I'm going to let you in on something...

I have purchased my tickets to see Twilight on Friday, November 21.....7:30 show at the Showcase Cinema de Lux.

I am so excited to see this movie!!!

questions....

Instead of battling the last 10 pounds, why can't I have the ability to grow a couple of inches and stretch it out?

What exactly is tapioca?

Why, when clowns are so disturbing and creepy, are they linked to children's fun?

How much faith can one put into an answer from the magic 8 ball?

Why do I continue to scour the Internet for answers when it only makes the situation a million times worse with every worst case scenario possible??

Who was the genius behind reality TV?

How can I thank the inventor of the DVR?

When will I get a full night of uninterrupted, quiet sleep?

How do you get "farv" out of "Favre"??

Is it possible to have a crush on a fictional vampire?

Where were the fashion police during the 80's and 90's....on strike perhaps??

My latest obsession

The Twilight saga....

For the past few days, I have been enthralled in these books. They are amazing and I can't seem to put the books away. I will steal a chapter here and there and as soon as everything is settled and the kids are in bed, I immerse myself into the story.

Twilight, tells the story of a girl named Bella, who moves from Phoenix, Arizona to live with her dad in a small, sleepy, rainy town in Seattle. It is there that she meets a boy named Edward Cullen who is so beautiful and mysterious....he feels that it is wrong for them to be together because he is different from her.....they give in to their feelings and fall in love.

Its a forbidden love because he is vampire.




As soon as I finished Twilight, I started on New Moon, which is so heartbreaking and captivating at the same time. I devoured this book in a day....it kept calling me and I would need to read more and more.

So, now I am eager to start on eclipse, the third book in the saga....



followed by the final book, Breaking Dawn.



I can't wait to see the movie on November 21....check out the trailer here!!

luscious

The most gorgeous hair accessories ever!


They are giving me some inspiration.

my baby

Poor little Emmy has been sick with a cold for the past week.
She has been stuffy, gooey and drippy which leaves her face raw and chapped, despite all efforts of applying balms and ointments....her skin looks so sore.
She is cranky and tells me that she is sick, so I know she feels yucky.
Its been hard on me, but way worse for her, not much makes her feel good, but she seems to feel better cuddled up together.
So we have been doing lots of cuddling on the couch (and not much more unless its absolutely necessary) and I can't imagine a better way to pass the day.
But I do hope she feels better soon!

Project "food stretch" meal plan: rest of the week

Warning: This is not interesting AT ALL, it is simply my little documentation of my food budget challenge....feel free to skip past this post, I won't be mad at you!

Tuesday

• Breakfast: oatmeal & peaches
• Girls morning snack: hard boiled eggs & cold beets
• Packed lunches: turkey/cheese on wheat, plum, pretzels, cereal bar, water
• Girls lunch: oven pizza, celery sticks, water
• Girls afternoon snack: muffin
• Dinner: turkey dogs, rolls, baked fries, steamed broccoli

Wednesday

• Breakfast:cereal & milk
• Girls morning snack: muffin & pears
• Packed lunches: tuna on wheat, carrots & dip,popcorn, cereal bar, water
• Girls lunch:chicken noodle soup and baked biscuit
• Girls afternoon snack: pretzels & cheese
• Dinner: turkey breast, mashed potatoes, corn and stuffing

Thursday

• Breakfast: pancakes and pears
• Girls morning snack: cheese & crackers
• Packed lunches: turkey on wheat, celery & dip, pretzels, cereal bar and water
• Girls lunch: PB&J on wheat and mandarin oranges
• Girls afternoon snack: animal crackers
• Dinner: pasta, ground chicken, sauce, baked rolls and garlic seasoned green beans

Friday

• Breakfast: cereal and milk
• Girls morning snack: pretzels & mandarin oranges
• Packed lunches: PB&J on wheat, pears, popcorn, cereal bar and water
• Girls lunch: mac & cheese and steamed broccoli
• Girls afternoon snack: goldfish and baby carrots
• Dinner: order a couple of PIZZAS!!!

And I was thinking that I had nothing in the house.....not too bad!

Project "food stretch" meal plan: day 1

Monday:
breakfast-
-English muffins, butter or peanut butter
-juice

girl's morning snack:
-baked pre-mixed muffin mix (just add water, can't mess up!)
-celery sticks
-ice water

Chris & DJ packed lunch:
-Tuna sandwiches
-chips
-cereal bar
-plum
-water

girl's lunch:
-pb&j on baked biscuits
-mandarin oranges
-ice water

Avery's pre-school snack/ Emmy's afternoon snack:
-celery sticks
-crackers
-ice water

DJ after school snack:
-muffins
-milk

Dinner:
-chicken casserole....most items from pantry
(bow ties, cream of celery soup, canned chicken breast (prefer fresh, but this works and I had it!), chopped celery, Parmesan cheese, breadcrumbs)
-steamed baby carrots
-water/ crystal light

new hair

My favorite form of creative self expression!

I added some more hair.......

Then:


Now:

stretching it.....

As the financial manager of the family (sounds important, right?), I budget a set amount of money for grocery shopping that is done every 2 weeks. Occasionally, there is the breakthrough mini-shopping trip that may need to be done between the big trips, but I have been working on eliminating that in order to really keep on a budget. I find that the little in between stops here and there are the demise of all of my hard work and planning, I end up picking up all sorts of fun things that just aren't needed.
The last few months, I have been doing well with the bi-monthly food stock ups. I will buy both fresh and frozen produce, using the fresh for the 1st week and frozen during the 2nd week. I stock up on sales and have an extra freezer for poultry, pork, fish and various other freezable foods. I know how to gauge the food and ration out what is needed to keep our family satisfied for 2 weeks....it took some effort, but it is pretty natural now.

Today, was my day to shop. I took some time to get the coupons together and planned to go after Chris was done doing some work in the basement.
The work went longer than expected, so I figured that I would go after dinner....by then, I just didn't want to go out because:

1. it was so cold out
2. it was so dark out
3. I was so tired!

So, I started taking inventory of what I have in the pantry, fridge and freezers and made meal plans for the week. I was able to figure out all meals and packed lunches for the week!

I am challenging myself to put off the shopping for one more week and use up the food we have.....although, most of the goodies are gone, so I may have to do some baking......not my strong point!

thrifted finds

Avery has a princess scooter that she got for Christmas last year, which has been the source of huge meltdowns and screaming in our home because both the girls seem to gravitate to it every time we go out to play. I have wanted to pick up a second one, but either, I forget about it when I am at the store or when I do remember, the ones that I find are nothing like the one we have....which is necessary with my children. I have looked online and they are ridiculously overpriced and pair that with shipping costs, I simply can't justify the purchase.....hence, I deal with the annoying sibling arguments.
So, you can imagine my excitement when I found 2 identical, pink, 3 wheeled scooters that were the exact-perfect-size for the girls....at the local salvation army thrift store! I was dropping off some donations and spied these little beauties in the outside area, DJ went in to inquire about the price and I got the pair for a whopping $8.40....bargain!!!



This is what they look like now, kind of bare and loved by some other little girls, pretty much what Avery's princess scooter looks like anyway! I am dying to do a makeover on them (think ribbons, decals, baskets and bells) and I will most likely post it later....but the girlies wanted to play with them first, so the makeover has to wait!

my (to do) Christmas gift list...

• knitted scarves
• hoop handle handbag (big)
• 2 pleated handbags (big)
• pajamas
• key chains
• framed photos
• framed scrapbook pages
• chocolate covered pretzels
• beaded eyeglass chain
• crayon rolls
• felt crowns
• princess wands
• princess t shirts
• skirts
• fleece pants
• hair clips
• photo calendars
• pot holders & oven mitts

cute pants and dance class....

another pair of pants that I made...

Avery loves dance class, she is taking tap, jazz and ballet...

farm fresh

On Saturday, we visited Jane and Paul's farm in Norfolk, MA to pick some apples, pet the animals and buy some fall veggies. My parents joined us for the fun and we all had a great afternoon outside in the warm sunshine....what a perfect day!

We brought home lots of apples, fresh broccoli, butternut squash, potatoes, the most amazing M&M chocolate chip cookies and everyone got a pumpkin!

Today I made a big family dinner for my parents and us. I put chicken and BBQ sauce in the crock pot to cook all day, made mashed potatoes, steamed broccoli, roasted butternut squash and warm rolls.














Roasted Butternut Squash with Spices
-preheat oven to 450
-peel and cube squash
-put on cookie sheet
-season with: (I just sprinkle over the squash)

• ground black pepper
• ground cumin
• garlic powder
• chill powder
• paprika
• ground cinnamon
• ground allspice
• ground ginger

-drizzle olive oil
-toss squash with tongs to evenly cover oil and spices
-cut 1/2 red onion into chunks and throw the pieces into squash (for flavor)
-roast about 40-50 minutes, turning every 15 minutes or so.

-squash is done when it is soft and slightly browned

-season with sea salt



SO YUMMY!!!

got lists?

I am a list girl.

I need to see everything that is planned for us, what I need to conquer throughout the day, the bills that need to be paid, meal plans, pretty much everything gets put into list form. Then, as things get done, I delight in taking my pen and scratching through each completed task....such satisfaction.

So, to stay with the theme of all things "list", I have started making my Christmas gift list.
Its October, I am pretty sure that I am not alone in thinking about Christmas, at least with my fellow "list makers".
This year, I am going to have a hand made holiday.....I have challenged myself to create special gifts for my favorite people. I really enjoy the process of creating unique things and I am excited to see what I am inspired to make for each person.
I have also decided that we are cutting back on the gifts to the kids, they get way too much and it just isn't necessary. Its total overload at our house.

I came across this little saying (list) and I am going to implement it as my new Christmas motto....

• Something They Want,
• Something They Need,
• Some Kind of Toy,
• And Something to Read.

I love the simplicity.

Despite my streamlining, Santa will still make an appearance to drop off 1 gift and an obscenely large, overstuffed stocking (which I will make a list for) for each of my crazy kids.....so don't feel too sorry for them!

falling for fall...

What isn't there to like about fall?
There is such richness in the color scheme of autumn, the heavy scents that fill the air and the warmth of the day that is sandwiched between a crisp morning and a frigid evening. I find myself cooking more (and actually enjoying it), keeping up with chores around the house more effectively and taking time to craft whatever medium that I am favoring at the moment. There is also so much satisfaction getting outside and playing with the kids, the coolness is so invigorating and its nice to not have to obsess over bug spray and sunscreen.

Fall is a comfortable and stable time of year for me.

I love packing away the summer clothes and bringing out the jeans, boots and sweaters that look good on everyone and are comfy! I love curling up on the couch with a blanket and Chris, to watch TV. I love the smell outside, of fall at night. I love putting sweatshirts on the kids. I love that the kids are already excited for Halloween. I love apples and pumpkins. I love cinnamon flavored foods. I even love raking up leaves.
What I don't love is that winter is lurking.....

quickie

Some Sunday sewing projects....

more comfy pants for the girlies...

Halloween skirts, flower clips and headband......

Isn't the fabric too cute?!


My girlies sporting some new skirts....

latest work.....

pants, skirts and hair clips.....so fun!

used this tutorial for pants (modified version)

I love the poppy print......and the fabric is a soft, thick cotton knit that is so comfy, and totally a bargain, as I got 2 pairs of pants and 2 fabric flower clips for $4.00!

easiest skirt tutorial here

These skirts are so quick and easy to make, I made all 4 tonight....and the hair clips too!

C'mon, dig out the sewing machines and try these easy projects : )