I Buy Cheap Toilet Paper

2012-01-26T10:06:00.001-05:00

It's difficult to see, but in the middle of a freezing January rain,

there is a cardinal in one of the trees off our patio.

He sang his head off until I came out there,

then watched me for a minute before flying away.

Snow Day!

2012-01-23T13:30:00.003-05:00

We were supposed to be hit with a HUGE winter storm on Friday night, but wound up with a just few inches. Total dud. Saturday was cold, cold, cold; no playing outside for these kiddos. So when Sunday rolled around and it was over 40 degrees, we took full advantage and crammed a winter's worth of snow fun into one afternoon:

Igloo, snowman and snowball fight, followed by hot chocolate and steamed milk.

And today...it's all gone. 50+ degrees and rain. Gotta love Ohio winters!

Gaaaaaaahhhhh.

2012-01-20T10:47:00.002-05:00

I'm working on some changes around here and you might notice things are a bit wonky for a few days. Please pardon the confusion!

Better!

2012-01-19T20:37:00.001-05:00

Button, Button! Who's Got The Button?

2012-01-18T14:34:00.000-05:00

On the top, Grandma's buttons; on the bottom, Big Pa's

When my grandmother died in 1988, I inherited her button tin. I've held onto it for all these year with the intention of doing something with the contents. Over 2+ decades I've raided it once or twice for art projects, but never for anything cohesive. Then last week, I got the following text from my mother:

So now I have TWO button tins to use for...SOMETHING. What can I do with these buttons? I've scoured Pinterest (remember, the suckhole of awesomeness?) but nearly everything I've found seems a little too folksy-sweet for my style. Any ideas? Any button artists out there?

Not "Better".

2012-01-17T17:56:00.000-05:00

More Fun with Pinterest.

2012-01-15T14:51:00.000-05:00

Heart-Shaped Cinnamon Rolls.

Looking Forward.

2012-01-12T22:33:00.000-05:00

In 92 days, we'll be celebrating our 10 year wedding anniversary.

So Now What?

2012-01-11T22:55:00.000-05:00

I'm still reeling from Grandpa's death. Which isn't a surprise, since it's been less than a week. Emotions are surging through me like crazy--one minute I'm okay, the next I'm sobbing, the next I'm okay again. It's all textbook grief, I'm sure.

There are two things that keep surprising me, though. The first is that I'm so shocked. I mean, he was 89 years old, had metastatic lung cancer (though he never smoked) and already had heart problems. We all knew his days were numbered. That's just common sense. But he wasn't sick. He wasn't sick-LY. He was fine on Sunday. Good, even. And okay on Monday. By Tuesday he started a slow decline, Wednesday he was bad, and Thursday evening he was gone. It happened so fast. Which is a great blessing because he didn't suffer and his death was peaceful. That makes it easier, I guess, to accept the DEATH. But still, I feel so unprepared for the aftermath.

Which brings me to this. We had no unfinished business. There are no words left unsaid. I don't feel like I could have done more or better for him. I have no regrets. Everyone keeps telling me I should feel good about that. But I don't. I think I feel worse because of it. There are no "what ifs" to ponder, nothing lingering to do. Our chapter is just closed. And that hurts.

November 26,1922 - January 5, 2012

2012-01-06T09:24:00.001-05:00

My dear grandfather (Big Pa) Anton Koloini passed away last night. He was surrounded by family at home as he made his final journey. His decline was very quick, and I was blessed to spend time joking and playing cards with him as recently as Tuesday, and I was honored to spend the next few days in his presence, even when he was too tired to talk anymore. He laughed and played with all his great-grandchildren this week and was able to personally speak to everyone who loved him. We are all saddened by this seemingly hurried good-bye, but take comfort knowing he never suffered and was able to go in dignified peace. I'm sure I'll post more about him over the next weeks. He was so loved and I will always consider him one of my best friends.

Big Pa.

2012-01-05T11:08:00.001-05:00

What's for Dinner?

2012-01-03T15:28:00.000-05:00

I stole this from a friend who snagged it from Pinterest.

Don't know Pinterest? It's an evil suckhole of timewasting awesomeness.

To make myself feel better about that wasted time, I actually DO lots of the projects I find there.

Today I hit the Hobby Lobby and bought:

1 8x10 frame ($17.99, then 50% off)

12 sheets of 8.5x11 seasonal paper ($.44 each, then 50% off)

1 2-pack of china markers ($2.49)

Total Cost:

$13.13 (plus tax)

And now I can post our weekly menus with style!

My New Years Resolution.

2012-01-01T00:00:00.000-05:00

It's simply one word this year.

Better.

From Our Family to Yours.

2011-12-31T23:49:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas.

2011-12-25T23:58:00.001-05:00

Changes A-Coming...

2011-12-20T21:58:00.000-05:00

The Heavens Shine Brighter Tonight...

2011-12-10T22:22:00.005-05:00

...even though our hearts are dimmed by tears.

Rachel has gone on to her final, perfect peace.

Rest and rejoice, my friend. You were loved here; you ARE love there.

It's Almost Here!!!

2011-07-28T14:07:00.002-04:00

The 3-Day is TOMORROW! Holla!!!

I have practice this afternoon for the opening ceremony and I am about bursting with excitement. This is going to be a fabulous weekend. There will be tears, I'm sure lots and lots of tears, but I really hope our laughter and joy can dry them up!

If you would like to donate to team Nickels for Nipples, you still have a chance. Please direct your nickels to Heather Gollan. Her beautiful mother Teri passed away last Wednesday after a determined fight against pancreatic cancer. Heather is a breast cancer survivor herself and needs just a little boost to get her to goal by tomorrow morning.

http://www.the3day.org/goto/nickelsfornipples

Wish us luck and restful sleep tonight! The opening ceremony kicks off at 6:30--yikes! I'll be posting updates from the road.

Fucking Cancer.

2011-07-18T12:27:00.006-04:00

I'm numb right now. Around me, people I love are fighting fucking cancer and losing.

Please keep my dear teammate and friend Heather and her mother Teri in your prayers. Teri is in the end stages of her battle and it's just...

It shouldn't be this way.

Something HAS to be done about fucking cancer.

3 Weeks til the 3 Day!

2011-07-08T17:00:00.003-04:00

As our team gets our gear and feet in order for our 60 mile journey, we still need a little cash to get everyone over our $2300 minimums. If you have hair (or know someone who does), you should check out these AWESOME headbands, made by a friend of mine. For the rest of this month, she is donating 20% of her Breast Cancer Awareness headbands to our team--YAY!

I can attest, these headbands are GREAT. She backs them with velvet to keep them from slipping without pulling. I have several styles, ranging from thin to fat and I love them all. In fact, I'm wearing my own personalized headband right now.

So check out Custom Ribbon Headbands and give us a last minute boost while you pretty yourself!

I Got to Meet A Hero.

2011-06-06T21:43:00.001-04:00

Tonight, on the 67th anniversary of D-Day, I was honored to meet a true hero. Here I am with Louie Zamperini. My parents and a friend and I heard Louie speak in Cincinnati and after an entertaining and moving talk, Louie signed our books and even took a picture with me.

If you have read Unbroken, you know the kind of spirit filling Louie's body through ordeal. And believe me, it still overflows when he moves and speaks!

If you haven't read the book, I urge you to do so...and fast. Louie is a national treasure and I hope his story becomes a permanent part in the discussion of our country's history in World War II.

What an Honor.

2011-06-02T14:31:00.002-04:00

I got a call from the people at the 3-Day today to let me know I'd been nominated as a flag-bearer.

Wait. What? Me? Really?

Some lovely person (thanks, Kristen!) nominated ME (me, me, me!!!) to carry the Friend flag during opening and closing ceremonies...in honor of my amazing friend and teammate Sherry.

I was floored. And then I cried. Right there in Flower Factory, in the terra cotta pot aisle, I cried.

The flag-bearers lead everyone into the opening and closing ceremonies carrying HAYUUUUGE flags with words like "Friend", "Mother", "Sister", "Survivor"...it's an incredible honor and it's still blowing my mind that I get to be a part of those circles during the ceremonies. Seriously. Blowing my mind. And making me tear up every time I think of how proud I am to get to stand up there in front of the whole event, carrying a flag, honoring one of my best friends. Who happens to be one of the bravest, strongest people I know. And who is fighting tooth and nail to beat fucking cancer. I am blessed to have her in my life and I am honored to get to honor her.

And here come the waterworks again...

So, Friday the 13th WAS Lucky, After All.

2011-05-23T13:37:00.002-04:00

Because that was the day...WE BOUGHT A NEW HOUSE!

Well, it's actually the day we put in an offer, which they countered the next day, and we accepted the day after that...but still. That's the day we took the first step!

Pics will follow soon. But for now, let me give you the vitals. It's a 2-story Colonial with 3 bedrooms and 2.5 baths. There is a finished basement and a super awesome 2-car garage. The yard is nice and the closet space is IMMENSE! We love the street and the surrounding neighborhood, and the best part is Zo will get to attend the same school. The price was right and with just a tiny bit of negotiating over a few small repairs, we are under contract and set to close on June 29. Counting down the days, for sure!

I Hope Today is a LUCKY Day for Rachel!

2011-05-13T14:51:00.003-04:00

Rachel blows kisses to her girls from the airport.
She travels to Dallas for an experimental cancer vaccine every month.

It's About Cancer. Again.

2011-05-12T10:56:00.000-04:00

My friend Rachel is putting up such a courageous fight against...wait for it...fucking cancer.

That's become a common phrase in our house lately. Fucking cancer. Offended by the coarse language? I'm pretty sure the people battling fucking cancer are pretty offended by the mere fact fucking cancer exists. So excuse my f-bombs.

Every year, in cities around the country, the American Cancer Society sponsors Relay for Life events. Thousands of people spend 24 hours walking in a relay to help raise funds for cancer education, prevention, treatment and research. The event raises millions of dollars nationwide and

Rachel is starting her relay tomorrow, Friday, May 13. She'll wrap up on Saturday, May 14. Exactly two years to the date when she was diagnosed with Signet Ring Cell Adenocarcinoma. And given a 2-year prognosis. Wrap your head around that. Fucking cancer.

Please visit her BLOG and her RELAY PAGE to learn more about the amazing Rachel. She is a veteran, a former on-air radio personality, a daughter, a sister, a wife, a friend and more than anything, she is a mother to two gorgeous little girls.

After you read about Rachel, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE give the girl some money. I've said it before and I'll say it again: fucking cancer is expensive. Research, diagnoses, treatment...it costs SO MUCH MONEY. But the amazing thing is, small donations add up. So even $5 donations will add up to a big difference.

One Hundred Little Nickels.

2011-05-09T09:48:00.004-04:00

So my dear, dear friend and teammate Sherry is in for the fight of her life. Literally. She just finished chemo for breast cancer and is now gearing up to start radiation. Wanna know the funny part? SHE DOESN'T HAVE BREASTS.

How is that possible? Read her story RIGHT HERE. Read it, absorb it, and then please, please, please DONATE TO SHERRY. I have begged you readers for money for months and months and it has paid off. My goal is met. But my teammates are all still striving to meet their $2300 requirements. And today, Sherry is hoping to raise $500. Or, in Nickels for Nipples terms, ten thousand nickels.

The website will take donations as small as $5.00. Just FIVE dollars. One hundred little nickels. So please, scrape together what you can, and forward it on to this amazing daughter, mother and friend.

And to prove I am willing to put my money where my mouth is, I donated $64.45 from my own fundraising efforts today.

Mommy Brain.

2011-05-04T14:24:00.003-04:00

You know you're a mom when you look at Kit on her fancy twin bed...then feel bad for poor Mia in her shoe-box-turned-bed...and wonder if American Girl makes a baby crib...then think about how much of a waste of money that would be, you know, since she's going to growing out of a crib soon anyway...

Someone Hijacked the To-Do List.

2011-05-03T23:22:00.002-04:00

Mission Accomplished.

2011-05-01T23:10:00.001-04:00

Those words were spoken by GWB on May 1, 2003. Today, exactly eight years later, they are finally accurate.

Osama Bin Laden is dead at the hands of the US military.

Oh, Thirty-Four.

2011-04-28T12:59:00.004-04:00

This was my lunch today. A few blackberries, the whites of one hard-boiled egg, a few baby carrots and half of a bagel done pizza-style: sauce, black olives, spinach and part-skim provolone cheese.

I totally miss my teenage days when I didn't have to worry about calories or empty carbs or cholesterol or protein or...basically anything! I pretend to love healthy eating because I subscribe to a "fake it 'til you make it" mentality when it comes to unpleasant tasks. But the truth is, I wish I could have a WHOLE bagel with lots of pepperoni and bacon and fatty, fatty cheese. I would rather have Doritos instead of carrot sticks. I would love a big glass of fruit juice instead of a small handful of berries. And the egg? I want to smother it in salt and eat the YOLK, too!!!

On top of all that, I now have to go to the gym to make sure the balanced lunch I ate doesn't come back to haunt my thighs in a few days!

Wait, what did you say? Maybe it's actually the GIANT handful of Easter candy I have to combat? Nah. *wink*

Cancer Really Sucks.

2011-04-27T15:12:00.002-04:00

I know too many people who have cancer. Or who beat cancer. Or who died from cancer. It's too widespread and it just plain sucks. I know, good descriptive language use, right? I'm 34 years old now and I still use "sucks" in my normal conversations.

I don't know what to do about cancer. I read updates from friends who are fighting it and I just want to do something for them. I hear from friends who are caregivers and I wish I could help ease their burdens in some way. I listen to friends who miss their loved ones and my heart breaks for them.

Normally I would insert some plea for donations to my 3-Day fund, because that would flow naturally as a "so this is what I do to help" theme. But right now, I don't want to beg for money. Right now I just want to end cancer. Fucking cancer. It's not fair. It's not right. It shouldn't be there. Some disease shouldn't be allowed to rob my friends and family of their parents and siblings and body parts and carefree lifestyles. I shouldn't have to pray that my friend will still be around for our July dinner date. And she shouldn't have to worry about what her daughters will do without her. We shouldn't have family conversations that exist in terms of BED (Before Evona Died) and AED (After Evona Died). Ren's cousin shouldn't have to head up her college's Relay for Life in memory of her father. 34-year old women shouldn't have to get their breasts and ovaries removed and then STILL have to face breast cancer when it sneaks into their lymph nodes. Cancer survivors shouldn't have to stare down death again on behalf of their mothers.

It just shouldn't BE.

Happy Birthday To ME!

2011-04-23T00:15:00.004-04:00

What $56.03 looks like. Don't you just wanna roll around in it?

Remember the post about the change I was stashing for my 3-Day fund? Well it's time to pay the piper. My birthday gift to myself: a donation of $56.03! I tossed every coin and random bill I found into the box for a month and when I tallied it all up, I was floored. It was so little effort (well, except counting the coins which was tedious and left me with money hands) and I am getting such a GREAT return on it.

It just goes to show that mere nickels add up to dollars and dollars add up to research and drugs and treatments and cures...

Small change makes big changes. If you have pocket change to spare, please visit my 3-day page and add it to my fund. I mean, it's my birthday after all. Consider it a birthday present!

http://www.the3day.org/goto/meganblosser

Where Did They Go?

2011-04-19T22:56:00.003-04:00

Do you ever follow the Next Blog link at the top of Blogger? I do. I like to just randomly browse.

Every so often, I come across a blog that just...stops. No warning, no moving notice. Just done. It's kind of weird. Where did the blogger go? Why did he post Christmas pics on December 24, 2009 and then never post again? Why did she write weekly book reviews and then just quit?

I wonder, did the blogger get sick? Die? Did something tragic happen in his family? Did she get sent to jail for embezzling? Go on a midlife crisis trek across Asia and give up the internet?

It baffles me. If I were going to permanently stop blogging, I would give a warning. Or at least a "peace, I'm out" kind of post. But I wouldn't just poof! begone! Not so much.

WHERE DID THEY GO???

No Such Thing as Small Change.

2011-04-18T07:41:00.002-04:00

I did some calculating today. Our team for the 3-day, Nickels for Nipples, has raised over SIX THOUSAND DOLLARS. Six grand!!! Wow!!!

So, of course, I had to translate that into nickels.

121,411

One hundred and twenty-one thousand, four hundred and eleven.

See what I mean about those nickels adding up??? Please visit our Nickels for Nipples team page and add some nickels of your own.

28 Days Later.

2011-04-14T15:26:00.002-04:00

We were here at the zoo exactly 4 weeks ago on St. Patrick's Day.

Happy Ninth Anniversary!

2011-04-13T06:56:00.002-04:00

April 13, 2002
Newport, KY

I Need to Complain.

2011-04-12T22:41:00.002-04:00

So here it is: I get migraines. Except, I don't get migraines with intense head pain. No, I'm special. I get "abdominal migraines". Never heard of such things? Neither had I, until I was diagnosed with them. And I have one right now that is NOT responding to my medications after 2 full days. And it sucks. I'm queasy and tired and irritable and confused and just all around "off". I don't really like to publicly bitch about this stuff because I started to feel like one of Those People with my Frankenfoot saga.

But tonight I'm miserable and I just wanted to get it out.

Toilet Humor.

2011-04-07T19:40:00.003-04:00

Oh, the joys of four people sharing a single bathroom...

Acey (Banging on door): You get OUT of there, Zo!
Zo: I locked the door. I want privacy!
Acey: COME.OUT.NOW!
Zo: Leave me alone!
Acey: NO! GET OUT!
Zo: I'm almost done! Go away!
Acey: You get out! I call the fireman to get you out of there!

(A few months ago, our bathroom door handle broke and Zo was trapped inside. The fire department had to come and use special tools to get the door open and get her out.)

Ain't Too Proud To Beg!

2011-04-05T16:19:00.002-04:00

Now before you go thinking I'm digging out some 90s TLC albums, or even some classic Motown...I'm not. This isn't about song lyrics--I ain't too proud to beg for your money! I'm THISCLOSE to breaking the $1500 point on my 3Day fundraising and I would loooooove to crash through that barrier this week. Can you spare a nickel? How about a dollar? That's just 20 nickels!

A few weeks ago I started tossing all my end-of-the-day pocket change and found-in-the-laundry dollars into an old cigar box on my dresser top. I'm going to "gift" that money to myself on my birthday. At this point it's almost $20. Twenty bucks! Without even thinking about it, I have earned 400 nickels to add to my fund. So what about you? Do you have a change jar you want to raid?

Please feel free to send your nickels my way: http://www.the3day.org/goto/meganblosser !

The End of an Era.

2011-03-28T20:42:00.001-04:00

I'm kind of freaked out. No, check that. I'm totally freaked out. Zo has officially grown out of her carseat and is now in a shoulder-harnessed booster. I knew this day would come, of course I did. I just had hoped it would be right around high school graduation.

For those of you who are paranoid about carseats like I am, I suggest you check out the Britax Parkway SGL. It's a high-back booster whoch converts to a backless booster (good up 63" and 120 lbs!!!). That's all fine and good and isn't really earth-shattering.

BUT. The base of the booster has LATCH. That's right. The booster can be secured by anchoring to the LATCH system. (Britax calls it Isoflex) Holla! Zo has a Graco Nautilus in Ren's car and it is definitely a good seat. I have been so nervous to remove the 5PT harness, though, and use just the shoulder harness because it seems like the seat would be free to flop around. Not so much with the Parkway! I am so in love with this feature I ordered a second one to replace the Nautilus.

Another bonus? The Britax seat has an anchored clip where a crotch buckle would normally go. The lower portion of the seatbelt threads through it, creating a 3-pronged strap. This keeps the belt from directly squeezing the kid's hips and abdomen AND prevents her from sliding out under the belt in a collision. Score!

I'm super confident in the protection offered by this seat...but it still freaks me out to know my baby girl is now riding in such big girl style.

Happy Birthday!

2011-03-22T09:17:00.001-04:00

My favorite brand new 6 year old! Happy Birthday, Zozo!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

2011-03-17T23:03:00.001-04:00

It was SUCH a gorgeous day today that we had to spend the afternoon outside. Our ground is still way too muddy for playing at the park, but our zoo was just right.

Trying New Things.

2011-03-16T22:51:00.003-04:00

It must be my month for expanding life experiences. I made the chicken on Sunday, I started an actual training schedule at the gym with a total body fitness assessment, I took pole dancing lessons on Saturday, I made fish for dinner last night, I am running my own NCAA bracket pool...

...wait, did I say "pole dancing lessons"?

I sure did.

A friend of ours knows a girl who used to be an exotic dancer. A few years ago she got out of the lap dance business and started a studio in her basement to teach dancing as a workout. Our friend really loves the workouts and has now had a pole installed in her own house. So on Saturday she invited a group of us over to hang out, wear comfy gym clothes, have drinks and snacks, and...dance! I'm not going to lie; I was totally NOT intending to even give it a shot. I am way too self-conscious to let loose that way. However.

After watching the instructor and my friend take a few spins on the pole, I thought it didn't look so bad. There was another uptight mid-30s mom there and the two of us were in the same boat so we agreed that we would each try it if the other one did. And you know what? It was kind of fun. Now, keep in mind, I took the whole thing on as a workout. I wasn't all whipping my hair around and being seductive. That's just NOT how I roll. But I do enjoy a physical challenge (hello, walking 60 miles in 3 days) and I do enjoy stepping out of my comfort zone from time to time. The amount of strength and coordination it takes to just do (what appears to be) a simple walk and twirl around the pole is amazing. And to get oneself off the ground completely using just upper body strength and leverage against the pole? NOT an easy task. It's no wonder dancers are so fit!

All in all, it turned out to be fun and I definitely want to do it again. My friend plans to have a girls night in once a month and I already RSVPed for the next one! But don't worry, I don't intend to take my new skills outside my friend's dance studio.

I Made This!

2011-03-14T21:33:00.002-04:00

Sunday dinner was a HIT at our house last night, all because of my Beer Can Chicken. How did I do it? Like this:

1 3.5 pound whole chicken
1 lemon (half sliced, half whole)
1 can of beer (half dumped out)
3 sprigs rosemary
1/2 white onion (half sliced, half whole)
4 cloves garlic, sliced
Tastefully Simple Onion-Onion seasoning
Penzy's Murals of Flavor seasoning
Kosher salt
Worcestershire sauce
Corn starch

The Bird: I washed and dried the bird, then used a knife to lift the skin off the breast muscle. I rubbed a tablespoon or so of kosher salt in the cavity of the chicken, then rubbed about a tablespoon of Onion-Onion between the skin and the breast. I sliced the lemon and onion very thin and filled the skin pocket with the slices--about 4 of each on each side of the chest. I then rubbed the whole bird with Worcestershire and coated it lightly with the Penzy's spice.

The Can: I used a can opener to pop a few extra holes around the top of the can to let out lots of steam. I tossed in the rosemary, a few more slices of lemon, the sliced garlic and a couple chunks of onion. Just crammed them through the opening of the can.

The Set Up: I stood the bird up and shimmied it down on the can, in the center of my cast iron skillet. It was remarkably well balanced! I jammed the remaining chunks of lemon and onion into the neck opening, tented the whole thing with foil and popped it in the oven. I had already lowered the rack to the lowest level.

The Cooking: 30 mins at 400, then about 70 mins at 375. Once I got a good 180+ reading on my meat thermometer (in several locations) I called it done.

The Gravy: Once the chicken was cooked, I de-canned it. The bird went onto a platter to rest and I got to the gravy. I dumped the can liquids into my skillet to deglaze. I got everything whisked into a smooth stock, added about 2 tablespoons of corn starch (dissolved in 1/2 a cup of cold water), brought it to a boil and watched the whole thing bloom into a beautiful, rich, thick gravy.

This is one of the easiest dinners I have made recently and definitely one of the most delicious I have made EVER. The bird was moist, lemony and garlicky, absolutely delicious. I served it with broiled broccoli and rosemary crock pot "baked" potatoes. More than anything, that gravy was out of this word. It was seriously the kind of gravy one would lick off the plate at a 5 star restaurant. Everyone loved the whole meal, which is pretty rare, and I will definitely be attempting this one again.

Wow, Japan.

2011-03-11T13:14:00.002-05:00

I'm totally in awe (in the "oh crap" kind of way, not the "saweet" kind of way) of the destruction in Japan due to this morning's earthquakes and subsequent tsunamis. At this point (1:21 eastern) it looks like the waves will impact the western coast of the US, but because of warning and preparation, there is no imminent threat to the people who live there.

Please say a prayer for all those affected.

It's Lent and I'm Sacrificing...

2011-03-09T15:37:00.004-05:00

...drive thrus!

Sure, sounds like it would be manageable, right? No fast food. Easy peasy. But I'm not doing this to be easy. I'm doing this to actually make a SACRIFICE.

That quick coffee and donut? Done.
That quick Diet Coke from McDonald's? Done.
That quick trip to grab dry cleaning? Done.
That quick run through the library book drop lane? Done.
That quick stop at the pharmacy? Done.

See what I mean? I'm cutting out ALL drive thrus. I did a lot of soul-searching (or, in Catholic-speak, discerning) for this Lent and I realized I've become pretty lazy. Not in a couch potato way. I mean, I work out at the gym almost every day and I'm always on the go. But I've started to lean SO MUCH on short cuts. Like the book drop or the fast food lane or my favorite coffee stop. They all have drive thrus. Totally convenient. But what does that convenience really do for me? It just allows me to leave my schedule wide open, hap-hazard and totally scatterbrained.

I never *really* have to plan my day because if I realize I have an errand to squeeze in, chances are I can find a drive thru or other quickie way to get it done. And I don't *really* have to interact with people, because all my transactions are done in seconds through a window.

So I am doing this in the hopes that I will be forced to start planning my days better. If I know I can't grab coffee at DD, I'm going to have to either wake up earlier to make a pot, or set the timer before bed. If I know I have to go in to pick up dry cleaning I might want to plan those trips on days when I just have Acey to control, or leave it for weekends when I have a helping hand from Ren. And on and on and on...

I have a feeling this is going to be difficult at first, to say the least. But I'm looking forward to the challenge. This culture of everything being quick and easy and right there at our fingertips is definitely affecting our physical health, and I think for me, it's starting to take a toll on my mental well-being, too. I'm thinking the mental exercise is going to be very good for me and I hope over the next 40 days to start forming some good habits for organization and time management. Which will certainly start to spread into other areas of my life and home...and hopefully we will all start to see the payoff from executing according to an actual plan and not just willy-nilly!

We'll see how it goes--I'll keep you posted!

If I Had a Nickel...

2011-03-06T08:31:00.005-05:00

In case you didn't hear, I'm walking in the Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure again this July. Please check out my team's website here: NICKELS FOR NIPPLES and then follow the link to my own PERSONAL PAGE. And then PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE show me some money! Donating is easy and secure. And make sure you check whether your employer grants matching gifts--talk about a win--double your money in just a second!

You might wonder why we chose our name. Let's think about it this way. How many times have you said, "If I had a nickel for every time..."

Well, if you had a nickel for every person annually diagnosed with breast cancer, you would have 1.4 million nickels. Or, $70,000. SEVENTY THOUSAND DOLLARS. Those nickels added up pretty quickly, huh? Nickels seem like small change and everyone has a few laying around. If we pool all those nickels together, we can start to make a pretty good pile to put toward researching a cure for breast cancer.

I welcome all of you to visit our team website and read the stories of my awesome teammates. We are so grateful for your donations and good thoughts. While this is an event to raise money, we also have a long, challenging journey ahead of us and we will not be able to do it without the ongoing support of our friends and family.

(Disclaimer: I am aware that some people choose to not support SGK. I completely understand. I ask that anyone who does not want to lend financial support keep us in your prayers. I will not debate or defend my participation in this event and I will not welcome any negativity on my blog relating to it. Thank you.)

So What Am I Doing, Anyway?

2011-03-04T23:24:00.003-05:00

Right now, you're probably wondering, "If this chick is claiming to be BAAAAAAACK, well, where the heck is she?"

I don't know. I'm not feeling very motivated to blog. I kind of have writer's block, I guess. I've been busy with the kiddos, busy with the house and busy with the transition from therapy to training. I've also been reading quite a bit. But I haven't been spending much time with my laptop. I've been connecting with nearly everyone and everything through my phone. I even read on it with the Nook app!

I haven't forgotten you and I know there are a couple people who really look forward to pics of the girls here. I'll post a "what's been going on" photo essay for you all to enjoy! In the meantime, I'll be around here and there and hopefully I'll find myself back in the writing saddle. There's nothing wrong, no sickness or strife, so please don't worry.

I'm BAAAAAAACK!

2011-01-26T21:14:00.002-05:00

I took a month off...just...because. No real reason, I just wasn't feeling it. And I didn't want to force myself to post just to do it, since you wonderful readers (lurkers?) would be getting crap material. I think I'm ready to get back in the saddle, though, so expect to hear from me a lot more frequently. No challenges, no "post a day" or anything like that. I'm not sure whether I'll be writing or posting pics or both. But I'm not going to leave you hanging any more.

Since I'm SURE you were all compulsively checking my blog over and over and over in my absence.

Right?

RIGHT???

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-25T19:31:00.002-05:00

Friday Flashback. November 10, 2007.

2010-12-03T13:19:00.000-05:00

The Last Shot.

2010-12-02T21:02:00.001-05:00

My first generation Droid died Tuesday. Of course, it crapped out 11 days after the warranty expired. So, after much debate, I decided to exercise our upgrade option and take advantage of Verizon's current BOGO deal. Ren and I now have Droid Xes. I was reluctant to give up my slide-out keyboard...but I got over that in about 10 hours!

This is the last shot taken with my old phone. I was testing whether I could revive the backlight on the screen. I couldn't.

Farewell to Fall!

2010-12-01T08:33:00.000-05:00

We awoke to some flakes a-flying this morning. I guess it's time to admit it is December 1!

Scenes from a Saturday.

2010-11-27T22:22:00.002-05:00

Friday Flashback. November 26, 2008.

2010-11-26T16:38:00.000-05:00

Happy Birthday to my baby Acey!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-11-25T23:20:00.001-05:00

It's Thanksgiving Eve...

2010-11-24T22:22:00.005-05:00

...and children everywhere are leaving dinner plates by the front door with the hope that Turkey Claus will visit during the night and fill them with goodies...

...or wait, is it just ME doing that?

Kids Eat Free!

2010-11-23T20:44:00.001-05:00

Our Chick-Fil-A has Family Night on Tuesdays. Kids eat free (1 kid per adult) and they get to do a free craft and of course, play in the jungle gym room!

Happy Fall Friday!

2010-11-19T14:10:00.001-05:00

Look, Mommy!

2010-11-16T08:45:00.001-05:00

Acey put chap on!

How Gross Is That?

2010-11-15T13:14:00.000-05:00

I just had the following conversation at a traffic light.

Z: Ew! Mommy, that woman does NOT know what she's doing!
(Points to the 70ish woman next to us.)

M: Why? What's wrong?
(Realizes the woman is stashing money in her bra. Chuckles.)

Z: She's putting MONEY down her SHIRT! How gross is that?

M: Well, that's just an old-fashioned thing to do. Some older women hide their money in their bras.

Z: Ew.

End of discussion.

Do You Theme Your Christmas Gifts?

2010-11-11T21:15:00.002-05:00

Well, do you?

I didn't really mean for this to happen, but our Christmas has taken on a theme this year. Our girls will be receiving a ginormous dollhouse, so okay, it kind of diverges from the rest of the gifts. But overall, our theme this year is READING.

Santa is bringing both girls LeapFrog reading systems, real books, movies based on books and even craft sets based on book characters. Acey's medium and small gifts all have a Sesame Street theme; Zo's all have an American Girl theme.

It's kind of cool that this has happened and I think I might try to orchestrate future Christmases this way.

Santa Claus is Coming to Town...With More Stuff!

2010-11-09T22:02:00.003-05:00

Santa decided on this fun little "reader" for Acey, bundled with a carrying case and 2 books:

There are stocking stuffers to get, and a few other small oddities, but Santa is 90% done!!! It feels pretty good at this point but I know it's going to kill me when I am struggling with the urge to buy more stuff as the holiday gets closer. I just need to stay strong. I can do it...right?

Santa Claus is Coming to Town...

2010-11-08T22:26:00.004-05:00

I have officially started Christmas shopping...YIKES!

So far, the girls are getting this to share:

And Zo is getting this for herself:

There are a few more Santa gifts to go (1 more for Zo and 2 for Acey), but we've decided to scale back on quantity this year and focus on quality. This, of course, was the decision we made after I accomplished a MAJOR clean sweep of the playroom!

It's Zo's First Birthday Party!

2010-11-06T12:17:00.001-04:00

On the way to Zo's first kindegarten birthday party! It's a bumper bowling party so she might be a tad overdressed, but she was so excited I couldn't say no. And she looks darn cute, too!

Do It.

2010-11-02T12:11:00.001-04:00

Saturday Scenes, Trick-or-Treat Edition.

2010-10-30T22:20:00.003-04:00

Friday Flashback. Halloween 2009.

2010-10-29T20:26:00.001-04:00

Guess What?

2010-10-27T08:33:00.001-04:00

The Tooth Fairy made her third visit to our house last night!

The Sweetest Spook!

2010-10-26T09:58:00.001-04:00

Off to meet friends at our library for spooky story time!

Circleville, 2010.

2010-10-23T23:55:00.000-04:00

Greetings from the 2010 Circleville Pumpkin Show!
Here we are...our whole 26-person entourage!

The pony rides were definitely a highlight for Zo & Acey.

As always, I enjoyed the people-watching
(Guy with an oxygen backpack and a dog in a front-facing baby carrier? Heck yeah!)
and the food...sooo much food!

There She Goes.

2010-10-21T08:34:00.001-04:00

That pink & black blur is Zo, running to her friends this morning. She has declared herself big enough to get in line for school without me...as long as I stay parked where she can see me. Sniff!

Wordless Wednesday, Cannonball Edition.

2010-10-20T21:49:00.001-04:00

Money Monday.

2010-10-18T09:09:00.001-04:00

Ren and his fellow managers made play money for a recent meeting, featuring their own faces. Acey was playing with the "Daddy Money" this morning, shrieking, "Mine, all mine!"

Be Back Tomorrow!

2010-10-17T18:34:00.002-04:00

I am still working on getting my phone/blog back in sync...the stupid hacker(s) (whose location has now been identified as Nigeria) really mucked things up for me. I should be back up and running with new pics tomorrow.

It's Urgent, Please Respond

2010-10-14T15:04:00.002-04:00

It's me, Megan. I really don't mean to inconvenience you right now, I made a trip to UK and I misplaced my luggage that contain my passport and credit cards, I know this may sound odd, but it all happened very fast. I need to get a new passport, and get on the next available flight home. I've been to the US embassy, they're willing to assist me, but I'm out of cash to pay for my ticket & other miscellaneous expenses. Please can you lend me some funds? I'll be willing to pay back as soon as I get home.

Respond as soon as you get this message, so I can forward you my details to send the funds. You can reach me via my email OR drop a message via the hotel's desk phone if you can. The numbers are, +447045733705

I await your response

Megan ****** *******

***This is NOT an actual plea from me. My Gmail was hacked and the a-holes sent this message to every address in my book. And it got posted here. So enjoy a bit of 'net criminality. Hopefully none of you clicked on the links or actually tried to send me the money. What a total pain in my ass.***

Cold-Brewed Coffee Concentrate Update!

2010-10-14T11:03:00.002-04:00

It's GREAT! I spilled about half of it onto my counter, legs and floors when I was straining it (damn!) so the yield was kind of small...I'm guessing I would have had about 4 cups of concentrate from the full batch. I used roughly 1/2 cup of concentrate to a glass filled with ice and a good amount of hazelnut creamer and a splash of water...PERFECT!

I'll definitely be keeping this on hand.

I'm Trying Something New.

2010-10-13T12:41:00.001-04:00

My friend Sarah loves cold-brewed coffee for creating homemade frou-frou coffee drinks. A few weeks ago she told me how she makes coffee concentrate and today I'm giving it a shot. I added one pound of Target brand coffee (Buttery Caramel flavor, on sale for $6.49, less a $2.00 coupon = $4.49! Score!) to this canister and covered it with fresh cold water, plus another 2 inches. Now I have to wait. A day. Then I need to strain the liquid, toss the grounds in my flower bed and return the liquid to the canister. The whole deal will keep in the fridge for several days and should be strong enough to use 1/2 (or so) cup per coffee drink.

It's pretty much like using a French press, right? Just with cold water and no built-in sieve. The concept is the same: let the ground coffee steep in the waterand strain, instead of pouring over.

I'll report back!

What's in the Bag?

2010-10-12T09:19:00.000-04:00

Our Tuesday routine includes a trip to Dunkin Donuts for breakfast!

Sunday Festival.

2010-10-10T21:22:00.001-04:00

We wrapped up our weekend at the Hiram House Camp pumpkin festival. What a GREAT family event to benefit a wonderful organization and cause.

Super Saturday!

2010-10-09T22:02:00.001-04:00

We attended a friend's school fair tonight.
And a great time was had by all!

It's Halloween Season!

2010-10-08T20:35:00.000-04:00

We went to Zo's first school Fall Fun Faire tonight.
Do you think these girls were a *little* excited?

These Kids of Mine.

2010-10-07T23:37:00.002-04:00

I took this picture to show off Zo's climbing skills. We take lots of pics of Acey because she's sooooo cute and I like to balance that with pics of Zo doing awesome stuff like conquering the rope ladder at the park.

Not to be outdone, someone else decided to pop into the frame...

Crafty Tuesday, Continued.

2010-10-05T18:33:00.003-04:00

Inspired by our morning at the library and bugged by the cost and uncreativeness of the Halloween wreaths I found at Target, I headed to Hobby Lobby. I was unable to find anything premade there, either, so I rearranged my thoughts and came up with a plan to MAKE the perfect wreath.

I used 1 foam ring ($5), 2 3 yard feather boas ($7), 1 2 yard feather boa ($2), 6 feather sticks ($3), a package of craft pins (u-shaped) ($3) and one dangly skeleton witch ($5).

This all rang up to roughly $25. Which is roughly what I didn't want to spend at Target!

In the end, I couldn't care less about the price. Zo and I made this wreath together and we now have the *perfect* unique Halloween decoration.

Can't wait for Thanksgiving to roll around...

Crafty Tuesday.

2010-10-05T11:58:00.002-04:00

Tuesday is Acey's story time at our library. Today was all about chickens. We heard 3 stories about chickens, did the chicken dance and made a chickie windsock. Here it hangs in a place of honor above our sink!

(The Week is) Off to the Races.

2010-10-04T18:45:00.001-04:00

We love Monday dinners at Texas Roadhouse. Kids eat for 99 cents, we eat for $7.99 (before 6:00), there are free peanuts AND there is a girls who does face/hand painting! What could be better?

Sunday Eats.

2010-10-03T20:30:00.001-04:00

Ren delivering one of his brilliant Dutch Babies to the table this morning.

Queen of the Mountain.

2010-10-01T21:34:00.001-04:00

Wordless Wednesday, Free Coffee Edition.

2010-09-29T11:35:00.001-04:00

Sunday Funday!

2010-09-26T18:22:00.000-04:00

Zo and I decided to undertake stove top popcorn.

And it was GOOOOOOOOOD!

Late Night Snacks.

2010-09-25T21:23:00.000-04:00

Yummy crab pretzels. Mmmmmmmmm!

We Went To A Drive In!

2010-09-24T22:23:00.000-04:00

Can't see us? That's because we're enjoying the dark comforts of our own vehicle...at our VERY FIRST drive-in movie! Well, Ren has been zillions of times, but neither the girls nor I ever had. Until tonight! We saw Legend of the Guardians and while it was a very good movie, I think the girls were more taken in by the whole atmosphere than the film.

Finally.

2010-09-23T17:29:00.001-04:00

After hoarding my grocery points for weeks and weeks, just buying what we needed from day to day, I finally took the plunge and stocked my fridge. It finally looks like it keeps food for a nutritionally responsible family and not a bunch of frat boys! The cabinets and freezer are full as well, but I just love my well-organized refrigerator! Everything has a place and for now, everything is IN its place.

Ahhh.

Big Girl Story Time.

2010-09-21T11:07:00.001-04:00

Today was Acey's first day at story time for 2-3 year olds. She isn't quite 2 yet, but the younger story time (we did it last fall) is too passive for my wild child--mostly sitting in Mommy's lap. Today we read 2 books about kitty cats, danced the Beanie Bag Dance and even got to make this coot kitty cat visor. Acey loved going to "class" (her word) and is already asking to go back again!

Whirled Peace.

2010-09-20T19:00:00.000-04:00

Zo's school does an art installation for World Peace Day each year. Pinwheels are decorated by each child and planted along the main boulevard of our town; they represent "whirled" peace.

Saturday Suckers.

2010-09-18T11:56:00.001-04:00

Not only do they get suckers from the pharmacy, they girls succeeded in suckering me into the monster cart. I'm so easy.

That's Fast!

2010-09-15T13:39:00.000-04:00

Zo demonstrating how fast she can spin in her new school shoes.

Dunkin' Punkin'.

2010-09-14T09:09:00.001-04:00

Acey enjoying the first pumpkin donut of the season--yum!

What a View!

2010-09-11T17:30:00.000-04:00

Karla and Jay had the most amazing venue for a wedding!

Road Trip!

2010-09-11T00:33:00.001-04:00

Here we are, ready for our trip to PA for my girl Karla's wedding. We left this morning...which was really *yesterday* since it's after midnight...but I'm still awake so I'm calling it the same day!