For instance, for being a "loyal customer", JCPenny frequently mails me coupons. Most of them are the typical - save 10%, five bucks off of fifty, etc. However, every once in a while, they slip in a whopper. $10 off a purchase of $10 or more.  These are obviously my favorite - they are essentially mailing me a ten dollar bill to spend in their store. And I always take advantage.

Look what I scored for less than $5!

Three nice kitchen knives! The one on the left was originally $19.99 on clearance for $3.97. The large knife in the middle was originally $29.99 marked down to $4.97. The knife on the right was originally $24.99 marked down to $4.97. So, instead of paying almost $75 for these three knives, I spent five dollars, including tax. A savings of seventy bucks? I'll take it!

This is an extra sweet deal for us because our knife collection leaves a lot to be desired. We bought our set of knives when we were first married and bought the best set we could afford at the time - which wasn't too impressive. ;-) However, these three knives are actually pretty nice, especially for no more than we paid for them! They are a major improvement over the others we own.

I can't quite figure out why they were on clearance - I went and looked at the non-clearance kitchen section and these exact same knives were on the shelf at regular price. These weren't opened, had no defects, etc. so I just got lucky! 

Keep your eye on the mailers! It can really pay off. These types of savings don't come as frequently as the rest of them, of course, but it does happen! Just today, the newspaper included a coupon for Kohls with the exact same scenario - save ten bucks when you spend ten bucks. Needless to say, a Kohls trip is in my near future.

Thursday Survey

1. Have you and a friend ever have an argument because you were attracted to the same person?
--Nope, not really. 

2. Who never returns your phone calls?
--I can't think of anyone. Honestly, I rarely call anyone so it's not something that I encounter a lot. If anything, I'm the one that gets accused of not returning phone calls. What can I say? I stink at talking on the phone. Don't take it personal, it is what it is. :)

3. What was your favorite childhood toy?
--I  never have a concrete answer for this question! I guess it really depends on my age. I went through a phase of loving Power Rangers action figures (I never did the baby doll/Barbie thing), shooting hoops in the drive way, I loved taking pictures with my 110mm camera (and eventually, my own digital camera!), and I loved riding bikes and rollerblading up and down Talley Trail with my sister.

4. Who is the last person you greeted at your door?
--The little neighbor girl, Kaylee. She wanted to know if Piper could play. :)

5. Would you change anything about your life right now?
--The only thing I would change is that I'd love it if my parents lived here. I'm hopeful that some day it will happen. They have a pretty good incentive to relocate - both kids and their only grandchild are all 500 miles away! Come on down, mom & dad! We'd love to have you!!

6. Who is the easiest person for you to talk to?
--My husband, of course. After him, it would be my mom or sister.

7. If you could live in any ancient city during the height of the quality of its society and culture, which one would you choose?
--Yeah, I'm good living in the here & now, thanks. I don't want to give up the internet or A/C, haha. What a boring answer, huh? 

8. What is the most exciting event you’ve ever witnessed?
--Well, Piper's grand entrance was quite the eye opener, LOL.

9. What do you consider the ideal age to have a first child?
--Somewhere between 25-30. It would have been a lot easier if Piper had come a few years later than she did. 

What I'm Loving Wednesday

--I'm loving the fact that Piper is really starting to hit the much-awaited "language explosion" I've been hearing about for so long! Up until now, she's been perfectly content with her relatively small but familiar set of vocabulary. Within the past week or so, she has been picking up new words left and right and repeating after me. I've also been making more of a conscious effort to narrate e.v.e.r.y.t.h.i.n.g. we do during the day and she's turning in to quite the little chatterbox! It's easy to forget to explain what you're doing when it is simple, mindless tasks like loading the dishwasher or preparing a meal, but she is so eager to learn so I try to remember to talk to her and explain what I'm doing and why.

--I'm loving that the NFL regular season is quickly approaching! I will be rooting on my beloved Broncos despite the fact that I now live in Dallas Cowboy territory. I'm not a fair-weather fan. ;-)

--I'm loving that I scored some super sweet sales on meat at Albertsons and now I'm stocked up for quite some time!

--I'm loving that it's sweet corn season! Especially Olathe sweet corn - there's no better corn on the planet if you ask me!

A few random thoughts for Tuesday..

--I woke up to a snake in my hallway this morning. It was rather startling! Thankfully, it was a small one. Let me tell you - nearly stepping on a snake first thing in the morning is a sure fire way to wake you up in a real hurry! I stuck Piper in her high chair, grabbed a big pitcher with a lid, caught him, and let him free outside. I stayed surprisingly calm considering my surprise but I'm not anxious to find another one in my house any time soon!

--When I told Piper to go play with her water table this morning, this is not what I had in mind:

Needless to say, seahorse is still out on the patio drip dryin' in the summer sun. Thankfully, I was able to find the back-up seahorse that has been missing for a month. She carries her seahorse EVERYWHERE and there is no way she would be able to go hours without it (or take a nap) while it's airing out. I thought we were going to have to make a quick trip to Walmart there for a few minutes until I found the back up!



--I miss our church family back home. They are so friendly and inviting - I miss seeing all the familiar faces who know who we are. We are going to start the church hunt again this weekend but I sure wish I could have just brought BCC with us here to TX! It's hard to start from square one, especially when you really love the church you had to leave!

Since becoming a Parr..

As Mitchell and I recently celebrated our fourth wedding anniversary, I was thinking about the things that have changed since I married into the Parr family and thought it would be fun to make a list. :) I'm sure I'm forgetting quite a few things, but off the top of my head:

--Popcorn for lunch or supper is not such a bad (or bizarre) idea.

--The idea of homeschooling is very appealing to me and I'm strongly considering it for our family as well.

--I much prefer my mother in law's homemade pizza to anything you can buy at a restaurant. I honestly never thought I'd like a pizza with wheat crust but it's amazing. I need to get her recipe so I can make Saturday night pizza nights a tradition in our family, too! 

--I own a pair of Oakley sunglasses. You can't be a Parr without 'em, lol! I resisted them for a couple of years, but I finally caved and I'm glad I did. Now I get it - you definitely get what you pay for when it comes to sunglasses.

--My mother-in-law taught me to make homemade pies from scratch. Mmmm! I'm not sure my crusts will ever be quite as good as hers but that's okay. Homemade pie making seems to be a dying art so I'm glad she taught me how!

--The idea of owning a  boat and spending summers out on the lake is really appealing. I'm sure it will be many years before we can make this a reality, but it's certainly something we'd love to do some day! Now that we live close to lots of water, it seems even more enticing! 

--I love Traeger seasoning on my hamburgers and steaks.  

--I gave up cable/satellite! I've never been a TV junkie but I grew up with cable so it's always been something I've been accustomed to. When we bought the house, we purchased an antenna to stick in the attic and we're watching TV the 'old school' way. So far, it's working out perfectly fine - we live in an area where there are quite a few channels available, including two kiddie channels, so I'm not too upset. As long as I can watch Grey's Anatomy & Private Practice on Thursday nights come fall, I'll be good to go. ;-) And it's pretty nice not having to shell out $40+ / month for it, too!

I love my mother & father in law (and the rest of the crew, too!) and I am so grateful to be part of their amazing family. I hear so many horror stories about in-laws (and have seen it first hand) and I'm so thankful that I married in to a "normal" family. No drama, no hovering, no bickering, no outlandish requests or demands on either end...it's peaceful and fun, just like it should be. They have welcomed me with open arms and I'm glad to be a part of their awesome family. I'm not a mushy, gushy person and I know I don't say it nearly often enough, but I really do appreciate them and the role they play in our lives. They are great people and we admire them a lot. Mitchell, Piper, and I are truly blessed!

Thursday Survey

1. Do you believe in the concept of the devil? - I do. And he's no one I plan to spend eternity with, either!

2. What's your favorite nickname that you're called? -Dano. It's what everyone calls me so by default it's my favorite. But don't ever call me Dani! I hate, hate, hate that.

3. What would you do if someone cheated on you? - Leave. I wouldn't tolerate it.

4. Do you ever cry at a movie? -I didn't used to. I'm not a super emotional, leaky faucet type of person. I am more prone to tearing up now than I used to be and that happened once Piper was born. Anytime I see something with a child hurting or passing away, it kills me and that's when I get a lump in my throat. I rarely CRY but I certainly get a little choked up.

5. Have you got “a ball & chain” or are you single? Are you happy with your status? - I am happily married.

6. Who do you got to for advice? -My mama. She's the best!

7. When was the last time someone yelled at you? -Oh wow, I don't even know. I can't even remember when the last time that was so that's a good thing! It was probably when I was working at the bank and someone got upset because they spent all of THEIR money so of course I was the one to blame..ha.

8. When was the last time you spoke with someone that you met online? -Today.

9. Where did you go on your honeymoon? OR Where would you like to go on your honeymoon? -We went to Cancun, Mexico and it was one of the best weeks of my life! Going to a whole different country, on our first solo vacation, enjoying spending every minute together, waking up next to each other every day, and being thrilled that we were MARRIED and I had a HUSBAND and not just a boyfriend? Too cool! I smile just thinking about it and wish we could go back!

"Child Proofing" the kitchen cabinets/drawers.

Yesterday evening, Mitchell got around to doing an essential task that was long overdue. We had intended to do this sooner, but for the most part, Piper had been staying out of the kitchen cabinets/drawers pretty well. However, the past couple of days have been a constant battle and I'd had my fill and asked Mitchell to remember to bring home his cordless drill so we could finally get the safety latches installed!

Piper is pretty good about leaving things alone once we've baby proofed. She will occasionally test her luck and see if she can conquer the lock, but generally speaking, she leaves it alone because she knows she's been duped.

Here's a picture of my handyman, hard at work!

It's been nice not having to remove Piper from the kitchen thirty times a day. What fun are toys when you have neat things like blenders, fire extinguishers, and cutting boards to pull out of the cupboards?

The tiny pieces of plastic that are now foiling her fun:

 

The funny thing is going to be watching Mitchell and I train ourselves to get accustomed to them! We used a different type of child lock at my parent's house so we've never had the kind that are permanently installed.  I'm sure we'll goof up many times when trying to open a cabinet or drawer before we learn that we have to unlatch it first. It's well worth it, though - especially because it's only the bottom row of kitchen cabinets that have to be baby proofed. 

Just by looking around the place, you can't tell we've gotten a lot done.  We've done small projects such as installing the garage door opener, replacing a light fixture in the garage, replacing the screen door handle, semi-organized the garage, put up a towel rack, decorated the guest bath (almost done!), and worked in the yard just a bit. We still have unpacked boxes in our guest bedroom and office and we don't have any pictures hanging on the wall. We have been really working at tasks left and right so our 'to-do' list is starting to grow smaller and smaller.

Of course, there are bigger, more expensive and time consuming projects that will be on the list for quite some time. For now, we're living quite comfortably and look forward to the coming weeks where our house is finally in order. I figure if we haven't used what is in some of these boxes for the past 6-12 months, it's not essential to get them unpacked immediately. I have all the important stuff out - the rest can wait. ;-) It's amazing how many things still need done when you purchase a "move in ready" house!

You put WHAT in my pancakes?

Somehow, in the midst of our multiples moves over the past year, I lost my 'go to' pancake recipe. I'm not the biggest fan of pancakes made from a box, so I had found a recipe I was pretty happy with. Easy to make, inexpensive, normal ingredients, and a good 'back up' meal when I didn't feel like doing anything a little more involved in the kitchen.

My quest for a new pancake recipe began yesterday afternoon while Piper was napping. If you google 'pancake recipe', it pulls up nearly seven million results. I guess everyone has their own idea of the perfect pancake!

I was tempted to try the old standby that I re-discovered at the top of the screen : "Good Ole Fashioned Pancakes". Since I'd tried them several times before, I knew they were good. But just below it, I saw one that said "Fluffy Pancakes" which caught my eye. I prefer fluffy pancakes to super dense pancakes so I decided to check it out.

I have to admit, reading the ingredients list, I stopped dead in my tracks at the second item. Vinegar. Say what? Regular ole white vinegar in my pancakes? How on Earth did this recipe have 69,813 five star reviews?

I decided to give it a try and check it out for myself  - afterall, nearly seventy thousand people can't be wrong!

Here is the original recipe, for those who are curious (they claim it serves four people but I would definitely double it if you plan to serve more than two people):

Fluffy Pancakes

• 3/4 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons white vinegar
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• cooking spray

Directions

1. Combine milk with vinegar in a medium bowl and set aside for 5 minutes to "sour".
2. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Whisk egg and butter into "soured" milk. Pour the flour mixture into the wet ingredients and whisk until lumps are gone. Do not over mix.
3. Heat a large skillet over medium low heat, and coat with cooking spray. Pour 1/4 cupfuls of batter onto the skillet, and cook until bubbles appear on the surface. Flip with a spatula, and cook until browned on the other side.

(I did a little bit more sugar than it called for and just a splash of vanilla, but other than that, I followed the recipe exactly. )

I knew my best course of action was to keep mum about the slightly odd variation of pancakes I was making when Mitchell came in the kitchen as I was preparing our meal. I knew he'd be a little hesitant to try them if he knew what I as up to. 

To my surprise, he loved them. He actually claimed they were the best pancakes he has ever eaten. WOW! That's what you call a raving success! You should have seen the look on his face when I told him the secret ingredient was 'soured milk' - vinegar mixed with regular milk. Ha! It was hilarious but he didn't care by that point - he was too busy chowing down. 

I give this recipe five stars, definitely. This is definitely my new 'go to' recipe for pancakes in our house! They were very easy to make, very fluffy, and super delicious.

Time for a new look!

I was getting pretty bored with my old blog layout so I figured it was time for a new one! :)

I hope you like it as much as I do. It's a pretty busy layout but I think the text with this format is a lot easier to read.

Random Facts version 3.0

--I cannot stand to touch my belly button. It makes me nauseous and I dread washing it in the shower. It is painful and I avoid touching it at all costs (which is pretty easy to do, thankfully).

--I take nearly scalding hot showers year round. I'm fairly confident this isn't good for me, but it feels so nice! I look like a lobster when I get out of the shower.

--When I fill up w/ fuel at the gas station, I always round it off to an even dollar amount. It really bugs me if I accidentally go over by a penny.

--I'm one of those people that puts ice cubes in the dog's water bowl in the middle of summer. I guess I kind of figure, hey, I enjoy ice cold water when it's hot outside, so I'm sure Rio does too!

--My favorite flowers are Gerbera Daisies. I've loved them since I was a little girl and I never grow tired of them. They were even the "theme" and inspiration for the colors in my wedding - fuschia, orange, and yellow. Growing up, my bedroom was done in gerbera daisies and until just recently,  my bathroom was done in gerbera daisies as well.  They make me happy. 

My wedding bouquet full of Gerbera Daisies!

--I drive my husband nuts because I go through a LOT of wash cloths and hand towels. I don't ever reuse wash cloths - once I'm finished using it (to wipe Piper down, wipe off the high chair, clean the sink, wipe off the counter, whatever), it is DONE and I won't use it again for anything else. I also go through a ridiculous amount of hand towels - I can envision tons of little germs hanging out on them all the time so I switch them out a lot. I do not EVER re-use a hand towel after using it to dry off my hands after handling raw meat. I know that's weird because I thoroughly wash my hands with soap and hot water after I handle the meat, but once I dry my hands off, that towel is DONE. Needless to say, I have a pretty large wash cloth and hand towel collection because I go through quite a few every day. ;-) I also won't wash hand towels and wash cloths with any other laundry - I will only wash them together.



I don't have any random facts for Mitchell this time - it's hard enough to come up with these for myself, nonetheless for him! Maybe next time. One thing is for darn sure ... pointing out these types of facts about myself sure makes me seem really weird. LOL. 

Wednesday Survey

1. Tell us about the most recent wedding you attended.
--It was my sister and Toby's wedding! I was the matron of honor and it was a very special day. :)

2. Do you enjoy attending weddings, or do they bore you to tears?
--I looooove weddings.

3. Does marriage in general make you feel confident and good inside, or skeptical?
--I think marriage is a wonderful, Biblical union.

4. Do you have a photo blog? (If so, feel free to share the link with us.)
--Nope.

5. Do you find yourself driving less due to the high gas prices?
--Definitely. I stick close to home a lot because I don't like shelling out the big bucks for fuel!

6. What's the high temperature today where you are?
--On my way to my sister's house today, a bank sign flashed a whopping 113. Sizzle, sizzle!

7. "It's not the heat, it's the humidity." Agree, or no?
--AGREE. I come from the land of dry, dry, drryyyyyy so dealing with the hot heat here on TOP of a lot of humidity is quite the adjustment.

8. What's the hottest you've ever been in your life?
--The day we moved our stuff down to Salina in the middle of July. It was HOT, humid, and the electricity was NOT on in our little apartment yet. I have never been so hot, sweaty, and exhausted in my life! Mitchell and I unpacked most of the stuff ourselves (family met up with us later when they got in to town) and we were going up and down a steep, narrow flight of stairs a million times. It was NOT fun!

9. Non-temperature related last question: In your opinion... who's hot?
--My husband!! Is that a cop out? If that's cheating, I think Keith Urban, Jason Castro, and Adam Lambert are pretty nice eye candy...haha.