The Three Bears

Menu Plan Monday: Christmas Week

2011-12-19T20:40:00.000-05:00

I cannot believe it is almost Christmas! I am excited, but still a little surprised. Goal for this week is to get in 2 servings of fish and a really yummy Christmas Dinner without going too crazy.

Here is our menu this week:

Monday: Steak, stuffing, and broccoli
Tuesday: Corny Tuna Cakes, Sweet Potato Fries, and Smoothie
Wednesday: Nachos
Thursday: Fish Nuggets and quinoa and smoothies
Friday: Leftovers
Saturday: Christmas Eve with Family
Sunday: Christmas Dinner: Roast, Sweet Brussels Sprouts, Green Bean Casserole, Rolls, homemade cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes (maybe these), and some other yummy stuff!

We want to wish everyone out there a very Merry Christmas!!!

Love, the Staats Family

Remaking Christmas

2011-12-11T19:14:00.000-05:00

This year is Xavier's first Christmas that he really gets what is going on. When Advent began, I asked Xavier what Christmas was about. It broke my heart to hear him say, "presents!" I wanted to cry! Oh no! He totally misses the point! Thus began my challenge to put Christ back in Christmas.
I asked, "Who's birthday do we celebrate on Christmas?"
Xavier - Your? (mine in the 28th of November)
Me - No.
Xavier - Mine?
Me - No. Jesus!

Wow! I really had my work cut out for me. What are they teaching him in pre-school anyways?

Every day I have the opportunity to teach him about our Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

It is all new to me and not an easy task. But I know that with His help, I can teach Xavier and make it about HIM not presents.

We put up the tree and on top is the star. Yay for teaching moments!

Me- God put the sky up in the sky to show that a new King had been born. Do you know who the King was?
Xavier- baby Jesus!
Me- (heart about to burst!) Yep! Do you know who followed the star?
Xavier- Who?
Me- The wise men.

Better yet, he remembered!

The other challenge is the man in the red suit. Nope, we are not doing Santa (I know *gasp!*), which is very counter family tradition. But when you make it about Santa, Jesus gets pushed out of the manger. You know St. Nicholas was originally all about Jesus...how about that?! The hardest thing to do is to ask family members to not write that the presents are from Santa and see their disappointed faces.

I know that a 3 year old may find it hard to understand that Santa is not real and that other kids believe in him and we should keep our big mouths shut and not ruin it for everyone else. My take this year is to let Santa be a character like Mickey Mouse and Bob and Larry from Veggie Tales. The key to not making Santa all about Christmas:
1. No Santa gear in our house.
2. No presents from Santa
3. No going to the mall to check out Santa
4. No lists for Santa (satisfies two goals: Christmas = Jesus and Christmas is not only about presents)
5. Just don't talk about it
6. No Santa movies this year (that takes out a lot of the Christmas movies...maybe next year)
7. Don't make a big deal out of it.

Must be working a little since he asked me "Who is the guy in the suit?" when he picked up a photo of Santa and a puppy.

The journey continues as we work our way to the birth of our Lord and Savior. I want to continue making the journey closer to Him leading our little guy along the way.

I would love to hear how you make Christmas about Christ. Post comments below!

Menu Plan Monday: Thanksgiving Week

2011-11-21T19:54:00.000-05:00

Although it has been a little bit since I posted a blog, we have been doing a pretty good job cooking and eating leftovers.

With this being Thanksgiving week, cooking will be somewhat light. Here is the plan for the week.

Monday: Frozen Pizza and pineapple
Tuesday: Leftover Pork Roast, roasted potatoes, and cooked carrots.
Wednesday: Tuna Cakes, smoothies, and peas
Thursday: Thanksgiving (I am bringing dessert and Brussels sprouts)
Friday: Leftovers
Saturday: Turkey paninis and soup
Sunday: Fish nuggets, smoothies, and potatoes

Not going to be anything super exciting, but still very delicious!

Check out the OrgJunkie for more menu ideas and menu planning tips!

Menu Plan Monday

2011-10-03T22:36:00.000-04:00

Well, last week went OK. Could have done better, but we didn't eat out too much, so I will still count it a success.

I actually set up the menu plan for the whole month of October today and did most of the grocery shopping for it today, as well. Xavier went with me and did pretty well and helped throw stuff into the cart. And by throw - I mean throwing, dropping, plopping, and smashing. I am lucky we picked out a crusty French bread to go with lasagna tonight because by some miracle it survived! I got to use a lot of coupons and a bunch of stuff was on sale, too! We shall see how long it will last. Still need a few things, but $4 for a loaf of bread is unreasonable. I will check a couple of other stores to see what they have to offer. Some of the fresh veggies needed for the meals ahead will be purchased when it comes closer so they will be fresher.

Cooking in the evening is something I love to do, but hate that I don't get to see my little guy enough when I do. Solution: Cook with my little guy! I started doing this when he was little with really minor things and he has always loved it.

For anyone with little people running around your house, I highly encourage cooking with them. Just accept the fact that there will be messes and they might lick the spoon and want to smell everything. But it is such a great time for the two of us to enjoy making stuff. Plus, when he cooks, he eats. Even stuff he normally doesn't like (i.e. casseroles) he will try because he made it. Here are a couple of tips:

1. Use a BIG BOWL= less splashing and flying out with deeper sides.
2. Hold his hand when dumping ingredients the first times until hands get steady.
3. Emphasize hand washing!!!
4. If they are working next to hot stuff, oven mits are helpful.
5. Have a healthy snack that would be OK for him to eat while cooking (grapes, baby carrots, nuts, etc.)
6. If he asks to taste or smell things, as long as it is not raw meat/eggs, super spicy, dangerous let him try. It is a good opportunity to find out what things taste/smell like.
7. If you have everything prepared and measured ahead of time it will mean less work, but also less fun measuring. Plus, who has time for that?
8. Have a wet rag ready to scoop up the smashed egg running down the cabinets through his fingers.
9. Read the directions with him so he gets used to the language.
10. Just have fun and enjoy it. It may be chaotic, but it is fun and worth it!

Alright! Enough of that :)

Here is the menu for this week:

Monday: Lasagna, garlic bread, chocolate pudding
Tuesday: Teriyaki Salmon with noodle side and veggies
Wednesday: Leftovers
Thursday-Sunday: eat with friends

Nice and easy this week!

Menu Plan Monday - Fall is Here!

2011-09-26T23:52:00.000-04:00

It is good to be back blogging! I feel much better after last week, so with the renewed energy comes renewed goals and resolutions. It's fall! What can I say?

If you haven't checked out Pinterest - be warned - it is very addictive! I love browsing all the beautiful pictures and the great ideas on decorating, crafts, style, and food. I am looking for some great ideas for gifts for this Christmas. I found some new recipes to try and I am really looking forward to all of them! Mmm. One recipe calls for 10 tablespoons of butter. Hmm...Just don't tell the Meal Makeover Moms :)

Here is our menu this week:

Monday- Quesadillas (made from leftover chicken) and orange slices
Tuesday- Pork chops and Sliced Baked Potatoes and roasted cauliflower with Apples
Wednesday- Crushed Tortilla Casserole
Thursday- Fish and Mac and Cheese (need to decide what kind I will be making. Have some in the freezer, but need to decide how to cook it)
Friday- Lasagna
Saturday- Birthday Party!
Sunday- Leftovers

Sounds tasty!

Off to bed to dream about all the yummy dishes ahead!

Down with the Sickness

2011-09-25T15:31:00.000-04:00

One thing I have noticed about working moms and germs is we don't have a "get out of work free" card. Unfortunately when sick, it becomes a catch 22 regarding taking care of ourselves. We could call in sick to work, but that means we are home and there are a million things calling our names - laundry, dishes, dusting, mopping, dinner, clutter, bills, kids, that to-do-list that I forget about until I get to work and cannot do - and peace and quiet is not what we will be encountering. Oddly enough, just by staying at work, we might be able to get a little more rest than we would otherwise find in our noisy nests. This week was that week for me.

Ah to have the luxury of calling in sick and watching movies, resting, eating soup prepared for me, napping, and more soup.

That has become one of my goals. Teach my little bear how to make soup and snuggle with me when I don't feel good.

This might take a while considering he is 3.

Plan B- nap after work and drink lots of tea, down the Emer-Gen-C, and take Advil. Oh, and corndogs constitute as a perfectly reasonable dinner.

I am hoping to finally kick this thing.

Now to put Xavier in bed for nap and I will crash on the couch---hopefully!

Menu Plan Monday

2011-05-23T12:26:00.001-04:00

I cannot wait until we can get to the zoo again. Xavier was so cute last time. Maybe if we get some good weather and a quiet day this weekend we can make an early morning trip. I am so glad it will be a 3 day weekend!

It looks like it will be a busy week. Thankfully dinner will be a no-brainer since it is already planned :)

I did a quick flip of a few meals and now it looks great! I just love using my menu board. It is so cute and so helpful.

Monday: Cheesy Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole with broccoli. Not sure if I am going to throw it in with the food or put it on the side. Xavier will probably like it on the side.

Tuesday: I host the Ethical Discussion Group, so quick is best. Grilled Cheese and Soup

Wednesday: Mini-Meatballs and Pasta

Thursday: Busy night= Leftovers

Friday: Sloppy Joes (didn't have them last week. made quesodillas instead. Yum!) and Sweet Potato Fries

Saturday: Kabobs

Sunday: Roast Beef, Potatoes, Carrots

Have a wonderful week!

Menu Plan Monday (or Sunday)

2011-05-16T00:09:00.000-04:00

It is so nice being back to planning. It made for such a less stressful week. I didn't have to worry about not having an ingredient or what to make each day. So great! Plus I had lots of meals for lunch= less stress for what to eat for lunch!

Now here for this week!

Monday: Nachos

Tuesday: Corny Salmon Cakes, Mac and Cheese and Broccoli

Wednesday: BBQ Pork Sandwiches, Sweet Potato Fries, Peas

Thursday: Leftovers

Friday: Sloppy Joes

Saturday: Roasted Chicken in Crockpot (new recipe...hop it is tasty) with Rice and Carrots

Sunday: Steak, Baked Potatoes, and Corn

Yum :) Looks like a tasty week with lots of great leftovers! I will let you know how the chicken turns out.

Just thought I would look back to how tiny our Baby Bear was. He is so big now!

Menu Plan Monday: Back to the Drawing..ahem.. Planning Board

2011-05-02T19:39:00.000-04:00

We were so busy in April, that I never even put up an April board! Goodness!

Well, the board is back and beautiful! I know spring will eventually come and it will be nice and warm with lots of great dinners outside, but it is hard to plan for nice days when it is rainy and cold outside! I have wool socks and a sweater on people. Goodness! Well, here goes anyways.

This weeks line up:

Monday: Hearty Ham and Beans soup (a bag of Amish soup stuff with alphabet pasta, split yellow and green peas, barley, and rice that my mom got me. I cooked that with ham, carrot, celery, and onion) with corn bread muffins and apples

Tuesday: Cheeseburger Macaroni Pie

Wednesday: Leftovers and Smoothies

Thursday: Mini-Meatloaf Muffins and Potatoes

Friday: Corny Tuna Cakes and baby cakes

Saturday: Tacos

Sunday: Pulled Pork Sandwiches and sweet potato fries (subject to change since it is Mother's Day)

I cannot wait for sunshine when we can eat outside on our deck and listen to the birds. I am off to enjoy the rest of the evening. If you have a favorite recipe, let me know! I have a few "something new" days coming up.

Happy Early Mother's Day!

Menu Plan Monday

2011-02-28T21:50:00.000-05:00

A month has come and gone with my new board. Which means I will get to hang up the new month on the calendar and also figure out this next month. We probably followed it about 75% of the time. I think we did some flip-flopping between days, but that is our life.

Here is the plan for this week and then I am going to change up the board tomorrow to start March. I cannot believe February went by so quickly!

Here goes:

Monday: Eat out at Culver's for church fundraiser
Tuesday: Fish Nuggets (from Trader Joe's), Roasted Red Potatoes, and Smoothies
Wednesday: White Chicken Chili and Cornbread Muffins
Thursday: Corny Tuna Cakes and Veggies
Friday: Tacos/Nachos
Saturday: Roast, Mashed Potatoes, and Roasted Cauliflower

Have a Wonderful Week!

Menu Plan Monday

2011-02-21T12:30:00.004-05:00

Last week was a disaster regarding sticking by a plan. Not sure why, but just crazy I guess.

Hopefully this week we will get back on track :)

Here is our plan this week:

Monday: Grilled Cheese and Soup
Tuesday: Cheeseburger Macaroni Pie
Wednesday: Leftovers
Thursday: Chicken Parm and Pasta
Friday: Chicken and Dumplings (the unhealthy kind)
Saturday: Sunday Brisket Dinner (Meal Makeover Moms recipe)
Sunday: Stroganoff

Hope you have a wonderful week! Thanks for visiting!

Drop In and Decorate Birthday Party

2011-02-13T16:21:00.001-05:00

I am not sure if you have heard of the organization Drop in and Decorate, but they are a non-profit organization involving baking, decorating, and donating cookies. After hearing about them in a podcast by the Meal Makeover Moms back in December, I decided it might be a fun thing to do for Xavier's birthday party.

So we did.

We invited Xavier's little classmates and friends and family and did just that. Friday I made 5 batches of the Drop In and Decorate Sugar Cookie Recipe:

Recipe: sugar cookies

Makes 16-20 large cookies; see note below for making multiple batches.

3-1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1-1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt (we use table salt, but kosher salt would be fine)
1-1/4 cups (2-1/2 sticks) best quality unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 Tbsp milk
2-1/2 tsp best quality pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a couple of baking sheets with a Silpat (silicone mat) or parchment paper.

In a large bowl, stir together flour, baking powder and salt. In another large bowl or the bowl of a heavy-duty stand mixer, beat together the butter and sugar, until fluffy. Add egg, milk and vanilla, and continue to beat until well blended and smooth. Beat flour mixture into the butter mixture, a bit at a time, until smooth. Form the dough into a ball, and divide in half.

Place one half on a sheet of parchment paper or wax paper; cover with another sheet and roll to 1/4 inch. Repeat with second half of dough. Refrigerate the sheets of dough for at least 30 minutes, or up to a couple of days (or, if making far in advance, you can freeze at this point. Wrap sheets tightly in plastic wrap).

Remove one sheet from the refrigerator; carefully peel off the top wax paper, then replace paper and quickly flip the dough. Peel off and discard what is now the top sheet of paper, and cut out the cookies. (Cookies will spread, so do not place too close together on the baking sheet; 6-8 cookies will do it). Reroll scraps, refrigerating if necessary to firm the dough.

Bake for 8-9 minutes, or until just lightly colored on top and slightly darker at the edges. (Rotate sheets halfway through for even browning.) Remove pans from oven and let cookies cool 2-3 minutes. Then transfer the cookies to a rack and let cool completely. (At this point, the cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to two weeks, in layers separated by parchment or wax paper.)

After the cookies are completely cooled, decorate with Royal Icing. Place the decorated cookies on a tray and leave out overnight, uncovered, to harden. The next morning, package in food-safe cellophane bags or cookie tins.

Production notes:

To make multiple batches, do NOT double the recipe. It’s hard to control proportions. Instead, make multiples of the original recipe, one batch at a time, for guaranteed success!

Rolled sheets of cookie dough can be made ahead and frozen (or, if you're going to use them within a day or two, you can stack the rolled sheets of dough on a cookie sheet in the refrigerator). Let defrost until dough is pliable enough to be cut without breaking cookies, but not necessarily completely defrosted.

The process was pretty easy once I got the rhythm going. We made cute little heart cookies (for Valentine's Day of course). Since it was freezing outside, I used the table on the deck to chill the dough between the rolling and cutting steps.

After baking about 120 cookies, I was done (at about 3am)!

I decided to make the icing in the morning:

Recipe: royal icing

Makes 2-1/2 cups, enough for one batch of large cookies.

1 lb + scant 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
5 Tbsp meringue powder
1/2 cup cool water (add more, a teaspoon at a time, if needed for desired consistency)
A few drops of paste food coloring

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, combine first three ingredients and mix on low speed until glossy and fluffy, 7-8 minutes. To color, place some icing in a small bowl or plastic cup, and stir in a few drops of food coloring until desired shade is reached. Royal Icing hardens quickly when exposed to air, so use immediately, or transfer to an airtight container; it will keep overnight at room temperature, or in the refrigerator for 2-3 months. Beat well before using.

Production notes:

If you're doing multiple batches of cookies, you'll need more icing. An easy way to do this efficiently is to make the icing, one batch at a time, and pour into a large airtight container. Make several batches of icing. Then, using a ladle or 1/2-cup measure, place a small bit of the icing in a plastic cup. Mix in food coloring to desired shade, and use a pastry bag to fill your squeeze bottles. Repeat until you have all the colors you need.

We had blue, magenta, light pink, green, brown, yellow, orange, white, purple, and I am probably missing some more.

We used zip-top bags and squeeze bottles. I liked the squeeze bottles best, but I just was too frugal to buy 8 bottles when they were not on sale.

We had tons of sprinkles (even Christmas ones) and a couple of icing tubes with sparkles in it.

The kids arrived promptly at 10 and we got to work! We had a folding table set up - the kind that can be lowered to adult knee height - and it worked perfectly!

When the party was all done, we still had about 130 cookies left to decorate so my mom, Victoria, and I sat down to finish them up.

It was fun and although I was counting on red icing from the kitchen to the playroom, the most I found was a little dab on my shirt. The plastic table cloth and zip-top bags full of icing made clean up a breeze!

Today, I will package them up and we will drop them off at the Arnold Food Pantry tomorrow.

Here are some of the cookies we made! Thanks for stopping by!

PS. Happy Valentine's Day!

What's for Dinner?

2011-02-09T22:29:00.002-05:00

Xavier went back to school today and I think we are all better for it. He had fun, we worked. Xavier was happy the rest of the day. Whew! I think he needed socialization. And to get out of the house.

Tonight we made Taste of Home's Chicken Fried Rice. It was super easy! I had leftover rice and chicken = minimum cooking. I used the food processor to chop up the carrots and the celery making it even easier. We had some edamame leftover so I threw them into the mix. I also stir fried some peppers and mushrooms to go on the side.
We both agreed that it was missing something, but couldn't tell what exactly. We will be making it again. I plan on experimenting with the ingredients and maybe adding some peas and a little butter in the beginning. Maybe some chopped onions and garlic. Yum!

Tomorrow night: Sloppy Joes :) Who doesn't like sloppy joes?

Thanks for stopping by! Night!

Menu Plan Monday

2011-02-07T18:06:00.001-05:00

Last week went pretty well as plans go.

We stuck by the schedule pretty well except that I switched two meals since I wasn't able to find one of the ingredients I needed for one and last night was Super Bowl Sunday. Last night I made a "menu" of all the junky type food we had and let people pick. We ended up with taquitos, pizza rolls, egg rolls, corn dogs, Nutella and strawberries and pretzels, cocktail shrimp, and shrimp fried rice. Random I know. But the plus side is that we were able to fit everything into the freezer when it was all said and done. Whew! I was pretty worried!

Xavier ended up being sick all week with strep, so he did not eat much until Saturday. Boy is he catching up now! Sometimes I believe toddlers eat more than teenagers!

Over at the OrgJunkie I found out about SayMmm a menu planning resource. Pretty neat! It was a little time consuming putting the recipes in and getting it set up, but it is a pretty cool tool. I am planning on trying it out for a little bit to see how it works for us.

I tried the grocery list tool to make a list to take to the stores with me on my errands. I like that you can sort by store and section, too! This week we had to go to Trader Joe's, Sam's, Schnucks, and Target. I was able to put my non-grocery items on there (children's tylenol, trash bags, method cleaner, etc.) then organize everything depending on which store I wanted to buy it at. Much easier than my paper list with lots of scratch outs and such. Plus when you type in an item, if it is recognized it will categorize it for you! If it doesn't recognize the item, you can label it yourself. Here was my list:

I also liked that the list had "check the pantry" list. I am still learning how to better create the list, so don't look too closely...I know. I have ground beef on there at least 3 times.

Also, you have the option of putting your meal plan at the bottom! Way cool!

This weeks plan is:

Monday- Meat Loaf Muffins {Print Grocery List} Broccoli, and baked potatoes
Tuesday- Chicken Fried Rice {Print Grocery List} and Edamame
Wednesday- Leftovers
Thursday- Sloppy Joe's, sweet potato fries, corn
Friday- Chicken and Rice Dish {Print Grocery List} with Peas
Saturday- Pork Chops with Roasted Red Potatoes
Sunday- Pizza

Saturday we are having a 3year old birthday party! Any ideas of a inexpensive crowd-pleasing meal to serve for lunch for little and big people alike? I would love suggestions! I would like it to contain some amount of nutritional value, yet be kid-friendly.

Thanks!

Have a wonderful week!

52 Week OrgJunkie Organizational Challenge: Week #5

2011-02-04T20:48:00.002-05:00

I know I know. Another challenge?

Well, I love the OrgJunkie and decided I could use the motivation and the resources she offers. If you haven't been to her blog, check it out! I am doing the challenge and have been, but I am not sure if I have blogged about it yet. Well, just in case- here goes :)

I had to make a schedule of what I wanted to organize and I put that in my Home Management Binder. I have some blanks because I am not sure what projects will pop up through the year. I have also doubled up some of the projects because of the magnitude of the projects.

So far here is what I have done:

Week 1- Under the kitchen sink (still in order. Shocking!)
Week 2- Pantry (whew! so tidy)
Week 3- Guest Room and closet (my biggest and favorite by far!)
Week 4- Mail Command Center (love it!...now if only my family would keep it tidy, too)
Week 5- Finances (of course this will not be a complete overhaul, but I am getting a good start)
Week 6- Xavier's Books

Click on the links to see the previous blogs and the previous projects.

This week I am planning on:

Setting up a budget
Setting goals for our money
Getting a good clear picture of our finances
Requesting my credit report
Set up www.SayMmm.com and try to use it for our groceries

I won't have any cute pictures of organized binders, clean shelves with neatly folded sheets, nor files nicely labeled. No. It will be organized electronically. Although I will miss the pretty colors, the use of my label maker, and the nice feeling you get when you open a cabinet door to check out the tidy rows of cleaning supplies, alas it is a project that must be begun.

I think I would almost rather take on the guest room all over again instead of the finances. But when you get a clear picture of where you stand, it is less scary than the unknown.

Wish me luck!

Weekly Challenge #1 Home Management Binder

2011-02-01T21:54:00.000-05:00

This week A Bowl Full of Lemons has the Home Management Binder as their weekly challenge.

I already have something pretty much like what she is talking about. Last fall I found the Mom's Chore Chart by Motivated Moms and loved it! It makes me keep house so much easier with a daily cleaning and Bible reading schedule.

Some of the things she suggested to include are children's schedules, to do, blogging, etc. Xavier is pretty little, so we don't really have a schedule for him yet. He is at our whim. He isn't in any classes, but he does go to school 2-3 days a week. That changes each week depending on our needs, so that is not something we need a tab for.

Here is the layout of our binder:

I used some paper I had from Christmas, I felt this was the least Christmasy.
I love this photo of us!
I didn't want to use color ink (I am so cheap!), but it looks great in black & white.

Inside

Annual Calendar for a quick glance

Tabs of the folders.

I organized my binder by dividing into months. I have a tab for each month with 2 Decembers because the new pages come out in December. Thus I can organize the pages for the new year, while still having the current December pages available.

At the end of the month, I move the folder to the back of the book. This way I can always easily access the current month.

I used plastic folders with tabs. They were a little more pricey than a couple of other options, but I like the pockets and the durability of the plastic.

I use the pockets to put current action items, cards for upcoming events and birthdays, bills, and coupons that will be used in that month. In the above pic you can see I have an oil change coupon for March because it will be time for...you guessed it...an oil change.

Below you can see that I have an Easter card ready to send out in April.

Each month begins with a monthly calendar. On it goes the menu plan, important dates, and evening/weekend appointments. Any of the birthdays and holidays get put on in December so I am ready when the month comes.

I love the printable chore charts from Motivated Moms (I know I have mentioned them before, but I have to repeat myself). Each week is outlined with chores for the day.

This is a new one for the binder, but I think it will be helpful to determine what we really spend as a family. It is a free printable Monthly Spending Form from Buttoned Up. I have this at the end of each month for us to keep track of our spending and better budget.

Towards the end of the binder are tabs for Addresses and Accounts (utilities and the like)

A list of the accounts and their contact info we need for utilities and such.

My goals for the binder are:

A way to keep us on track
Keep up with the household chores
Keep up with birthdays and holidays
Get that feeling of satisfaction by checking off boxes
Read through the Bible in a year

I really enjoy my book and have it in the command station next to the menu board and the mail slot organizer.

If you are interested in joining the weekly challenge, check out

Menu Plan Monday: First Week with New Board!

2011-01-31T18:04:00.000-05:00

This weekend I made my menu planning board. I am looking forward to using it and think it will be helpful.

As long as we don't have any power problems with the ice coming in from the west, we will be sticking to the plan.

Monday: Pulled Pork Sandwiches w/ roasted potatoes and veggies
Tuesday: Mini-Meatballs and Pasta (Meal Makeover Moms)
Wednesday: Steak Quesodillas
Thursday: Leftovers
Friday: Corny Tuna Cakes and Mac&Cheese
Saturday: Mama's Amazing Ziti
Sunday: Chicken Salad Sandwiches and Smiley Potatoes

Yum!

Have a good wee everyone. Stay Warm!

Weekly Challenges from Bowl Full of Lemons

2011-01-29T22:05:00.000-05:00

She is going to be having another challenge. This time, it will be a weekly challenge instead. Whew!

Should be fun! If you are interested in being challenged..check her our and join up!

Day #20- Organizational Challenge Photos

2011-01-29T21:17:00.000-05:00

Well, we are mostly a digital photo family. We have our older photos in totes:

The other photos that we use for current projects are in a cute little blue tote.

See that turquoise bin - that has the current photos in it that are in work.

So this is the status of our photos. :)

Day #21- Organizational Challenge (my choice) Menu Board

2011-01-29T20:40:00.005-05:00

Note on why it is a few days late: flu! Yuck! The achy-congested-coughy-fevery flu. The achy-fevery part is gone, but the rest is still here. Feeling some better.

I have seen so many cute ideas for easy menu planning and display on so many great blogs! I have been thinking about making one for a long time, but I haven't had the time, nor the courage to do so. I must confess that I have lots of ideas of things I want to do - decorating, renovating, etc. - but something holds me back sometimes until I have a good idea in my head and finally go for it! It takes me a little while to work up the courage to finally make/do it.

I loved this board at All Things Beautiful

I also liked this one at UCreate Foods (Although it is way cute, I am more into simplicity than the colors and patterns used for it)

So my next challenge:

I had a calendar that is a magnetic/dry erase board with a calendar printed on it. It was basically just sitting waiting to be used. Can't fight free.

My Instructions:

1. To make the months I cannibalized the calendar I made last year as a scrapbook calendar. I really liked the months so I cut them out of the calendar. (You could use your own scrapbook paper or cardstock to make your own. I suggest using a stiff paper so it will stay nice and not bend over)

2. I took some advertising magnets that have come from various places and cluttered our refrigerators and cut them into strips.

3. I glued the magnets onto the back of the months. Success!

4. For the meals, I first wrote out all of our favorite meals onto a index card to make a list for reference. For our wedding, we had our invitations printed onto white card stock and had leftovers I kept to use sometime. This was that sometime.

5. Next, I wrote the meals using a colorful fine-tip sharpie (I love Sharpies! They somehow make your handwriting really nice!) onto the white cardstock. Make sure to leave space between for when you cut them out. If you don't like your handwriting or have a font you really like, you could print them out as well or use a label maker

6. Then I cut the meals out and glued them onto some pretty scrapbook paper (with sparkles on it!) in neat rows.

7. I cut out each meal with the scrapbook paper background. Make sure to leave enough background to look pretty.

8. Remember the magnet thing we did earlier? Did that again. But tinier strips. You would be surprised how long one magnet will last. The glue dried really fast!

9. Next find something to keep the extra tags when not needed and arrange your menu for the month. I think the most important part about menu planning is that it should be a little flexible. I try to stick with it, but sometimes our schedule changes, so the menu changes. I usually just swap one day for another.

So, here is my board once again. Price? Free :)

I have seen some people do this on their refrigerator as well. You could do just the week, or the whole month. Make it your own!

Now all I have to do is... use it. I like that I will be able to switch things when my schedule changes for last minute. All the extra meals I made are in the little cup with the marker (no, I didn't decorate my marker) so they will be easy to use when needed.

If you decide to make one, let me know and send a pic!

Day #19- Organization Challenge - Master Closet

2011-01-24T00:22:00.000-05:00

Once again, I took on this closet when the boys were gone so it wasn't too bad. I had to do some straightening up and that was mostly it.

Check it out:

My side before. Sorry it is so dark

Husband's before..forgot to take an after. but it looks good. Trust me!

After: My clothes color coordinated

I have had this crate fore well over 10 years and it has served me well! I like that heals will hang on the sides nicely.

I added nails so I could hang belts and bags I rarely use in back.

Day #18- Organization Challenge - Keepsakes

2011-01-24T00:14:00.000-05:00

Well, I just don't know. I am gonna need some time on this one... Check back later :)

Day #17- Organization Challenge - Mail

2011-01-24T00:11:00.000-05:00

Oh my! This was another organizing day when I could have just done one little thing and been done. But, noooo. I decide to take on the entire hutch and the table beside it.

I love the organizer I have to help with mail, but it doesn't get used. Primarily I blame poor folder strategy. The solution: different folders with better categories!

I hope it works!

I also sorted through the two baskets (one on top and one on bottom) to get rid of things that were no longer necessary. I feel bad for the recycling man this week! Between the guest room and the mail..wow! Buddy had to make several trips out there.

Before

This is the stationary box with stamps, envelopes, cards, and address book.
A friend of mine inspired me to make one. Thanks!

This is our box for gift cards and coupons. I keep a pair of scissors in there as well. Gift cards go in one folder and coupons in the other.
Before we set off on errands, we go through to make sure we are prepared to save as much as possible!

After- This is the mail station. The white board is a calendar that will become our menu. The bottom right basket is scrap and coloring paper that is ready for Xavier's bursts of creativity.

The files:
1. Parent's as Teachers
2. To Do
3. Receipts
4. To File
5. Cars
6. Home
7. Taxes
8. Amanda
9. Buddy
10. Xavier

In the front is note paper and some handy tip books.

Ahhh! Feels good!

Day #14-16- Organization Challenge - Under Bathroom Sinks, Medicines, and Fridge

2011-01-23T23:52:00.001-05:00

All of these are mostly organized in our house. I have been using the chore chart by MotivatedMoms since about October and L-O-V-E it! Last week (or the week before) it called for us to clean out the fridge (one shelf at a time). So mine was already done and pretty organized.

I didn't take pics of our meds because it is just a shoebox in the linen closet that holds everything from BandAids to Advil. We don't use meds much, so it is not stocked much. The medicines we take everyday (Advil and vitamins) are in the medicine cabinet with child proof lids and up high.

The bathroom sinks were recently cleaned when I had some time while the boys were gone.

So luckily the time I would have spent on these could be put towards taking on the guest bedroom/closet.

Here are some pics:

Under sink before

Under Sink After

Fridge- it looks a little crowded, but that was after going grocery shopping for the week.
Nothing Expired or Old. I love the penguin! It lifts up to store foods.

Day #8- Organization Challenge - Closet

2011-01-23T23:38:00.000-05:00

Day number 8 was supposed to be a coat closet, but as you will remember I already did my coat closet instead of the linen closet. Should have know that would come back to bite me. I looked around and decided to tackle the worst closet of the house - the guest closet. This room as been the "I don't know where this goes so let's put it in there since people are coming over" room. Since we moved in here a year ago we have been weeding through the boxes of stuff trying to assign homes to everything. Now that we have been here long enough to know how we will function in our home, we have a better understanding of what spaces will be used for and where the most convenient location for everything will be.

So I decided to take on the closet. After the closet organizing began, the madness continued into the room. I organized the boxes, sending stuff packing...or at least to the storage areas until next Christmas, Goodwill, or trash. We had a pack n play up for when little ones come to visit, but decided it didn't need to be up all the time. From there, I organized the desk that is my craft desk (I love the desk! I found it at a resale shop) and the drawer next to it. The house was destroyed by the cleaning of this one room, but it feels good to have it lean and organized.

Now for the results:

Before...wow! I forgot how bad it was! It wasn't dirty, just lots of stacks of orphaned
homegoods and electronics.

After! I love walking into the room now! It makes me so happy!

I got so exited about cleaning and organizing the closet that I took on the rest of the room!
That is the really cool desk and chair I found at a resale shop. For both they wanted $50.
I organized the white drawers and pitched about 40 pens and pencils that were no longer functional.
I found that cute vase at Goodwill for $0.50! yay!

One tote is for gifts I have bought on sale for future use.
I got rid of a bunch of hangers that we don't use/need.

It is hard to tell what was hanging on this rack in the before pic, but it was a lot of random stuff.
Now all my fabric waiting for a project is here along with patterns in the bottom tote and pins.

Here are our photos.

Here is the room again because it made me so happy. Next, I want to hang some curtains in the room to make it more guest friendly. That faces the south and in the winter the sun pours in.

I cannot wait to start another project. I think I am going to use my supplies to make a menu planning calendar I saw on I'm An Organizing Junkie thru a guest post by UCreateFoods. Mine will be made from a magnetic whiteboard calendar, but with scrapbook supplies to make the labels and such. (You can see the board in my mail post.

Happy organizing! Check out A Bowl Full of Lemons to check out the challenge!

Busy Busy Bears

2011-01-21T16:03:00.000-05:00

This has been a very busy week!

The snow is very pretty and we decided to take advantage of the sunshine yesterday and play out in it. Buddy even dug out his snowboard and made a couple of runs down the backyard. We even had a hard time getting down it on the sled because it is so thick.

Since the snow and work have kept us busy, not much in the way of organizing has gotten done. So, this weekend I plan to catch up on a couple of challenges. Especially since there are only a few days left!

Wish me luck!!

Menu Plan Monday

2011-01-16T23:53:00.000-05:00

Since it snowed canceling the rotisserie chicken last week we will try again this week. I can pick it up on the way home from work.

Here is the plan this week:

Monday: Chicken w/Trader Joe's Mushroom Risotto and broccoli.

Tuesday: Quesodillas

Wednesday: Chicken Soup (homemade using the chicken)

Thursday: BBQ Pork Sandwiches (crock pot pulled pork), Fries, Corn

Friday: Chili and cornbread

Saturday: Leftovers

Sunday: Homemade Pizzas

Day #13- Organization Challenge - The Medicine Cabinet

2011-01-16T16:43:00.000-05:00

As you can see, our medicine cabinet is not really a big mess. We only keep in it what we use pretty regularly.

I just took everything out, wiped down stuff, and put it back neatly.

I think the Baby Bear is waking up. Better go check! Have a wonderful day!!

Day #12- Organization Challenge - The Spice Cabinet

2011-01-16T16:33:00.000-05:00

I organized my spice cabinet the other day when the Tupperware cabinet was done. But I did buy a container and used it. Also I found some more condensed broth in the pantry.

Here it is as it looks now! Still organized! Yay!

I got tired of spilling salt each time I moved the salt and pepper shakers, so they went in a long narrow basket for the sugar grenade (my husband has so named it the grenade since it looks like a grenade), cinnamon sugar shaker, and a container of oregano (I think that is what it was. I can't remember. It is just something I use that was small enough to go in the basket and get out of the way.)

If you are interesting in checking out the challenge, check out
A Bowl Full of Lemons!

Happy organizing!

Day #11- Organization Challenge - The Freezer

2011-01-16T16:20:00.000-05:00

Oh goodness! The freezer. Do things fall out an hit you in the foot every time you open the door to your freezer...well sometimes. OK, quite often actually. I am pretty good at standing to the side.

I was not too excited about this one because I thought, "How in the world can I actually organize my freezer?! Really? Is is actually possible?"
I thought I knew where everything was.

I thought I was out of chicken breast...I was so wrong! I found about 6. Oops.

I had several frozen tomato products: tomato paste, tomato sauce, pasty tomato pizza sauce. Wow.

Apple juice! Sweet! We just finished the one in the fridge! Let's make that and get it out of the freezer. Now what do I do with 2 frozen cranberry juices?

I pulled everything out of the freezer and dumped in in piles on the floor. Xavier enjoyed helping me. Secretly he was just waiting until it was time to use the spray cleaner. We had piles of: veggies, potatoes, meat, heat-and-eat, broths, and other stuff. I think that one was refried beans...

The trash can became home to some meat that had an '09 date on it (wow!) or was freezer burned.

Our wedding cake got pushed to the back (for anyone just finding us..don't worry! We just got married last July.) It was in the front and had to be moved every time I searched for something behind it.

Here is the after:

I feel much better about my freezer. It is amazing how there are somethings you think, "I don't need to organize it. It's fine how it is." Then you tear it apart, put it back together, and ta-da!! You can actually find stuff!

If you are tired of stuff falling on your feet when going to bake a pizza, check out A Bowl Full of Lemons!

Anyone need some cranberry juice?

Day #10- Organization Challenge - Laundry/Utility Room

2011-01-16T15:33:00.001-05:00

First off, our laundry room is not exactly pretty. Not because of too much junk or clutter, but that it is very utilitarian. Not that I want it to be that way, but because it just is. The people before us had phone, cable, and tons of other wired systems that required tons of cables and such to be strung about our utility/laundry room. Also our laundry room shares space with the furnace/AC/hot water heater making it so pretty. Plus it is under that stairs with concrete floor. For this challenge, I am focusing on cleaning and straightening up, not so much making it prettier. That would require the removal of wires, paint, drywall, and a new floor. No thank you. We do have the matching dryer for the washer, however the house is gas and the dryer is electric. So until that is converted I am sticking to the dryer that works, but is not as pretty.

I dream of the day when we will have a nice big mudroom with lockers, entry bench, washer/dryer, folding table, sink, drawers, maybe craft space with this cool project table and lots of pretty things. Maybe even flowers!! One day.

For now, I am happy with my utilitarian laundry room and am grateful that I don't have to have it in my kitchen and don't have to go to a laundromat.

Here goes!

Before

Drawer Before (the after won't upload, but I basically cleaned it out, and put the bags in a labeled container)

Before (we had snow lately and the snow clothes ended up here.)

After- Everything was put away and the bin was labeled for Christmas decoration.
I folded up the clothes drying rack and put it away.

Yay! Hang up clothes are put away and the snow clothes were hung up on the door .

My $3 over-the-door rack for the snow clothes

I am happy to see my laundry room tidier and cleaner. Yay!

If you are interested in joining the challenge, check out A Bowl Full of Lemons!

Day #9- Organization Challenge - Toys!

2011-01-16T14:37:00.000-05:00

I am behind. Our schedule during the week is a little unpredictable since my schedule changes each day. We have also been battling colds, which makes having the energy to stay awake a little later to get stuff done more challenging. Although, I guess this is why it is called the Organization Challenge.

I used last night and today to catch up on a couple of the challenges. The other day I went to the Dollar Tree and Big Lots and bought a bunch of organizing totes, containers, racks, etc. to help tame the mess. My favorite was the vertical rack. Yay! Perfect!

Here is the toys organization:

Workbench Before

Workbench After:
Wiped everything down and put things back in their spots.

Play Area Before...Don't even ask what was in the bins and bags....Yikes!
And yes that is the Popple from when I was little.

After!
Labeling! Purging! Boxing! Sorting! (Ok, just watched Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs)

Big Trucks/Tractors/Cars...Basically anything with wheels that is bigger than my palm.

Totes for groups of things: Cars, Dinosaurs, Animals, Guys, Gears.

Puzzles

Blocks and Doctor Kit

I hope it stays neat and tidy. Xavier actually did a pretty good job of helping me. He also wanted to play with the gears pretty badly, but was very patient and waited until everything was done and I could take the pics.

If you want to join me in the challenge: hop on over to A Bowl Full of Lemons to check it out!

Our New Table and My First Woodworking Project

2011-01-10T20:28:00.000-05:00

A couple of weeks ago, the boys took off to Kirksville for the Reid Christmas and I was left at home to spend time as I saw fit (other than working of course). I got inspired by Ana White and decided to try my hand at her Mom's Train Table.

I went to Home Depot with the plans all printed out and a really nice employee helped me find all the wood and even made the cuts and marked them with what each one was.

After I got home with the wood, I started to build it. I was cruising along..until the drill died. I replaced the battery, but my fears were confirmed when I heard a weak whining sound instead of a strong grrr. I decided to call it a night and charge both batteries.

The next day I completed building the entire table after work including sanding. I was getting ready to use the wood filler when I had a little mishap with the scissors. It was nothing a gauze pad and tape couldn't handle, but it was painful and I figured a night of babying it would be best. Once again I called it a night.

Since then it has taken me 2 weeks to prime, paint, and coat the table. Work, life, and everything else has kept me pretty busy.

But now it is done!

It was lots of fun! Not exactly 100% perfect, but I am not a carpenter. But it is sturdy and level. I sat on it and no noises came from it and it sits on the floor without any wobbles.

I am generally quite happy with the project!

Xavier and I put together a little train village.

The total cost of the project was $150 if you include tools. Without tools: $100 for just the wood, screws, and paint/primer/top coat. I think it was worth it!

I am trying to decide what the next project will be...

Menu Plan Monday

2011-01-09T22:25:00.001-05:00

Since the 21 day organization challenge has taken up a lot of my free blogging time, I figured I would go ahead and post the menu plan for this week while I had a few free moments. I have actually been menu planning since the middle of November with some success, but keep forgetting to post anything :)

Here is the plan:

Monday: ~~Rotisserie Chicken with Mushroom Risotto (from Trader Joe's) and Cauliflower~~
I was planning on picking up a cooked rotisserie chicken from Sam's or Schnucks' and using it for 3 meals, but it is starting to snow and the grocery store is crowded. I will not be part of their frenzy! We will postpone this to another day. We have plenty of other yummy stuff..so pushing this back.

Monday (plan b): Mini-Meatballs and Spaghetti (Meal Makeover Moms' Recipe) and popovers (Meal Makeover Moms')

Tuesday: Grilled cheese and soup

Wednesday: Leftovers!

Thursday: Rotisserie Chicken with Mushroom Risotto (Trader Joe's) and veggie.

Friday: Quesadillias (Using the rotisserie chicken, cheese, and refried beans- Husband loves this!)

Saturday: Chili and Cornbread

Sunday: Homemade Chicken Soup

Have a blessed week!

Day #7- Organization Challenge - Pantry

2011-01-08T22:00:00.000-05:00

Here is the start of the #6 Organizing Challenge: Pantry Edition
We finally got our Christmas decorations packed away. Our living room looks so empty.
Wow!
My pantry needed it -
I cannot believe I had 10 cans of green beans!

I need to make some pumpkin muffins...and some green beans and brownies. Not all mixed up - gross!

As for that huge stack of tuna: we ate 4 cans tonight making Corney Tuna Cakes. Yum!

Here is the before pantry.
Before I hauled everything out I mostly knew where things were, but it was a tight squeeze and hard to see everything. I ended up buying lots of green beans apparently.

I found a few things that were expired...ok, it little more than a few. Straight to the trash.

I pulled everything out of the closet and grouped them according to type. Wow! That took forever!

Then wiped down all the shelves, dustpans for the brooms (they were so dirty! Yuck!), and floor.

Grouping the goods!

My solution to corralling the green beans.
There were only 2 cans of peaches left- and it was free!

After- Wow! I doesn't look that organized from here..You will have to trust me.

Finally pulled out my labeler - had to charge some AAA batteries first.

Xavier picked the pictures on the labels.

Finally! A way to organize the chips and cereal on the same shelf.
We don't always have chips, but they are hard to stack since they are in bags.

I feel this a lot neater. Hopefully it will stay that way. Also, now I know I need to cook up some green beans. Guess we will have green bean casserole soon.

This was probably the longest project so far. Glad to have it done and organized. Check out A Bowl Full of Lemons to join us in the challenge!

Tomorrow is a rest day - the organization continues Monday!

Happy organizing!

Day #6 - Dresser Drawers

2011-01-07T22:25:00.000-05:00

Here is for Day #6 of the Organizing Challenge!

Before: Not too bad, but a little cluttered

These weekday organizing challenges are tough! Its hard to squeeze in an organizing time into the slot with all the other things to do: work, feed the family, clean house, sleep. and so on. But it is so worth it!

Well, tonight was not too hard. Its harder to clean off the top of the dresser than the contents of its drawers. There are three drawers that I promise I organized, but they are not for public viewing (underthings). You will just have to take my word for it.

Here are the drawers for before and after:

Before: Tees, Long-sleeve Shirts, Pants and Shorts

After: Tanks and Tees

Before: PJs on Top and Athletic on Bottom

After: Athletic Clothes

After: PJs

Dresser After!

Well, this is the end of today! Looking forward to see what tomorrow will bring. Sorry the pics are so dark. The better camera doesn't have a memory card in it at the moment.

Happy Organizing! And always, check out A Bowl Full of Lemons to join in the fun!

Day #5 Organizing Challenge- Under the Kitchen Sink

2011-01-07T00:53:00.000-05:00

I feel like I am cheating. I organized under my sink just before Christmas. This involved a huge cardboard box from when we moved being taken out. I was shocked to see how much room and light was let in when I removed it. My little guy saw a pair of those yellow rubber gloves and had to put it on. He was perched just inside the door like a little stool and used a sponge with some water on it to scrub away (at this point everything had been taken out and scrubbed down with a non-toxic cleaner).

I found 2 half-full bottles of vinegar...why? They were consolidated. Box became a recycle bin to be taken outside with the other stuff. A bunch of plastic grocery bags were shoved in the blue container from IKEA (see pic below). I also save the plastic sleeves that newspapers come in to recycle at the grocery store, but don't want them mixed up with the others. How many times have I reached in to grab a bag to use and come out with a 2" wide newspaper sleeve! *sigh* The other bags now get thrown in a plastic bag to be collected until the next trip to the grocery store.

I used a vase to hold brushes.

One of my new favorite storage containers for small things are the styrofoam containers mushrooms come in. They come in lots of sizes depending on where you buy your produce. Here is why I like them:

FREE!!!
Reduce-Reuse-Recycle
They are waterproof
If it breaks, I would have just thrown it away anyways
Easy to label with a Sharpie
Surprisingly durable
Fits in most drawers nicely
Pretty blue color
If I want another to match, I go buy more mushrooms. Almost as good as the Ferrero Rocher, but they are cheaper
Very light weight
Good excuse to buy mushrooms
Good craft trays for kids

I could go on, but you get the point. In the photo, you will see a neat little stack of them ready to use. I wish they were fully square, but alas, it is not to be. Note- I would not recommend using the trays meat come in.

Where was I?

Oh! My kitchen sink cabinet. Goodness! Got distracted by the mushroom containers.

So I used a mushroom container to put my scrubby sponges, a scraper, and my vegetable brush in. (By the way, I take the scrubby sponges and cut them in half so they are a little square. They last a lot longer and if it gets grubby, I don't feel like it is as big a waste to pitch it.)

For about 2 weeks I would just go in my kitchen and look at it and smile. It just felt so good to have something in such complete order during the holidays.

Towel Bar I hope Xavier will leave alone and IKEA plastic bag storage thingy.

For today, I tidied it up a bit. The bags were put away, scrubbies put in order, and I added an over-the-door towel bar that we used to have in there before Xavier found it. It is back as long as Xavier will leave it alone.

So here is my under the sink cabinet! My liner is not nearly as pretty as your's Toni, but it was free...so can't beat that. It's not too ugly.

Happy organizing! Check out A Bowl Full of Lemons to see more about the Challenge and join up!

Day #4 Organizing Challenge- Linen Closet

2011-01-07T00:03:00.000-05:00

About a month ago I tore out everything in the linen closet and reorganized it. I refolded the sheets, pillow cases, and towels so they would fit just right. Sorted through the first aid kit and got rid of a few things that have been hanging around too long. Cleaned it all up and basically just made everything nice and neat. I also was able to restock some of the supplies in the other bathroom because was able to see what we had.

So this is my linen closet:

The Linen Closet

We normally have a basket of cleaning supplies in the bottom, but that was visiting the other bathroom.
Some how it has stayed neat :) I guess because it is so tidy with a place for everything.

So with a linen closet that already looks neat, I decided to take on our coat closet by the front door. I organized it a little while back, but with the holidays and the business of day to day life it has become a mess. Throwing shoes in and shutting the door, Xavier tossing his coat in there, and backpacks just getting tossed. It just needed a bit of sprucing up.

Here is before:

Our Coat Closet - Before

Lower section of the closet...on a good day.

What in the world is a lampshade doing in there?

~So I pulled out everything from the floor and unnecessary stuff on the top shelf (lampshade, Wedding planning book, and other stuff we planned to get rid of). I swept up the dirt and other stuff generally get tracked in on shoes and get deposited on the floor.

~Shoes we don't wear very often got put in the bedroom closets.

~I put a rug (that was free as in $0) in the bottom of the closet for muddy/wet/snowy (I hope we will have another snow before winter is over) shoes and boots to dry off.

~There were a couple of coats and vests hanging in there that didn't fit Xavier anymore. Those were put in the too-small container that I keep in my son's closet. When he outgrows something I put it in there and, once it is full, label it and store it until the time comes when we will need it again (meaning if another little Staats decided to join us in the future, we will be prepared. No- this does not mean we are expecting).

~I made sure the hangers are all the same to provide uniformity. (Also cost $0 - from a neighbor that moved out of the country)

Here is what it looks like now:

On the shelf are things that need to be returned to the store and other things that need to be accessible.

See the cool wall hook/basket I hung on the wall! I LOVE it!
We can put outgoing and incoming mail and things that need to be remembered in the basket.
The possible uses for the hooks are endless: keys, ice scrapers, scarves, little bags, etc.
I bought it from Bed Bath & Beyond for about $10.

The coats were arranged by size.
I am thinking of adding some lower hooks for Xavier to hang his coat and backpack.

Shoe shelf that we found sitting out for the trash. It is in perfect condition!
The basket is from the Dollar Tree (get this- it was $1! Ok- its getting to be past my bedtime). We store hats, gloves, mittens, and scarves in it.

It was nice coming home to a clean coat closet. Now if A Bowl Full of Lemons decides to have us organize the coat closet, I will have to pick another one. Yikes! Maybe I will make it a mess again and then reorganize it again. Who am I kidding? It may need to be reorganized next week!

Here's to happy organizing! Check out the challenge (its not too late to join..i think) at A Bowl Full of Lemons.

Day #2 Organizing Challenge- Computer Desk (a few days late)

2011-01-06T00:37:00.020-05:00

Blogger was acting up last night, so here are my posts from the last couple of days.

We don't really use a desk for our computers, so I used our entry table instead. That seems to be a pretty good catcher of things as we walk in.

So I cleared everything away: Christmas stuff went in a box, lots of stuff went into the recycling, papers got filed, and keys went on the hook they were supposed to go.

Before

After

Day #3 Organizing Challenge: Tupperware Cabinet

2011-01-05T01:37:00.000-05:00

Day #3 Organizing Challenge: Tupperware Cabinet

Ok, as you can see yesterday was day #2 and I missed it. I am trying to figure out what desk I will do. I think downstairs. I am planning on doing that tomorrow..so come back tomorrow for more fun :)

Today's Challenge was to clean the Tupperware Cabinet

I am pretty picky with my cabinet. So I didn't really do anything with that.

My plastic-ware cabinet

I decided to take a check in the other cabinets. So here are the before and afters of each cabinet.

Over the Oven:

Over the Oven Before (sorry its dark)

After

Above the Stove:

Above the Stove Before...Not too Bad

Above the Stove After

Upper Corner Cabinet:

Before

After

Cups:

Cups Before

Too Many Cups

Cups After

So I just emptied out the cabinets, wiped them down, then sorted through what we wanted to keep, toss, and throw away. I reorganized a couple of things so that things work a little smoother.

Plates and Bowls:

Plates Before

Plates After

Bottom Corner Cabinet where most of our baking goods are stored as well as a bunch of other stuff,

Bottom Corner Cabinet Before

Bottom Corner Cabinet After

Spices:

Xavier and I pulled out all the spices, discarded all the really old ones (one expired in '07..oops), put a bag together to get rid of, and put them back after cleaning them and writing what they were on the tops.

I can't wait till tomorrow!

Day #1 Challenge (Organizing the "junk" drawer)

2011-01-01T23:09:00.000-05:00

Since it is a new year, that means getting stuff in order and organized. I am joining A Bowl Full of Lemons 21 Day Organizing Challenge.

Today is Day One: Junk Drawer

We don't really have a junk drawer exactly since we only have a couple of drawers in the kitchen, none in the living room and none in the basement. This leaves me with two drawers in the bathroom that seems to be a catch all for everything including stickers, clothing tags, old empty plug-ins, toothbrushes, lotions, bandages, and plumbing stuff.

Bathroom Drawer Before

Hair and Makeup Drawer Before

I dumped out the drawers and cleaned them out. Whatever didn't belong in the drawers I put away or tossed. Nothing to donate. Bandages went into the first aid box. Hair spray went into the drawer with the others. Ok, I can explain the stickers: we have been potty training and using them as rewards for going. We had more than we needed so extra stickers went into the kitchen.

We LOVE ferrero rochers!!! When you buy the big packs, they come in an acrylic boxes that are very heavy duty. I have been hoarding them trying to come up with a project. Yay! I finally found a use for them. So the containers were free!

Here are the after pics (sorry some of the pics are dark...will use the flash for the next one):

Bathroom Drawer After

Hair and Makeup Drawer After

I am looking forward to the next challenge. This one was pretty easy! It took me about 10 minutes to do both drawers. If you are interested in joining in the challenge, pop on over to a bowl full of lemons. Can't wait for the next one!

21 Days to Getting Organizing Challenge

2010-12-30T04:39:00.002-05:00

Every new year I (and hundreds if not thousands of others) make a resolution to get organized. Here are a few things we tackled this year:

Bought a file cabinet and filed a ton of stuff
Scrapbooking/craft supplies (I got a bunch of bins and boxes from the Dollar Tree for this and bought a desk and chair from a resale shop.)
Our closet (I would love to tear out the existing shelf and rod and install something else...but at least it is neat and orderly)
Xavier's baby clothes and toys are now in storage bins labeled by size and stacked neatly in the garage (that was a chore! The family room looked like a consignment sale. It brought back lots of great memories.)
My car (which is surprisingly still neat, except for needing a good vacuuming- what family car doesn't need this?)
Make the Super-Cool-Staats-Family-Binder and I want to take it everywhere with me (will add some pics later)
Organized the tools in the garage (want to add printed labels for each drawer)
Under the kitchen sink (occasionally I go look under the sink just to catch a glimpse of neatness)
Our coat closet (added basket with hooks on the wall for keys/mail and cubby shelf that was previously part of an IKEA bookshelf)

I was checking out Faith's Place, another great blog, and saw she is planning on joining the 21 Days to Getting Organized Challenge. This looks like a fun and creative way to get organized and a great way to kick off the new year. I wonder what A Bowl Full of Lemons is going to come up with...

I am going to try my hand at being faithful to following up with the challenge and will also add it to my chore chart binder to check on the site. Knowing how crazy my life can get at times, I hope I will keep it up. Check back for pics and progress!

Feel free to join the challenge as well over at A Bowl Full of Lemons. If you decided to join me, let me know and keep me updated as to your progress!

Happy Organizing!

Catch Up Time!

2010-12-29T20:52:00.001-05:00

We have settled into married life with our little family. No more wedding planning! If I never see another wedding magazine, it will be too soon. OK I guess when my kid (and kids to come) get married we can revisit the topic :)

I have, surprisingly, been planning my meals lately. It has been really great. Even though we don't actually follow it perfectly, at least I know what is on hand to make those quick changes when work changes and things pop up.

Last month I actually had the menu planned for all of December. I think I followed it about 75% and the other times, we either moved meals to a different day or had to grab something on the run. Hey, it is the holidays.

I found a really cool resource from another blog - of course I cannot remember which one it was. They are chore charts for moms - I would say families, but they are really for the moms. It is a sort of planner with the chores for the day listed and the option to add daily Bible readings. Check out www.MotivatedMoms.com. You can often find a coupon code for $1 off if you search on google. I love it. I am very much a check list person. I need the satisfaction of checking something off my list for me to really feel accomplishment. I know- sad. I printed out a sample one in October to try it out and decided to continue using it for 2011. I went to Office Depot and made a cute little binder with folder tabs and then printed out a calendar for each month. I love it and want to take it everywhere!

In other exciting notes, we were able to partake in a recipe trial for the Meal Makeover Moms. Xavier helped me cook the Sunday Dinner Brisket. We cooked, took picture, then we answered the survey. It was pretty tasty. We just got our book in the mail and Xavier is in the back cover with our crockpot and I am quoted on our recipe. I was so excited! :) They have a lot of really good recipes in there. I recommend the book and it also has info about how to improve dinner/nutrition. Now we have both cookbooks. One of our favorite recipes is Corny Salmon Cakes. All of us like them! They are even good leftover.

Well, hopefully in the new year I will be updating a little more often.

To end with, here are a few cute things Xavier said lately:

We were at Christmas service and the pastor said, "And the Savior was born and placed in the manger." Xavier looked at me and said, "I was born in a manger?!"

I picked up his cup he left somewhere and they had already dumped out the milk. Xavier cried and said, "I want my milk!" Me: "the milk was yucky. She had to dump it out." Xavier: "I want my yucky milk!"

Xavier: "My bear is doing this." Me: "What?" Xavier: "He is making snow angels."

Back to the Real World!

2010-08-16T00:28:00.000-04:00

Now that the wedding and honeymoon are finished we are back to everyday life. I am looking forward to settling into a routine and having a little less time that is devoted to the planning of a major life changing event.

We are getting ready for Susie's wedding. That will be some planning involved, but not as much. Whew! :)

Well, now is the time to be getting back to meal planning.

Monday- Baby Signs Class
Leftover Brats, grilled veggies, corn on the cob, and smoothie

Tuesday- Beef Noodle Bowl
(peppers, broccoli, celery, etc.)

Wednesday- Crushed Tortilla Chip Casserole

Thursday- Mom's Makeover Meatloaf and Mashed Potatoes

Friday- Deaf Awareness Night at the Cardinals
Leftovers

Saturday- Company Picnic
Shrimp Kebabs with Pineapple and Peppers with Rice and Smoothies

Sunday- Grilled Hawaiian Pizza

Hope it goes well!

Photo Coupon Deals!

2010-07-10T19:18:00.000-04:00

Here are a few photo coupon deals I got this week in email:

Snapfish:
50 prints for $0.50 coupon code: JULY4PENNY
Expires tomorrow

Kodak Gallery:
Free Autofill book, Free Mommy Cards, Free Birth announcements

Shutterfly:
40% off photobook (TRYBOOK) and free shipping (SHIP30)!

Enjoy!

We are Married

2010-07-07T16:28:00.000-04:00

We are now officially all three Staats', well, I don't think I have anything showing my name legally changed to Amanda Staats, but I don't care!

I told Xavier, "Mama is married now!" and I showed him my ring.

Xavier said back, "Xavier married!" and he showed me his hand. Too cute!

Xavier did a great job during the wedding and he was very well behaved. He went two days without naps, but he still stayed strong! He looked so cute in his suit!

We had beautiful weather! I couldn't ask for any better in Missouri over the 4th of July weekend. The following day it was rainy, hot, humid, and cloudy. Whew! We were very blessed.

Not to sound haughty, but I think we had possibly the best wedding favors ever. Great job, Buddy!

Our flowers were so nice! I am still enjoying them in several arrangements throughout the house. I have one in each bathroom, two in the kitchen, and two in the living room. I love fresh flowers! It brightens my day just walking around the house and seeing their cheery colors. I am not an expert at flower care/arranging, so they just look ok, but at least they are pretty. Now just to get my house clean so my flowers can shine! That is today's task.

Menu Plan Monday

2010-06-14T15:50:00.000-04:00

Here goes for this week. I was lost without my meal plan last week. Going grocery shopping Thursday because it is "No Coupon Thursday" aka save and automatic $10 off of $50 worth of groceries and I also have a coupon for an additional $5 off! Yay!

Monday: Pork Chops with baked beans and baked fries

Tuesday: Strawberry French Toast with bacon

Wednesday: Ham Sandwiches with veggies and fruit

Thursday: Leftovers

Friday: Salmon foils

Saturday: Roast, mashed taters, and corn

Sunday: Spaghetti with French Bread

Meal Plan Monday

2010-05-25T00:08:00.000-04:00

Well, here goes week 2. Last week went pretty well. Two of the dinners made lots of leftovers. The Crushed Chip Casserole was great. My challenge is to make everything "casserole free" for Xavier since he won't eat the mixed up stuff.

Here goes!

Monday- Cheating Chicken Parmesan (used chicken tenders instead of my own) broccoli, and smoothies (dinner for 3 plus 3 leftover lunches all for about $4 total)
Tuesday- Cutie Quiche Cakes with roasted red potatoes and smoothies
Wednesday- Grilled Cheese and Soup (didn't have it last week. Softball night- gotta keep it simple)
Thursday- Tortellini with Pesto and Peas (on the side of course) Xavier loves this. Hope Buddy does. I will keep some tortellini aside so those who wish can use red sauce instead of pesto.
Friday- Leftover buffet
Saturday- Quesadillas, corn on cob, and beans
Sunday- Free night! Going to one of the many weddings taking place this summer.

Have a nice week!

Menu Plan Monday

2010-05-16T23:01:00.000-04:00

We are trying it once again. At least I know my schedule a little in advance and I see that it will be a busy week. Let's see what we can do about this menu planning. I like the idea of it and I like doing it, but it seems as soon as I plan, I get called to work a couple of nights out of the week. I don't think (fingers crossed) that will happen this week. So here goes!!

Monday- Sausage and sauerkraut, corn-on-the-cob with sliced apples. (Buddy goes out of town)

Tuesday- Melt-in-Your-Mouth Pot Roast (I am going to add extra potatoes and carrots, celery, green beans, and mushrooms)

Wednesday- Softball night - Grilled Cheese, Trader Joe's Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup, and Smoothies

Thursday- Crushed Tortilla Chip Casserole

Friday- Leftover Buffet (this sounds nicer than just "leftovers")

Saturday- party! Free night.

Sunday- Tuna salad sandwiches and sweet potato fries

Wish me luck!

From Here to There 2010

2010-05-16T22:07:00.000-04:00

Our friend Allen Baumgartner is headed out East, traveling from St. Louis to Washington, D.C. using a handbike to raise awareness Spinocerebellar Ataxia while raising money for physically disabled children to participate in sports through Disabled Athletes Sports Association.

Check out his journey, support the cause, and spread the word!

From Here to There 2010

It is really amazing! If anyone lives along the way, feel free to go out and cheer him on!

How Does Your Garden Grow?

2010-05-16T01:14:00.000-04:00

Buddy helped me make a raised vegetable garden bed in our backyard last week. We decided it would be the easiest way considering that our soil is so rocky. It took a lot of bags of soil, but we finally filled it! Xavier thought it a perfect place to use his bulldozer. Of course it wasn't a problem for him to play in the soil. That is until the plants were in. We had started some seeds in containers on the deck until we could plant them formally and purchased a few other ones. We have broccoli, cauliflower, sugar snap peas, snow peas, herbs, strawberries, and 2 carrots all growing like a weed. Well, like a vegetable anyways. I decided to leave the tomato in the pot on the deck since he seems to be thriving there. We planted lots of other seeds. We shall see what survives the bulldozer, bunnies, raccoon, and my blossoming green thumb. So far so good. We had two rubber snakes from the previous owners and put them in the garden. I haven't seen any nibbles on my few plants yet, so maybe they will work. I will resort to a fence, but in order to keep the raccoon at bay I will need something more than chicken wire and stakes.

I am really enjoying watching the plants grow taller and stronger each day (with the exception of the strawberry plant I bought a week ago- may have killed that one. I went ahead and planted it to see what would happen). I will upload some pics later when it is not raining. The plus side to all this rain is that I haven't needed to water yet!

I am working on getting our composter working right. My dad suggested nitrogen. I gave the bin a meal of the nitrogen and I am anxiously awaiting the results. I wonder if tomorrow would be to early to tell.

I am like a child at Christmas each morning. I look out the kitchen window and gaze upon the wonders of the Lord and the amazing miracles that bursts forth from the ground, producing delicious nourishment for us. I am amazed each day by the pea vines grasping like a small child to the tomato cages I have provided for it to climb. Peace overwhelms me each time I walk down to the garden and see His work all around me.

Isn't it all so amazing!

A Little Update

2010-04-21T18:54:00.000-04:00

Xavier is really starting to be a chatter box! He has gotten better at saying a few words at a time and he also is pronouncing words better.

We are still shopping for churches, but we think we found one that might work. We will see. It is disheartening to search for a church for a year and half. Hope it works out or God will show us a church that He wants us to attend.

The leaves in our backyard have once again shielded us from the business that is Arnold. As I look out our kitchen door, I see a forest alive and and teeming with birds and other wild creatures. It is so peaceful. Hopefully we can find a good way to plant the sprouting vegetables that Xavier and I planted in little containers in our backyard.

Xavier and I like to go to the gym and the library. Well, we are going to head to the library to check out some more books and then to the gym.

Play Date with my Son

2010-03-22T00:58:00.001-04:00

Xavier and I had an all day play date. We went to the pool at the Arnold Rec Center. We decided to join the rec center and drop our 24Hour Fitness membership because it is more cost effective and we can also play with Xavier in the pools (inside and outside) and the offer kids classes for a great price.

Whew! He wore me out! He did a great job undressing and getting ready to put his swim trunks on. He had pretty big motivation in the big pool sparkling through the window. I like that they have lots of chairs for adults to sit and read (not that I will be sitting with a book anytime soon) or for people to stow their things. When we walked into the kiddy pool area Xavier took each step then jumped into the pool and went completely under the water. I was right there and pulled him up quickly, but instead of the usual panic stricken face, he was laughing and ready to go in again. He was almost giddy the whole time we were in the pool. It was fun, but hard work making sure he stayed afloat. We need to invest in a swim vest.

He took a nice long nap then we spent some time playing downstairs. We played trains, "Ring Around the Rosie", and hide-and-seek. Hide-and-seek was silly. I covered my eyes with my hands and said, "go hide!" I heard him run around a little while laughing. When I uncovered my eyes, there he stood in front of me with his hands over his eyes. He was silly! I made a tent for him to hide in. I showed him how to go in it and hide...he covered his eyes again. I think this is going to need some further instruction.

Next thing we did was play chase. I told him, "You better run! I'm going to get you!" So I chased him and we laughed. While I was still laying where I tackled him, Xavier said, "Mama, run!" So he chased me and finally tackled me. It was so cute!

We finally decided it was time to make our Grab-And-Go Granola Bars (by the Meal Makeover Moms). Xavier did great dumping the ingredients into the food processor and didn't spill any of it! We finally had all the ingredients in the big bowl and started stirring it. Xavier wanted to take over. Next thing I knew about a cup of the mixture flew out and landed all over the ground, the counter, and him. He looked at me with big, guilty eyes and said, "uh oh!" When we were finished and the bars were in the oven, Xavier picked little pieces off the counter and put them in the sink. Then he hopped down onto the floor with a rag and started cleaning up. As I was helping him clean up, he hopped up and said, "sweep!" He ran to get the broom, but decided this job called for the mini-vacuum. It was so nice that he wanted to clean up and took the initiative to do so.

He went to bed with minimal protests and went the whole day with zero wet diapers! He told me every time he needed to go.

All in all, it was a nice day.

Menu Planning

2010-03-21T17:48:00.001-04:00

I have been reading a lot about menu planning and I have tried (unsuccessfully) to make menu plans. Part of the problem with making a menu for me is that I never know my schedule in advance. I want to make our lives simpler, so here goes! One of the websites I like, The Organizing Junkie, does Meal Plan Monday (MPM). Unfortunately, she does it on Monday morning. I can try to do this, but since I don't stay home, don't think this will work. So I am going to try Sunday afternoons while Xavier is napping since this is a peaceful time of the week.

How I plan to plan:
1. What's on sale?
2. What is our schedule?
3. What do we have on hand?

Three of my goals for 2010 are to include more produce in my diet, try a new recipe each month, and set up a menu for the week. Seems this will help satisfy 3 of my goals!

So, here goes for this week.

Monday: Chicken, mashed potatoes (leftover), and asparagus
Tuesday: Beef and Vegetable Noodle Bowl (this calls for broccoli and red peppers, but I have a package of frozen Asian veggies so I think I will use those instead. Also, instead of whole wheat noodles, I will use the Barilla Plus noodles.)
Wednesday: Make your own Pizza with apple slices and nutella
Thursday: Breaded Pork Chops using panko (Japanese style) bread crumbs, Cherry Stuffed Acorn Squash, and peas
Friday: Leftovers

I am going to also try to break out our bread machine. I started to use it yesterday, but *gasp* we did not have any dry milk. Not exactly something we keep on hand. I will add that to my list of things to buy. I did find a bread machine recipe on Taste of Home for Bread Machine Wheat Bread. I love bread. Maybe the machine needs to go back in storage.

Well, I am off to go pick up the kitchen before Xavier wakes up.

Wish me luck!!! If you decide to do the MPM, let me know. I think I will add a new page on the blog for our favorite recipes. Thanks!

Shutterfly Birthday Contest

2010-03-09T17:18:00.000-05:00

Vote for Xavier for Shutterfly's 10th Birthday Celebration Birthday Photo Contest. Please vote as often as possible and spread the word!!!

Thanks!

28 Day Challenge...1 Month Late

2010-03-08T23:57:00.001-05:00

I came across another blog that is about organizing recently. I have been on an organizing kick for the last week or two. Really, I was born loving office supplies and rearranging my bedroom was, unfortunately, the only way I took time to clean. At heart I live to organize. In life, I am too excited, distracted, and frugal to get into it hard-core. Since moving into out home last August, boxes have slowly been unpacked, things have found homes, and the need for further organization has been diagnosed. One room in particular that I want to attack is the guest room/catch all. I have already begun to claim it as part craft room. I got a cute desk at a resale shop with a chair (among other things) and started setting it up as my craft central. I wanted to make sure that I don't just fill the drawers with a hodge-podge of mismatched stuff. I only have a few items in it so far, but I do have a few containers designated for specific items such as photos, glue, pens, stickers, etc. I found lots of great containers at the Dollar Store for this purpose, although I must admit that I had no clue what each was going to be used for when I bought said containers. I had bought 2 baskets, several large pencil-case like boxes, a bucket, and a few bins. They have since found their purpose and have homes throughout my house. I must say, not a huge fan of lime green, but for a dollar?! I'm not complaining!

Back to the other blog. The blog is I'm an Organizing Junkie and she posted a 28 day challenge in which you pick a room or space that needs to be, well, organized. I found this blog a few days ago, about 31 days after the start of the challenge. Man! Although I will not be able to compete with everyone else in the prize for wrangling in my room that is less than tidy, I thought it might be fun to go ahead with the challenge. I have already been bitten by the bug, might as well put it to good use!

Here are the questions she has:

1. What do I want the purpose of my room or area to be? Guest Room/Craft Room and Buddy's Video Equipment Storage
2. What do I need in or near the room to serve that purpose? Bed, Desk, Storage for Buddy's video equipment, craft supplies.
3. What can I remove from the room? Clothes Xavier has grown out of, papers that need to be filed, computer and printer supplies, wrapping paper, one of the 2 TVs
4. What problems do I see with the room? No designated spots, under-used space, boring (meaning no decoration), lots of things sitting around here that should be elsewhere...things that need to go to the game area (another part that needs organizing), pictures that need to be hung.
5. What organizational tools might solve those problems? Hammer and nails, storage container that is easy to use for Buddy's equipment- maybe a dresser, more containers.
6. What habits need to change to solve the organizational problems? making sure to keep the room ready for guests, putting things in the correct spot once we designate one.
7. What kind of a budget do I have to work with right now for storage solutions? $50 or less (money mostly for storage system for Buddy's equipment...I already bought the desk/chair and some containers for myself. I am going to say that is already in the room and not include what I paid for them in my budget.
8. What kind of a timeline is necessary to organize the room? (28 days!) I can do 28 days!
9. What is my plan of action? I plan to first remove things that do not need to be in there. Then start to look for something that would hold Buddy's equipment, yet look appropriate for a bedroom and possibly be re-purposed later (hence the dresser idea). For the dresser I will search for something sturdy with deep drawers and fairly inexpensive. I will check out Craigslist, resale shops, garage sales, etc. I will hang the pictures in the room. Hang curtains in the room. Lastly, I will organize the craft drawers for ease of use and cleanup.

I would take pics, but just cleared everything off the bed so a guest could sleep in it.

If you would like to join me on my quest for clean, let me know! It would be fun to have another late bloomer!

Well, here I go :)

Wedding Location

2010-03-08T23:51:00.000-05:00

We are so excited about our wedding ceremony and reception site! For all of our out of town guests, don't worry! They are both at the same location! How about that!

I cannot believe that we are getting so close to our wedding date. So much to do! I am enjoying the process, though.

Baking with my Boy

2010-02-26T00:36:00.007-05:00

TWO!

Xavier is two! He is so fun and funny. Sometimes I just have a hard time stifling laughter sometimes. His most recent thing is announcing that he is crying when he cries. I just want to burst out laughing sometimes!

We got a chance to bake two recipes from the Meal Makeover Moms website. (I am pretty sure I am teetering on the edge of obsession with their website and podcast). We made Grab and Go Granola Bars first. He loved dumping the ingredients into the food processor. He was kind enough to sample the dried cranberries and honey to *wink* make sure they were good. While those were baking we decided to go ahead and make use of the oven and bake their Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins (a.k.a. cupcakes according to Xavier). I measured out the flour and carefully handed it to Xavier. He said, "dump," and in it went. With the next ingredient he started dancing and singing, "cake, cake, cake! Naaam, namm, naam! (his Cookie Monster voice)" Oh! He was singing and dancing like how Ernie does in a Sesame Street clip when Ernie is making a cake for Cookie Monster and singing "If I Knew You Were Coming I'd 've Baked a Cake." It was so cute! Thank goodness it was Sesame Street and not Teletubbies or Spongebob. Whew!

Here are some pics of us baking last time. Enjoy!

I know there was no crying in baseball, but what about baking?

Xavier is good at picking up after himself (as long as he wants to...).

Last night I told him to pick up his train things and he walked around and picked up his train tracks and trains and put them in his bag. Then I told him to pick up his tools. He picked them up and put them all in his toolbox. Then the magical world of cooperative-clean-up toddler faded to the zoom-zoom of normal crazy-jumpy-playful Xavier. This is what happened next:

Mama: Xavier, put your truck away.

Xavier: Runs to put it away. Suddenly he starts to play the bongos. Oh the truck, let's put the truck on the bongos.

Mama: Xavier, put your drum away.

Xavier: Puts drum away on shelf and begins to tap out a beat while singing, "Clean up, clean up!"

Mama: Goes to Xavier. Let's put the truck in the basket.

The basement was more or less picked up in the end.

I could go on, but what would I write next time?

Goodnight!

10 Reasons Why Xavier is like a Velociraptor

2010-01-04T01:23:00.002-05:00

I am sure there are some of you out there thinking, "Xavier is so sweet! He could never be anything like a velociraptor!" Hear me out.

1. He can let out a scream that would shake the fear in you. He gets frustrated and/or likes to push our buttons and screams sometimes. Luckily he usually does this in the privacy of our own home and not out in public. (I hope this phase will pass soon!)

2. He is smart! Xavier will sit there an look at you as though he is learning how you act so he can counteract.

3. I was just as petrified as the guy from Jurassic Park when I saw the handle on the door move for the first time while I was using the privy. I though, "Oh no! He taught himself how to open the door!"

4. He looked like a predator who had cornered its prey the first time that door swung open to reveal my shocked, yet startled wide eyes. (Buddy was smart to teach him to knock first.)

5. Ok, well he cannot jump yet, but give it time. He can climb..does that count?

6. He is resilient. No matter how many times he fails, he bounces back.

7. He likes dinosaurs. Does this count?

8. He is strategically checking out my weaknesses to reveal any "holes" in the system.

9. He can tear apart a piece of jerky like any velociraptor I know.

10. He is a wonderful, wild boy who doesn't like to be cooped up inside.

Xavier, like those pesky velociraptors, can be quite startling at times, but at the end of each day he becomes my "baby bear" and lets me hold and rock him as we sing a few songs, read a couple books, and say our prayers. He looks up to me each night and smiles with such a sweet face that I can't help but forget the trials and time-outs, the mess and the stress. I stroke his sweet hair and rub his little tummy and wish my little 'raptor a "goodnight."

Chore Charts and More!

2009-12-29T01:07:00.004-05:00

At our life group (aka small group or community group) we noticed a little chore chart on their refrigerator. I am gonna steal her great idea. Their three kids have chore charts that she printed out and laminated to keep clean that she customized on a website called HandiPoints.com.

They have lots of really neat worksheets including charts: chores, behavior, study, etc.; worksheets for school type things; and arts & crafts. They even have coloring pages you can print out. While I am not a cat person and a lot of their pages seem to involve cats, there were some that were sans cats. There are some wedding ones I may print out to have available at our wedding! There seems to be a lot of cultural, health, fitness, and school related themes! Now that Xavier is into the coloring, these will come in handi ;)

One aspect of the website is that your kids can "adopt" a virtual cat on the website and then earn points by completing their chart or doing activities to "buy" items for the cats. I don't think we will take it that far, but it is a neat-free- reward for kids. They have a social networking part of the website where kids can chat with other kids about their cats and make friends. We won't have a need for that for a while.

The chore charts are neat because you can customize them according to the child. The charts have everything from swimming, cleaning, barn chores, yard chores, hygiene, exercises, and lots more. You can edit it to occur on the days you specify, too. Pretty cool!

I want to make one for Xavier. So neat!

Christmas Fun

2009-12-28T12:50:00.006-05:00

We had a really nice Christmas. Xavier is so much fun now that he is older. He loved seeing Santa. He thinks Santa is a character like Pooh at Disney. He would run up to him and hug Santa. Xavier says, "ho ho ho." I am glad he isn't afraid like other kids. He likes most fun characters.

Xavier loved opening presents. He would make sure every tiny scrap of paper and tape was off before actually playing with the gift. He got so excited each time his name was called on Christmas Eve at Cookie's house. Santa comes over and passes out presents and we sit on his lap, take pictures, and get our gifts. Xavier loved it. He would hold out his hands to take presents from everyone who passed with a new gift so he could be the one to open it.

Christmas day we stayed home and had family over for brunch and presents. It was so nice to have everyone gather. We even had a little snow! Xavier, Buddy, and I spent the morning together by the tree and then family came over a little later. It was quite a busy day, but oh so much fun! This was Xavier's new vacuum. He was so fast!

I just love the festivities of the day. I cooked dinner and the roast wasn't finished cooking until about 10 PM! Everything else was ready long before. I think it took longer because I usually buy a smaller roast. It all tasted good still, even if we were too tired to eat by that time.

Over all I would say this was a nice Christmas!

Merry Christmas to all!

Christmas Crafts and Cookies

2009-12-10T17:25:00.015-05:00

We have been busy partaking in Christmas fun!

The three of us went to the Parents as Teachers Christmas party. We made a gingerbread house, picture frame, card, and tree. It was fun! Well, when I say we, it was mostly me...Xavier was more focused on the snacks we brought to decorate the house. I wasn't really paying attention while I was making the gingerbread house and Xavier ate quite a few M&Ms. Little did I know the effect it would have on him...bum bum bummmmm! He decided to pull an all-nighter. Sheesh! Xavier is now on an M&M free diet.

We checked out the book fair. Buddy and Xavier were so cute! I am sure we could have taken the whole book store with us.

Xavier and I made cookies last night. It was quite a sight! He wanted to pour all the ingredients into the mixer. He would turn the plastic guard part to him so he could pour it in, turn it back, then turn it on. Let's just say the flour was lots of fun. He wanted to eat the batter. He even liked eating the plain flour! I let him have a taste of the batter before the eggs...that was a bad idea! He wanted more from then on. Oh well :)

We made cookie cutouts of stars, snowflakes, trees, and bells. It was fun. Then we made brownies for our church group. The brownies were awesome! They were just a box mix with a bunch of chocolate chips mixed in. The chocolate chips make all the difference!

Well, I better get some sleep! Going to attempt to wrap presents tomorrow (3rd or 4th time I've said it)!

Cotton Babies Holiday Extravaganza

2009-12-05T17:46:00.005-05:00

Susie, Maddie, and I were crazy today! We got up and waited in line in the freezing cold-20* (don't worry, Maddie and Susie would go inside and we were bundled enough for the the Arctic) to stand in line for the swag bags at the Cotton Babies Holiday Extravaganza. We got there before anyone else (we were both shocked...guess we really were the crazy ones). After staking out the store, finally another mom made the first move to start the line. So I joined her and Susie followed later. People would walk by asking, "What's the line for?" "Cloth diaper stuff." "Oh..don't need that anymore," and keep walking. I think we all breathed a sigh of relief when they moved on. I don't know why- we were already in line.

I got to meet Jenn, the creator of the BumGenius, Cotton Babies, Flip, Econobum, and other awesome stuff. I was celebrity shocked. Is that crazy? Well, she was super nice. It is so awesome all the wonderful products she has created. Her products have changed so many people and the cloth diapering world as well.

OK, enough about my celebrity excitement.

Once we finally got in, Susie and I got our little swag bags and put our tickets into the drawings. We sat around the shop watching babies, chatting with mommies, drooling over products, and hoping to win some of the raffles. They gave us tickets for us to put into drawings for different products. They had drawings every 30 minutes. I hung out until I had to go to work. Susie stayed for a little longer then left. I wanted to hang out, but work calls.

I headed back to the store...who am I kidding. I could hang out there all day. It was fun. I chatted with other moms and really enjoyed it. I miss having a little tiny baby, but after listening to their stories about teething and waking up in the night I am happy I have only one for now and that he talks and sleeps all night.

Finally 4:00pm came and the last and final drawing of the night. It was for the ERGObaby carrier, backpack, and pouch. We all grabbed out our tickets and got ready. They called out the number and I was so sad that I didn't win. But I looked at the other tickets I had and I won! I was so excited!! So we are now the proud owners of the ergo baby carrier. It holds up to 40lbs. I wonder if Xavier will let me carry him in it. We shall see. :) He might be too independent for it. About 50% of the moms and dads there were using one. You can use backpack alone or attach it to the carrier. The front pouch can be used as a purse or attached to the carrier.

I was so excited!

Well, off to do some cleaning, errands, and work out.

P.S. The ERGObaby carrier is great for Xavier. I carried him in it while doing dishes for about 20 minutes (until he got restless) and still felt great! Highly recommend it. I think it would be work the money.

Lemon

2009-11-29T15:25:00.002-05:00

Happy Birthday, Mama!

2009-11-29T14:46:00.005-05:00

Yesterday was my 27th birthday. We went out to the farm to hang out with Grandpa Bethmann and ride on the combine. He was picking corn. I had forgotten how soothing it is riding on the combine. Xavier loved it! On the way back to empty the hopper one time Grandpa let Xavier drive. Xavier had full command of the wheel. He did pretty well. He would steer straight for a while then we would drift to the right, then the left. It was fun. Not too many parents can say they have been driven my their 21 month old. It was really nice.

On the way home Xavier was worn out and fell asleep very quickly. He continued to nap when we got home..very nice :)

We went to Casa Gallardo that night for dinner and then on to bowling. Xavier was so cute! He loved bowling. They have a metal ramp that Xavier could put his bowling ball onto and push it down the lane. He loved it! He did really well. He got a score of about 99. He loved the bowling shoes. He didn't want to take them off at the end. It was cute. He danced in them like they were tap shoes. It was very fun watching Xavier bowl. It made my birthday nice!

Post Thanksgiving

2009-11-28T09:42:00.004-05:00

Now that the hustle and bustle of Thanksgiving is over, we can finally sit down to blog a little before the craziness of Christmas kicks in. We had a nice Thanksgiving at our house. We filled the kitchen with people and food! The Wii was put to work. And everything tasted great!

We haven't started to decorate for Christmas, but soon we will. I will have to find everything from the garage. I can't wait to see Xavier's face when the tree goes up. The question is.. where will it be safe. I am a little torn. It would be nice to have it in the window up in the living room for when everyone comes in, but it would also be nice downstairs by the fireplace. I have a feeling it will go in the living room.

Xavier is currently saying, "bee! bzzzz bzzzzzz!" There is a honey nut Cheerios box on the table. He picked it out. He first wanted Lucky Charms. I was glad when he wanted the "bee."

We sang Rain Rain Go Away a few days ago and he picked it up. I tried to record it for you because it was super cute, but he just wanted to look at the baby on the other side of the camera instead of preforming for you. Sigh. He sang, "Rain rain, go go. Rain rain, go go." It was nice.

If you haven't heard, we set the date of our wedding for July 3, 2010! We are very excited. We have the venue for both ceremony and reception booked, my dress bought, and DJ secured! It is very fun to plan this huge party.

Xavier is naming the people on the Horizon milk carton. They are cartoon people holding hands around a drawing of the world (a ball). "Mama, baby, Zuzu (Susie), Papa, Mama, Papa, baby, Big Bird." Not sure how there are several Mamas and I don't think any of them look remotely like Big Bird.

I have found a really cool website/podcast. They are Cooking with the Moms, two moms who are registered dieticians. They have been nicknamed the Meal Makeover Moms. They take recipes and make them a little healthier by taking out some fat and salt, and adding good stuff. They are fun to listen to. I haven't had a chance to try any of their recipes yet, but I am planning on it. I hope the boys will like it. They try the recipes out on their families and tweak the recipes before finalizing each one.

I was looking back today at the posts from when Xavier was little and he has changed so much! He used to have such dark wild hair and now he has nice little boy hair. He has grown into his cheeks a little more. He is getting so tall! He is probably almost 3 feet tall. He has about out grown his little bike, although Xavier would probably ride it until the wheels collapsed under his weight. Then he would still ride it. Sometimes I miss having a little baby that I could just put in my sling or carrier and do whatever needed to be done. But then it is really nice to sleep all night. It is fun to have someone to interact with.

Yesterday I was kneeling on the ground putting Xavier's clothes away and he tried to climb on my back and say "hoohee" (horsey). So I gave him a horsey ride. He likes that!

Pizza

2009-11-04T23:03:00.004-05:00

We had friends over for dinner last night and Xavier loved it. They have a one year old girl and Xavier loved playing with her. All day the chair she sat in was called "baby" in case I forgot she came to visit.

Xavier and I made pizzas tonight for dinner! Yesterday we went to Trader Joe's and he pushed the little cart. He did a great job being careful and following directions. He did put a few extra items in the cart, but he must have known we needed them (a red bell pepper and tomato paste). They need to make those carts bigger! I had to carry half of the groceries in my reusable shopping bag I carried. I cannot wait for the sweet potato fries! I wish Trader Joe's was a little closer so we could go more often. Not many places sell organic milk in gallon jugs.

Also while there we decided to get some pizza dough. Tonight while we rolled out the dough Xavier ate some of the flour off the table like it was sugar. I asked him if it was good and he nodded and got some more. Weird. He helped me put the pizzas on the cookie sheets and spread the sauce (as well as taste testing it directly from the pizza), put mushrooms on it (he ate more than he put on), and other toppings like tomatoes and peppers that got removed as soon as it touched his plate. I gave him some cheese and he dumped it on a little at a time, too. It is cute cooking with him even though it usually makes a mess and he gets flour and cheese all over himself, the stool, and the floor. He cried when we put it in the oven. He ate 3 slices of his 4 inch pizza! Luckily it was whole wheat and healthy.

I have a bunch of pics, but I still need to transfer them to the computer. Keep your eyes peeled!

Night!

Videos

2009-10-22T23:52:00.007-04:00

Here are some videos of Xavier. They are from the summer, so he is a bit different now. The videos are still cute!

20 Months!

2009-10-22T22:57:00.010-04:00

We are (mostly) settled in our new home! Of course we still have a few things in the garage that we have not yet found a place for, but for the most part we are in our home!

Buddy's Pop got to come out and visit! It was lots of fun.

Xavier has learned lots of new words:

Grandpa, Grandma, Zuzu (Susie), Baby (baby sometimes means phone because every phone he sees has a pic of him on it)
Ernie, Cookie, Big Bird, Elmo (melmo or Lala with his tongue sticking out really far), Pooh (this could mean Tigger or Pooh or really any Pooh character)
Animals: Hippo, dinosaur, and maybe doggy. Usually he just says the sound it makes. I am not sure why he picks the hardest ones to say. The rest of the animals he just says the noises (i.e. chicken=bockbock, cow=moo, sheep=baaaaa).
Body parts: toes, ear, eye, nose, hair, elbo (belbo)
Shapes: Star (he loves these and finds them in the weirdest places!), moon (is that supposed to go in the shape category?), and circle.

He thinks that by saying "beepbeep" and "peese" makes it OK to take the WiiMote/phone/keys from us or push mom out of the way so he can get to the cookie on the table. It is so stinking cute though! Sometimes he says it and I just want to give him whatever he wants because it is so cute.

He says "mail" every time we pass a mail box. Going on walks and drives through neighborhoods have become a bit...umm...well, let's just say that if you were from another country/planet that didn't have mail boxes, you would quickly find out what they were called after the 3rd or 19th one. Luckily, when I acknowledge that he is saying "mail" he stops. Whew!

He LOVES tractors right now. Every time we go to Lowe's or Home Depot for something he has to ride the tractor. He knows what the John Deere logo looks like and prefers their riding mower over the others. Talk about branding! Pro: free. Con: he doesn't get bored with it, the stores have them everywhere in the summertime (to be fair, they are only in the front, but it seems like we always end up passing them as we search for the next item on the list. Plus, Xavier has eyes like a hawk. He spotted Pooh and Tigger on the top shelf across the store between Christmas trees.). Pro: it is Autumn...only a few left and they are all outside! Xavier waited very patiently until it was time to ride because we spent the whole shopping trip "looking" for tractors. Con: They are outside..in the cold...in the rain.

I will leave you with some pics from our Florida trip since I have been slacking on putting some up. He loves the characters! He just walked up and hugged George like he was Xavier's long lost friend.

19 Months and Growing Strong

2009-09-26T10:45:00.003-04:00

Xavier is over 19 months now (been a little busy). He is getting so tall. He can reach EVERYTHING! Anything not pushed back 6 inches from the edge of a table or counter is free for the taking. He has outgrown much of the 18 month old pants, only because they are too short. He has become more lean so the pants actually fit his belly better, but you can see his socks when he is standing, so they are getting a little short. Luckily I just got a bunch of clothes from CraigsList. I love CraigsList! I can't wait to dress him up! (I know, it is silly, but the fall clothes for boys is so much cuter than the summer clothes.) He now can see on the kitchen table when standing flat. I think he is going to be tall!

His vocabulary is increasing exponentially each day! He now can say: baby, night-night (means "blanket" and "goodnight"), bread, juice, tree, mail, cheese, more, please, thank you, truck (sounds like "kuck"), cookoo (cookie= sesame street), no-no, yeah, Elmo (lala), firetruck, ... you get the point. It is sometimes hard to find out what a word means. Sometimes it takes a day or two to figure out what it means. When I figure it out it is so great! I was hanging out with Madison the other day (my sister Susan's baby) and it made me realize how much easier it is that I can ask Xavier something and he will tell me. Wow! It is so much easier!

In the morning I ask him which cereal he wants and he picks one. I like to give him choices when possible between two things so he can get the one he wants and learn to make choices.

Xavier loves Sesame Street. It fun to watch the old ones and see some of the new ones. We are watching one parody "Mad Men." It's kinda funny! I forgot how witty some of these are. Oh! If you watch Bert and Ernie Play the Drums you can see some of the people at the bottom of the screen. He could watch Sesame Street all day.

He still likes to help with chores. Today I gave him a rag and he wiped something off the floor. He loves to sweep still and also vacuum. I give him the hose while I hold the handle and he pretends to vacuum up things while I actually work. It works well to avoid tantrums, encourage him to help with chores, and to have some bonding time. I let him hold the handle sometimes, but he just goes backwards until the cord stops him. Its cute!

He is good about going to the bathroom on the toilet. As of 1pm the only wet diaper we had was when he woke up. He has gone on the toilet the other times! Yay! One less diaper to wash. Now we just need to remember to take him to the bathroom so he can go. Yesterday while playing with Grandma Lubbers he said "poopoo" and held his diaper. They took him to the bathroom and he went! I think the cloth diapers help them to recognize when they are wet because it is a little more wet next to their skin. We struggled to get him to even sit on the toilet a month ago but finally realized he didn't like the seat! Of course we figured it out after getting rid of the packaging. Darn! Anyone need a seat?

Xavier is going to take a nap. Have a great day! I will upload pics and video later.

Children/Infant Tylenol Recall

2009-09-26T10:41:00.003-04:00

It is important to check your Tylenol for infants or children against the Tylenol Recall List. Several batches between April - June 2009 have been recalled.

Take care!

Cloth Diaper Info

2009-09-05T00:51:00.002-04:00

I just read this article out there from Cotton Babies regarding stinky diapers.

We occasionally have issues. Wish there was more info on washing CDs with HE washers. *sigh*

Night!

Changes

2009-09-03T00:28:00.004-04:00

We have finally moved completely into our new home! We officially closed on August 21st, but we took our time moving. Thanks for everyone who helped us move! We really appreciate it.

Moving was a lot easier than it could have been. Fortunately we bought a cute, spacious ranch about a half mile from where we were renting. We have lots of privacy because of the trees that line our back yard and part of the side yards. We even have a little bit of a creek (and poison ivy). We are slowly putting things were they belong. Xavier has taken over. He takes things out of boxes and totes as if to say, "here Mom! I though you might want this unloaded." He hasn't seen so many things that he shouldn't touch since our last trip to Best Buy.

Xavier has discovered Sesame Street. We watch it on the computer where you can stream video clips. Now when we come close to a computer he says, "Cookie (pronunciation a bit skewed)" and starts pushing buttons to try to get it to work. He was signing with Linda yesterday.

It is so neat to watch Xavier become more of a boy each day! He loves manly things like sports, trucks, motorcycles, and yard work (mostly for the loud, cool toys Papa plays with). When we go to Buddy's softball games Xavier tries to walk onto the field. Monday Buddy was mowing the grass and gave Xavier a short ride without the blade running. When it was time to get off Xavier's face puckered up into a very disappointed frown and he cried! Buddy cuddled him and he finally relented. We blew kisses and walked inside. Xavier sat on a box in the living room with a cup of crackers and watched Papa ride back and forth.

I will try to find some more pics and post them soon.

Off to bed!

Parenting Through Rose Colored Glasses

2009-08-05T22:05:00.003-04:00

Parenting can be hard, selfless, and tiring. Sometimes you have to just relax and step back from the situation and see it though the proverbial "rose colored glasses." Kids, especially toddlers, are the best mess makers ever! Dinner becomes a bean tornado that cuts a three-foot wide swath through the kitchen leaving smears and streaks in its path. Coloring time becomes an opportunity to redecorate the kitchen floor...and the toys...and the table. Folding laundry becomes a game of capture the flag. Walking through the kitchen is transformed into a mine field of Cheerios waiting to be crunched with every step. Nevertheless, you just have to smile through it!

Here are some of the fun times:

1. Is washing dishes with a toddler a tsunami like this planet has never seen? Possibly, but it is also a great way to keep Xavier entertained, get my dishes washed, the floor (soaked) cleaned, his hands spotless, and the counters scrubbed down. Plus its great bonding time for us both! Plus Xavier always runs through the house with a rag wiping down random surfaces: a door handle, toy, my purse, the sliding door, a chair leg. And on it goes. I don't know if this is actually productive, but he is happy.

2. Is reading Guess How Much I Love You every night too repetitive? Its a great way to read a book without really paying attention. Is it weird to be proud of memorizing a children's book? I love saying, "then he leaned over and kissed him goodnight." I always kiss him goodnight at that point. It is so nice! It is the best part about bedtime.

3. Is dinner time a disaster? We have lots of pictures with yogurt, spaghetti, and more from head to belly button. It takes a while to clean up and even though he has a onsie and shorts on there is still food in his diaper. Yet, it is so neat to see him get better and better at using a fork, drink out of a cup, and watch the food disappear from his tray.

It is always so nice to just enjoy playing with him and see him learn about our beautiful world. It is so neat to see him sit down and read a book with "babble, babble, babble." To repeat a word that we say (today it was blue). I love to share the kitchen with him and cook dinner. To see his face light up when we cheer for him!

Now that we are approaching the tantrum stage, it is fun to reflect on the happy, peaceful times.

Summer Fun and Adventures

2009-07-19T22:45:00.011-04:00

We finally found a baby pool. Xavier loves to play in it and it keeps him cool. He likes it best when I join him. And it always ends up with both of us soaking wet.

Yesterday we went to the zoo with the two grandmas. Xavier loved it! We got up early and were in the zoo shortly after 8am. Luckily we got to park nearby for free.

We went to the Children's Zoo

first. At the St. Louis Zoo general admission is free. There are several activities they charge for including the Children's Zoo, stingray area, and carousel, but they are free during the first hour that the zoo is open. We got to go through the Children's Zoo for free. Xavier loved going down the slide and petting the goats. They had water spouts in a play area. Xavier got soaked, but enjoyed it. Luckily I counted on it, so we had a change of clothes and shoes ready. It was so cute!

We went on to see other parts of the zoo. He loved the animals. He sat and listened to part of a nature lecture for the kids. He loved the monkeys! He like the other kids more than anything though! It was funny! We were surrounded by amazing, exotic creatures from all over the world and he was most fascinated by the ones of his own kind. The other kids were excited and screaming, so Xavier was then excited and started screaming.

The weather was so perfect! It was in the 70s with partly cloudy skies and very low humidity. We walked around and since we got there early, we had very few crowds to contend with. The four of us had a picnic lunch. What a great day!

Where Have all the Baby Pools Gone?

2009-06-27T11:11:00.004-04:00

Did you ever have the hard plastic wading pool with the generic cartoons on the bottom? The type that you could do just about everything to and it would still stand? The type that made good places to hide under when playing hide-and-go-seek? The type that left a big brown circle on the grass after weeks of "swimming"? Where have they all gone?

We have looked at countless stores and they are all gone! In their place has been set neat little rows of inflatable pools that will probably last as long as Xavier doesn't go near it. I understand that wading pools are harder to ship, too big for a normal car to drag home, but they lasted forever! Yes, eventually it would crack, but usually because someone tried to stand on it while it was upside down.

I agree that these new pools look like fun with water slides, sprayers, giant animals that inflate to near life size, but what do you say to your little one when Dumbo goes flat? Or we can't go swimming today because mommy doesn't want to go buy the 5th pool of the season and it isn't even July?

And no, I am not going to spend $175 on a baby pool.

Sigh. I will keep looking.

My New Shirt

2009-06-07T08:57:00.004-04:00

I don't really need to comment about this video...It speaks for itself.

Xavier is great! He had a rough patch of sleeping. He went from going to bed just fine with no help at all to screaming the second I left him. We finally have a different routine for him that involves a little more mommy time and it seems to cooperate with him. He gets a bath, gets dressed, says "goodnight" to Papa, then we snuggle together in the glider while reading "Guess How Much I Love You." He signs "book" and kind of says "book" as soon as we sit down. I give him his milk and he drinks while I read. He follows the pictures and moves his bottle so he can see. We set the book down and then I just hold him for a while. He finishes his milk and looks sleepy. I lay him in his bed (laying doesn't last long), say goodnight and leave. He usually cries, but it lasts less and less time each night. Last night it only lasted about 2 minutes.

I have been trying to get Xavier on camera signing, but usually when I try he just reaches to grab the camera. Here is a short video of him signing "cracker", "please", and "thank you". He and the tray are a mess because it is meal time, but that is to be expected.

His new word is "uh oh." When anything falls/is thrown to the ground, down the steps, or off the table he says it.

Oh, Xavier has learned to dance an Irish Jig. I need to get it on video! It looks like he is tap dancing.

Well, he is wanting breakfast. Duty calls!

Hygiene

2009-05-18T10:54:00.002-04:00

Xavier has taken it upon himself to ensure good hygiene.

He has also learned to use a napkin while eating. However, when he does use the napkin he usually bites off a chunk of it. Sometimes we extract it from his death grip before it becomes dessert.

When it is bath time, he helps us take his clothes off. We help him take one arm out then he can take his shirt off the rest of the way. Now he also goes for the toilet paper and "wipes" over his clothes and all. It is so funny!

After 15 months of watching us wash his hair, he has got it down. He takes the pump of the baby wash up to his hair then drops the bottle and proceeds to "lather". Usually he doesn't get any soap out, so I squeeze a little onto his head and he washes it. He also knows how to brush his hair and mine.

After bath time, Xavier signs (a made-up-by-Xavier sign) toothbrush and toothpaste. He "brushes" his teeth (really this is just chewing on it) for an extended period of time. When he decides he is done, he proceeds to throw the toothbrush onto the ground. Still need to teach him that toothbrushes belong in the drawer not the floor. Don't worry, it is cleaned before he use it again. My toothbrush, as well as Buddy's are now secured in the closet. Several times I have turned around from drawing a bath to see my red toothbrush shoved in Xavier's little mouth. Goodness.

Well, I think he is getting into something he is not supposed to. Better go!

Success

2009-05-06T10:44:00.002-04:00

Xavier did great yesterday for the surgery. He was a little fussy yesterday before it, but mostly because it was a new environment. But the surgery went great and his little issue is all better. It looks better so far. Xavier came home, ate a lot, and took a 3 1/2 hour nap. He was worn out! We played a little more, had dinner, then went to bed. He woke up happy today! Thank the Lord for a safe surgery and recovery! Thanks for the prayers :)

Walk Tall

2009-05-03T21:52:00.008-04:00

We have had a busy month! Sorry it has been so long since we last posted.

Xavier has walking down pat. He can go up hills and down hills. Walk in socks. Walk in rocks. He loves to walk here and there, he loves to walk everywhere!

Xavier holds our hand and walks into the store with us. He waves "bye-bye" to the cars that drive past (although it is much too late for anyone to see him). He is still a flirt and very friendly. He waved "Hi" to two high school girls today and they giggled at him. Watch out ladies! Sometimes he pushes the cart, but that gets very tiring.

While we were in DC at the end of March we stopped by the PICU where Xavier was taken care of and we got to say, "hi" to one of our nurses. I forgot to post this pic a while ago. Thanks to all of our great nurses from Inova Fairfax PICU!

Xavier has also become my little helper. He has helped me cook dinner on many occasions. He loves to stir vegetables, pour things, and get things out to use - whether or not we need it. I make sure whatever we are cooking isn't hot before he helps out, but he loves it! Sometimes he is too helpful and I don't have any room to walk around the kitchen because of all the pots, pans, and more strewn about the floor. When it comes time to actually cook things, Xavier tends his soup pot on the floor full of baby food lids, measuring cups, and toys. Yummy! Occasionally you can find a stray pea or Cheerio in the pot.

He also loves to sweep with the broom. He pushes and pulls it around the room "cleaning up" wherever he goes. When he sees the broom he says, "Oooo" (rhymes with "who"). What mom is going to discourage a child from cleaning?! Sure, here you go! Sometimes he drags it upstairs with him, and occasionally he throws it downstairs. This is his new thing: throwing things downstairs. He watches to see what will happen. He walks over as close as possible and then tosses whatever is in his hand (crayons, balls, brooms, food, socks to name a few). Sometimes he will crawl over or sprawl on his belly and push it down. It looks like he is working out some highly complicated mathematical experiment. (Little does he know that gravity has already been discovered...Sorry X!)

He has a pretty good vocabulary. He recently added to his list (both signed and spoken) "cracker". "Cracker" now means chips, pretzels, crackers, and anything else that is like those three. He will put a sentence together: "More water please" in sign language. He hasn't gotten the multi-spoken-word sentences yet. I am not concerned about him being able to say words. He babbles a lot and says things in Xavier language.

Xavier also got his first professional haircut on Friday night. He looks like such a handsome, little boy! He stayed very still and looked so cute in the cape! It looks much better now. He was looking quite wild.

Keep Xavier in your prayers. He is going in on Tuesday for a little surgery to fix something that is causing some irritation. The procedure should only take about 15 minutes, but prayers are always nice. After being in the hospital before, this should be a walk in the park. It will be out patient so no overnight stay is required. We don't know what time it will be yet, but should be in and out within 5 hours.

We went to the surprise 50th birthday party for the Bethmann grandparents today. Xavier played so hard and was such a good boy. He was so tired at the end. He went down slides, picked up sticks, ate cake, met lots of cool people, and played washers. Whew! I am exhausted just from chasing him around!

Little Surprises

2009-04-09T20:47:00.002-04:00

I love walking around the house and finding little "presents" left by Xavier. No...this is not a replay of "Raiders of the Lost Diaper".

Now that Xavier is walking around he leaves little love tokens all over the house. Today I found a shoe box in his new potty. The lid to the shoes was in my room. I went into the bathroom and there was a bag of frozen peas on the toilet (don't ask). I found my keys after 3 days in a basket in my room. We couldn't find our toothpaste for 2 days. Buddy opened up the emptied training potty box and found it. Things randomly go missing now, too! Each time I find something weird, I smile and think about this little person moving things around the house.

As well as leaving things in odd places, he has started to bring us things. In the past two days I have received a leaf, junk mail, a soggy ponytail holder, apple sauce (not in a container...just the apple sauce), a spoon (covered with apple sauce), glasses, important papers, half of an eaten cookie, and the list goes on.

Well, enough of my rambling.

Have a nice day!

Pics

2009-04-09T00:08:00.004-04:00

I updated Picassa :)

Keep Walkin'

2009-04-08T22:54:00.004-04:00

We are back from our adventures out east. The three of us flew to Connecticut and Massachusetts for a workshop for me. Then we drove down to DC to see our great friends out there. We saw at least 8 states and DC in 4 days! Wow!

On Saturday we celebrated Buddy's birthday at Hana Tokyo, the hibachi grill. Xavier loved it. We were very excited to get to go to Grace Community Church on Sunday. They happened to have a picnic the same day! It made it easy to catch up with everyone. We ended up missing our flight because we couldn't tear ourselves away. We made it back at a decent time. Xavier was awesome! He behaved on the plane, rode well in the car (all 8-9 hours of it), and slept well all over.

On Saturday we celebrated Buddy's birthday at Dave and Busters with a group of friends and family. We had a lot of fun! Xavier played cards with my mom and dad. It sure was fun!

Xavier is quite the toddler now! He just walks all over. He sometimes crawls still because it is easier, but he can pop up to standing, bend over to pick things up, and step over things with ease. Today he squatted down to read a book. He is always amazing me! He also likes to walk from the car into the house now. It takes a lot longer, but it sure is cute!

Speaking of longer, feeding Xavier takes about 10 minutes. If I let him feed himself, it takes 30 minutes or more. Mess is minimal if I hold the spoon. If Xavier holds the spoon... might as well give him a bath. He is getting very good at maneuvering his fork and spoon. He can't quite figure out how to stab the food yet, but once I stab it he can put it in his mouth. With spoons, he dips it in and bites it off.

His signing vocabulary is growing. He signs: mama, papa, milk, thank you, more, food, water (looks a little like food), hi, bye (waves for both), bath, good job (claps). He picks up things so quickly! He is learning the "Itsy Bitsy Spider". I did it just twice and he started to move his fingers and thumbs for the spider. It is slowly picking up the other hand signs.

We will take some video and post it soon!

Xavier Loves Yogurt

2009-03-21T23:29:00.004-04:00

Trip

2009-03-21T23:00:00.002-04:00

We are back from South Carolina where Buddy and I spent our first trip away from Xavier. He stayed with Grandma and Grandpa Lubbers while we traveled. It was Buddy's Christmas present from me. We traveled with a group of 15 from William Woods University (the college we attended) there on Sunday. We had a busy week!

Monday it was rainy and cold, but we didn't let that stop us from braving the rapids in a raft. We did a 10 mile raft trip through rapids ranging from 1-4 in difficulty.with Wildwaters Limited, a white water rafting company. One called Bull Sluice was a 4. It was intimidating. They parked the rafts on the bank while we looked at the rapid. I wasn't afraid until we saw it. It was a roaring rapid! We took turns going through it while the others watched. They had guides at the bottom with ropes to pull in those who fell out. One of our boats dumped. They were all washed down the rapid. Another boat had 2 people fall out: a dad and young daughter. She was swept down and the dad was plopped at the top on a boulder. Luckily our raft stayed afloat. I almost chickened out and stayed to watch. We had a great guide, Stephanie. She helped us through, taught us what we needed to know, kidded, and was easy going.

Tuesday we went on a high ropes course. Also scary, but we all did well. I was able to shoot some great pics! It has been fun playing with my camera. Later on some people rented kayaks and canoes. A few went golfing. The rest of us went to check out Clemson. We were looking forward to some ice cream, but they were closed for spring break. Oh well. DQ was the stand in.

Wednesday we went hiking on the Table Rock trail. It took us a while to get there and it was a pretty hard hike! It was just up up up lots of stairs. We were worn out. There were lots of waterfalls and streams. Some of the trees were starting to leaf out. Once we finally got up there, the view was great! I didn't drink enough water..I think I was dehydrated. After a sports drink, advil, and a shower I felt much better. We had a great dinner of brats, hamburgers, "fried taters", and salad. Mmmm!

Thursday I went for a micro hike while Buddy and Clint went for a canoe ride. We really enjoyed ourselves. I dropped my lens cap into the water by a waterfall. I thought it was lost, but Kelly was brave enough to get it for me. It was probably 4 feet deep! Using a stick she was able to get it close enough to reach in and grab! I was very thankful! When we got back, Abby and I went canoeing and then for a cool hike through the woods by streams and beaver dams. It was nice! That night we watched the Clemson/Michigan basket ball game at a pizza joint. Buddy and I played pool and then air hockey (I beat him once in each).

Friday, we drove home. :)

So now the three bears are back together again.

Xavier is walking well now. He can walk about 10 feet or so before falling or grabbing onto something for support. It is so cute to see him toddle around, although he still crawls and cruises sometimes. He looks different from when we last saw him on Friday! Babies and toddlers change so fast! I am glad we have the weekend to spend with him. While we were in Sam's today he used Buddy's car clicker as a phone. He had it pressed to his ear and was jabbering like he was on the phone. So cute!!

I turned his car seat around. Xavier is now officially a forward seater. He is so long that his legs were squished when rear facing. I don't know if he noticed a difference, but it was fun seeing his face in the rear view mirror.

I will try to post some pics to picassa. Have a great night!

Pics and Teeth

2009-02-28T15:13:00.002-05:00

I have added more pics to Picassa. Just click on the pic of us on the side then click on "Amanda's Gallery" to see more. I will try to keep adding them :)

Xavier has 10 teeth with a few more on the way. We got him a little tooth brush and he loves it. He sits on my lap with his and I brush mine. He chews it a lot on both sides. I hope this means that he will have good dental hygiene when he gets older. It is cute to see him with his tooth brush in his mouth. He gets really excited when I pull out the baby tooth paste and brush. The sad part is that he likes it so much that he pouts when I take it away.

Well, have a wonderful day!

Blanket

2009-02-27T00:12:00.003-05:00

Xavier has chosen his "blankie." It is a large fleece blanket with satin binding around it that was made by his Great-Great-Aunt Rosie. I had a hunch that he had become attached to it when he reached through the bars of his crib to try to pull it out while playing on the floor. I knew it was his blankie when I put it in a basket with other dirty bedding and he went through it all just to find and pull it out. I put it all back into the basket again. He fussed and pulled it all out again until he found his blankie. Yep...we have successfully identified his favorite blanket. He likes most blankets as long as they have satin on them, but this seems to be his favorite. He sleeps much better with it.

This left me with but one choice: make another one.

Mind you, this is my first time using a sewing machine since college and that was just to make some couch covers that required little skill.

Off I set to the fabric store to find some material and "ribbon" to go around it. The lady, with a look between frustration and pity, said, "You mean binding? It is over there by the buttons."

She marched over to the button section and motioned toward an endless supply of bindings. I have no idea how I missed that. They had everything from Finding Nemo to plain white.

In the end I bought white satin binding with blue fleece that is "guaranteed not to pill." I am sure Xavier will find a way to make it pill. :)

I brought it home and after another run to the store to get straight pins, the blanket is complete. It is not exactly perfect, but he seems content.

Xavier is curled up in his crib with it right now. Which reminds me..it is bed time.

Good night! (Will 2 posts be sufficient for now?)

Birthday Boy!

2009-02-26T23:07:00.007-05:00

Xavier is 1 year (and a week) old! How exciting!

He had his first cupcake at his first birthday party with lots of family and friends here to celebrate with us. At first Xavier didn't know what to do with the cupcake. He touched the icing and didn't like the texture. He tried to wipe it off on his tray since it was sticky. Finally he took a taste and boy was he excited! It took him a little while, but there were only a few crumbs and smudges of icing left on the tray in the end. He loved it! We watched to see how it would affect him, but he did fine.

He tore through opening presents. The neighbor girls helped Xavier. He even liked opening the cards, although I must say that cards are a lot more fun and interactive than they used to be. We gave him one with sheep on it that made "baaaa baaa baa" sheep noises when opened. He loved it. (Actually, I knew he would because he played with it in the shopping cart when we went to Target...that is before I took it away because he was attempting to chew the poor sheep's head off.) I think he thought they were puppies...just about anything with a face, 4 legs, and fur is a puppy. He loves barking at them!

Xavier had his 1 year check up. He is now 30 3/4" tall and 22 lbs. 9 oz. He got 3 shots and succeeded in ripping one of the Band-Aids off before I got his pants back on him. No stickers yet. Maybe the next visit. The doctor said he looked good, except for another ear infection. I was disappointed we didn't get to show the doctor how he can say "Ahhh". We have been practicing, but the Doc just used the tongue depressor instead. Next time.

He has been reluctant (to put it mildly) to go to sleep the past few nights. Partly because of the ear infection and partly because of clinging to Mama. I was able to get him down to sleep fairly easily tonight. Whew! I think the antibiotics are starting to help with the ears.

I am uploading some long over due pics to Picassa.

Well, I am off. Enjoy the pics & video!

The Grocery Game: Review

2009-01-29T22:41:00.002-05:00

After trying the Grocery Game for about 2 months, here is my review:

After signing up I did save quite a bit and it encouraged me to clip coupons. I also learned about using coupons at the right time to save more that I would normally as well as in conjunction with double coupon offers (usually any coupon up to $0.40 will be double the value). The Grocery Games (GG) takes the guess work out of using coupons to do your grocery shopping. Another helpful feature of the GG was the printable/customizable lists. You can check items on the list that you would like to purchase and only those checked will print. It also offers the amount saved, when the coupon was printed, and the final cost. Overall it is pretty user friendly.

I decided to cancel my subscription because I felt I used my own coupon and sale ads to determine what to buy using the principles of GG. It is more work this way, but I never had time to look at the GG online or print it off since I don't have much time to use the computer when I get home. If I had a desk job, I might be able to access it more readily. If the GG offered a mobile web version, it would be easier to use for busy moms on the go.

Another beneficial part of the GG is the ability to print off coupons from their website. If you don't like cutting them out each week, this makes it a little easier.

Well, I hope this helps.

11 Months (and Then Some)

2009-01-27T22:15:00.005-05:00

Xavier has had a busy 2 weeks. Here is a quick update:

Still growing like a weed. He wears size 18 month pants because the 12 months are too short.

He was really fussy with his cold a week ago Monday and we thought something was off. So we went to the doctor. The nurse practitioner said he had ear infections in both ears and prescribed an antibiotic. That explained some of the fussiness. That night when we gave him a shower Buddy said, "Is that rice in his mouth?" I looked and thought...hmm maybe. We felt it (even though he was protesting quite a bit) and to our surprise, it was a molar popping through! That explained the rest of the fussiness.

Now he is chewing on the other side. Bum bum bummmmm.

We finally got some snow!!! Yay! Driving in it was not fun since it was icy and slick.
When we got home, we bundled up and headed outside to introduce Xavier to snow. He was all bundled in his snowsuit and boots. It was so cute! He loved the snow. I stood him up and he just stood there for about a minute. It was so cute! Then, plop! There he went on his hands. I think he liked the snow, but he didn't know what to do with it. We laid him down on the snow and he liked it until the snow fell on his face. He didn't know what to do. It was so cute! We made a baby snow angel with him.

He just looked so sweet in the snow suit! I just wanted to snuggle with him!

Xavier is healthy now and feeling pretty good. Just a little teething still and a little attached to Mama - both of which will hopefully be short lived.

Well, have a great night!

Colds

2009-01-17T00:15:00.003-05:00

Xavier is almost 11 months old!

He now has 3 teeth on the bottom now. The third popped through just the other day. He is so good through it.

He now has a cold. He has a runny nose and cough. He is still happy through it all. He looks up and smiles even though his face is all slimy. He isn't sleeping well right now, however. He wakes up rather often. Hopefully this cold will pass soon.

He is a good eater. He was funny today and wouldn't eat things off of his tray that he had to pick up. If I picked one up and put it on the spoon he ate it right up! Silly baby! :)

Xavier has learned how to take off his diaper...yikes! No accidents yet..whew!

Buddy and I are busy looking through bridal magazines, wedding books, and brochures dreaming of our wedding. There is so much to plan and decide on: a date, a dress, location, etcetera, ... At first it was all overwhelming for me, but now I think I have a little more of a grip on it. It is so exciting looking at all the dresses! I don't know what I want in a dress. I am sure once I start trying them on it will be hard to narrow it down.

Well, back to the bridal mags!

Good night!

More Photos for You!

2009-01-08T23:08:00.003-05:00

Check out some pics of our sweet family :)

We will add more as we go along.

Enjoy!

PS thanks for all the well wishes on our engagement.

Engaged!

2009-01-02T00:47:00.002-05:00

Hello! Buddy and I are now officially engaged!

Just after midnight and the balloon drop we had the toast and then we went back for another pic of the "new year kiss". Buddy dropped to one knee and I didn't know what to say. I was very surprised to say the least. I just said, "Really!?" over and over. I couldn't believe it. I was so excited. So he showed me the ring. Other people in the room were saying, "Is he proposing?" "Did she say 'yes?'" I couldn't stop smiling! My cheeks hurt.

So, yes. I said, "yes."

Buddy did great picking out the ring! I smile whenever I look at it. Buddy does, too.

No, we do not have a date set yet. :)

10 Months and Counting

2008-12-31T11:56:00.004-05:00

Ok, I just realized how long it has been since we have posted! I am sorry! Wow!

Xavier is doing great! He is 10 1/2 months and so grown up already. He had a nice Christmas tearing through wrapping paper to lovingly carrying it around until the next piece could be torn off or Mom took it away. I was surprised that he didn't eat too much. He did however eat through the top of a mac & cheese box the other day. It made it easy to open.

He is getting so big! He is about 22 lbs now (give or take...it is hard to weigh a baby on a regular scale). His 12 month pants are getting to be too short! Oh no! My baby is getting too big! When standing he comes up to my upper thigh. I think he will be a pretty tall boy.

He can say Mama and Papa now. He says "wawa," but I haven't figured out what it means. I think he just likes that sound.

He has 4 teeth on top and 2 on the bottom with 4 on the way. Xavier has learned not to bite hard when he does. He usually just plays and nibbles like a puppy. This morning I was feeding him and my finger got too close and he bit me very hard. Just a warning, his teeth are very sharp!!!

We still only are working on the Mac, so we can't post pics yet. If anyone knows how, let me know. I will try to upload some to Picassa or something and post a link.

Well, the Beast calls. :) Nap time.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!!

9 Months Old!

2008-11-18T22:51:00.002-05:00

Wow! It is amazing how much Xavier has changed lately. I know I say this every time I post, but he really has advanced in the past couple of days. He finally figured out how to crawl on his knees! Yay! This means he is in to everything, faster. Xavier's pulling up skills have advanced to include sitting back down. He will pop right up and stand there. He even lets go of whatever he is holding and claps his hands with a very proud look on his face.

He loves sitting with me and reading books before bed and in the mornings. He isn't wanting to nurse as often, but according to some stuff I read babies begin to nurse less frequently around this age. Xavier is eating solids quite a bit. His little body is doing well with them. I make sure what he eats is bland and less prone to allergies. He loves meat and also most veggies. He really likes broccoli. He is learning to like apple juice as well. After several attempts, X has finally figured out the sippy cups.

Bath time has become...umm..interesting. He doesn't like to sit still. Also, he wants to be by me-which means held by me- the whole time. So needless to say bath time is temporarily nixed. It has been replaced temporarily by shower time. Not as fun, but still as clean. And much faster :)

Life is good. I am working too much. For the last several days I've been working from 8-5. It is tiresome. I am thankful for the pay, but it makes for a long day since I am not home all day. I am glad X is in good hands :)

Buddy and I just watched WALL-E. Very cute!!! You gotta see it!

Well, off to bed. Night!

You know your a mom when...

2008-11-08T08:25:00.007-05:00

We now have a refrigerator that works! Yay! It is so nice to be able to go grocery shopping again. Oddly enough it is not packed with food yet. I think I bought more pantry groceries instead of refrigerated foods. Still getting used to the idea that I can buy stuff like that. I signed up for a trial of TheGroceryGame.com a website where a list is made of your local grocery store's sales paired up with coupon to help you save the most possible. It is pretty smart! You can also print coupons there (membership not required). If anyone would like to try it, let me know and I will send you an invitation. (If you refer people you get credit towards free weeks.) The cost is $1 for the first 4 weeks as a trial. After that it is $10 every 8 weeks. I am trying out the first month to see how it goes. We saved almost $10 at the grocery store with coupons in one trip. We shall see if it continues.

We now are also the proud owners of a front-loader washer and dryer. Xavier's diapers are so clean! Wow! I am enjoying having fewer loads of laundry and the clothes smell nice and clean. We bought the Seventh Generation laundry detergent because it is on sale, had a coupon attached, is better for the environment, and had a free and clear variety for the diapers. (All of the Seventh Generation cleaning products are currently on sale at Schnuck's grocery store here. Also, you can go online and get coupons for their products.) Since it is ultra concentrated and also high efficiency, we use very little detergent. I was surprised how little we use! It is 1/3 less than what we would use for a regular load, and yet more clothes are getting washed all at the same time. How does this work?

I really like the Seventh Generation products because I don't like cleaning with toxic chemicals on things that Xavier will be touching, chewing on, and crawling on. Their products are safe to use with kids around. We already use the shower and bathroom cleaners. I just got the dishwasher detergent. I like it so far. The granules are finer than the one I purchased at Whole Foods. I am also a fan of Method cleaners, but it is hard to find them on sale.

Xavier is getting bigger and bigger! He is getting bolder, too! He pulls himself up more readily and when standing doesn't need the support of my hands as much. So cute! We did some Pilates together the other day. That was fun. It was good exercise for both of us!

A couple of tips I got regarding baby constipation: prunes/prune juice (a little bit goes a long way) or avocados. Avocados are a good finger food, although they are hard to pick up because they stick to the table- Xavier has now decided that when the food doesn't want to go where his mouth is, his mouth will go where the food is! He brings his little face to the table and tries to pick it up that way. He is great at problem solving.

Well, I am gonna go workout while Xavier is sleeping.

Have a great weekend!

Also, if you have any helpful foods for baby bowel issues, let me know! It is always nice to have more tips on hand!

Starting to stand

2008-10-28T20:02:00.002-04:00

Yesterday Xavier was inching along the bathroom floor while I got the bath ready. I threw a few toys, the usual rubber duckies and cups, and added some soap for a little fun. Xavier wanted to see what I was doing so he put his hands on the edge of the tub and sat on his knees. as I watched, he went from his knees to standing up! I was amazed by how quickly he picked this up. it was so cute!

Xavier has learned to use his teeth to bite and chew his food. He picked up a Cheerio size cereal we call star bites and as he pinched it between his fingers he took little bites off of it. Although this is unnecessary since they are so tiny, it was cute and a good skill for him to learn.

I am so excited! We ordered a new washer, dryer, and refrigerator. I cannot wait to cook again! I am sick of eating out, but we've been using a mini fridge for the past month and half. Not fun. We ordered a side by side. I have a list of food I want to get. Trader Joe's here I come!

As for the washer & dryer we decided to go for the front loader. We need a new washer because the current one only works on delicate. I am looking forward to trying it out! I wonder how it will do with cleaning the diapers. I need to research how other people do it. I know there are people who do cloth with front loaders. I will let you know more.

I feel like a little girl waiting for Christmas! I hope it won't be too long!

I will post pics later.

Trick or Treat!

2008-10-22T17:38:00.002-04:00

While checking my email, I came across this hilarious article about Halloween candy. Enjoy!

http://food.yahoo.com/blog/edlevineeats/13401/the-10-most-disappointing-treats-for-trick-or-treaters

On another note, I was getting ready to feed Xaver then to my surprise a Cheerio was on his bellybutton! How did it get there? As he was sitting on my lap I kept hearing the pitter-patter of tiny o-shaped cereal falling to the floor and landing all around my feet. I don't even know where he was hiding them.

Wow!

Almost 8 Months!

2008-10-16T09:38:00.007-04:00

Hi!

Sorry it has been so long. We have been busy bears. This will probably be a short post, since I gotta go to work.

Xavier is developing so quickly! He is able to pick up Cheerios by pinching them between his thumb and index finger. Then he sticks them in his mouth. He had one stuck to the back of his hand yesterday and couldn't figure out how to get it. He would try to pinch another one and then be distracted by the one on his fingers. We enjoyed that.

He is eating solids like a champ. He likes fish, too! I gave him a little and he liked that over applesauce! Imagine that! He is quite the little carnivore! He has liked each meat we have given him thus far.

He is sleeping in his crib now. He loves it! (I can't remember if I already said this, oh well)

He has 4 teeth, and they are continuing to come in. They have been bothering him some, which is probably why he likes chewing on Cheerios.

Xavier is getting really good at sitting unsupported. He hasn't figured out that if he leans back he will fall over, but it is only a matter of time now.

He still LOVES paper. He will "crawl" quickly to get it. He isn't exactly crawling, but still inchworming along. I doubt that it will be long before he is actually on his hands and knees.

Last weekend we went down to the Lake of the Ozarks with Grandma and Grandpa Lubbers. We had lots of fun! Then we got to see Aunt Victoria.

Yesterday Grandma Bethmann played with Xavier while I worked. They had fun! Then Aunt Susie came over to play, too!

I'm not sure what he weighs now or how long he is. I will try to get this figured out tonight when I get home.

Gotta go get dressed! Have a great day!

7 Months Old

2008-09-27T01:00:00.009-04:00

Hello to all of our friends, family, and Baby X fans :) We are getting closer to being settled in our home each day. We still have things to unpack, but that is a process. We just got Internet here at the house, so now we can continue with the posts!

Xavier is now 7 months old! It is amazing how quickly time has flown! He has 2 bottom teeth (very sharp indeed), 1 top tooth poked through, and another one close to being through. If it wasn't for the drool and the chewing, you wouldn't know he was teething.

He is getting over his first cold. Amazingly enough, he has gone this long without one (thank goodness!) and he successfully shared it with Mama. How sweet! We are both about better although we still have slightly stuffy noses.

Xavier is now used to his new house. He had a little trouble settling into his new room, but now he loves it. We have baby-proofed it and he likes to cruise around it on his little belly (usually in circles or reverse). He is learning to do "the Inchworm" some of you may recall the infamous dance "the worm". Xavier has taken this amazing and highly skilled dance and adapted it for propelling himself in the forward direction. His favorite "carrot" is paper. He can inch his way along very quickly using occasional toe thrusts and super-baby upper body strength to get his favorite toy-the sales ad. The best way to describe this is an inchworm in basic training.

He is also exposing his palatte to a wide variety of delectables including yams a la rice cereal, pureed peas with a rice cereal base, and banana and rice cereal pudding (not really pudding). A couple of his favorite hors d'ourves include fresh banana bites, Cheerios, Gerber Graduate wheels, shredded beef, and paper...oh wait! paper shouldn't be in there! He is quite the gourmand when it comes to dining. Nothing but the best. (but he is not picky, he may give a funny face, but he will still eat whatever I give him).

Well, I guess I should leave you with some pictures of Xavier's latest. Hi there everyone in DC. We miss you!

Enjoy the pics!