I Have Moved July 14, 2008

If you are looking for me, I have moved. Please come find me at my new URL

www.thediaperdiaries.net

How to Clean a House (Diaper Diary Style) July 7, 2008

 First let’s get two things out of the way. For anyone who has been dying to see a picture of me, I think this picture is a highly accurate representation. Long legs and a teeny, tiny waist with thick, luxurious long hair. Now you know. Also I am still on the Fly Lady wagon. I am barely holding on by my fingertips, but still hanging on. So Monday is my cleaning day. So here the patented Diaper Diary way to clean a house on cleaning day.

• Wake up at 7 and check email while the kids climb all over you asking for more breakfast. Assure them that Daddy has already fed them breakfast and you will not be doing anything more in that department. Remind them several times to keep their sticky syrup fingers away from your laptop.
• At 7:45 children begin to wander down to their playroom and ask to watch Super-Why. Think that it is pretty educational and followed by Word World which is also highly educational. Possibly also swayed by the hour that they will be in front of the TV leaving you to surf People.com and find out about Madonna and A-Rod. Send kids downstairs.
• Madonna and A-Rod begin to bore you and FlyLady keeps emailing you to clean your house. Figure you should so she will get off you back already. Begin to straighten up living room so you can vacuum.
• Find all sorts of Polly Pocket clothes which Hannah keeps bringing up stairs to give me as gifts. They somehow have begun breeding and are everywhere. Contemplate letting the vacuum “accidentally” run over all 500 of them, but fear it will ruin the vacuum. Throw them downstairs and hope they magically walk their little rubbery selves into the proper place.
• Begin vacuuming the living room and dining room.
• Spot Hannah standing at the top of the stair crying because of an irrational fear of the vacuum cleaner. Call on hubby to soothe her so I can vacuum in peace (when did vacuuming become peaceful?).
• Think about dusting, but then decide against it. Add Pledge dust wipes to Walgreens list hoping that will motivate me to dust.
• Unload dishwasher and reload with the plates and glasses that have begun mating and reproducing in the sink overnight. Curse the inventor of sippy cups and all their pieces.
• Head upstairs to fold laundry and get distracted by the fact that my dear hubby has not unpacked his suitcases from early last week. Pile suitcases and other random articles of his clothing on his side of the bed so I don’t have to see them and I can pretend the room is clean.
• Attempt to dress girls and engage in a bizarre battle with my 2 year old over what she is going to wear. Seriously? You are two. Send prayers up to Jesus that he will please return before I have teenage daughters.
• Shower in relative peace and get girls dressed and ready to run to Walgreens. Mom shows up and offers to watch the girls since she was out of town and has been missing them. Hmmm…..kid-free errand running? Sign me up.
• Come back home after errands with one less kid than I left with (not because I am a bad mom, but because Lily is staying at CoCo’s house for the afternoon)
• Put Hannah to bed and straigten up remaining downstairs rooms. Run Scooba in kitchen.
• Decide to put away all the clothes I have folded earlier that are laying on the bed. Mostly cause a good thunderstorm is brewing and climbing under the covers with Real Simple sounds perfect.
• Wake up an hour later cause Hannah is waking up.
• Head downstairs and check email. Get distracted on Facebook and notice that Hannah has been quiet for quite a while. Discover her in my purse playing with my hand lotion. Realize she has used 3/4 of the bottle making herself “pretty” as well as the floor and the carpet.
• Throw Hannah in the bathtub and decide this would be a good time to clean the bathroom. Cop out and use Lysol wipes to get the job done. Notice the tub has a bit of a ring around it and try to figure out ways to make Hannah clean it while bathing. Give up.
• Spend rest of afternoon and early evening complaining to kids and hubby that “I just cleaned the house!!! Why are you leaving messes everywhere!!! Pick up what you are playing with when you are done and stop making messes!!!!”
• Leave hubby to put kids to bed and go get a pedicure so your toes look cute for vacation. Eat dark chocolate M&Ms while blogging. Look around at dishes in the sink and toys on the floor and not care one bit.

This post was written for An Island Life’s first ever Group Writing Project. Head over there for details.

My Link to the Rich and Famous- Part 3 July 6, 2008

  If you are wondering about part 1 and 2 you can find them here (under #100) and here. But those pale in comparison to part 3, cause in part 3, I am pretty sure I actually had a hand in molding the future career of said famous person.

You see, it all begins in my youth, back in Marshalltown, IA. I did what any young girl does who is too young to hold a real job, but needs some money to feed her already developing clothes addiction. I began babysitting. I actually enjoyed it cause I had some regular families with some really cute kids. Plus, I will tell you a little secret if you promise not to laugh. I really like to play with Barbies and it gave me an excuse to do so. Hey, you promised!! Sadly enough, I remember one time arguing with a little girl who was tired of playing with them that we would continue playing with them whether she liked it or not. Thank God I now have little girls.

Anywho, we had these family friends who I would babysit for. They had 4 kids and the oldest was my brother’s age so it wasn’t so much babysitting as making sure they didn’t burn the house down while their parents were away. Their dad was the high school baseball coach so I recall playing a lot of baseball-esque games. It is probably here where the stellar athleticism I possess today first began to develop (ahem).

Fast-forward about 20 years and their youngest son is drafted into the majors. Not only that, but he is the #3 draft pick. Now all of the articles you read will credit his dad and other coaches throughout high school and college, but I am pretty sure those nights I pitched the ball while we ran around the pretend bases in their living room had a lot to do with it. I am waiting for the interview where I get some acknowledgement. Patiently waiting…

So if you go to a Mariner’s game and you happen to run into Jeff, tell him you know the Diaper Diaries blogger. I think he will be really impressed. He may act all aloof like he doesn’t know what in the heck you are talking about. But he knows. He just doesn’t want to be one of those obnoxious people who name drops about every celebrity he knows. Cause God only knows how annoying those people can be.

Things I Love Thursday- Snacktrition July 2, 2008

  I am a snack moron. I know I should eat healthy ones, but somehow just grabbing some highly processed something or other always seems easier. That’s why I love it when someone makes it easy for me. And the people at Snacktrition have done exactly that. Healthy, portable, easy to eat, kid friendly. What more can you ask for?

Snacktrition has created a line of nuts and dried fruit snacks that they have added calcium and fiber too. In this house we can always stand a little more of each of those. Depending on the snack you chose it will either be packed with 3 grams of fiber or more than 100 grams of calcium which translates to 12 percent of your recommended fiber and 10 percent of your recommended calcium intake. Not bad for a handful of nuts.

So that’s what they asked me to tell you, but what do I really think? I really liked them!! I tried the smoked almonds (delicious), the sea salt cashews (not too salty, but just salty enough-they also have salt and pepper cashews which sound awesome), and my personal favorite, the fruit and nut mix (perfect blend of sweet and salty). They come in little bags which are the perfect size for taking on the go, but watch your portions cause nuts are high in fat (but the good kind) and before you know it, you’ve downed the whole thing in 3 seconds.

Here is the slight bummer, these babies might be hard to find right now, but you can check out their website for possible locations. I have a small amount of the fruit and nut mix left that I may be willing to share for some sort of bribe. Gotta be something good though cause we are running pretty low on food around here. Plus our phone and internet seem to have gone out with this storm and I am going to have nothing to do for the next few days but eat to fight off the shakes I will get from internet withdrawl.

Wanna tell us what you love? Sign up with Mr. Linky below and check out these rules to play (which are really just there so I can feel like I make some rules that someone, somewhere follows).

 

Works For Me Wednesday- Chicken Enchiladas July 1, 2008

   I love to cook. No really, I do. But I rarely cook the same thing. I get bored and I like to try new things. And I have written before about how we like to use Saving Dinner (because it saves me all sorts of time and money) so I am always at the mercy of whatever is on that menu every week. Which makes it sound like the food is bad, and it’s not…typically.

But I am not a “look in the fridge and cupboards and grab 5 seemingly unrelated things and throw them together in new wild and wonderful ways to create something so amazing Rachael Ray herself would be in awe” kind of cook. That is more the hubby. I follow recipes exactly. Exactly. Lately I have been loosening up a bit in the recipe department. Sometimes I just throw caution to the wind and omit something. Or even add something. I like to live on the edge my friends.

None of this is really relevant, but I realized when I was about to post my brilliant recipe, that I had actually already posted it before. Apparently, I only have one go-to recipe. How sad. Actually this is the meal I have been making for my friend’s when they have babies (which I have provided some tips for over here). So sorry for a bit of a rerun, but it’s summer and reruns are what summer is all about (unless you enjoy really bad reality TV).

EASY CHICKEN ENCHILADAS

2C shredded chicken (i buy rotisserie chicken found in most delis)

12 flour tortillas (i used wheat)

1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes with juice

1 Cup creamed corn

2 bags (8oz each) Mexican four-cheese blend

1.  Spoon 2T of shredded chicken down the center of each tortilla.  Top each with 1T of tomatoes with juice, 1T of corn and 2T of cheese.

2.  Roll tortilla, place seam-side down in a 9×13 dish.  Repeat with the remaining tortillas, making two batches of six.  Pour remaining tomatoes and juice over enchiladas.  Divide remaining cheese among the two batches.  Cover tightly with plastic wrap.

3.  Cook at 350 for about 20-30 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly. *note: this recipe actually calls for microwaving for 3 minutes on high, but I like the way it tastes better out of the oven. You can do whichever you would like.

If you like your Mexican food with a little more kick, I would use salsa somewhere in the mix. This has more of a cheesy vibe, but might be a little bland for some of your taste. You can also top with sour cream, guacamole (God’s greatest food) or cilantro. All of these would unfortunately take you over 5 ingredients and the easy recipe police may hunt you down and give you some sort of fine. You could probably bribe your way out with some guacamole and a margarita or two.

For more culinary inspiration, head over to Rocks In My Dryer.

Things I Know To Be True June 23, 2008

1. If your regular aerobics instructor is not there and you see that the woman who is teaching the class, although very nice, is known to sing loudly along with the music and regularly shout “Who Hoo!!” you are probably not going to enjoy the class as much as you usually do.
2. If your you or the hubby (that would be the hubby, I don’t rise early EVER) sets the alarm so that he can wake up early and work out, your kids will wake up during the night culminating in a 5:40 am wake up call.
3. If you have worn the same bras for years on end, chances are that the new bras you try on in your size will seem oddly small. But only around your chest, not in your actual boobs. Those babies have shriveled up like a raisin after nursing 2 kids. And you will be sad when you try on the “Super Sexy Push Up Bra” and they still look that way.
4. If you drop your children off at your parents for the afternoon so you can go to the doctor, chances are they will behave like angels only to unleash some exceptionally nasty behavior on you for the rest of the night.
5. If you go to CVS at an alternate time than when your usual cashier (who you know and who knows you on a first name basis) is working, you will get hassled about the coupons you are using forcing you to add a Twix candy bar to your total to deal with the stress.
6. If someone wants to pay you $20 to participate in a taste test that actually is a “smell test” in which you smell various samples of cereal and provide feedback, that is a pretty easy $20.
7. If your brother and sister in law get you a pedicure for your birthday, you can assume they know you fairly well. Also, you must use it as soon as possible on the day it arrives. That kind of thing can’t sit around collecting dust. Especially when my toes were beginning to look a bit funky.
8. I will never grow tired of listening to the song “Falling Slowly” which won the Oscar last year.
9. There is nothing better than sitting on your patio in a lounge chair with I-tunes playing, a glass of wine and your trusty laptop keeping you company.

There really seems like there should be 1 more observations to round it out to an even 10 so throw a couple in the comments dear readers.

The Apocolypse might be coming…but at least you will be allergy free. June 7, 2008

 To say the weather has been a little weird lately is an understatement. Sometimes it is beautiful. Other times is appears quite beautiful from the window, but then you step outside and it is so humid you immediately melt the second you step outside. Someone told me the other day the humidity was 100%. Doesn’t that mean it is raining, I am confused. Then the temp drops and a rainstorm like no other descends upon us bringing with it hail and winds that make you want to run to the basement. It seems like there is a severe thunderstorm and tornado watch every day. End of the world? I am not going to even try and deny that every time the weather gets crazy, the thought crosses my mind.

The one thing I do know is that all sorts of people’s allergies are going crazy lately. Seems like a bad allergy season. I don’t personally suffer from them, but the hubby does. Actually I do get them bad when I am pregnant because apparently since the baby is half the hubby, I get to share in the joy. Cause pregnancy isn’t fun enough. Oh and, joy of all joys, allergy meds are no good when preggo.

Anyway, net out, allergies stink, preggo or not. Did you know that indoor air is four to five times more polluted than outdoor air? So much for heading inside where the air conditioning is to escape the allergens and the heat. So that is why I wanted to let you know about American Standard’s AccuClean Whole Home Air Filtration System. It attaches to your existing furnace or air handler and removes allergens from the air in every room of the house. Actually it removes 99.98% of allergens and 99% of the common flu virus. I guess the other .02 and 1% are renegades that can’t be stopped.

If your family suffers from allergies or asthma, this is definitely worth checking into. Please check out their website for further information as well as dealers in your area.

Start Spreading The News May 16, 2008

  I have left the kids and the hubby at home and headed to New York for a girl’s weekend with my 3 best friends from graduate school. Having a blast but won’t be back until Sunday night, but I will tell you all about it when I return. Enjoy your weekend, cause I will be lovin’ mine!!

Oh Max, you had me at hello April 13, 2008

 I am a dog person. Nothing against cat people. I don’t for the life of me understand you, but I am sure you are still good folk. I just have always been a dog person. By the way, cats sense this and they stalk me. They crawl up on me and refuse to leave me alone. They are like Hari Krishnas in the airport trying to convert me.

Anyway, I remember having dogs for a lot of my growing up. I just always assumed when I “grew up” I would have one too. Actually I did briefly buy a dog on a whim in graduate school. 3 months and $750 dollars later, I gave him to a family who lived on a farm so I could move to Chicago. I am sure my parents will be leaving a comment on this post detailing the stupidity of this dog ownership decision so I will just leave it at that.

So every once and a while, the hubby and I discuss it. Never with much seriousness because we have 2 toddlers and we like to travel on a whim and who would watch the dog. And who would walk it (the hubby) and take care of it (oh alright, probably the hubby). And we have these 2 little kids who would think it was cool for a while, but it would be just like having another toddler around, except one who is much more likely to poop and pee on the furniture. We are already at high risk for that as it is, so really why add one more stress?

Cause I really, really want a dog sometimes. Not the house covered in dog hair, or the barking, or the caretaking, and especially not the vet stuff. But the snuggling and the cuddling and the curling up on your lap while you blog, that I want. I have this strange affection for pugs. Actually any breed of dog that is so homely it is adorable (bull dogs, boston terriers, etc.). So every once in a blue moon I go lurking around Pet Finder looking at the cute, adoptable dogs just to fulfill my doggy desires. It’s like window shopping for a pet. Looking without any intention to buy.

A couple of days ago, I stumbled upon this:

                                 

Ok, seriously. He is a puggle/bulldog mix. Could you just eat him up? And that face is just saying, “Please, please take me home.” And his name is Max which is coincidentally the name of my dog I had for 3 months back in ‘99. Man I loved that dog (for 3 months). Do you think it’s a sign? So somebody talk me down off this ledge. Cause I am thinkin’ Max would make a great Mother’s Day present. Or a Scooba. Do you think a Scooba will cuddle with me while I blog?

Cause this is better than anything I could write February 23, 2008

 I don’t have a lot to say tonight (shocking I know) so I thought instead I would share this post with you. This post was the winner of Scribbit’s February Write Away Contest and it could not be more deserving. Keep a tissue handy.