Taking Candy From a Baby March 28, 2008

Around Christmas time, Monkey found a toy at Safeway that she fell in love with. The toy had been thrown in with some bagged candy, and clearly had seen better days. It was a red plastic Santa airplane that had a button you push to make the propellers rotate and lights came on. It was clearly broken on the bottom when we purchased it… in fact the cashier gave it to us because they didn’t even know where it came from.

A day later the lights weren’t working. A week later the dog ate the propellers off.

Elfa Shelving January 28, 2008

We are (still) in the process of organizing everything in our house. We moved in about a year and a half ago from a house which was about half of the size therefore we have a huge need for decorations, window treatments and shelving.

We have been primarily focused on the downstairs, with the exception of Monkeys toy room and bedroom which have gotten some well deserved attention lately. However, I am getting the bug to work on our room and retreat so I have been casually looking at furniture and ways to organize and combine our office needs with my scrapbooking stuff.

The Container Store is having their annual sale on Elfa Shelving, so we decided to think about it for our retreat/office/craft room. Without the 30% off sale, the shelves are a little pricey so in the past we have been a little put off. However, the quality is good and should last a long time.

Little Blessings January 17, 2008

Today, Monkey and I bundled up and went out into the freezing cold for our first visit to preschool.

Little Blessings came highly recommended by one of Travis’ clients and a MOPS mommy also chimed in with a raving review, so we decided to check it out. We purposely went unscheduled so we could see the teachers and students in action. Upon arrival the first thing I noticed is the building wasn’t marked very well. I was unsure where to park, so I just parked at the front of the church, unloaded Monkey and headed for the doors. Locked. So we walked around to the side of the building and found all of the doors to also be locked. I called from my cell phone. No answer. I peeked inside the windows and could see a couple of students so I tried the phone again. No answer. Keep in mind in Colorado today we had a high of about 25 degrees, so I am getting impatient fast. We walked back to a different door and I called one final time and they answered. I explained why we were there and she said she could almost see me on camera and she will let us in.

We toured the facility and watched a few classes in action and I have to admit I was less than impressed. The classrooms were small and the students didn’t really look like they were all that interested. The tour guide explained because of the size of the rooms, the state will only allow eight students, instead of ten. She said it as though it was a good thing, but I have to say I don’t see it that way.

We looked at the playground equipment which was covered in snow and she explained the children go outside and play every day. I must have made a strange face or something, because she looked at me, paused and then explained when it is cold they just go for a walk on the sidewalk near the road. Again, less than impressed.

There were other issues that I didn’t feel right about (again the blessing/curse of discernment) but the moral of the story is we are going to pass.

Stop the Insanity January 11, 2008

Robert Palmer sang in 1989:

You can’t sleep. You can’t eat.

There’s no doubt. You’re in deep…

You might as well face it

You’re addicted to love

That song was performed almost 20 years ago, so do the same rules apply? Are we still addicted to love?

I think on some level we are. Millions of dollars a year are spent on Hallmark cards, online dating agencies, and romantic comedy movies. Almost everyone craves love and companionship.

What else are we addicted to?

According to Gregory Bloom, author of Overcoming Entertainment Addiction we are addicted to the entertainment zone, which in my house primarily includes the internet and television. Mr. Bloom spoke at our MOPS meeting on Tuesday and he really got me thinking.

Five Faves in the Kitchen January 9, 2008

Travis and I both like to cook and I love to bake.  There are things I use in the kitchen that I would pay any amount to replace, should the need ever arise.  Here are my five favorite things in the kitchen:

1.  I cannot make cookies without my pampered chef stoneware. I have tried, God knows I have tried. But instead of cookies I make flat, oily pancakes that end up rock hard within ten minutes. It is a science wonder really.
2. I never used rubber spatulas for anything until I bought some from Williams Sonoma. How they get plastic to stay perfect up to 500 degrees is beyond me, but I cannot live without them. And they clean my flat top stove. What more could a girl want?
3. I absolutely LOVE my crock pot. I didn’t use it when I was gone for nine hours a day, but now that I am home I love to get everything ready in the morning and forget about it until right before Travis comes home. This is a must have for me.
4. My pampered chef nut chopper. I love it because it is big and I can chop a lot at one time. I love it because it is super easy to clean. But most of all I love it because it is so easy to press Monkey can work it. I have to admit, this is my second one and the plastic is cracking on this one just as it did on the last, but I haven’t found anything better so in my cabinet it stays.
5. Last but not least, I love Monkeys Learning Tower. For those of you who just said ‘Monkeys what?’ let me explain. It is an adjustible stool that is fully enclosed on all sides. Monkey can use it to help me cook, or do crafts. Because it holds up to 300 lbs, daddy can use it to paint the ceiling trim and mommy can use it to clean the top of the fridge. This is the stool of all stools.

What are your five faves in the kitchen? Be sure to let us know why and where you got them so we can get them too!

Britax Regent January 9, 2008

Monkey is about ready to outgrow her carseat, and is legally ready for a booster seat. She will be three next month and weighs 37 lbs and her carseat only goes to 40 lbs. As I look at her, I cannot imagine her little body being able to sustain a car crash in just a booster seat, so I looked into the whole thing a little more and found a company by the name of Britax which makes 5 point harness seats that go up to 80 lbs.

The Britax Regent got excellent safety reviews online, therefore I purchased one online through Babies R Us. I was so excited when the package arrived within a week. I pulled the seat out of the box and the first thing I noticed is how huge this seat is. When I say big, I mean it. I can sit in the thing! If I didn’t have my large SUV, there is no way I could fit this in. Not to mention if I had two kids that had to sit side by side.