July 22, 2010

Diaper Bag.

I have been wanting to tackle.....the bag. I finally got a pattern and made one up quick in a day. It was okay, but I changed a lot of the pattern and the directions for it were really hard for me to follow so I just winged it. Then I came across an awesome tutorial on the blog A Mingled Yarn, it's called the Hip Mama Diaper Bag. This tutorial is so well written and soooo easy to follow, easily a beginner sewer could tackle this! Here is my first attempt at the Hip Mama Diaper Bag, I know more about how it goes together and what I can improve so I know my next one will be much better! Another plus is that once everything is cut out it sews up really fast (easily within one day, even with 3 little boys running around!)....Try it out, and have fun sewing:)





July 19, 2010

Snatching 24kg for first time!

I haven't really posted much about my kettlebell adventures. I need to go back and do a few posts because a lot has happened for me with kettlebells the last several months, the biggest thing was that I became an RKC! It was the hardest weekend of my life thus far, and I would do it again in a heartbeat...AMAZING! This video was after class a few weeks ago, it actually didn't feel that hard to snatch 50 some pounds.

July 16, 2010

Very Cool Chair!

This was on babysteals.com today and I so wish I would have checked right away this morning, as it is all sold out. Uggg, I really want this! It normal costs $69.99, but babysteals was offering it for $34.99....I hope they offer it again soon!


Go & Grow Chair by Kristi G

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Introducing the The Go & Grow Chair, brand new from Kristi G! Whether at soccer games, the beach, vacation, grandma’s house or in your living room - this chair can be used for years to come! It stores in a lightweight shoulder bag for easy portability and was designed with safety as a priority. Babies able to hold their heads up can start using the chair with the 3-point harness and grow into the chair all the way through school age (up to 75 lbs).

The Go & Grow chair meets and/or exceeds all safety standards set by the ASTM and CSPC. 

Consider how many times you'd like to feed your little one in the living room where the action is...this chair is the perfect solution with its with removable feeding tray and "take anywhere" portability. Brilliant!
Stage I - Sit & Relax
(3-6 months)
  • Slight recline and side foam cushions stabilize head and body
  • 3-point harness keeps baby safe and comfortable
  • Link loop holes on arms to attach toys or pacifier
  • Use with or without the tray or sun bonnet

Stage II – Stand & Play
Pre-Walkers (6-12 months)
  • Seat cover is folded into the front skirt pocket to expose leg holes for standing and stretching
  • 3-point harness keeps baby safe
  • Safety bucket under the seat is used to keep baby’s feet clean, bug-free and safe
  • Tray is great for snack time or to hold small toys
  • Use with or without the tray or sun bonnet
Stage III – Big Kids
(up to 75 lbs)
  • Seat cover is reattached covering leg holes
  • 3-point harness is removed for older children and stores neatly in a pouch behind the back of the chair
  • Safety bucket is stored neatly underneath the seat
  • Use with or without the tray or sun bonnet

This anti-tip chair is designed for safety, with enclosed sides and extra-stable, angled legs. Made of rugged 600 denier nylon, for indoor/outdoor use. Supports kids up to 75 lbs. Imported. The Go & Grow chair meets and/or exceeds all safety standards set by the ASTM and CSPC.
Product Dimensions:
Open Size - 20.5 x 14 x 23.5
Folded Size - 12.5 x 10.25 x 24
Bag Size - 11 x 25 x 8

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July 11, 2010

Shopping...

Grocery shopping that is! Excited, yes! Why? First, it had been at least three weeks (probably closer to four) since I had been really grocery shopping. Yes, the fridge and pantry were bare. Second, Ted and I got to do all of the shopping, two carts full, with out the boys (thanks Lois and Tom!). I stocked up on tons of fruits and veggies, meat for the week, and got some extra of everything to get ready for our vacation up north. I am going to make and freeze some meals that I can eat up there. Also putting together some yummy nut and fruit mixtures to bring. When we checked out the guy said it was the longest receipt that he has ever printed, yikes! Then we took our full car home (good thing the boys were not along because we even had bags in their car seats) and unloaded/put away everything in peace and quite. Ted went and got the boys and I stayed in the kitchen making two kinds of fresh salsa, cool cucumber salad, sliced and put into the dehydrator bananas, kiwi, mangos, and pineapples, and then made eight jars of dilly beans.

Recipes from this afternoon:

Fresh Salsa

  • 2 large tomatoes - chopped
  • 1/2 small red onion - chopped
  • 1 small jalepeno - finely chopped
  • 1 small garlic clove (optional) - minced
  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp cumin
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
Combine all ingredients together, stir, and serve. It does get better if you chill it in the fridge for a few hours. I usually double or triple this recipe because it goes fast! Love this once our tomatoes are ripe because everything but the spices and oil is from our garden! (I had to buy tomatoes today, but the peppers and onion were from our garden and I don't add the garlic because it makes me burp)

Blueberry Salsa
  • 3 cups blueberries, divided (2 cups coarsely chopped, 1 cup whole)
  • 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
  • 3 Tb chopped fresh cilantro
  • 2 minced jalapeno peppers - minced and seeded
  • 1/3 cup red bell pepper - diced
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
Combine all ingredients together, stir, and serve. Yummy, blueberries are in season and so good right now!

Cool Cucumber Salad
  • 8 oz penne pasta, cooked and drained
  • 2 large cucumbers - thinly sliced
  • 1/2 white onion - thinly sliced
  • 1 Tb vegetable oil ( I used grape seed oil)
  • 2 cups water
  • 2 cups white vinegar
  • 1 Tb dried parley flakes
  • 1 Tb prepared mustard
  • 1/2 cup honey (this recipe calls for sugar but I substitute honey, if you want it a bit sweeter add more honey)
  • 1/4 tsp pepper
  • 1/2 tsp salt
Mix the pasta, cucumber, onion, and oil in a large bowl. In separate bowl mix together the rest of the ingredients and stir until well combined, then pour over cucumber mixture. Chill for 3 hours and serve. This is such a great recipe to use up all of those cucumbers in your garden!


I love my BOYS!

Thank you Auny for taking such amazing pictures of my boys, we will cherish them forever! You have to check out Auny Pole Photography, she has a great website and an awesome blog. My boys had the best time and just so much fun, it was not at all like any other photo session I have had done. I actually didn't even start to sweat (moms, you know what I am talking about!). Here are a few of the pictures:




July 10, 2010

African Curry....kind of

Auny Pole just dropped off the beautiful pictures she took of the boys and mentioned that I haven't added a recipe in a while and I just made this the other night and then again today for lunch. Basically it was one of those nights where my fridge was bare and I had no idea what I was going to make so I thawed 1lb of burger. Then went out to the garden and picked a few yellow wax beans, a few green beans, and an onion. I had garlic and some carrots. Then to spice it, I took out my coriander, cayenne pepper, cinnamon, and nutmeg....this is what it turned into:

Brown hamburger with onion and garlic. Add chopped beans and carrots and saute until tender but still a bit crunchy. Add spices (as little or as much of each as you like, I went heavier on the coriander and lighter on the pepper, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Stir it all together and let cook for a minute or two to get the spices infused.

To top it off I added chopped celery, currants, dried blueberries, dates, and sliced almonds. It turned out really good, a little sweet, a little spicy, and a little crunch all in one bite :)
This was fashioned from the recipe I have from Jen and Perry Numedahl and their African Curry.