So tomorrow is my one year anniversary of starting my blog. YAY! Fortunately this July will be much less stressful than last July.
We are leaving tomorrow morning to go to Oregon to visit Heidi for a week and then up to Washington for a week to visit my sister and my cousin.
Poor Sam has to stay here and work since we will be gone for two weeks. We'll miss him!
There will be no Trader Joe's Tuesday tomorrow or next Tuesday--sorry! I will try to update the blog while we are gone, but no guarantees.
Monday, June 30, 2008
Friday, June 27, 2008
back to Grandma and Grandpa's house
My niece Emma is one week older than Hannah. Since we are leaving for a trip to Oregon and Washington on July 1st (her birthday) and won't be back until the 14th, Mark and Mariann had a pool party for her yesterday at my parent's house.
There were several families from their ward there--I think at one point there were about 20 kids in the pool. Crazy. Still, it was lots of fun and the pool was the perfect temperature. I loved it!!
There aren't a ton of pictures because it's hard to watch two kids in the pool AND be photographer, so here are just a few moments that I captured.
Sammy LOVED the big basketball hoop
Climbing the "rock" wall
"I did it!"
Playing in the sand
mmmmm cupcake...
There were several families from their ward there--I think at one point there were about 20 kids in the pool. Crazy. Still, it was lots of fun and the pool was the perfect temperature. I loved it!!
There aren't a ton of pictures because it's hard to watch two kids in the pool AND be photographer, so here are just a few moments that I captured.
Some of the party-goers
Sammy LOVED the big basketball hoop
Climbing the "rock" wall
"I did it!"
Playing in the sand
mmmmm cupcake...
Sitting on the swing with Grandpa. Good times!
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Trader Joe's Tuesday: Salad Dressings
I was going to just blog about the Trader Joe's Creamy Cilantro Salad dressing since it's my favorite, but there really are some yummy ones out there so I am blogging about my four favorites.
Trader Joe's Creamy Cilantro Salad Dressing: This is a MUST for any fan of cilantro!! I personally LOVE cilantro and put tons of it in all my Mexican food and have even been known to eat it all by itself. So good!! And perfect with some Romaine lettuce, grape tomatoes, black beans, corn and crushed tortilla chips and some more cilantro leaves. YUM!! Plus, it's reduced-fat...although you'd never know by the taste!
Trader Joe's Orange Muscat Champagne Vinegar: This is so flavorful and a great basic dressing with mixed greens and some feta, dried cherries and pecans. It also goes great with this recipe. Oh, and a muscat is a type of grape, in case you were wondering...
1/2 head iceberg lettuce
1/2 head romaine lettuce
1 C. chopped celery
4 green onions, chopped
1 14 oz. can mandarin oranges
1 avocado
1 red apple, diced
1/4 C. dried currants or raisins
1/2 C. crumbled bleu cheese
3 chicken breasts, shredded/chopped
candied almonds
Salad Dressing
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/4 C. oil
1 T. chopped parsley
2 T. sugar
2T. Orange Muscat Champagne vinegar
See, TJ's used to have a Raspberry Vinaigrette that was the same as the one they sold as part of their "Complete Spinach Salad" in a bag. Then all of a sudden the bottle of dressing was discontinued. When I asked why they weren't carrying it anymore, they said that demand was low.
Hah!
I think they realized that people were buying the dressing and all the other ingredients in their "Complete Salad" and making it for 1/4 of the cost themselves. I mean the dressing is STILL available if you buy their ready-made package. sigh.
Sorry for the rant. Don't even get me started on things that have been "discontinued"...they used to have this yummy vegetarian black bean chili that was sooooo good--it was all I ate when I was pregnant with Sammy...
Anyway, this is dressing still quite good--and is MUCH lower-fat than the other raspberry dressing that they used to have. This one has a much milder taste. Mix in spinach leaves, gorgonzola, crasins and walnuts.
Briannan's Poppy Seed Dressing: This last one isn't from Trader Joes, but I love it! Goes with anything and everything!!
I adore salads, so if you have a yummy dressing that you love--please pass it on!
Monday, June 23, 2008
Avoiding the heat
So, we've been trying to avoid going outside since it's been so freaking hot here. On Friday, we went out briefly to Niki's house in the morning and then to Kidspace in the afternoon--and that was pretty much the last time we went out besides church on Sunday. All we've done is stay inside with the a/c cranked.
Needless to say by this morning the kids were pretty stir crazy. Sammy said to me "mom, can we PLEASE do something fun today?" Poor guy.
I was trying to think of some place air conditioned, that wouldn't cost too much and that would be really fun for the kids. I knew exactly where to go: Chuck E Cheese's. Now it certainly is NOT my favorite place to go, but I figured it was a Monday at 11:30am--how crowded could it be? We would just stay for an hour or so and play games and NOT have any of the nasty food. Plus, my dad is in town on Mondays, so I would have extra help in keeping track of the kids while they roamed around the play area.
Sounds perfect, right?
It was!
Sammy was so excited to go! He kept asking if we were going there for Hannah's birthday because he knows that it is coming up, I told him we were going there just to have fun. He was thrilled.
As I predicted, pretty much no one was there. After getting some tokens to play games, I realized that the kids didn't even NEED the token to entertain themselves there. The only game that Sammy really likes is the one where you shoot the basketball, and you don't technically need a token for that. The three balls are just sitting there and come right back to you after you shoot--without the token. If you put the token in for the game, it will keep score and give you tickets, but Sammy could care less about any of that--he just wants to shoot the ball!
Hannah just likes to pretend to drive the race car games and really is content to just sit and steer the wheel. I put a token in a game or two for her, but since she has the attention span of a gnat, she would usually walk away after about 30 seconds.
I realized that I forgot my camera, so no pictures (for once) but we'll for sure go back again now that I know it's an easy (and cheap) outing.
We had a terrific time and after about an hour we (i.e. my dad and I) were ready to go. The kids put up a bit of a fuss about leaving, but I already had a solution for that--Taco Bell. I told Sammy that we were going to Taco Bell for lunch for our fun day and he was all set to go after that!
We went to Taco Bell for a quesadilla for Sammy, El Pollo Loco for a burrito for Hannah and my dad and I got take-out from Panera Bakery (my FAVORITE!).
I MUST sing the praises of Panera (as Jean does so well here) and say how much I LOVE their Mediterranean Veggie sandwich. SOOOOOO GOOOOD!! I could totally go there every day for breakfast (mmmm, French Toast bagel) and lunch!
We came home and ate, put Hannah down for a nap, and then I ran a few errands while Sammy played with grandpa. YAY for grandpa!
We had a great day despite the heat and I did notice that it was considerably cooler in the late afternoon, so the kids and I walked down to Trader Joe's. And we didn't pass out from heat exhaustion.
It's supposed to be cooling down about 10-15 degrees for the rest of the week, so we should be back into our normal "fun" routine soon.
Needless to say by this morning the kids were pretty stir crazy. Sammy said to me "mom, can we PLEASE do something fun today?" Poor guy.
I was trying to think of some place air conditioned, that wouldn't cost too much and that would be really fun for the kids. I knew exactly where to go: Chuck E Cheese's. Now it certainly is NOT my favorite place to go, but I figured it was a Monday at 11:30am--how crowded could it be? We would just stay for an hour or so and play games and NOT have any of the nasty food. Plus, my dad is in town on Mondays, so I would have extra help in keeping track of the kids while they roamed around the play area.
Sounds perfect, right?
It was!
Sammy was so excited to go! He kept asking if we were going there for Hannah's birthday because he knows that it is coming up, I told him we were going there just to have fun. He was thrilled.
As I predicted, pretty much no one was there. After getting some tokens to play games, I realized that the kids didn't even NEED the token to entertain themselves there. The only game that Sammy really likes is the one where you shoot the basketball, and you don't technically need a token for that. The three balls are just sitting there and come right back to you after you shoot--without the token. If you put the token in for the game, it will keep score and give you tickets, but Sammy could care less about any of that--he just wants to shoot the ball!
Hannah just likes to pretend to drive the race car games and really is content to just sit and steer the wheel. I put a token in a game or two for her, but since she has the attention span of a gnat, she would usually walk away after about 30 seconds.
I realized that I forgot my camera, so no pictures (for once) but we'll for sure go back again now that I know it's an easy (and cheap) outing.
We had a terrific time and after about an hour we (i.e. my dad and I) were ready to go. The kids put up a bit of a fuss about leaving, but I already had a solution for that--Taco Bell. I told Sammy that we were going to Taco Bell for lunch for our fun day and he was all set to go after that!
We went to Taco Bell for a quesadilla for Sammy, El Pollo Loco for a burrito for Hannah and my dad and I got take-out from Panera Bakery (my FAVORITE!).
I MUST sing the praises of Panera (as Jean does so well here) and say how much I LOVE their Mediterranean Veggie sandwich. SOOOOOO GOOOOD!! I could totally go there every day for breakfast (mmmm, French Toast bagel) and lunch!
We came home and ate, put Hannah down for a nap, and then I ran a few errands while Sammy played with grandpa. YAY for grandpa!
We had a great day despite the heat and I did notice that it was considerably cooler in the late afternoon, so the kids and I walked down to Trader Joe's. And we didn't pass out from heat exhaustion.
It's supposed to be cooling down about 10-15 degrees for the rest of the week, so we should be back into our normal "fun" routine soon.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
last day of school and other fun stuff
It's hard to believe that Sammy is all done with his first year of preschool! He absolutely loved it and I have to laugh at myself now for having any reserves about whether or not he would like going everyday. He is sure going to miss it this summer!
The official last day was today, but they had a potluck breakfast and certificate distribution yesterday. We all participated in "circle time" and then ate some food and then certificates were handed out. The kids had the option to go home early or stay for the rest of class time. Sammy, of course, wanted to stay and so I went back home to get the double stroller since we had plans to go to the Arboretum after school and I knew that I would need it.
Hannah with the camera
Singing time in the circle with Ms Bush
Story time with Mrs. Holland
Time for food
Certificate time!
The official last day was today, but they had a potluck breakfast and certificate distribution yesterday. We all participated in "circle time" and then ate some food and then certificates were handed out. The kids had the option to go home early or stay for the rest of class time. Sammy, of course, wanted to stay and so I went back home to get the double stroller since we had plans to go to the Arboretum after school and I knew that I would need it.
Some of his classmates posing for a group picture. Hannah wanted to be a photographer too, so she found a toy camera and pretended to take pictures too.
Hannah with the camera
Singing time in the circle with Ms Bush
Story time with Mrs. Holland
Time for food
Certificate time!
It was the free day at the Arboretum and boy was it crowded! We actually found some shady parking and went on our usual route. We brought plenty of bread to feed the ducks and geese--and so did everyone else!
Lots of turtles in the yucky water
We even got close to an egret who was eying the fish in the water. He actually caught one right in front of us, but left quickly with it before I could get a good picture.
Lots of ducks hanging out
Here is a momma duck with her ducklings
Sammy in front of the waterfall
And Hannah wanting pretty much nothing to do with the camera
It was so hot!!! We were all sweaty, hot and tired so we left after only an hour. Hannah and I had a nice long nap when we got home.
And here is the official last day of school pictures from today.
YAY for school!
Hannah is going to miss school as well--she loved it when we arrived early to pick up Sammy so she could play with all the toys all by herself.
One of the kids in his class has one of those golf cart-type electric vehicles and gave all the kids rides after school. Sammy thought it was so fun!
So, school is officially done. We have some fun plans for summer and I have to say that I am sooooo looking forward to not getting up early for the next few months.
The geese were actually nice this time...I guess there was so much bread being thrown around they didn't feel like they had to fight over it.
Lots of turtles in the yucky water
We even got close to an egret who was eying the fish in the water. He actually caught one right in front of us, but left quickly with it before I could get a good picture.
Lots of ducks hanging out
Here is a momma duck with her ducklings
Sammy in front of the waterfall
And Hannah wanting pretty much nothing to do with the camera
It was so hot!!! We were all sweaty, hot and tired so we left after only an hour. Hannah and I had a nice long nap when we got home.
And here is the official last day of school pictures from today.
One last circle time
YAY for school!
Hannah is going to miss school as well--she loved it when we arrived early to pick up Sammy so she could play with all the toys all by herself.
One of the kids in his class has one of those golf cart-type electric vehicles and gave all the kids rides after school. Sammy thought it was so fun!
So, school is officially done. We have some fun plans for summer and I have to say that I am sooooo looking forward to not getting up early for the next few months.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Trader Joe's Tuesday: Truly Handmade Sun Dried Tomato & Habanero Tortillas
I was going to post this sooner, but I was too busy WATCHING THE LAKERS GET BLOWN OUT IN GAME 6!! Whoo hoo!! GO CELTICS!!!
Anyway, these are an old time favorite of mine. I discovered these years ago when I was searching for an alternative to high fat (but oh, so yummy) flour tortillas. I do like corn tortillas, but only for enchiladas.
These are so flavorful and yet surprisingly low-fat--so they're perfect for quesadillas or burritos.
I like to use Trader Joe's Shredded 3 Cheese Blend, not only because it tastes good, but because (like ALL of Trader Joe's brand dairy products) it is rBST free.
That's right. All their yogurt, cheeses, milk, cottage cheese, sour cream, ice cream, etc. DO NOT contain rBST. The only dairy they carry that don't specify not having rBST is the "brand name" dairy products--although most of those are organic brands like Stoneyfield which don't use rBST either, but I know TJ's has Rondelle (is that the name?) herb cheese spread around the holidays and I don't think they are rBST free...but I could be wrong.
Anyway, it's good stuff...check it out!
Anyway, these are an old time favorite of mine. I discovered these years ago when I was searching for an alternative to high fat (but oh, so yummy) flour tortillas. I do like corn tortillas, but only for enchiladas.
These are so flavorful and yet surprisingly low-fat--so they're perfect for quesadillas or burritos.
I like to use Trader Joe's Shredded 3 Cheese Blend, not only because it tastes good, but because (like ALL of Trader Joe's brand dairy products) it is rBST free.
That's right. All their yogurt, cheeses, milk, cottage cheese, sour cream, ice cream, etc. DO NOT contain rBST. The only dairy they carry that don't specify not having rBST is the "brand name" dairy products--although most of those are organic brands like Stoneyfield which don't use rBST either, but I know TJ's has Rondelle (is that the name?) herb cheese spread around the holidays and I don't think they are rBST free...but I could be wrong.
Anyway, it's good stuff...check it out!
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Fun at "Touch a Truck"
We drove out to Thousand Oaks yesterday to meet up with the VanOrmans and the Strongs at "Touch-a-Truck" It's basically the chance for kids to get close up and see and sit in all types of trucks.
There were monster trucks, fire trucks, police cars and motorcycles, a dump truck, a crane, a school bus, a garbage truck, a UPS truck, a big rig...you get the idea. They also had lots of craft areas, a jumper, a big inflatable slide, a mini train that went around the parking lot and more.
The kids loved being able to sit in the driver's seat of all those trucks and cars!
Sammy driving the monster truck
They had a huge dump truck that was filled with beach balls and it would dump it and all the kids would scramble to fill it back up and then it would dump them again. The kids loved it!
Sammy on the slide
Train Ride
Can you see us? We're in the green car...that's Hannah waving.
Sammy on the school bus--his favorite!
So excited to finally be on a school bus!
Hannah loves them too!
Hannah driving the bus
Sammy and Jonny
Hannah and Kristen
Noah
The weather was perfect and we had a great time!
There were monster trucks, fire trucks, police cars and motorcycles, a dump truck, a crane, a school bus, a garbage truck, a UPS truck, a big rig...you get the idea. They also had lots of craft areas, a jumper, a big inflatable slide, a mini train that went around the parking lot and more.
The kids loved being able to sit in the driver's seat of all those trucks and cars!
Hannah driving the police car
Sammy driving the monster truck
They had a huge dump truck that was filled with beach balls and it would dump it and all the kids would scramble to fill it back up and then it would dump them again. The kids loved it!
Sammy on the slide
Train Ride
Can you see us? We're in the green car...that's Hannah waving.
Sammy on the school bus--his favorite!
So excited to finally be on a school bus!
Hannah loves them too!
Hannah driving the bus
Sammy and Jonny
Hannah and Kristen
Noah
We stopped at In-n-Out on the way home for a grilled cheese for Hannah and I
(and a quesadilla at Taco Bell for Sammy)
(and a quesadilla at Taco Bell for Sammy)
The weather was perfect and we had a great time!
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Trader Joe's Tuesday: Mini Mint Ice Cream Mouthfuls
Today's yummy recommendation is courtesy of Lyndsey. She mentioned these to me while we were on one of our evening walks and I just HAD to try them.
They didn't disappoint.
I love that they are small, so you can easily eat one (or two) without any guilt--especially since the serving size is 2 sandwiches (and only 4 grams of fat). YAY!
There are lots of mini chocolate chips in the ice cream, and I also love that even though the ice cream is mint, it isn't colored green. I'm trying to avoid artificial coloring as often as I can.
Well, what more can I say? It's ice cream. It's summertime. Go check them out for yourself!
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Kidspace visit
We haven't been to Kidspace in a while--I think it's been since our membership ran out last year.
The free day was this Tuesday (and I ACTUALLY remembered!), so we decided to go.
We started out in the 4 years and under room. I quickly noticed that my kids have finally outgrown this room and it was getting crowded so we moved on after a quick ride down the slide and a little bit of ball play.
Hannah was totally obsessed with trying to catch the water that would pop up. Sammy wasn't as interested and wanted to move on to the next building, but we let her play here until she was a little wet and we moved on.
A quick Jeep ride
Sammy climbed to the top of the tower--he loved being up so high!
Hannah decided to brave it as well, but couldn't figure out how to get back down (it's a little tricky), but the top part is way too small for me to go all the way up. I went up as far as I could go, but ended up having to send Sammy back up to show her the way down. I'm not sure if she will try it again after that.
Gotta love water-based paint! Easy clean up!
BEES!!!
Unfortunately, we did the water play at the very end, so both kids were completely soaked by the time we were ready to go.
The kids had a great time--I think it may be time to renew the membership. Now that they are a little older they really seem to enjoy it a lot more.
The free day was this Tuesday (and I ACTUALLY remembered!), so we decided to go.
We started out in the 4 years and under room. I quickly noticed that my kids have finally outgrown this room and it was getting crowded so we moved on after a quick ride down the slide and a little bit of ball play.
Hannah was totally obsessed with trying to catch the water that would pop up. Sammy wasn't as interested and wanted to move on to the next building, but we let her play here until she was a little wet and we moved on.
A quick Jeep ride
Sammy climbed to the top of the tower--he loved being up so high!
Hannah decided to brave it as well, but couldn't figure out how to get back down (it's a little tricky), but the top part is way too small for me to go all the way up. I went up as far as I could go, but ended up having to send Sammy back up to show her the way down. I'm not sure if she will try it again after that.They had a great time painting!
Gotta love water-based paint! Easy clean up!
BEES!!!
Unfortunately, we did the water play at the very end, so both kids were completely soaked by the time we were ready to go.
The kids had a great time--I think it may be time to renew the membership. Now that they are a little older they really seem to enjoy it a lot more.
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