Thank You!!!

White House honoring the Military for Christmas
What a beautiful idea! Its nice to see this administration honoring our Heros this beautiful Christmas season.

1st Christmas!

Green crayons melt slower than others....

Saw this idea on pinterest.com, and fell in love with it. So I gathered my supplies, total was about 20bucks and 10 was in crayons, 10!! I hope you're pleased with yourself crayola! But the finished product was worth it. A brand new fun art piece for The Rems room!

Just ran across this Blog and thought it was full of amazing ideas for the crafty mom.

Www.iammommahearmeroar.blogspot.com

Credit Card Hippie Fest

This semester at school I took Small Group Communications. The first day in the class we talked about how the whole class is going to revolve around putting together some type of event. I was so excited! That's what I want to do! That's what I'm good at! Planning and organizing (just not my own house, but that's a whole blog onto itself). So we broke up into groups and started brainstorming. As I listened to some of my classmates idea, a cold chill started to creep up my spine. I was hearing lots of words like compost, greenhouse, vegan meals.....at this time I started to take in the appearance of those same people (I know, I know never judge a book by it's cover) they where in expensive hiking boots skinny jeans stuffed in the tops, wind breakers that cost more then my credit card payments, "handmade" scarves from stores in the mall, carelessly tossed hair complemented by their subtal make-up......the worst kind of people, Credit Card Hippies!!! People raised in homes with "great rooms" who go to school as art majors because they are "free spirits". My hopes of having any fun with this project where dashed with one glance at my teacher, fuzzy crazy hair pushed back with a headband, mix match shirt and skirt, and of course.... Colorful clogs to complete the outfit of a new age "thinker". I sat there in my Navy sweatshirt with dread, knowing that this project was about to become a cluster F, full of good intentions and no work. I was 100% correct. The only saving grace of this entire semester was my team. When breaking up into groups to work on our project, Sustainability Day, I chose the permissions group. While I was interested in the advertising group I had a sneaking suspition that I would have to fight the many art majors for a spot. So I went with paperwork. And boy did I choose correctly. While the 5 of us seemed to be all on board with not really being on board with this idea, we worked. And boy did we work. Our group went from having one goal, get permission to have the event, to doing pretty much the whole event! Even started a sustainability club on campus. While the other groups had a hard time scheduling times to meet or picking out a color for their poster, permissions secured 9 outside vendors to set up tables, built a hydroponic farming unit that could be used in a small home/dorm, recycled old Tshirts into shopping bags (to help with the banish the bag program in town), tried our hands at using plarn (yarn made out of plastic bags) to upcycle old bags, and brought in over 15 items from business around town to auction off. In between all that we managed to write 3 papers as a group. Today was the event. Our group manned 4 tables, all with work we did. The others in class where nice enough to at least color up some posters to sit in front of. Sustainability Day was an actual success thanks to the hard work of the permissions group, the only group whose all 5 members voted no to the idea in the first place. So in fact, I believe that sometimes you truly can judge a book by it's cover.

Play blanket

The Rems is really into touching and the color red as of late. So I decided to make him a little play blanket to bring back and forth from play dates and what not. But I am really still bad news bears with sewing so I decided a tie blanket was more my speed. As I got to thinking about it I decided a regular old tie blanket is kinda lame. So I made a tie blanket quilt! I cut out 5 squares of a bright bold pattern and 4 of a solid color. I cut the edges of each square as if they where their own little tie blankets. Tied 3 together and then the 3 rows together. I took the remaining of the solid and used it as the backing, attaching it as you would a normal tie blanket! Took about an episode of Glee and Chopped minus all commercials. I think it came out awesome (not to toot my own horn or anything!) oh and make sure after finishing each row of knots you pull the fabric so it doesn't bunch up in the middle of your squares. Easy, fun and totally custom to your little guy!

Scrap Fabric

I have tons and tons of fabric taking up the craft room (aka dining room) in our house. And....I'm not a very good seamstress at all, but I really want to be! I found this little DIY project for crinkly baby toys using either old baby clothes (as the instructions state) or in my case some scrap fabric left over from many other failed projects. These little samples took about 10 mins to make. And while they aren't pretty, I'm pretty sure The Rems won't mind! But I'm going to keep on practicing until I have the cutest custom baby toy on the block!

Materials

• 2 old pieces of baby clothing in complementary colors
• 1 baby wipes envelope or piece of cellophane
• satin or grosgrain ribbon

• sewing machine or needle
• thread
• straight pins

Instructions

1. Look through your baby clothes to choose two pieces with fabrics that look good together.
2. Cut open the wipes envelope and flatten into one flat piece.
3. Cut a 7-inch x 7-inch square out of the wipes envelope, and a 7-inch x 7-inch square from each piece of clothing—avoiding stains if possible—so that you have 3 squares.
4. If there are stains on any of your squares, cover them by sewing pieces of ribbon over the stains. Pin the ribbon over the stains, then top stitch to fabric.
5. Once stains are covered, it's time to assemble your toy. Sandwich the fabric together placing the squares down in this order: plastic layer on the bottom, 1st layer of fabric (good side up) in the middle, 2nd layer of fabric (good side down) on top.
6. Make your ribbon loops: I used 3" pieces of ribbon folded in half to make my loops. Slip folded ribbon between two layers of fabric. You want the loop part to be facing inside the fabric, with the raw edges sticking out of the edges of the fabric. Pin the loops in place.
7. Make as many ribbon loops as you like .
8. Pin around the outside border of the sandwich.
9. Beginning in the middle of one side of the square, stitch around the outside border of your sandwich (where you had pinned) leaving a 1/2-inch seam allowance. Stop sewing about 2-inches from where you began sewing, leaving a gap for turning your craft right-side out.
10. Turn toy right-side out. Make sure crinkly plastic layer is inside the toy, between the two fabric layers.
11. Tuck the raw edges at the opening inside the toy and pin closed.
12. Top stitch around the outside of the toy where you had pinned.

I want to be an astronaut when I grow up......

The Planetarium in Chicago was one of my all time fav places to go when I was little (after the Sci and Industry museum of course).  In fact when I moved back to chicago for awhile I even started working there (and I am still upset that Volunteers are forced to park on the damn street opening themselves up to parking ticket after parking ticket).  Space has always held a special place in my heart, and no dad, not just because of aliens.( Tho I have many theroies on that subject). So when I heard about the closing of our Space Programs, I was shocked!  and a little upset.  While I didn't ever want to be an astronaut when I was little (I wanted to be Indiana Jones) I knew plenty of kids who did.  I watch a lot of tv ( A LOT) and I ran across this show on Nat Geo (national Geographic for those not in the know).  When you first watch it you are like "oh great, 5 rednecks blowing *S* up" but keep watching, because trust me it's going to blow your mind.  First of all 2 of the 5 are actual "rocket scientists", a third is a retired NASA mechanic that worked on the Apollo program, and the other 2 are pretty sharp themselves.  I watched an episode yesterday where they made a radio telescope in the yard using regular tv satillites from neighboring homes.  And yep, they started getting a signal every 36seconds.  Basically this show was put together by Travis Taylor in hopes of spurring some interest in science and space in the younger generations.  Remember just cause they talk slow don't mean they are slow.

http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/channel/rocket-city-rednecks/

The Holidays are HERE!

"I want things that crinkle and clean off easily"

The turkey is being made into sandwhiches, the Christmas lights are being strung up, lists of gifts are being crossed off, it's that time of year!  I love Christmas! I love everything about it.  I even love the music!  Every year I start trolling youtube for awesome Christmas light videos, I watch every gingerbread contest on tv, I force Boats to drive up and down streets to look at every house with lights. I LOVE IT!  And this year is even more special, The Rems' first Christmas.  We will be flying all over this year, so unfortunatly Santa won't be making a stop at our place, and the big toys will have to wait until next year, but it doesn't matter much.  We are going to be surrounded by family and love and food.  We get to teach him about stockings, and how to guess the gift by the slightest of shakes.  I get to teach him the PROPER way to string up Christmas lights on the tree, and Boats can show him how to make beautiful gift bows (another one of his many talents).  This year is the year we get to start to teach him what Christmas is to us and how we do things. So to start this year off right, we paid our 7 bucks to St. Judes and took his first ever pic with Santa.  Immediately the little guy tried to eat Santa's beard, but it went well.  Next year I will be writing a personal invite to Santa, and I can't wait!

A reminder that humans are just animals with weapon technology

It's very sad to hear of these stories. How can people be this greedy. These are the stories that make parents place their children in little bubbles of over protectiveness.

Violence during black friday sales

Boats Famous Amazing Green Turkey

Something outside the box on Thanksgiving

I decided to try my hand at stuffing this year. Usually I'm a Stove-Top girl, but with Boats making his famous Amazing Green Turkey I decided to step up my game. So I shot my Cuz a message(via FB of course) for an awesome stuffing and this is the one she gave me. And boy wad she right! It is fantastic! So next time you wanna spice it up a bit, try this Italian Sausage stuffing (and go w the wine, gives the bread a great flavor)


Ingredients

1 (19.76 ounce) package Johnsonville® Mild Italian Sausage (Ground or de-cased links)
1/4 cup olive oil, separated
2 (12 ounce) loaves focaccia bread, cut into 1-in. cubes
1 teaspoon coarse ground pepper
1 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
1 small green bell pepper, diced
1/2 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup pimiento-stuffed olives, chopped
5 large leaves fresh basil, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups water or white wine
1/4 cup butter, cubed


Directions
In a skillet, cook and crumble sausage in 1 tbsp. olive oil until no longer pink; set aside. In a large bowl, combine bread cubes and the remaining oil. Sprinkle with pepper; toss to coat. Transfer to a greased 15-in. x 10-in. baking pan.
Bake at 350 degrees F for 10 minutes or until crisp and a lightly browned, stirring once. Remove pan to a wire rack to cool slightly.
In a very large bowl, combine the bread cubes, reserved sausage, Parmesan cheese, green pepper, sun-dried tomatoes, basil and garlic. Combine eggs and water; pour over bread mixture and toss to coat. Transfer to a buttered 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Dot with butter. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees F for 35-40 minutes or until hot.

A little bit of happiness

As everyone who had ever known me knows chocolate covered cherries are one of my fav things! They would be top of my last meal list (along w cadbury cream eggs and a perfect canoli) so imagine my delight as my 2 fav guys surprised me with the titanic of all boxes of cherries!! 40! 40 in a box!!! Man I am one lucky lady!!

Sun-dried Tomato and Blue Cheese Burgers!!

Boats made these awhile back.....and OMG! YUMMY!!!!  Turns burgers into a 5 star meal!!

Ingredients

• 3 pounds uncooked lean ground beef
• 1 cup diced sun-dried tomatoes
• 4 ounces blue cheese
• 1/2 cup minced fresh chives
• 1 tablespoon steak sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
• 1/4 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard
• 12 hamburger rolls

Directions

1. In a large bowl, mix the ground beef, sun-dried tomatoes, blue cheese, chives, steak sauce, hot pepper sauce, Worcestershire sauce, black pepper, salt, and mustard. Cover and refrigerate for two hours.
2. Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat. Gently form mixture into twelve equally-sized patties.
3. Grill burgers for five minutes per side, or to desired doneness. Serve on rolls.

Just another day in Alaska.....

Jeff Foxworthy took sometime off of cracking on Rednecks and tried his hand on Alaskans. But he really missed a great one.

You might be an Alaskan if a bear shops at the same grocery store as you!!
Bear in a grocery store.

Jeff Foxworthy on Alaska

LMAO!!!

Maybe a few of us should get together to sell under some sort of Groupon deal.

Gamer husband auctioned off on craigslist

Winter Driving

This morning Rems and I where doing our weekly drive down to Kindermusik class.  I must have forgotten to turn of the car cloaking device when we left the house, because the speedy driver of a blue SUV tried to occupy the same space on the road that we were currently occupants in.  No matter how hard I leaned on my horn, or how scarred Rems ears became due to my "colorful" vocab, this *beep* just kept moving over. So as I yanked my wheel, fought for control after meeting up with a nice little iceberg on the side of the road and covered all my bases with the powers that be, I couldn't help but wish that Alaskans actually knew how to drive in winter weather.  You would think they, of all people, would know how.  God knows they get enough practice! But every winter I see cars all over the roads, sliding on ice, stuck in snowy ditches.  So after I was able to take a few deep breaths and tame my inner Hulk I decided to post a link with  a few rules (common sense!!) about winter driving.  Thanks Weather.com

Safety Tips for Driving in the Winter (A.K.A Common Sense)

Night

11:33pm. Found the perfect comfy spot in bed. Can feel my muscles beginning to uncurl and relax. Eyes weighed down by the sandman finally close. Silence creeps into my ears. And slowly I begin to drift.

Wait. What was that? Ears strain in the night. Soft shuffling noises, like tiny little legs pumping, ease their way out of the baby monitor. Just trying to get comfortable my brain rationalizes. I begin to drift.

Wait. What was that? A small whimper drifts it's way into my ears. Not to worry, just a tiny little dream, my brain tells my heart. I begin to drift.

Wait. What was that? A speedy clicking noise penetrates the peace of the silent room. A pacifier being worked on with a vegence. Just a little self-soothing, my brain tells my ears, it will pass in a minute. I begin to drift.

Eyes snap open. Heart skips a beat. Dreams washed away. A noise akin to a fire alarm pierces though the night with such volume I fear the speaker will blow out.

I roll over, face my loving husband, "Hey, baby's awake, your turn."

A different take on apples this season.....

Used for a Navy wife fundraiser

Looking to do something besides pies with your apples this holiday season?  Ive used this recipe a few times, and it is delicious!  The jars last up to a year if sealed correctly.  You can eat it as is, with ice cream, or even as a last minute pie filling. 

Ingredients

• 4 1/2 cups white sugar
• 1 cup cornstarch
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 10 cups water
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 7 quarts peeled, cored and sliced apples

Directions

1. Place a rack in the bottom of a large stock pot. Fill pot with hot water. Sterilize 7 1-quart canning jars, 7 lids, and 7 rings by placing on rack, jars upright. Bring water to a boil. Boil 10 minutes. Remove with a holder and allow jars to air-dry. Save water for processing apples.
2. Combine sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and water in a large saucepan. Place over high heat and cook until thick and bubbly, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice.
3. Tightly pack apples into sterilized jars. Slowly pour syrup over apples, covering them completely. Gently tap jars on countertop to allow air bubbles to rise. Screw lids on jars.
4. Carefully lower jars into pot using a holder. Leave a 2 inch space between jars. Add more boiling water if necessary, until tops of jars are covered by 2 inches of water. Bring water to a full boil, then cover and process for 30 minutes.
5. Remove jars from pot and place on cloth-covered or wood surface, several inches apart, until cool. Once cool, press top of each lid with finger, ensuring that seal is tight (lid doesn't move up or down at all). Sealed jars can be stored for up to a year.

Fur,Fangs and Hot Bods

This afternoon I got to head over to the movies, baby and husband free.  I met up with Gamer Mom, Magical Baby Whisperer, and Green Peace.  We indulged our girly sides and saw the new Twilight movie.  Ive read all the books, so by law I am required to give my soul (or 10 bucks) to the nearest movie theater either on opening day or as close to as life allows it.  So there we sat, 3 grown women amongst a sea of tweens, and guess what....I think we liked it more then the glitter emo kids sitting aound us.  I can honestly say I enjoyed most of the movie (I wouldn't go as far as to call it a Film, thanks once again to Stewarts blah,blah,blah acting), I could've done without the "mind reading" scene with the wolves, but I can appricate that would be difficult to translate onto the screen. I have to give props to the cast and crew, since the first one (which actually caused me to laugh out loud so much I was afraid I would be asked to leave) the movies have gotten much,much better.  Tho when you set the bar as low as they did with the first one, theres really nowhere to go but up.  Overall I have to say, if youre a big Twi fan its totally worth selling your soul for bad popcorn and water downed cokes, but otherwise save your sanity and rent it when it comes OnDemand.

Operation Shower

Operation Shower is a really cool program.  It's a non-profit organization that provides baby showers for military families who are deployed. This way the mom-to-be still gets to celebrate and do all the fun stuff they would normally do if they where at home with friends and familes.  Theres so many different ways to get involved with them, from donating shower gifts- actually hosting a shower!  It sounds like these people really help bring the feeling of home when youre so far away.

http://operationshower.org/

Young Hollywood doing it right!!

Mila Kunis attends Marine Ball

A little bug......

How does something so small as a little cold bug cripple a family to their knees in one day?  When it's the baby of the house with the bug.  Poor little man.  But sometimes it feels like "poor me".  You are the MOM, the superhero, the healer of all that's wrong, the slayer of demons and the protector.  But then the bug comes and slays Super Mom with nothing more then tears and whimpers.  The Magical hug is worthless, it defeats the Super Bounce with ease, all the toys in the arsenal are dismissed without a look.  Showers, brushing teeth, cooking, cleaning, all daily tasks are shoved aside, the only thought is "cuddle him, love him".  The worst part of this terrible enemy, Bug, is there is no kryptonite to destroy it with.  The Bug can only be destroyed thru time.  The gauntlet must be ran, no magic potion, no tiny little pills or special herbs and leaves.  Just time and love will destroy The Bug. 

Perform to Serve

My husband Diz has been in the Navy 9+ years.  Right now like so many others he has been disapproved for "PTS" It's hard to think that you are being let down by your "Navy Family", but we truck on.  He has one more attempt to get approved and even if he does most likely he will have to change jobs.  The stress comes from not knowing the future for our family.  If we will still be a Navy family, if we are where will we be moving to in June, if he gets out what will he do for work, where will we live.......So many things up in the air.  The stress tends to pile up.  Trying to talk to people about it that aren't "in" is hard, some even believe he must be getting kicked out because he did something wrong, or he isn't good enough to stay in.  Most "civilians" haven't even heard of this, and are unaware of the big budget cuts the military has had in the last few years.  I put a link down below that is the MCPON trying to explain exactly what the heck is going on.  The question I have for him is "who will be your deck plate leaders?" because those are the guys (and girls) youre tossing out into the cold to save money.

http://usfleetforcesfleetmasterchief.blogspot.com/2011/06/perform-to-serve-pts.html

We are all in it together........

I know this can be taken as spiteful or just plain jealousy gone mean.  But its nice to know that it's just not the average everyday folks taking a sock to the stomach when it comes to money.

http://realestate.yahoo.com/promo/rich-neighborhoods-riddled-with-foreclosures.html

As a first time parent, first time single income houshold and living in a place with slim to none shopping choices this is one website that I really utilize when it comes to finding stuff thats different, cute and useful for The Rems. 

http://babysteals.stealnetwork.com/

Flying for the Holidays?

Might want to read this article before deciding to pay outrageous prices and trecking thru airport after airport with your little ones.  I don't actually mind sitting in the back with my little one (easier access to bathrooms and not many people to climb over when you need to do the "stop crying please oh god please" walk) But I draw the line at families being seperated.  1: too scary for everyone involved 2: no one should have to take care of your child unless you are paying them to. 3: Just a jerk move if you ask me.

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/flying-with-little-children--go-to-the-back-of-the-plane.html