What Color Crayon Are You?

This sounded fun! Head over here to try it out. Will you agree with your color?

You Are a Yellow Crayon

Your world is colored with happy, warm, fun colors.You have a thoughtful and wise way about you. Some people might even consider you a genius.Charming and eloquent, you are able to get people to do things your way.While you seem spontaneous and free wheeling, you are calculating to the extreme. Your color wheel opposite is purple. You both are charismatic leaders, but purple people act like you have no depth.

Slow Cooking Thursday!

Check out over here for more great Slow Cooking Thursday! Here's mine:

Homestyle Chicken

2 medium carrots, cut into 1/2" pieces
1 medium onion, halved
2 medium celery stalks, cut into 1" pieces
4 medium potatoes
3 lb. whole chicken
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper
1 tsp. crushed bay leaves
1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. dried thyme

1. Place carrots, onion, celery, potatoes, and 1/2 cup water in slow cooker. Add whole chicken, and top with remaining ingredients.

2. Cover. Cook on low 8 to 10 hours or on high 3 1/2 to 5 hours.

Makes 5 servings

Wordless Wednesday

Yucky House Update

Here's as we began last weekend. Demolishing the roof.

Here is the house without a roof.

Here's Maddox climbing the ladder to the scaffolding, in an attempt to get to the roof where his favorite people were. (Dad and Grandpa) No he did not climb any higher than that rung, we did not let him run amok on the roof. Over the course of the weekend Maddox drove a forklift, climbed a ladder, picked up shingles (one at a time, then had to be lifted up so he could put them in the truck. This took a LOT of time) hammered things, dug in the dirt, raked up debris, measured things and just generally got in the way. Maddox was lovin' it. I, however, did not. Depending on the day I alternate between accepting and hating this house. Often I resent the time it takes away from our life. There is still MUCH to be done and many more weekends to be consumed by the effort. As for the roof, it is all dried in and inspected, next weekend we're adding the shingles. Then on to the next thing....

50 Glue Sticks Enough?

So we're getting geared up for Maddox to start co-op in a couple of weeks. I have a TON of meetings both this month and next for orientation, etc. I'm on the Executive Board so I have more meetings than most. I volunteered to donate glue sticks, to help with the supply budget, because we're a small co-op. Glue sticks are cheap, 2 for $0.20. I went and bought 50 of them. Then I got thinking...these glue sticks should last all year. How many glue sticks can a kid go through in one year? So I asked Shawn, he told me to go buy 50 more because they're cheap and then we'd be covered for sure. But I wonder...is 100 glue sticks enough?






BTW...Maddox's backpack finally arrived! It really is the perfect size and he LOVES it!

BULLSHIT

If you have a Myspace profile you've probably filled out at least one online survey. Most of these surveys ask you the same questions, and one of them almost always asks if you have any regrets. I've noticed that many people say that no, they don't have any regrets. Well....I call BULLSHIT! How can anyone who is an adult, possibly, not have even one single regret? I have many, and so I'll share some of them with you. I have daily regrets, those which add a little more guilt to the scale weighing towards being a bad mother or crappy wife. I also have life regrets: such as poor financial decisions, stupidity causing me to lose a close friend, and not finishing college. So people, I'm not buying your load of crap. Let's be real, or just leave that question blank.

Taco Chili

Head over here to check out some more great slow cooker recipes! Here's mine:

Taco Chili

1 lb. lean ground beef
2 cans (15 oz each) seasoned chunky tomato sauce
1 can (15 oz) chili beans with chili gravy
1 can (15 oz) whole kernal corn; undrained
1 envelope (1.25 oz) taco seasoning

1. In large skillet over medium heat, cook beef until brown. Drain fat.

2. Combine meat, tomato sauce, beans with gravy, corn, and seasoning in slow cooker.

3. Cover. Cook on low 4 to 6 hours. Serve with tortilla chips.

Makes 4 servings.

Wordless Wednesday

Potty Training? Maybe...

Yesterday Maddox let me know that he'd gone in his diaper and that he wanted it changed. I assumed that this was the first potty training window that the pediatrician had been talking about. I started picturing not having to change diapers anymore. Needless to say I got excited and went out to get "geared up" to start potty training. $75 later I have a child who flushes the toilet and then claps...that's it. He doesn't want to sit on the potty, any potty, with or without clothes on. He'll help Elmo go potty...sometimes. I realize that potty training doesn't happen overnight and that it takes practice yada, yada, yada. Still, my kid's pretty smart and for some reason I thought that it would go quickly. I was wrong...again.

Slow Cooking Thursday!

Head over here to check out more great slow cooker recipes! Here's mine for this Thursday:

Tex-Mex Chicken

2 Cans (15 oz each) corn, drained
1 can (15 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 jar (16 oz) Chunky Salsa
6 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast Halves
1 Cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese

1. Combine corn, beans, and 1/2 Cup salsa in slow cooker.
2. Top with chicken. Pour remaining salsa over chicken.
3. Cover. Cook on low 7 to 8 hours.
4. Sprinkle with cheese. Cover 5 minutes for cheese to melt.

Makes 6 servings

NOTE: The leftover sauce is perfect to serve as a dip with tortilla chips, delicious!

Finally...

A few ice cream places have FINALLY started to offer a non-dairy option. I don't understand why more places don't have this and/or more flavors! I LOVE ice cream but both my husband and son are lactose intolerant so we all go without. (this isn't totally true, Breyers makes a lactose free vanilla that we have at home, but sounds more dramatic) E-mail me if you'd like the list of places in Spokane, WA offering non-dairy or lactose free ice cream options.

Ribbonlicious!

Remember the Dog Days of Summer Bloggy Giveaway? Well, Kelley over at My Glamorous Life is going to make me a custom design Ribbonlicious tag for Maddox, FREE! I didn't win her giveaway but apparently I was the only person who followed directions, it pays to pay attention! Click on the tag to check out her online store, you'll find something you like!

I'm outta here...VACATION!

This was Maddox enjoying the cabin last August. He wasn't too crazy about it. This year is different. We've already been out to the cabin a couple of times and he is LOVIN' the water! This week Grandpa Dale will have his boat out there, as well, so he'll be going tubing for the first time. So, I won't be posting for a couple of days. We'll be at the lake having a wonderful time playing in the dirt and the water. Don't be too jealous!

Win $2500!!!

I love a free contest! In the blogging world they are happening ALL THE TIME so people can get more traffic to their blog. Here's one that sounds too good to be true, but isn't! Hurry, time's up August 20th! ($2500 cash will be sent via Paypal, as it is a secure method)

Over at Ashwin’s blog, you will find one crazy blog owner!! You can win $2500!! To enter just copy this text and paste it in your blog!! But hurry, this competition will not last long! So get posting!

Good Luck! This is another contest I hope I win! If I won $2500 and the huge tv I would definitely throw a party!

Win a 37″ Flat-Panel LCD HDTV!!!

5 Minutes for Mom is having this awesome giveaway! Best Buy has donated a 37″ Flat-Panel LCD HDTV!!! Head here to leave a comment before August 17th to enter! Good luck! (I hope I win!)

Mattel Recall

Thanks to It's a Schmitty Life for informing everyone about this recall on Dora, Diego, Elmo, and Big Bird toys due to excessive lead. Mrs. Schmitty said it better than I could so check out her blog for more information, and the link to the recall site.

Free Advertising for Starbucks

Maddox wanted to let everyone know how delicious a Strawberries n' Cream (made with soymilk) is. Once he has one he won't let go.

I'm just so clever...

Maddox likes to "cook", so I adapted a pattern I already had to make him this apron. How clever am I?