Dell called again last night.
I almost didn't answer. But, I did. The man on the phone explained that I hadn't received the $50 because I needed to speak to a particular department. I explained to him that I already had and then I calmly explained the rest of the story. He asked me to stay on hold. I did while I was cooking dinner. He came back on and asked if he would like me to call me back instead. I said was fine.
An hour later... he called back with the other person on the line. Then, that person had to call me right back, then the first person had to call me back... I was calm. I wasn't offended. But, I was ready to be done.
Really?! My husband told me to tell them not to call back again. He was done.
But, it was finally done after several phone calls to me. I am shocked at how much time I spent on the phone over a little laptop. Lesson learned. But, what lessons did I learn?
#1 Don't buy from Dell online.
But, more importantly #2
Consider my time. Ask myself, What battle am I fighting? Who am I fighting with? Is this someone I should be fighting with? What do I think I'm entitled to? Am I entitled to whatever that is? Does it all come down to an expectation that life should be easier? Or has God provided? Then it's time to leave it to the Lord.
I fought. Made my case. Then let it go. Winning anything from Dell or arguing with them wasn't going to make me a better person. It wasn't going to give me more peace. Only trusting in God can do that.
I realize that I often totally buy into our culture's idea that life should be easy. But, that isn't at all what God promises.
There's some interesting food for thought in Today's Adventures in Odyssey episode HERE. The name of the episode is: The fifth house on the left, parts 1 and 2. I'm glad my kids are listening to it and I look forward to talking to them about it.
Tuesday, April 1, 2014
Saturday, March 29, 2014
Positive Experiences
I just realized that my past two posts were about difficult purchases. But, I think that in itself is worth writing about.
I'm reading a book this week that has been reminding of something--it is that that we can hold onto things, whether out of a desire for control, out of impatience, out of pride, or out of insecurity. There are many other reasons as well, but these are a few of them. Holding on to these things is not God's desire for us. (Normally, I am very quick to reference specific books, but in this case, I have been a bit disconcerted by it and am not sure I'm going to recommend it.)
If we love the Lord and believe Jesus died on the cross for our sins, then our hearts have been changed. And if our hearts have changed then we are necessarily not the same people that we were ten years ago. Because the Lord is continually working to change us. He uses other people as iron sharpens iron to bring our weaknesses before us, to help us trust Him, and that we might humble ourselves and seek Him.
My children saw first hand my reaction to the ordering of our Dell computer. I was upset. I was upset on the phone. I was upset about spending so much time waiting on the phone to talk to someone before I even got to talk to them. My children gave me space and tried not to interrupt me while I was dealing with the mess. Toward the end, my husband told me that he thought it was time to let it go. I was mad, but I was upset with Dell. I didn't insult any of the people I spoke with. I only pursued a resolution to the matter as long as I had his support. Sometimes we have to have others help us know how long to fight and when to let go or at least that is the case for me. My husband said it was time. So, I let it go.
This week I got several more disconcerting emails from Dell. I picked up the phone and called. I was supposed to get a $50 refund--which never came. I patiently explained my situation to three different people and was transferred three times until I was ultimately put on hold for a half hour and I hung up. When I hung up, I wasn't mad. I was letting go. It was time to be done.
Did it really matter? Was it worth my time to sit on the phone? Was I ever really going to talk to someone who could resolve the problem? I concluded that I wouldn't. But, most importantly, had God provided for the computer?
Yes.
It wasn't exactly what I would have chosen, but it is what the Lord has given us--and blessed us with. It will serve its purpose well. I trust and pray that the Lord will help me learn what He wants me to from all of this and that He will use this incident in my life.
When I read God's Word, I am encouraged that He isn't going to leave me alone just the way I am. He is going to work in my life to increase my patience, humility, and perseverance.
The phone calls and emails are done. My gmail is going to mark them as spam. And now I need to let it go and trust it to God. He provided.
I'm reading a book this week that has been reminding of something--it is that that we can hold onto things, whether out of a desire for control, out of impatience, out of pride, or out of insecurity. There are many other reasons as well, but these are a few of them. Holding on to these things is not God's desire for us. (Normally, I am very quick to reference specific books, but in this case, I have been a bit disconcerted by it and am not sure I'm going to recommend it.)
If we love the Lord and believe Jesus died on the cross for our sins, then our hearts have been changed. And if our hearts have changed then we are necessarily not the same people that we were ten years ago. Because the Lord is continually working to change us. He uses other people as iron sharpens iron to bring our weaknesses before us, to help us trust Him, and that we might humble ourselves and seek Him.
My children saw first hand my reaction to the ordering of our Dell computer. I was upset. I was upset on the phone. I was upset about spending so much time waiting on the phone to talk to someone before I even got to talk to them. My children gave me space and tried not to interrupt me while I was dealing with the mess. Toward the end, my husband told me that he thought it was time to let it go. I was mad, but I was upset with Dell. I didn't insult any of the people I spoke with. I only pursued a resolution to the matter as long as I had his support. Sometimes we have to have others help us know how long to fight and when to let go or at least that is the case for me. My husband said it was time. So, I let it go.
This week I got several more disconcerting emails from Dell. I picked up the phone and called. I was supposed to get a $50 refund--which never came. I patiently explained my situation to three different people and was transferred three times until I was ultimately put on hold for a half hour and I hung up. When I hung up, I wasn't mad. I was letting go. It was time to be done.
Did it really matter? Was it worth my time to sit on the phone? Was I ever really going to talk to someone who could resolve the problem? I concluded that I wouldn't. But, most importantly, had God provided for the computer?
Yes.
It wasn't exactly what I would have chosen, but it is what the Lord has given us--and blessed us with. It will serve its purpose well. I trust and pray that the Lord will help me learn what He wants me to from all of this and that He will use this incident in my life.
When I read God's Word, I am encouraged that He isn't going to leave me alone just the way I am. He is going to work in my life to increase my patience, humility, and perseverance.
The phone calls and emails are done. My gmail is going to mark them as spam. And now I need to let it go and trust it to God. He provided.
Windows and Roofs
When we decided earlier this month to stay in our home and not move, we also decided to go ahead and fix a few big things on our house. Some home projects are inexpensive like electrical outlets and caulking, but others, well, they can be overwhelming!
We've tackled so many projects on our home, but we knew replacing the original windows that were left would be quite an undertaking. We started by getting a quote from Home Depot's Home Repair arm. We agreed to the quoted price. We wanted it to be simple and straight forward, so we had chosen to simply take an easy route and call Home Depot. A few days later, we had to sign an addendum. Then, after a week or so, two fellows came out to measure the windows. We expected to hear back from Home Depot in a week or two with a time for installation. That phone call never came and four weeks later, I called to find out what the status of our order was. It turned out that there was an issue and another addendum was needed. No windows had been ordered and no one had followed up with us. Hmmm. This idea of going with Home Depot wasn't turning out to be so easy. We cancelled the contract and chose instead to break up the window job and just take care of the windows in the den. I'm glad we did. I'm so glad we didn't do all of the windows at once, because the den windows turned out badly and at least it gave us the opportunity to choose better windows for our bedrooms and bathrooms.
All of the windows in our house have to be made custom, because they aren't standard sizes. We used a handyman recommended to us and he went through a company in Pennsylvania, Viwinco, for the den windows. But, these windows make me sad. Over the winter, they let so much moisture in and cold air in that there was ice on the inside. Ice? You might think that these were cheap windows. They weren't. A fellow from the company did come out and look at the windows. He came out the following week and added thicker weatherstripping on the windows. It helped, but didn't entirely fix the problem. When I investigated what their warranty includes just now, it asserts that moisture on the inside of windows is the fault of the home owner (aka too much humidity in the house) and not the windows. But, I don't believe this is entirely true. I've been told by several people that condensation results on the inside of windows from improperly sealed windows.
So, this month when we decided to take on the bedroom and bathroom windows, we went with Thompson Creek Windows. They are more expensive, but the warranty is better--and the windows are better. This morning my husband said to me--"did you realize our bedroom was 4 degrees warmer than it was the day before we got the windows installed?" (The den didn't feel warmer after the new windows were installed.) I hadn't realized, but we hadn't raised our thermostat. We'd just replaced the windows. I am thankful for my kids to now have windows that will open and that I didn't have to do any work when the project was done. The caulking around the windows was done beautifully and the guys worked hard to do an excellent job putting the windows in. I don't have to do any extra work. If you have to order custom windows, Thompson Creek is definitely worth considering.
When we were getting a quote for windows last year, we also got a quote for our roof from Home Depot. It almost gave us a heart attack. We had no idea how we were going to tackle the cost they estimated. So, we put it on the back burner and took care of other projects in the mean time. Two weeks ago, we requested a roofing quote from the contractor that put a roof on our previous home. We were hoping for the best. And we were thankful for the quote when we received it. The quote turned out to be half the Home Depot quote. An extra warranty was offered with the roof and they were better shingles than the Home Depot quote was for.
This experience has quite surprised me. Standard financial advice when it comes to home projects has always been get at least two quotes. I see the wisdom in that advice. But, sometimes the cheapest price isn't always wisest. Asking around and finding companies who clean up their messes and stand behind their work has helped us in the past. And getting several quotes can take a lot of time. I think choosing home remodeling projects is complicated and it's never as straight forward as it might seem. The unexpected is always lurking in the background waiting to pop its head up.
We are thankful for our roof and new windows. But, more than that, I'm thankful that the Lord provided for us. Even though the windows in my den aren't great, I'm still thankful that I can open them and let fresh air in. The old windows didn't open at all and trapped mold between the panes. I am thankful that the windows keep most of the cold out and that my children can now sleep in warmer bedrooms...
Tuesday, March 18, 2014
Stay Away From DELL...
Over the past two weeks, I've been navigating a computer purchase I tried to make online. My husband and I thought it would be easier to purchase a DELL computer directly from Dell.com instead of heading off to Best Buy or Staples.
We were totally wrong.
This is what we learned:
#1 Don't ever order through Dell's website.
#2 I would never purchase a Dell computer again. Unless the warranty is dealt through someone other than Dell (ie. Costco or Best Buy).
So, here's what happened. I tried to order a computer. I was given an estimated arrival date a week and a half later. A few days later, I got an email asking me to make a phone call and for additional information. It didn't make sense to me and I'm very cautious about information gathering emails. Why would Dell need any more information? I didn't know. So, I went to the Dell website and called customer service.
And I sat on hold.
When I finally talked to someone, they told me I needed to call another number to confirm information.
I called.
And sat on hold.
The lady asked for information and I asked, "Why?"
I got an email the next day saying the computer shipped.
Hmmm....
Yesterday, I called again (after sitting on hold) because I received another email asking for information.
No!
I checked the tracking and it was slated to be delivered... today. I called yesterday (and sat on hold multiple times) and asked the Dell customer service if the computer was going to be delivered and what the issue was. They said it was conflicting information. Really? I knew what I'd put in because it was on the receipt. Somewhere in their system things had gotten messed up. I was told the computer was coming back to them and would not be delivered. I requested a refund and a cancelling of the sale. I thought it was done. My husband went out and bought another computer last night. We both thought it was all done.
Nope.
The computer arrived today. So, we're stuck. I requested a return, but at this point I'm afraid to send it back. I don't know that they will return our money to us. So, I think we're stuck with this computer.
More and more my husband are coming to believe that it's wiser to make purchases in person in a store than online.
We were totally wrong.
This is what we learned:
#1 Don't ever order through Dell's website.
#2 I would never purchase a Dell computer again. Unless the warranty is dealt through someone other than Dell (ie. Costco or Best Buy).
So, here's what happened. I tried to order a computer. I was given an estimated arrival date a week and a half later. A few days later, I got an email asking me to make a phone call and for additional information. It didn't make sense to me and I'm very cautious about information gathering emails. Why would Dell need any more information? I didn't know. So, I went to the Dell website and called customer service.
And I sat on hold.
When I finally talked to someone, they told me I needed to call another number to confirm information.
I called.
And sat on hold.
The lady asked for information and I asked, "Why?"
I got an email the next day saying the computer shipped.
Hmmm....
Yesterday, I called again (after sitting on hold) because I received another email asking for information.
No!
I checked the tracking and it was slated to be delivered... today. I called yesterday (and sat on hold multiple times) and asked the Dell customer service if the computer was going to be delivered and what the issue was. They said it was conflicting information. Really? I knew what I'd put in because it was on the receipt. Somewhere in their system things had gotten messed up. I was told the computer was coming back to them and would not be delivered. I requested a refund and a cancelling of the sale. I thought it was done. My husband went out and bought another computer last night. We both thought it was all done.
Nope.
The computer arrived today. So, we're stuck. I requested a return, but at this point I'm afraid to send it back. I don't know that they will return our money to us. So, I think we're stuck with this computer.
More and more my husband are coming to believe that it's wiser to make purchases in person in a store than online.
Sunday, March 16, 2014
Detangling Hair
My oldest daughter has very thick hair that does not tangle much. My middle daughter on the other hand, has very fine, thin hair that tangles into horrible mats if we don't stay on top of it. Her scalp is also very, very sensitive. So, I was very curious to try this detangling brush from Second Glance Beauty:
This brush, like many other things, works well when you figure out how best to use it. The bristles do not have little balls on the end to soften the brush from scraping a child's scalp when pressed. So, what my daughter found that worked best for her was to 1) wet the brush. 2) hang her hair down to the side and then brush the tangled area of her hair. This kept the brush from scraping her scalp and let it do its job better. She does like using the brush when she finds a tangle and it's easy for her 8 year old hand to hold. I like being able to just use water and not have to purchase extra detangling spray to use with the brush.
Would I recommend this brush? Yes, I think it's worth a try. But, it may or may not work for you. If a child normally gets mats and tangles on the top of his/her head, I don't think this would be the right brush for the job. If, on the other hand, a child (or adult) can hang their hair off to the side for brushing, this brush can do its job well. It is very easy to use with thick hair because it doesn't scrape the scalp as much (though my older daughter also hangs her hair to the side when using the brush). Just be careful with sensitive scalps and use water with the brush!
Please note that I received a complimentary brush from the company for review.
Simply Beautiful Tangle Teaser Brush
This brush, like many other things, works well when you figure out how best to use it. The bristles do not have little balls on the end to soften the brush from scraping a child's scalp when pressed. So, what my daughter found that worked best for her was to 1) wet the brush. 2) hang her hair down to the side and then brush the tangled area of her hair. This kept the brush from scraping her scalp and let it do its job better. She does like using the brush when she finds a tangle and it's easy for her 8 year old hand to hold. I like being able to just use water and not have to purchase extra detangling spray to use with the brush.
Would I recommend this brush? Yes, I think it's worth a try. But, it may or may not work for you. If a child normally gets mats and tangles on the top of his/her head, I don't think this would be the right brush for the job. If, on the other hand, a child (or adult) can hang their hair off to the side for brushing, this brush can do its job well. It is very easy to use with thick hair because it doesn't scrape the scalp as much (though my older daughter also hangs her hair to the side when using the brush). Just be careful with sensitive scalps and use water with the brush!
Please note that I received a complimentary brush from the company for review.
Monday, February 24, 2014
Making Space
One of the funny things about moving is that it really makes you think about whether or not a room is cluttered and about what you need. The simplest things, I find, can make a big difference!
One such silly thing is the trash can in our kids' bathroom. It has been on the outside of the vanity, sitting next to it for the past 2 years. I realized two weeks ago that I could fit it underneath the sink inside the vanity. I moved a few things around and took out what really wasn't needed there and voila! One less thing to clutter up the floor and bump into. I moved the bath toys up to a shelf and put the shampoos/conditioners all in a small basket. It looks cleaner already!
Another thing I did was in my son's bedroom. He loves to leave legos out that he's working on (please forgive me if I've already mentioned this on this blog). The clutter on his dresser at times would drive me crazy! So, I placed a large bath mat in the corner of his room and a small cardboard box next to it with the essential pieces. He has three large boxes of legos under his bed, but my husband explained to me that it's very hard to find particular pieces in big underbed boxes... So, the small box sits next to the legos on the mat. They fill the mat, but it looks less cluttered because that space is just for legos. It also gives my son parameters and guidance on how to pick up his room.
Lastly, I bought a smaller trash can for our recycling that will fit under the countertop instead of taking up more floor space. Moving it opened up that area and it's surprising how much less cluttered that part of the kitchen feels where it used to stand!
I think next time we're settled into a house, I'm going to pull out my camera and think about how I can simplify the floor space. I wish I'd done these three things 2 years ago when we moved in!
One such silly thing is the trash can in our kids' bathroom. It has been on the outside of the vanity, sitting next to it for the past 2 years. I realized two weeks ago that I could fit it underneath the sink inside the vanity. I moved a few things around and took out what really wasn't needed there and voila! One less thing to clutter up the floor and bump into. I moved the bath toys up to a shelf and put the shampoos/conditioners all in a small basket. It looks cleaner already!
Another thing I did was in my son's bedroom. He loves to leave legos out that he's working on (please forgive me if I've already mentioned this on this blog). The clutter on his dresser at times would drive me crazy! So, I placed a large bath mat in the corner of his room and a small cardboard box next to it with the essential pieces. He has three large boxes of legos under his bed, but my husband explained to me that it's very hard to find particular pieces in big underbed boxes... So, the small box sits next to the legos on the mat. They fill the mat, but it looks less cluttered because that space is just for legos. It also gives my son parameters and guidance on how to pick up his room.
Lastly, I bought a smaller trash can for our recycling that will fit under the countertop instead of taking up more floor space. Moving it opened up that area and it's surprising how much less cluttered that part of the kitchen feels where it used to stand!
I think next time we're settled into a house, I'm going to pull out my camera and think about how I can simplify the floor space. I wish I'd done these three things 2 years ago when we moved in!
Monday, February 17, 2014
Burger King...Just Not What it Used To Be
This is just my opinion. That's all it is. I have these memories of liking Burger King's hamburgers. I remember liking their fish sandwich.
I don't like them anymore. Last night, my husband wanted a hamburger. You know when you are sick and you just need to eat what you're willing to eat because you don't want to eat anything. That's where we were at last night. So, I headed off to Burger King.
Bad choice...
We've really gotten used to 5 Guys Burgers and Fries' burgers--which are quite good! A newly transplanted San Diegoan told me recently at the local sporting goods store that he thinks they're actually better than In-n-out's burgers (which is hard for me to believe), but in my book that reminds me that they really are good. Unfortunately, that's a 20 minute drive for me and I wasn't going to brave potential black ice on the roads for a 5 guys burger.
So, I headed to Burger King and picked up a Big King for my husband (akin to a McDonald's Big Mac and a fish sandwich to me). The price was right--2 for $5, but the food was so disappointing. I think my husband's was okay--not great, but okay. My fish sandwich was almost horrible. I threw almost half of it away. And the new french fries--well, they weren't any better and weren't anything to write home about.
I wish I could say they were better than they were, but they just weren't.
I don't like them anymore. Last night, my husband wanted a hamburger. You know when you are sick and you just need to eat what you're willing to eat because you don't want to eat anything. That's where we were at last night. So, I headed off to Burger King.
Bad choice...
We've really gotten used to 5 Guys Burgers and Fries' burgers--which are quite good! A newly transplanted San Diegoan told me recently at the local sporting goods store that he thinks they're actually better than In-n-out's burgers (which is hard for me to believe), but in my book that reminds me that they really are good. Unfortunately, that's a 20 minute drive for me and I wasn't going to brave potential black ice on the roads for a 5 guys burger.
So, I headed to Burger King and picked up a Big King for my husband (akin to a McDonald's Big Mac and a fish sandwich to me). The price was right--2 for $5, but the food was so disappointing. I think my husband's was okay--not great, but okay. My fish sandwich was almost horrible. I threw almost half of it away. And the new french fries--well, they weren't any better and weren't anything to write home about.
I wish I could say they were better than they were, but they just weren't.
Sunday, February 16, 2014
My Favorite Glue
A few years ago, I found something at Home Depot that I love. It's my favorite glue.It is a great thing! I like this glue a lot more than gorilla glue. A lot of people like gorilla glue, but we bought one bottle and the top sealed itself to the bottle before we could use it again. What a waste! This glue has been much more dependable for me. It has a screw top lid and dries clear. There is some that is white and dries white, though.
I've used this glue to fix a lot of little things. One example is when I glued on a piece of baseboard trim because I couldn't get a nail in at the awkward angle that was needed. And beneath that trim was a little piece of wood that I had fitted into a hole in the floor. (I had shaped the wood with my dremel).
Next to caulk, this is my favorite fixer.
Wednesday, February 5, 2014
What we need and what we don't
We're going to move again. It was just two years ago when we bought the house we're living in. We bought it thinking one thing and really found it to be quite another. I remember praying when we were walking through the closing process. I remember the Lord laying on my heart that this was going to be hard, but that it was worth it. I just didn't know how hard the past two years with this house would be!
But, I was struck by something this morning. Life is hard and it's easy to catch one's self complaining and focusing on the difficulties. Instead of acknowledging the difficulties (because they're very real) and then getting up and walking forward, it's easy to get stuck. I have a very dear friend who I call when I'm struggling and need to sort things out. She once made a comment to me that that's what's different about our friendship for her. We vent, but we vent with a purpose. That purpose is to find our way out of what's prompting our venting! And we do.
I realize I am rabbit trailing, but it's all related in my mind. It's easy for me to look back and dwell on the struggles with this house and heart ache it has caused me. Instead, it's wiser to focus on the end product. We've learned a lot and we've fixed a lot. I am beginning to pray for who is going to buy this house--that they would be blessed by it. That they would be blessed by having a house that is totally fixed! What a blessing! Our efforts will not be wasted because someone else is going to enjoy them.
In preparation for what is ahead, I, of course, have begun going through our basement. Our entire basement is unfinished and it has accumulated quite a mass of stuff in it! Wow! I walk around it and ponder. I have some ideas of what we can get rid of, but I struggle with a lot of it. My husband reminds me not to get rid of anything that we might need in our new home. But, there is much that is "extra".
Last week, we began pondering dishes. We inherited 20 boxes of dishes with this house. We had to open up every one. It's an interesting thing to contemplate... what should we really keep and what should we give to another? We ended up keeping 6 boxes, I think. We gave 4 boxes to one of my sister in laws, 1 box to another friend, about half a box to my mother in law, and a large box to Goodwill of odds and ends. Whew... Last week, I got about 12 or 16 boxes of stuff plus some larger items out of my basement. But, if you went down there, well, you'd never guess! But, I know.
When I go down into the basement, I ask myself, "Do I really want to move this???" Sometimes I find the answer is yes and sometimes it is no. Interestingly, I've been asking a similar question all along. I'm known by my friends for my continual purging and passing on of things we no longer need!
It's hard being patient. I know we're just in the beginning of this process waiting for this house to sell and just as importantly for the weather where we live to get better... My goal is to do one thing a day.
Monday: Dropped off bag of prom dresses from a friend of mine to the local high school for their prom closet.
Tuesday: Scrubbed floor in 4th bedroom, dropped off 4 boxes at my mom's, Clean all linens in my son's room
Wednesday: Got together forms I needed to assemble, Clean all linens in my girls room
Thursday...
Friday...
One thing a day is manageable for me and it also encourages me to make the most of this time while I'm waiting so that I'm not bombarded and completely overwhelmed when it comes time for us to move.
I keep reminding myself of God's plan and perfect timing as I wait for events to unfold. I am thankful that I can trust fully in His providence and plans. It gives me peace, hope, and comfort.
But, I was struck by something this morning. Life is hard and it's easy to catch one's self complaining and focusing on the difficulties. Instead of acknowledging the difficulties (because they're very real) and then getting up and walking forward, it's easy to get stuck. I have a very dear friend who I call when I'm struggling and need to sort things out. She once made a comment to me that that's what's different about our friendship for her. We vent, but we vent with a purpose. That purpose is to find our way out of what's prompting our venting! And we do.
I realize I am rabbit trailing, but it's all related in my mind. It's easy for me to look back and dwell on the struggles with this house and heart ache it has caused me. Instead, it's wiser to focus on the end product. We've learned a lot and we've fixed a lot. I am beginning to pray for who is going to buy this house--that they would be blessed by it. That they would be blessed by having a house that is totally fixed! What a blessing! Our efforts will not be wasted because someone else is going to enjoy them.
In preparation for what is ahead, I, of course, have begun going through our basement. Our entire basement is unfinished and it has accumulated quite a mass of stuff in it! Wow! I walk around it and ponder. I have some ideas of what we can get rid of, but I struggle with a lot of it. My husband reminds me not to get rid of anything that we might need in our new home. But, there is much that is "extra".
Last week, we began pondering dishes. We inherited 20 boxes of dishes with this house. We had to open up every one. It's an interesting thing to contemplate... what should we really keep and what should we give to another? We ended up keeping 6 boxes, I think. We gave 4 boxes to one of my sister in laws, 1 box to another friend, about half a box to my mother in law, and a large box to Goodwill of odds and ends. Whew... Last week, I got about 12 or 16 boxes of stuff plus some larger items out of my basement. But, if you went down there, well, you'd never guess! But, I know.
When I go down into the basement, I ask myself, "Do I really want to move this???" Sometimes I find the answer is yes and sometimes it is no. Interestingly, I've been asking a similar question all along. I'm known by my friends for my continual purging and passing on of things we no longer need!
It's hard being patient. I know we're just in the beginning of this process waiting for this house to sell and just as importantly for the weather where we live to get better... My goal is to do one thing a day.
Monday: Dropped off bag of prom dresses from a friend of mine to the local high school for their prom closet.
Tuesday: Scrubbed floor in 4th bedroom, dropped off 4 boxes at my mom's, Clean all linens in my son's room
Wednesday: Got together forms I needed to assemble, Clean all linens in my girls room
Thursday...
Friday...
One thing a day is manageable for me and it also encourages me to make the most of this time while I'm waiting so that I'm not bombarded and completely overwhelmed when it comes time for us to move.
I keep reminding myself of God's plan and perfect timing as I wait for events to unfold. I am thankful that I can trust fully in His providence and plans. It gives me peace, hope, and comfort.
Utility Bills
My mom lives in an apartment. She enjoys it very much. But, it is horribly insulated! A month ago, I went over and caulked around her windows and the wall heating unit. We put baby plug covers over the electrical outlets that were on the outer wall of the apartment. And she put in a request to have the maintenance fellow put in insulation around her patio door.
Unfortunately, they never came and we have hit a horrible cold snap here! So, today I went over with the extra insulation tubes that I hadn't needed when I insulated the hot water pipes in our basement last year. I cut each tube in three long strips and used these strips to fill the gap between the door and the wall. I wish I had done it before today! But, I am thankful it is done now and that cold air isn't continuing to pour in through her door.
So, a couple of things to think about and matter for mercy and prayer...
If you know someone who lives in an apartment on a fixed income, do you know if it is insulated? Do the windows need caulking? My mom told me that her friends' apartments are just like hers... I hope I'll get the chance to go caulk around some windows soon. It's hard. There's a lot going on, but hopefully I will...
But, there's another way that the winter is hitting many families hard this winter. Did you know that there is a propane shortage across the country and that tanks aren't being filled completely? The winter here on the east coast is much colder than the past few years. The fall was wetter for farmers this past season across the country and a much greater amount of propane was used so there is a greater shortage (and exports have also increased according to the Baltimore Sun last Saturday's edition). The article we read last week opened our eyes to something we didn't know. It is this... Only 3% of the general population use propane for heat... BUT 49% of all mobile homes use propane for heating. This means that many families who live in mobile homes this winter are struggling to stay warm. I'm not sure how to help besides prayer.
Unfortunately, they never came and we have hit a horrible cold snap here! So, today I went over with the extra insulation tubes that I hadn't needed when I insulated the hot water pipes in our basement last year. I cut each tube in three long strips and used these strips to fill the gap between the door and the wall. I wish I had done it before today! But, I am thankful it is done now and that cold air isn't continuing to pour in through her door.
So, a couple of things to think about and matter for mercy and prayer...
If you know someone who lives in an apartment on a fixed income, do you know if it is insulated? Do the windows need caulking? My mom told me that her friends' apartments are just like hers... I hope I'll get the chance to go caulk around some windows soon. It's hard. There's a lot going on, but hopefully I will...
But, there's another way that the winter is hitting many families hard this winter. Did you know that there is a propane shortage across the country and that tanks aren't being filled completely? The winter here on the east coast is much colder than the past few years. The fall was wetter for farmers this past season across the country and a much greater amount of propane was used so there is a greater shortage (and exports have also increased according to the Baltimore Sun last Saturday's edition). The article we read last week opened our eyes to something we didn't know. It is this... Only 3% of the general population use propane for heat... BUT 49% of all mobile homes use propane for heating. This means that many families who live in mobile homes this winter are struggling to stay warm. I'm not sure how to help besides prayer.
Friday, January 31, 2014
Great Kitchen Scale
For years, I've had a cheap, plastic Progressive scale. No electronics. I twist the outer disk to adjust for the bowl I'm measuring in. I can really only measure to ounces. No half ounce business.
That's where a digital scale is nice. If you are making anything that really requires precision, then a digital scale would be the handiest thing in the world! This scale is light and easy to store. The bowl feels very thin to me---but that has its advantages. If you've measured something in it and need to tip it up to scoop into the bowl you're mixing in, then this is an easy bowl to lift up and manage! Especially if you're a lone cook. It's easy to lift up a bowl and scrape out of it when you're cooking in tandem with a friend. But, if it's just you,
you need to make accommodations. One of those would be using a bowl and scale like this one.
As for how easy it is to use... Press the on button to turn it on, and hold it down to turn it off. To reset the scale for a dish you're measuring into, press the on button again and it will recalibrate. I liked this process. It was easy and hands free. It was also exact (unlike my well used and loved older scale).
My only concern about this scale is the cost. If you like the appeal of the lightweight stainless bowl, then this would be a nice scale to purchase. If not and you have a lightweight bowl you can use, then I'd recommend Mira Brands' less expensive scale. I'd give it 4 stars (on a scale of 5) because of the price on Amazon. I'd give the scale itself 5 stars.
Please note that I received a complimentary scale for review.
That's where a digital scale is nice. If you are making anything that really requires precision, then a digital scale would be the handiest thing in the world! This scale is light and easy to store. The bowl feels very thin to me---but that has its advantages. If you've measured something in it and need to tip it up to scoop into the bowl you're mixing in, then this is an easy bowl to lift up and manage! Especially if you're a lone cook. It's easy to lift up a bowl and scrape out of it when you're cooking in tandem with a friend. But, if it's just you,
As for how easy it is to use... Press the on button to turn it on, and hold it down to turn it off. To reset the scale for a dish you're measuring into, press the on button again and it will recalibrate. I liked this process. It was easy and hands free. It was also exact (unlike my well used and loved older scale).
My only concern about this scale is the cost. If you like the appeal of the lightweight stainless bowl, then this would be a nice scale to purchase. If not and you have a lightweight bowl you can use, then I'd recommend Mira Brands' less expensive scale. I'd give it 4 stars (on a scale of 5) because of the price on Amazon. I'd give the scale itself 5 stars.
Please note that I received a complimentary scale for review.
Tuesday, January 14, 2014
Making a Habit of Joking
One thing that was missing in my house growing up was laughter. My mom commented to me about this two years ago. She commented on it because it is present in our home now. My kids love jokes. Last year, I made an advent calendar with pockets for the month of December. I put a joke inside each pocket. The kids take turns telling one at dinner each night. They love this tradition!
I regularly keep my eye out for joke books to keep their minds tumbling. A
new one coming out is titled The Big Book of Laugh Out-loud Jokes for Kids by Rob Elliot. It's a 3 in 1 collection that combines his 3 previous books into 1 collection. I think this is great! #1 it saves money (the three books separately would cost about $12.50 and the one book costs $9 on Amazon. #2 it saves space--one book is much easier to travel with than 3!
This book is full of jokes that all my kids (5, 8, and 10 years old) can enjoy together! They'll sit at lunch and read a few at a time. My middle daughter suggested that they each read one and then trade the book. But, then she loved telling one so much, she wouldn't pass it on! As a mom, I'm glad that it's full of wholesome jokes and not potty humor.
In any case, if you're looking for a fun joke book to share with your kids--look this one up!
Please note that I received a complimentary copy of this book for review from Revell Publishing.
I regularly keep my eye out for joke books to keep their minds tumbling. A
This book is full of jokes that all my kids (5, 8, and 10 years old) can enjoy together! They'll sit at lunch and read a few at a time. My middle daughter suggested that they each read one and then trade the book. But, then she loved telling one so much, she wouldn't pass it on! As a mom, I'm glad that it's full of wholesome jokes and not potty humor.
In any case, if you're looking for a fun joke book to share with your kids--look this one up!
Please note that I received a complimentary copy of this book for review from Revell Publishing.
Saturday, January 11, 2014
For Moms Who Have Time...
I wrote this post last night...
Okay, I'm feeling a bit tired and cynical tonight. My day... I got up at 6:30 a.m. then folded two loads of laundry, drank a cup of coffee, did dishes, got my husband's lunch ready for work, sent two emails, made french toast, went grocery shopping, made lunch, dropped by a friend's house for a minute, did school, made dinner, cleaned up, talked with my husband, got the kids to bed, ate a piece of chocolate. There wasn't a lot of extra room in today. I did get think aloud bookmarks laminated to help guide our conversations as we read The Cricket in Times Square. I did get a birthday gift purchased for a party the girls are going to next week. I did get a new shirt and pants purchased for my oldest daughter. But, planning a holiday tradition or getting things together was not on my mind today. Traditions and holidays take energy and time.
A friend of ours commented to me after Christmas that he and his wife were so tired after Christmas had passed. They realized that when they were kids they just got to enjoy Christmas. But, now they are the adults and they get to do all the work that goes into Christmas! I agreed with them. It is a lot of work. It's worth it, though. We are making memories for our children that they will have when they are older.
On days like today, it's hard to imagine all the work that we put into holidays and traditions to make those memories. But, we do it. Because we enjoy the work and our families enjoy the fruits of our labors.
My goal is to find easy, simple ideas to make traditions and holidays fun and special for my family. My kids know how much I love them and that I try. I'm very transparent to them about my humanness--probably too transparent since I wear my heart on my sleeve.
In any case, I love to look for ideas. So, books that are full of ideas are right up my alley...
A new one is coming out titled Everyday Confetti by Karen Ehman and Glynnis Whitwer. These two
women are a part of Lysa Terkeurst's Proverbs 31 ministry (proverbs31.org). Everyday Confetti walks you through the year with ideas for each holiday and a recipes along the way. The book has a fun front cover that made me want to love this book. I wanted to "want" to make the recipes in the book. I wanted to find simple ideas in it that I looked forward to doing with my family.
But, I just didn't. I didn't find any recipes I wanted to make. I kept flipping and hoping, but none of the recipes were ones that I would make. I was a little bothered by the idea that Valentine's Day is known as "Singles Awareness Day". But, I looked it up and found that indeed it is also now known as Singles Awareness Day. Hmmm...
I kept reading and looking for ideas. But, none of them clicked for me. It doesn't fit with my life. My time is taken up right now with school and teaching. When I read, it's usually about how children learn. I hadn't realized this before I picked up this book.
This book is filled with stories by moms. They're written in the flowery, descriptive way that we talk with our friends (with more words rather than less). They're great if you have time--to read them and implement them. If you're going on a vacation and will be spending time as the passenger in a car, this is a book you could read. If you're starting out with toddlers and big dreams of all the things you'll do with your family, then this book might be for you.
But, if you're coming down from the clouds, grappling with your life as a mom, trying to figure out how to make things enjoyable and simple for your family, then I'd pass on this book. I know that may sound strange and like I said earlier--cynical, but that's where I'm at right now. Sometimes this is the kind of book that's actually hard to read. Because it can feel overwhelming or discouraging. Sometimes you don't have a husband who's on board with cheesiness.
I do things to make my kids' lives special, but it looks a little different. Making my kids' lives special means breakfast in the morning. It means giving a hug whenever they want one. It means listening to Adventures in Odyssey with them. The time we have is what we savor.
This is probably a perfectly fine book. It's just not where I'm at right now and after getting through the Winter holidays, I'm not ready yet to tackle anymore for a little while. Right now, I'm keeping my head above water and putting one foot in front of another!
Please note that I received a complimentary copy of this book for review from Revell Books.
Post Script... please forgive me for my cynicism in this book review!
Okay, I'm feeling a bit tired and cynical tonight. My day... I got up at 6:30 a.m. then folded two loads of laundry, drank a cup of coffee, did dishes, got my husband's lunch ready for work, sent two emails, made french toast, went grocery shopping, made lunch, dropped by a friend's house for a minute, did school, made dinner, cleaned up, talked with my husband, got the kids to bed, ate a piece of chocolate. There wasn't a lot of extra room in today. I did get think aloud bookmarks laminated to help guide our conversations as we read The Cricket in Times Square. I did get a birthday gift purchased for a party the girls are going to next week. I did get a new shirt and pants purchased for my oldest daughter. But, planning a holiday tradition or getting things together was not on my mind today. Traditions and holidays take energy and time.
A friend of ours commented to me after Christmas that he and his wife were so tired after Christmas had passed. They realized that when they were kids they just got to enjoy Christmas. But, now they are the adults and they get to do all the work that goes into Christmas! I agreed with them. It is a lot of work. It's worth it, though. We are making memories for our children that they will have when they are older.
On days like today, it's hard to imagine all the work that we put into holidays and traditions to make those memories. But, we do it. Because we enjoy the work and our families enjoy the fruits of our labors.
My goal is to find easy, simple ideas to make traditions and holidays fun and special for my family. My kids know how much I love them and that I try. I'm very transparent to them about my humanness--probably too transparent since I wear my heart on my sleeve.
In any case, I love to look for ideas. So, books that are full of ideas are right up my alley...
A new one is coming out titled Everyday Confetti by Karen Ehman and Glynnis Whitwer. These two
But, I just didn't. I didn't find any recipes I wanted to make. I kept flipping and hoping, but none of the recipes were ones that I would make. I was a little bothered by the idea that Valentine's Day is known as "Singles Awareness Day". But, I looked it up and found that indeed it is also now known as Singles Awareness Day. Hmmm...
I kept reading and looking for ideas. But, none of them clicked for me. It doesn't fit with my life. My time is taken up right now with school and teaching. When I read, it's usually about how children learn. I hadn't realized this before I picked up this book.
This book is filled with stories by moms. They're written in the flowery, descriptive way that we talk with our friends (with more words rather than less). They're great if you have time--to read them and implement them. If you're going on a vacation and will be spending time as the passenger in a car, this is a book you could read. If you're starting out with toddlers and big dreams of all the things you'll do with your family, then this book might be for you.
But, if you're coming down from the clouds, grappling with your life as a mom, trying to figure out how to make things enjoyable and simple for your family, then I'd pass on this book. I know that may sound strange and like I said earlier--cynical, but that's where I'm at right now. Sometimes this is the kind of book that's actually hard to read. Because it can feel overwhelming or discouraging. Sometimes you don't have a husband who's on board with cheesiness.
I do things to make my kids' lives special, but it looks a little different. Making my kids' lives special means breakfast in the morning. It means giving a hug whenever they want one. It means listening to Adventures in Odyssey with them. The time we have is what we savor.
This is probably a perfectly fine book. It's just not where I'm at right now and after getting through the Winter holidays, I'm not ready yet to tackle anymore for a little while. Right now, I'm keeping my head above water and putting one foot in front of another!
Please note that I received a complimentary copy of this book for review from Revell Books.
Post Script... please forgive me for my cynicism in this book review!
Wednesday, January 1, 2014
After Christmas Sales
You might laugh at this admission, but this Christmas I actually thought about making sure I had a little money to spend after Christmas at the sales that come up. I've noticed that there's often some very good sales around this time of year.
My purchases this year were...
Some tissue paper (50cents for 24 sheets) at Walgreens.
An light triggered switch for our lights with two plugs to replace the one we had been using ($5) at Target.
A gift for my mother in law down the road for $4 at ShopRite (Grocery Stores often have great deals!)
Treat bags for cookies next Christmas for 50cents at ShopRite as well...
And about it. My husband made the point to me that we have a lot coming up and that sometimes buying ahead isn't always the wisest thing to do. I agree. If I'm shopping for an event very far off, I might forget that I've purchased something or purchase something else additionally because I didn't remember!
But, today, I found one deal to purchase for my girls this winter for sick in bed days and too cold to go outside days... On CBD.com, Seasons 1, 2, and 3 or Road to Avonlea are $9.99 each. And there's a free shipping code available through Jan. 3rd if you purchase more than $35. If you go to Retailmenot, they have a code you can copy and paste. Normally, it's always between $45 and $60 a season. I've never actually seen it go on sale and I've been watching because my girls really enjoy it. I love it too and watched all 7 seasons when we used to have a Netflix subscription. It's hard to find shows I feel really comfortable with them watching and this is one of the good ones!
Anyways, just wanted to pass that along...
My purchases this year were...
Some tissue paper (50cents for 24 sheets) at Walgreens.
An light triggered switch for our lights with two plugs to replace the one we had been using ($5) at Target.
A gift for my mother in law down the road for $4 at ShopRite (Grocery Stores often have great deals!)
Treat bags for cookies next Christmas for 50cents at ShopRite as well...
And about it. My husband made the point to me that we have a lot coming up and that sometimes buying ahead isn't always the wisest thing to do. I agree. If I'm shopping for an event very far off, I might forget that I've purchased something or purchase something else additionally because I didn't remember!
But, today, I found one deal to purchase for my girls this winter for sick in bed days and too cold to go outside days... On CBD.com, Seasons 1, 2, and 3 or Road to Avonlea are $9.99 each. And there's a free shipping code available through Jan. 3rd if you purchase more than $35. If you go to Retailmenot, they have a code you can copy and paste. Normally, it's always between $45 and $60 a season. I've never actually seen it go on sale and I've been watching because my girls really enjoy it. I love it too and watched all 7 seasons when we used to have a Netflix subscription. It's hard to find shows I feel really comfortable with them watching and this is one of the good ones!
Anyways, just wanted to pass that along...
Monday, December 30, 2013
Recovering from Christmas
Christmas Day was just a few days ago. It feels like it was just yesterday. I'm tired. Being a mom never gives breaks. But. That's okay. I had an interesting conversation today with a family friend. Their Christmas this year was hard. I felt bad for he and his wife.
Christmas seems like it would and should be fun and easy to navigate. But, it often isn't! There's so many expectations that get wrapped up in Christmas. Expectations about gifts, family traditions, what's going to happen when and who's going to come... It's hard to navigate.
Back in November, I was a part of a conversation where two moms I know were sharing about how their own families don't have any Christmas traditions. Each Christmas Eve and Day are held at their in-laws according to their in-laws' traditions. As I listened, I felt a pang of sadness. Did these in-laws realize what they were taking from these families? When we grow up and start our own families, part of Christmas is forming a new set of traditions--partially taken from the wife's family and partially from the husband's and partially new to both. These are traditions that our children will remember and associate are very special.
The conversation really made me think. The in-laws were also being selfish about wanting everything to stay the same and not changing. I don't know these families personally and I say this from the outside listening in. I also say this because I saw the same thing in my own heart.
Two years ago, my mom, mother in law, and youngest brother in law moved to where we live. My husband and I had formed our own set of family Christmas traditions over the previous ten years. My mom had been there each Christmas because that was her annual visit to our home for a week. But, my mother in law and brother in law hadn't.
Listening made me reflect on my own selfishness. Have I been extending myself to my in-laws when it comes to my family traditions? Am I holding on and not changing because I don't want to? Am I including all in the discussion? I perceived them as joining our family. They perceived us as a part of theirs. Perhaps neither is correct actually. Perhaps, it is actually all our family and thus we all need to sit down and discuss, delegate, share, and rotate responsibilities. If one person wants to always take the same holiday, that's okay--if it's okay with everyone. But, I've realized it's good for everyone to get to host if they want to. I realized that it's okay to let go. It's okay to decide together. And it's even okay to change. I realized from listening that I needed to communicate with all my family why I want to do certain traditions and which family each one comes from, too.
I also realized that I can do other traditions in my home that still make the holiday unique for my children and special just to us. Christmas morning it's just us and our kids. Everyone else comes around 1 p.m. We open presents one by one and savor that time. We enjoy it like a long meal instead of gorging ourselves the way I picture Animal from the muppets would probably open presents. It's the way we like to do things. Then, we get together with our family and enjoy the rest of the day together and one another's company.
This Christmas was one of my better Christmases. I was thankful that everyone enjoyed the gifts we'd picked out. I was thankful that my kids were just starting to get colds, so they weren't too sick to enjoy all of it. I was thankful that we all enjoyed being together. A lot of work went into it and there were some bumps a long the way, but as a friend told me today---when you become an adult, you become responsible for the work that goes into Christmas!
I am thankful for the love the Lord has blessed us with. I am thankful for the children He has entrusted to us. I am thankful to Him. It was a rough year, but God is faithful and it is good to savor times of joy.
Christmas seems like it would and should be fun and easy to navigate. But, it often isn't! There's so many expectations that get wrapped up in Christmas. Expectations about gifts, family traditions, what's going to happen when and who's going to come... It's hard to navigate.
Back in November, I was a part of a conversation where two moms I know were sharing about how their own families don't have any Christmas traditions. Each Christmas Eve and Day are held at their in-laws according to their in-laws' traditions. As I listened, I felt a pang of sadness. Did these in-laws realize what they were taking from these families? When we grow up and start our own families, part of Christmas is forming a new set of traditions--partially taken from the wife's family and partially from the husband's and partially new to both. These are traditions that our children will remember and associate are very special.
The conversation really made me think. The in-laws were also being selfish about wanting everything to stay the same and not changing. I don't know these families personally and I say this from the outside listening in. I also say this because I saw the same thing in my own heart.
Two years ago, my mom, mother in law, and youngest brother in law moved to where we live. My husband and I had formed our own set of family Christmas traditions over the previous ten years. My mom had been there each Christmas because that was her annual visit to our home for a week. But, my mother in law and brother in law hadn't.
Listening made me reflect on my own selfishness. Have I been extending myself to my in-laws when it comes to my family traditions? Am I holding on and not changing because I don't want to? Am I including all in the discussion? I perceived them as joining our family. They perceived us as a part of theirs. Perhaps neither is correct actually. Perhaps, it is actually all our family and thus we all need to sit down and discuss, delegate, share, and rotate responsibilities. If one person wants to always take the same holiday, that's okay--if it's okay with everyone. But, I've realized it's good for everyone to get to host if they want to. I realized that it's okay to let go. It's okay to decide together. And it's even okay to change. I realized from listening that I needed to communicate with all my family why I want to do certain traditions and which family each one comes from, too.
I also realized that I can do other traditions in my home that still make the holiday unique for my children and special just to us. Christmas morning it's just us and our kids. Everyone else comes around 1 p.m. We open presents one by one and savor that time. We enjoy it like a long meal instead of gorging ourselves the way I picture Animal from the muppets would probably open presents. It's the way we like to do things. Then, we get together with our family and enjoy the rest of the day together and one another's company.
This Christmas was one of my better Christmases. I was thankful that everyone enjoyed the gifts we'd picked out. I was thankful that my kids were just starting to get colds, so they weren't too sick to enjoy all of it. I was thankful that we all enjoyed being together. A lot of work went into it and there were some bumps a long the way, but as a friend told me today---when you become an adult, you become responsible for the work that goes into Christmas!
I am thankful for the love the Lord has blessed us with. I am thankful for the children He has entrusted to us. I am thankful to Him. It was a rough year, but God is faithful and it is good to savor times of joy.
Adding spice to our diet
I realized that our family menu had gotten very repetitive of late, so I tried two new recipes this weekend. One was America's Test Kitchen's Skillet Tamale Pie. It has a great flavor! I found the recipe online HERE. I didn't use the topping from this recipe. I actually used the corn muffin recipe from ATK Family Cookbook Here. The only issue I had was that I didn't halve the cornbread. It was too much. I probably would even make a third next time as the topping to make the ratio better. It was really good.
The second recipe I made was Chicken Tikka Masala, but I couldn't find the exact recipe that I used online. It was from America's Test Kitchen's Quick Family Cookbook. I have to be honest, this cookbook has sat on my shelf for a while. I have the ATK's Family Cookbook, Healthy Family Cookbook, and the Quick Family Cookbook. This Chicken Tikka Masala recipe was unusual, but so good! My family all thought it was as good as what we ate last time at the nearby Indian restaurant.
So, if you have this cookbook, here's the changes I'd suggest for this recipe... only use 1/8 tsp cayenne and mix the spices into the yogurt before coating the chicken. Don't rub the chicken with the spices and then in the yogurt. Definitely pound the chicken thin and then slice into pieces. Also, add 1/4 cup chopped raisins to the sauce. My husband loves it spicy, so he added cayenne to his dish when it was served on his plate. But, my kids and me... well we need mild food. So, this dish worked well for us!
Tonight I made a Chicken broccoli stirfry for dinner. I used the Asian Wing sauce (with half the honey) as my teriyaki sauce from the ATK Family Cookbook. These really are my go to cookbooks.
It's felt good the past few days making something completely new. It's something I want to keep up this year!
The second recipe I made was Chicken Tikka Masala, but I couldn't find the exact recipe that I used online. It was from America's Test Kitchen's Quick Family Cookbook. I have to be honest, this cookbook has sat on my shelf for a while. I have the ATK's Family Cookbook, Healthy Family Cookbook, and the Quick Family Cookbook. This Chicken Tikka Masala recipe was unusual, but so good! My family all thought it was as good as what we ate last time at the nearby Indian restaurant.
So, if you have this cookbook, here's the changes I'd suggest for this recipe... only use 1/8 tsp cayenne and mix the spices into the yogurt before coating the chicken. Don't rub the chicken with the spices and then in the yogurt. Definitely pound the chicken thin and then slice into pieces. Also, add 1/4 cup chopped raisins to the sauce. My husband loves it spicy, so he added cayenne to his dish when it was served on his plate. But, my kids and me... well we need mild food. So, this dish worked well for us!
Tonight I made a Chicken broccoli stirfry for dinner. I used the Asian Wing sauce (with half the honey) as my teriyaki sauce from the ATK Family Cookbook. These really are my go to cookbooks.
It's felt good the past few days making something completely new. It's something I want to keep up this year!
Thursday, December 19, 2013
Christmas Shopping
Musings...
I think the thing I often forget is that the extra time I take shopping takes time away from other things I should or could be doing. And it makes an interesting comment about what I value. Specifically, the value I put on "things" and pleasing others.
Yesterday morning, I had one last gift to purchase for my mom for Christmas. It's actually her only gift because it's a big gift. I looked for about fifteen minutes and then went to check with my husband about whether what I'd found was okay. He had a suggestion about what might be a better choice, so I went back to the drawing board and started looking around at three other websites. I found about ten options and started narrowing them down. After about thirty minutes, I settled on my choice and picked it. I picked one that was guaranteed to arrive by Christmas (with free shipping) at a store that had a better and easier to deal with return policy in case she doesn't like it.
I'm thankful for internet shopping because of my kids. It's easier to shop online for a few minutes than get in and out of the store (which I did six times with my kids yesterday in the span of three hours) for a single gift especially when I'm trying to think about it and don't know exactly what I'm getting. But, I do hate how the time adds up!
I think it all comes down to something a friend of ours said--that with more choices comes more unhappiness. If you have a lot of choices, it's harder to choose because you think you might be happier with something else--even after you've chosen. I think that unhappiness is a potential consequence whether you're purchasing something for yourself or someone else.
I think my Christmas shopping is almost done. I have one gift that I need to buy on Friday without my children, one gift card to mail, and one more gift for a family member. Yay!
Friday, December 13, 2013
Pad Thai from Scratch
One of my favorite dishes is Pad Thai. I have tried to make it at home before, but the smell of the fish sauce just overwhelms me. In our new home, we actually have a vent fan that vents out to the roof (not one that just spits the steam back into the room). So, I thought I'd try again with the help of a new cookbook.
Enter Everyday Thai Cooking by Katie Chin. This is a fun cookbook to look through and it has many of
the standards you'll find on the menu of most Thai restaurants. There are many ingredients in this cookbook that are hard to find where I live. But, that's where David Joachin's Food Substitution Bible comes in handy. There was one thing that I most wanted from this cookbook--a good Pad Thai that I could make. And I found one.
One night a few weeks ago, I gathered the ingredients and started with fixing the noodles. This was the area where I made my one mistake. Rice noodles get mushy if you leave them in the hot, boiling water too long. I forgot to set a timer and remove them from the water after ten minutes. I won't forget to do this next time. I also had to substitute lime juice for the tamarind concentrate. (I had to substitute after looking in three local grocery stores for this ingredient.) I was concerned that this would make a big difference, but it worked out quite well. The pad thai was recieved well by my husband and oldest daughter, the most experimental eater of my three children. I will be making this recipe again.
As for the rest of the cookbook, it is formatted well. The directions are easy to follow. I liked that the ingredients were in a different color ink than the directions. But, neither color was hard to look at. I've read some cookbooks over the years printed with light colored ink that were very difficult to read! For every recipe, there was a beautiful color picture. Being a visual person, I love pictures. The photographs were very well composed and the focus was on the subject. I find the more I get into photography, the more I pay attention to photos and their composition.
If you're looking for an engaging and fun thai cookbook to try, take a look at this one. But, be prepared to look for a few substitutions unless you live near an asian market. The closest big asian supermarket to where we live is 45 minutes to an hour away. So, I'll plan on making a list from this cookbook and picking up a few ingredients the next time I'm in that area!
Please note that I received a complimentary copy of this cookbook for review from the publisher.
Enter Everyday Thai Cooking by Katie Chin. This is a fun cookbook to look through and it has many of
One night a few weeks ago, I gathered the ingredients and started with fixing the noodles. This was the area where I made my one mistake. Rice noodles get mushy if you leave them in the hot, boiling water too long. I forgot to set a timer and remove them from the water after ten minutes. I won't forget to do this next time. I also had to substitute lime juice for the tamarind concentrate. (I had to substitute after looking in three local grocery stores for this ingredient.) I was concerned that this would make a big difference, but it worked out quite well. The pad thai was recieved well by my husband and oldest daughter, the most experimental eater of my three children. I will be making this recipe again.
As for the rest of the cookbook, it is formatted well. The directions are easy to follow. I liked that the ingredients were in a different color ink than the directions. But, neither color was hard to look at. I've read some cookbooks over the years printed with light colored ink that were very difficult to read! For every recipe, there was a beautiful color picture. Being a visual person, I love pictures. The photographs were very well composed and the focus was on the subject. I find the more I get into photography, the more I pay attention to photos and their composition.
If you're looking for an engaging and fun thai cookbook to try, take a look at this one. But, be prepared to look for a few substitutions unless you live near an asian market. The closest big asian supermarket to where we live is 45 minutes to an hour away. So, I'll plan on making a list from this cookbook and picking up a few ingredients the next time I'm in that area!
Please note that I received a complimentary copy of this cookbook for review from the publisher.
Thursday, December 5, 2013
Gift for parents of 1s and 2s (and 3s and 4s)
The other day a good friend of mine came by with her 1 1/2 year old and the baby she's visiting. Her little boy so wanted to go up to the tree and touch the ornaments. She stopped him and redirected him. As I watched him, the memories came flooding back of when my kids were that age and how they wanted to touch everything. It was a bit stressful to me. We worried about the tree tipping over on them. We worried about damage to the ornaments that had weathered the years through both of our families and many that my great grandmother had made.
It's an interesting thing. Should I have cared? How important was it? What's a good solution? What's most important? That's the question that's easier to answer.
My kids and the memories they'll have when they grow up of our Christmases. I don't (and didn't) want them to be stressful ones. I'm afraid that's what my kids often think of me! They still love me though. Anyways, I was working on a gift for my brother and his wife when I thought of a good gift for friends...
Child Safe ornaments!
So, here's my plan. I went to this website. There's a bunch of great Christmas shape templates. My plan is for my kids to color them with me. Then, I'm going to laminate them and cut them out. We're going to tie a string through each so that they can hang on a tree.
This is the laminator that I have... http://amzn.com/B00BUI5QWS and the laminating sheets that I use... http://amzn.com/B00BWU3HNY The sheets end up costing 13 cents each. 5-6 ornaments can be laminated with each sheet.
We're going to make these ornaments for our friends with 1 and 2 year olds--who love to touch the tree. My hope is that it will make my friends' Christmas' a little less stressful when it comes to their Christmas trees by having some kid safe ornaments to hang on the lower branches.
I wish I had thought of this when my kids were really little to begin with. After a year or two with my little ones, I did come up with the solution of giving my kids their own tree. So, that's what we've done for three or four years. It has all kid friendly ornaments that aren't easily broken.
There are lots of things we change about our lives when our kids are little. We do these things so that we can enjoy them instead of being stressed because they're who they are--Little kids love to touch things! It's totally natural. They do have to learn boundaries and as parents we try and be reasonable. But, if you have to constantly say "No! Don't touch!" it can get very stressful and disheartening. It can steal the joy from many moments. So, my approach has always been to do what I can to make our home more child safe, but at the same time say "No. Don't touch." when I needed to. One example of this was two years ago, when I took all of my Willow Tree figurines and put them in a box downstairs. Three had been broken accidentally in the course of two months. Rather than getting upset again, I thought it would be better for all of us if I just put them away. I know a lot of people would disagree with me, but I know my personality and I knew it was the wisest thing for me and for my kids. Though my patience and grace for my kids has grown a lot, there's wisdom too. Knowing that it's wise to simplify so that it's easier to cope.
I'll post a picture when they're done!
It's an interesting thing. Should I have cared? How important was it? What's a good solution? What's most important? That's the question that's easier to answer.
My kids and the memories they'll have when they grow up of our Christmases. I don't (and didn't) want them to be stressful ones. I'm afraid that's what my kids often think of me! They still love me though. Anyways, I was working on a gift for my brother and his wife when I thought of a good gift for friends...
Child Safe ornaments!
So, here's my plan. I went to this website. There's a bunch of great Christmas shape templates. My plan is for my kids to color them with me. Then, I'm going to laminate them and cut them out. We're going to tie a string through each so that they can hang on a tree.
This is the laminator that I have... http://amzn.com/B00BUI5QWS and the laminating sheets that I use... http://amzn.com/B00BWU3HNY The sheets end up costing 13 cents each. 5-6 ornaments can be laminated with each sheet.
We're going to make these ornaments for our friends with 1 and 2 year olds--who love to touch the tree. My hope is that it will make my friends' Christmas' a little less stressful when it comes to their Christmas trees by having some kid safe ornaments to hang on the lower branches.
I wish I had thought of this when my kids were really little to begin with. After a year or two with my little ones, I did come up with the solution of giving my kids their own tree. So, that's what we've done for three or four years. It has all kid friendly ornaments that aren't easily broken.
There are lots of things we change about our lives when our kids are little. We do these things so that we can enjoy them instead of being stressed because they're who they are--Little kids love to touch things! It's totally natural. They do have to learn boundaries and as parents we try and be reasonable. But, if you have to constantly say "No! Don't touch!" it can get very stressful and disheartening. It can steal the joy from many moments. So, my approach has always been to do what I can to make our home more child safe, but at the same time say "No. Don't touch." when I needed to. One example of this was two years ago, when I took all of my Willow Tree figurines and put them in a box downstairs. Three had been broken accidentally in the course of two months. Rather than getting upset again, I thought it would be better for all of us if I just put them away. I know a lot of people would disagree with me, but I know my personality and I knew it was the wisest thing for me and for my kids. Though my patience and grace for my kids has grown a lot, there's wisdom too. Knowing that it's wise to simplify so that it's easier to cope.
I'll post a picture when they're done!
Oops! I pureed the bay leaf!
The other night I made a buttermilk broccoli soup for dinner. But, right after I'd pureed the soup in my Vitamix, I realized that I hadn't taken out the bay leaf! I panicked. I've been trying to teach my girls how to cook simultaneously while I cook the main part of the meal. Having conversations and cooking can often get mixed up in my head and it's hard to keep track of ingredients once in a while.
I sent the kids out of the room while I tried to recover and figure out what to do. There wasn't time to cook anything new before dinner. Otherwise we were going to end up eating at 8:00 p.m.! I looked online for information and to try and figure out if we could eat the soup or not. Here's what I discovered...
The bay leaves we cook with aren't actually poisonous unless they're consumed in large amounts. There is ground bay leaf in Old Bay Seasoning actually. Some people can react to bay leaf and have stomach aches. The biggest reason why is that bay leaves are tough in cooking and they usually don't puree very well. The rough edges of the leaves can tear you up inside. In my case, there was no trace of the leaf to be seen. It pureed so well. I couldn't pick out any pieces, because there weren't any to be picked out.
I called my mom and another gal I knew to ask their opinions. Both had never made the mistake I did, but both thought it would be fine. So, we ate the soup. And we were indeed fine. Thankfully. I'm going to try and remember in the future though. The bay leaf did give the soup a much stronger flavor when it was pureed and my kids ate it, but didn't care for it.
So, in case this ever happens to you--toxicologists did agree on everything I read on the internet that bay leaves aren't poisonous. But, the flavor is very strong and you wouldn't want to eat one if you happen to see one in some soup you're about to eat.
I sent the kids out of the room while I tried to recover and figure out what to do. There wasn't time to cook anything new before dinner. Otherwise we were going to end up eating at 8:00 p.m.! I looked online for information and to try and figure out if we could eat the soup or not. Here's what I discovered...
The bay leaves we cook with aren't actually poisonous unless they're consumed in large amounts. There is ground bay leaf in Old Bay Seasoning actually. Some people can react to bay leaf and have stomach aches. The biggest reason why is that bay leaves are tough in cooking and they usually don't puree very well. The rough edges of the leaves can tear you up inside. In my case, there was no trace of the leaf to be seen. It pureed so well. I couldn't pick out any pieces, because there weren't any to be picked out.
I called my mom and another gal I knew to ask their opinions. Both had never made the mistake I did, but both thought it would be fine. So, we ate the soup. And we were indeed fine. Thankfully. I'm going to try and remember in the future though. The bay leaf did give the soup a much stronger flavor when it was pureed and my kids ate it, but didn't care for it.
So, in case this ever happens to you--toxicologists did agree on everything I read on the internet that bay leaves aren't poisonous. But, the flavor is very strong and you wouldn't want to eat one if you happen to see one in some soup you're about to eat.
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