justem: little bits of this and that

Five for Friday...er...Sunday?

Happy Sunday! I typed this up on Friday, but apparently never hit "post"! ;)  We were gone for the weekend, and I figured I'd just post it a little late! Hope everyone had a good day!!

1. A friend posted this on Facebook today: Steven Spielberg kills dinosaur?. It pretty much made my week.  I really don't mean to make fun of people, but...SERIOUSLY??!!

2. If you live in the Madison are and are near the Henry Vilas Zoo, be sure to check out the Zuzu Cafe.  I've been there twice now, and both times the food was exceptional.  i love how all of their meals are named after streets in Madison - yesterday I had "The Spooner" which had fresh pesto, tomatoes, and mozzarella (aka: my three favorite ingredients) and it was soooo tasty! And here's a picture of "The Henry" that I ate the last time I was there:

3. Some of you may know that I'm a wee bit obsessed with The Land of Nod.  I loved being within driving distance of two when we lived in IL.  Their fall collection was just released, and there are so many amazing things.  Let me just put it out there - Land of Nod, if you'd like to come redo my entire house for me...I'd be okay with that. Don't say I didn't offer.  And when you come...bring this lamp, please. ;)

4. I need a new song.  Who's got a new song for me to listen to???  I don't listen to the radio, and it's been awhile since I had a new song...you know what I like, right? ;)

5. The other night, after an insanely long and crabby day, I really needed a sweet fix. We didn't have anything in the house, so I finally got around to trying "eggless cookie dough."  I used this recipe that I found on Pinterest, but I used some regular sugar and upped the salt and the chocolate chips - because, if I'm going to make it, I'm going to make it as good (aka: unhealthy) as possible. ;)  It definitely wasn't as good as the real thing, but it hit the {sweet} spot! ;)

Five for Friday:

1. Last Friday my husband and I went on a date...okay, not really, because my brother-in law was along, but close enough. ;)  We had dinner at The Free House Pub in Middleton. If you are local and never been, definitely check it out!  We got to eat on the patio and enjoy the music of No Name String Band.  It made me yearn for more kid-free evenings!!  My food was very good...especially Wisconsin's greatest appetizer... ;)

 

2. Speaking of cheesecurds...we had a case of mistaken lyrics at our house this week.  Have you heard this new Ingrid song "Girls Chase Boys?"  Miri was singing, "Girls Chase Boys' Cheesecurds."  Perfect. 

 

3. We made one of our all time favorite summertime meals this week: Artichoke Pizza (with roasted red peppers, almon ds, and oregano).  We basically follow this recipe, but instead of pitas, we use garlic naan (usually from Whole Foods) and it's soooo delicious - and easy to make!

 

4. Have you joined Pippit yet??  I signed up...mostly because it usually takes me like a year to catch up on the newest hip social media. Pinterest? Instagram? I joined all those like WAY after everybody else. I'm always late to the party, so I thought maybe I should get a headstart this time. My username is "justemspahn" like it is most places. I'm totally not sure yet...thoughts??

5. Next week is the last week of school! Yahoo!  This means I need to get my summer to-do list ready...look for it sometime next week. Any suggestions for things we should add to it? :)

Have a great weekend!!

5 to love and hate...

I did a "things I love and hate" post last summer...wow a lot has changed since then! I thought I'd do another one as part of my "Lists with Friends" challenge!  Here it goes...

1. Togetherness. My husband is coming home tonight. I know I never really  mentioned that he wasn't home. I don't talk about it on social media, but this is his busy season at work. He has been working non-stop for the past two months. We were seeing him for at least a single day on the weekends, then it turned into a few hours a week (one week he was literally home for 10 hours), and now he's been out of town for 16 days. This is up there in the top 3 of "Longest we've gone without seeing each other." So yeah...him being home isn't really something I like...it's something I LOVE.

2. Spring. The weather is finally starting to warm up!!  The last few years at our old house in IL there were flowers blooming next to the house at this time of the year! In fact one year they were all bloomed out by Miri's birthday. This year...there's still a foot of snow on the ground!! But, it's slowly warming up. The sun has been out, and it just FEELS like spring. You can tell it's on it's way!  I can't wait to get outside, though I'm a little nervous...the backyard of our new house is a wreck!!

3. House of Cards.  I'm totally not a TV watcher. I watch one show. ONE.  That would be Parenthood. ;)  But last week after I realized that my Tivo didn't tape the newest episode I was bummed and wanted something else to watch. Everybody raves about House of Cards, so I figured I'd give it a shot. I'm hooked. I'm pretty sure I now know the ins and outs of government...because Kevin Spacey taught me.;) And I can't help but wonder if this is really what politics is like. Holy cow!!

4. Chef Earl's Hot Giardinera Hummus. I was totally the sucker in the grocery store that tasted the sample and bought the product. But can I tell you...this is the best hummus I have ever eaten in my entire LIFE.  I don't even like spicy food, but this stuff is incredible.  I may or may not have eaten an entire tub...in a week's time of course! And let's just go ahead and blame Justin for that...because had he been here to help me eat it, I would never have eaten the whole thing! ;)

5. Craiglist.  I have a new obsession...buying stuff on Craiglist. The first week I started checking stuff out, I bought a coffee table, some huge metal home decor stars, a very cool antique school bench, and I'm committed to buying some rather hideous end tables that I'm hoping to paint, if I can ever get them from the owner. I've sold a few of my things and made a little money, and last week I made my best purchase yet: an old pull-down school map...you know...the kind that sell on Ebay and Etsy for hundreds of dollars? It's in perfect condition, and I paid 45.  I'm slowly putting together my "eclectic" (aka: random crap that hopefully looks good thrown together) living room. It's going to be sooooo awesome. ;)

1. Razor sharp baby nails. Ollie loves to snuggle with me...but I kind of look like I was attacked by Wolverine. Face. Neck. Chest. Other parts that shall remain unspoken...except for when I say they are unspoken. ;) Trust me. It's not pretty.

2. Laundry. A friend in Chicago once paid a service to wash and fold her family of seven's laundry. She said it was worth every penny.  I swear this sounds like the best idea ever...except that it would probably take about 3 days for us accumulate another massive amount of laundry and then I'd feel like it was all a waste. But if I ever win the lottery - laundry service - every day.  

3. Errors in books. I posted an Instagram photo of a mistake in one of the books Miri brought home from school. It said "alot" instead of "a lot." It was on the first page. At first I thought perhaps it was like that because it was written from a child's perspective, but no...it was clearly an error.  I've also noticed a ton of punctuation and grammar errors in other books of hers.  That drives me crazy. I realize that I'm like the queen of the typo, and I have all kinds of stuff spelled wrong and a mad love of the ellipsis and the comma that is just not right. BUT...I am also not paid to edit my blog. Nor is it published anywhere but here. In fact, I can use whatever fandangled grammar and spelling I want. But if I was writing or editing a book for print? I'd be darn sure it was error-free!!

4. Censorship and Hypocrisy. If you follow me on Instagram, you may have noticed my reposted image last night protesting the banning of The 4th Trimester Bodies Project from Instagram. I am (still) a member of a very large network of "natural-minded" moms in the Chicagoland area, and through these women I became very familiar with The 4th Trimester Bodies Project.  In fact, if you go through the photos on the site, I'm willing to bet I "know" (or really "know of") at least a third of them.  Personally, I am not comfortable enough with my body to put on some black undies and let the world see it all. Honestly, I wish I was...but I'm not. That being said, I think this is an amazing and wonderful project, and it infuriates me that Instagram (and Faceobok) would consider these images to be inappropriate.  As I stated last night, I cannot even use the Instagram "Explore" tab in front of my kids because there will inevitably be some scantily clad woman in a sexual pose whose photo got 12,000 likes.  And that's okay. But, feeding a baby is not.  It kind of makes me want to bang my head into a wall.  What is wrong with the world???

And on a lighter note...

5. Temper tantrums.  WHAT DO YOU MEAN I CAN'T WEAR THE RED SHIRT??? I WANT THE RED SHIRT!!! But dearest little angel child whom I never lose my patience with, the red shirt is wet in the washing machine right now. BUT I WANT THE RED SHIRT!!! Do you understand that you can't wear the red shirt right now because is is wet, and it is in the washing machine, and you cannot wear a wet shirt that is full of soap? BUT I WANT THE RED SHIRT!!!! NOT THE BLUE SHIRT!!! THE RED SHIRT!!!!!  As soon as the red shirt is clean and dry you can put it on, but for now you can wear this shirt instead! RED SHIIIIIIIRRRRRRRRTTTTTT!!!!!!! Enough said. ;) 

So - what's on your love/hate list right now?? I'd love to hear it!! Have a great Monday!

**Disclaimer: I've recently learned that there are some people who are very much against using the word "hate" - in any circumstance. Some, in fact, consider it a "swear" word. My feelings about the word "hate' are not that strong, though I do admit that it is not a word that I use often (if ever) around my children. If, by chance, you are deeply bothered by the word "hate," I sincerely apologize. It just...well...let's face it..."Things I Like and Things I Really Strongly Dislike" just doesn't have the same ring to it. ;)** 

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This list is brought to you by "Lists with Friends," which is a collaborative effort between a number of smart, talented, and fun women that I am lucky to be a part of. Throughout the year we will all be posting various lists on our blogs. This is one of them.

Mac & Cheese Mondays + Meal Planning + Lists with Friends #2

Hello! Happy Sunday. I can't believe it's practically halfway through January already! Tonight's post is like a giant conglomerate of things I've been wanting to share!!  First - Mac and Cheese Mondays!!  Barb and I have started a new weekly (or whenever we can get it in) meal challenge featuring my all time favorite food (and a true Wisconsin classic!) - Mac and Cheese!  We alternate choosing a recipe and purchasing the ingredients. Barb chose the first week: Martha's Macaroni and Cheese from Smitten Kitchen. It was...in a word..amazing. ;) In fact, part of me feels like maybe we should just quit now, because I'm not quite sure that any other mac can top this one. ;)

Here is Barb enjoying her delicious dish...

...and here is me, feeling sorry for myself that my bowl is empty!

This all brings me to the topic of meal planning AND my second list of the year!  One of my goals this year as part of my "One Little Word"  *Routine* is meal planning and cooking real meals for my family.  I realize that cooking with three little ones underfoot is not always the easiest (ask Barb, she got to see the madness firsthand last week...I was worried she might not come back again this week!), so I'm trying to pick meals that will be decently quick and easy AND that my kids will like - totally doable, right?! ;)  Here is my meal plan and my shopping list from last week...yes it's an actual list!

I'm happy to say I made everything on the list! (Okay, I didn't exactly make the grilled cheese rolls, but we DID have grilled cheese one day.) One thing I learned...I need to leave a LOT of room for leftovers. We probably could have eaten Mac and Cheese leftovers for three nights!  Here is a rundown of the meals I made last week, as well as the meals that I am planing for this week!

Garlicky White Bean Soup - This was our Sunday Soup, which we ate on Saturday, because on Sunday I was driving in a ginormous blizzard (seriously) to Illinois and back for a baby shower. This was super tasty and relatively easy to make. I LOVE soup with white beans in it, and this one was a winner!

Skillet Baked Ziti - Okay, I thought this looked pretty good...but it was delicious. So, so, so, so, so good. AND it was easy to make. AND both of my kids ate it. Winner!!

Grilled Cheese Rolls - We will probably make these this week. It cracks me up a little that there is an actual recipe for this. Ingredients? Bread and cheese. Genius. ;)

Pretzel Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars - We made these at Bake-a-palooza, and they were so good that I had to make them again. The kids had fun crushing the pretzels and helping out.  I had fun eating the entire pan in like two days. No lie.

Greek Spinach and Orzo Soup - We made this today for Sunday soup. This recipe is (gasp!) from an actual cookbook.  Every recipe I've made from it has been excellent. In Justin's words, "it tastes like something you'd get ina  restaurant!"  That's a good review, right?!  Here is a similar recipe I found online. I can't promise that it's as good as the original, thought!

Creamy Brie Four Cheese Mac and Cheese - This is my choice for this week's Mac and Cheese Monday. You are supposed to use Ritz crackers for the topping, however I am planning on getting all crazy and using Townhouse crackers instead. Or maybe Club crackers. I'm such a daredevil!

Mexican Lagsagna - This is one of my favorite recipes. It's a little big time consuming, but it's so good and both my kids like it!  Pray for smiley, happy children the day I make this!

**Disclaimer for anyone new to my blog - I don't eat meat, and my husband, who is rarely home during the week for dinner, cannot eat dairy! Therefore, the vast majority of our meals are meatless.  When he is home, I try to make something with meat in it!! I know most of these meals are full of dairy and carbs and all that is bad for you...but...it could be worse. ;)**

Week one of my 2014 ROUTINE went well. Hopefully things will only continue to get better this week! Have a great night!

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This list is brought to you by "Lists with Friends," which is a collaborative effort between a number of smart, talented, and fun women that I am lucky to be a part of. Throughout the year we will all be posting various lists on our blogs. This is one of them.

one little word + lists with friends #1

Well, here it is...the obligatory "One Little Word" post - aka: the post in which I talk about all the things I hope to accomplish this year..of which I will actually accomplish approximately 12.42%.  If you've been a reader of my blog for awhile, you might already know that I am not really fan of the whole OLW phenomenon.  I usually (rather sarcastically) choose a word, knowing that I'm doomed to fail miserably by about the 10th day of the new year.  A couple of years, I completely shunned the ONE little word, and instead made  lists of {what I thought were} manageable goals...most of which I also failed at. What can I say? I'm pretty much a failure when it comes to self-improvement...no one but myself to blame. ;) But, this year a single (one little, I suppose) word jumped out at me when I started thinking about the new year. This is a word that I NEED to be successful in the upcoming new year that is filled with so many changes and new things. It's important for both me and my family. It's not a fun word...a cool or trendy word. But it's a necessary word. And that word is...

That's right...the key to my success this year is establishing routines in just about every area of my life.  When we were living in IL, we may not have been doing things perfectly, but we had routines...and since we've moved to WI, they've all been thrown out the window.  Next week my daughter has her first full week of school (check that - since I started typing this the district called a "cold day"...so much for starting fresh on Monday!), and I plan to begin implementing some new routines to make things run a little smoother around here. A few of them include:

1. Morning/School: M has school every day from 9-11:30. That means we need to get up, (maybe I should shower, huh?!), get dressed and ready, eat breakfast, and be out the door to get her there on time. Then, Henry, Ollie, and I will have 2.5 hours of Miri-free time. ;) We will likely use this as a time to run errands when necessary, but it will also be a time when (hopefully) O will nap and H and I can do some "academic" work.  I feel like I've been neglecting him lately in that field. We need to read more books, do some puzzles, talk about the alphabet, sing some songs, and just have some fun together!!

2. Quiet time: I am officially reinstating "quiet time" in our house.  We had a GREAT system in IL...however that was when H was still in a crib. Now that he's in his "big boy bed" well...nap time hasn't been going very smoothly. Oh, who am I kidding...nap time is now non-existent!! My new plan is similar to the old plan, which is simply that the kids do not need to sleep, but they DO need to stay upstairs (bedroom or playroom) for the time.  This will give me time to get things cleaned up from lunch and do something really fun and exciting...like laundry. ;)

3. Creative kid time: I used to feel like a pretty good mom when I was at home with my kids...creating art projects, cooking things, and doing lots of fun activities with my kids.  The newborn + trying keep the house clean when we were showing it + moving really put a damper on that. I'm not saying we need to do something super cool and creative every single day, but I want to bring the creativity back to our afternoons!! This also includes exploring and getting out to meet new people.  This is one thing I'm a little nervous about. I'm totally not a shy person...once I know you. ;)  But meeting new people is kind of tough on me. I'm just not the person that jumps up and says hi...but, I guess I might need to start being that person.

4. Dinner: Meal planning has returned!!  Over the past three months, our dinners have been pretty dismal. We've had more frozen Trader Joe's meals than I care to admit...and um, so apples, yogurt, a couple pretzels, and a half a hot dog is totally a "meal" right?! ;)  Starting next week, I will follow a plan so that we can eat healthier and more consistently, not to mention I actually really like and want to cook dinner!

5. Bedtime routine: This is the only routine that has remained fairly normal since we moved. Ollie goes to bed at seven (or before), and the other two are in bed by eight. Thank goodness. ;)

6. Me time: Blogging, scrapping, working out, and reading. These are the four things I want to make sure I am making time for in my evenings.  There is no reason that I can't do at least one or two of the four every night. Right now I'm usually so tired that I either go to bed or just sit up and mess around on the internet.  Not good. The time I have "to myself" is pretty slim, and I need to make the most of it!!

I realize that all of these things are not going to magically happen overnight, but I really want to make this work!!  Perhaps I will revisit my word every month or two to see how I'm doing. Did you choose a word this year? I'd love to hear it!!

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Finally, this is my first list in a {what is supposed to be} weekly blog series called "Lists with Friends," which is a collaborative effort between a number of smart, talented, and fun women that I am lucky to be a part of. Throughout the year we will all be posting various lists on our blogs. I will post mine both here and on my personal (private) blog. For those of you who read both, I apologize for the repeated content. I'm working right now to figure out a balance between the two blogs, now that I am not working and have the freedom to include more personal items on the this blog! The majority of my family posts, however, will remain private. If you'd like to play along and makes some lists, link me up! :)