Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas everyone! Enjoy the time with your family!

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Menu Plan Monday

Testing TV heights for the fireplace and TV locations in the addition. Classy. (Classier? One of the buckets said to keep an eye out for their new product, coming in 1989..)

Sunday
Sausage tortellini w/onions, mushrooms and alfredo sauce
Artichoke, crab and cheese flatbread

Monday
Tacos/taco salad

Tuesday
Christmas!!

(Breakfast will be the traditional sausage/egg/cheese casserole/strada and cinnamon sugar pull apart bread. I almost broke my thumb on the kitchenaid while making the bread. It is nicely swollen and bruised now. Yes, I would.)

Wednesday
Christmas breakfast leftovers

Thursday
Unknown

Friday
Sweet & sour turkey (though we don't have any turkey, so I might sub chickpeas for protein)

Saturday
Baked french toast

John put his old mesh shorts on Lucy. She liked it. Girl likes her some accessories.

(For some reason, this post became a dumping ground for pictures of weird things that happen in our house. I apologize.)

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My Wish List

Since yesterday I was giving some wish list ideas made up of my favorite items, I thought I would share a few things from my current wish list too!

 -A new 5th gen. iPod touch

My current touch is a 3rd gen and it has gotten to the point where I cannot update the operating system anymore, which in turn leads to not being able to update or get new apps. Apps shut down on me all of the time since I am a couple of operating systems behind now. Boo. Oh.. and? This one has a camera!!

-iHome to go with my iPod

I would love the option to set music to be my alarm, or even have a clock radio.

-Compost Bins

I would love an outside compost bin, and sure I could probably make one, but it hasn't happened. I would like a small one for under the sink too, for transporting outside.

-KitchenAid Grinder

The grinder attachment would make my bulk applesauce production a lot easier than my hand food mill. I canned 24 pints of applesauce this year- that is a lot of hand turning.

-A grill pan

Burner sized with a handle- I almost always make turkey burgers, so I do not need the Foreman to remove the fat.. Also, I like paninis a lot and the Foreman just doesn't work for those- a grill pan with a heavy pan on top will do the trick (the Rachael method).

-Pampered Chef Skinny & Classic Spatulas

I have gotten rid of all but two of my spatulas. They were breaking, getting stained, etc. I have one Pampered Chef classic spatula and don't think I'll ever go back. The top is sealed to the bottom so no grime can get under the top. The spatula is heat resistant and doesn't stain. I use them like crazy and it hasn't broken either. Plus- the sizes are just really perfect, with no weird edges or cups.

-Caps car sticker (or this!)

Hockey may have been cancelled so far, but I still love the Caps. (I actually grew up on D1 college hockey, which I miss a ton, but since MD is out of the college hockey loop, I have adopted the Caps.)

-Oh, and this little ring. ;)

(I do have any anniversary coming up too!)

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Favorite Things (and a Christmas Present!)

For those of you still looking for present (or wish list!) ideas, I thought I would list some of my favorite things that I don't know what I would do without anymore.

Cooking/Baking

-KitchenAid scraper beater blade.

This thing has REVOLUTIONIZED my life! I always default to this and really only use the standard blade when the scraper is dirty.(I actually have another on my Christmas list this year!)

-An extra KitchenAid mixer bowl.

On the same KitchenAid note, I love having an extra bowl. It is so nice to not have to stop and wash the bowl between cookie mixes, or between the cake and then frosting.

-Glass storage containers

I use these for everything- leftovers, lunch, etc. I love that they are more sturdy/durable than the plastic, don't stain and I can feel good microwaving in them. Oh and.. dishwasher safe! I have the Pyrex and these Anchor Hocking and both have worked well for me with everything from soup to sloppy joes. My sister in law said her Pyrex leak though.

-Parchment sheets

So nice for lining a pan before baking sweet potato fries, fish, etc. Makes for easy clean up and you don't have to worry about food sticking!

-Tomato Knife

LOVE IT. I always struggled with cutting tomatoes before because they would smush as I tried to cut. This knife slides right through the tomato and makes nice cuts for easy dicing and slices!

Running

-Garmin GPS watch

This was my anniversary present last year and I don't know what I would do without it anymore. I love tracking my average pace, seeing if I need to pick it up, and then afterward plugging it into the computer and seeing the split break down.

-RoadID

I used to carry my phone as a form of ID, but duh, if I get hit by a car the phone will probably break, could fly into the bushes or whatever. I got the Road ID that loops through my shoelaces so I don't have to worry about it rubbing on my arm or leg. I love that I can leave it on my shoes (so I won't forget it) and it has emergency contacts (two), and important medical history.

Random

-iPod touch

I have an old school ipod touch. I love it. A data plan for phones is not in our budget right now and it is so nice to have the ipod as an option for internet when I am out (where there is wifi) or at home instead of using the desktop computer (which is a stinkin dinosaur in computer time).

-Grocery List

I am a super nerd and made a grocery list that I print out and keep on the fridge. This is only nerdy because the list is organized in the typical grocery store layout and the way customers go through the store (produce-> meat-> interior-> dairy, etc.).

A special Christmas present since I love you all:
If you click here you will go to a link to download the printable if you would like.
Just print on 8.5x11 and cut down the middle. I punch holes in the top and loop ribbon through it- hard surface for writing on and checking off items in the store, and multiple sheets together. It will save you time in circling through the store! (Oh.. and I realize that they aren't spaced evenly.. this is just reflective of the amount of items we usually get in each category.)

(In case anyone cares, no one is paying me for this (I WISH!).. these are just some of my favorite things! Most items are linked on Amazon just since they have pretty much everything and you can probably still get everything ordered in time for Christmas!)

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Randoms..

(Or Snippets in the words of Meredith.)

After we took our pizza out of the oven on Sunday night, when it was placed on top of the stove it looked like the Santa spoon holder was holding the pizza. We giggled.

I have gotten super busy the last few weeks. I take that back. It seems like this whole fall has been super busy. I just got a huge project at work that is super faced paced, so that definitely makes everything move quickly too. Add in Christmas preparations, Christmas get-togethers and various crafts I want to do and time is flying!

I have a few items that have been on my brain, but none warrant its own post. Some are just random stupid things about me.

-I LOVE where we live. Seriously. Almost daily on the drive home I think it to myself as I look around. I get super annoyed while driving home, but turning down our roads just calms me down. It makes living the 1+ hours away from work so worth it.

-My conditioner always runs out before my shampoo. I hate starting a new bottle of conditioner before a bottle of shampoo- I like them to start at the same time. I keep a bottle of conditioner in the closet whose sole purpose to to bridge the end of the matching conditioner to the end of the shampoo. Conditioner dies--> break out the closet conditioner--> shampoo dies--> start new bottles of shampoo and conditioner at the same time and put the safety conditioner back in the closet.

-On another personal care note: I take gummy vitamins. I eat all of the yellows first since they are gross. Then I eat all of the orange, then pinks and THEN reds. Reds are the best of everything so they are always saved for last (M&Ms, Skittles, etc.)

-On Thanksgiving we ran a Drumstick Dash 5k. It is a family tradition to run in a Turkey Trot/Dash on Thanksgiving and this year we did it in honor/remembrance of our neighbor growing up (her kids were our age too and in all the same sports, etc.- saw her a lot) who was a big runner and she passed away suddenly this year. Funds were raised for scholarships for her special ed students. The main event/team was in NY where we grew up, but we went to VA this year, so we represented Team Donna in Roanoke.

-A few weeks ago I made a whole month of supper menues. It has been awesome not having to struggle every Saturday night/Sunday morning to figure out what the menu will be so I can make the grocery list.

-When I had bronchitis a month or so ago I strained my neck from coughing. It was almost worse than the actual coughing.

-I cannot figure out how to use coffee creamer. Everyone was loving on the International Delight flavors so I got some, but gave up. Am I supposed to put Stevia/sweetener in TOO? Is the creamer sweetened already? I don't know.. It tasted gross whatever combo I did.. I even tried using my regular milk WITH the creamer to "water" it down.

-I have always connected way more to animals than people.. I cannot watch animal movies (um, Homeward Bound? UGH) and just feel way more empathy towards animals. People's attitude and manner toward animals really affect my views of the person. In one of my previous positions, the boss horrified me with the way their animals were treated. After that it was super hard to respect them. It is a very hard thing to work for someone who you don't respect.

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Pinterest Challege: Update 1

Checking in to report my progress on my Personal Pinterest Challege:

 

1- Made the Banana Caramel Cream dessert. I thought it was good.. John didn't. WHAT!? I don't know how he didn't! It was even ingredients that he likes together . This was very similar to banana pudding which he is obsessed with. Ugh.

2- Got a shower scrubber! I got this OXO one from Target and it has bristles instead of a scrubber pad, which I love. I think it will hold up a lot better to the slate than a scrubber pad would. I filled it with half water, half vinegar and a splash of tea tree oil. I'm loving having the scrubber and randomly scrub at something while I am in there- I've even grabbed it out of the shower to scrub the sink.

3- Made the Christmas star! I just used some 1x1s and stained them and then John tacked them together at the corners for me. He has more patience for lining everything up and going slower so it doesn't split. I love having the star with my Nativity.

I have left by 12/31/12:
-herb & grain crackers
-cinnamon sugar pull apart bread
-clean my towels (I think I am going to do my workout clothes like this too)
-use a dryer sheet on the baseboards and wax paper on the faucets
-make a Christmas Grinch sign (I've actually found a different sign that I am making instead.. well two signs..they are in progress)
-ornament wreath (also in progress)
-Virginia falls in love poster

..I can do it, I can do it, I can do it.

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Menu Plan Monday

Fireworks and Christmas lights from the Baltimore Washington Monument lighting last week.

Monday
Shrimp Fra Diavolo
Green beans (maybe sauteed with onions and garlic)

Tuesday
Turkey Burrito Bowls from the crockpot

Wednesday
Bacon wrapped meatloaf w/BBQ sauce
Salad

Thursday
Turkey burgers
Sweet potato fries

Friday
Some sort of fish from the freezer
Garlic roasted broccoli

Saturday
Homemade pizza (dairy free for a friend!)

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Lucy Shaming

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Menu Plan Monday

A cupcake delivery I made this weekend- cherry vanilla bean cupcakes w/a cherry cream filling and lemon vanilla bean cupcakes with candied lemon slices.

Sunday
Zucchini Lasagna

Monday
Cajun Turkey Pasta

Tuesday
Squash risotto w/gruyere and garlic chicken sausages

Wednesday
S-Out
J- Leftover lasagna

Thursday
S- Out
J-?

Friday
Bubble up Enchiladas
Salad

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