Things I learned in February

One thing I absolutely love about blogging is that it's my blog and I can blog if I want to, or not if I don't want to, as it often is around here. Today I'm joining in my favorite link up with my friend Emily Freeman from Chatting at the Sky. She invites readers to share what they have learned each month, it's fascinating and fun.

1. Birthday candles and Army guys do not melt in our dryer. Whew.

2. I miss Twitter when it was truly 140 characters. Now it's full of links and rabbit trails.

3. Bread and cream cheese both mold faster in Colorado than they did in Virginia. Weird.

4.  People in Colorado run A LOT of red lights. More than I have seen anywhere ever. Even NYC.

5. When you get together with people for dinner in Colorado they start cooking when you arrive. It has happened at least 4 times since we moved here, so don't show up starving.

6. Traveling to Michigan in February can be relaxing.

Direct flights are easy breezy

Tipping the bellman is fun when he's your husband!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The view from our room was so peaceful.

My girls with my brother.

My cousin, the beautiful bride.

Hotel arcade!

Cousin time!

Have you learned anything new lately?
               

4 Things I Learned in September

I learned a few new things in September.

1. I am adverse to most change; however, I have already found two things I like about the new iOS 7. The first is the new calendar. I am so greatly relieved that they finally improved the calendar.  The second thing, which I find very handy, is when I swipe up from the bottom of the screen I can access a flashlight, stopwatch and calculator toot suite. There are several other handy options with that swipe, but those are my favs.
2. The bottom crisper drawer of our refrigerator was dead to me until this month. I would put things in there and remember a month later the bag of apples or Costco sized spinach. The drawer just above it got regular use but for some reason that bottom drawer was always forgotten. UNTIL I started putting the beer in there. Problem solved.
3. A quick swish in a cup of rubbing alcohol and your make-up brushes are clean as a whistle. I actually learned that last year but it was so helpful I wanted you to know this trick too.
4. The Jimmy Fallon lip sync-off made me laugh so hard I snorted. A few times.

I'm linking up with Emily Freeman and her community at Chatting at the Sky where she is sharing what she learned and one involves how we have been using the restaurant ketchup cups wrong.

Did you learn anything new in September?

6 Things I learned in June

Here are six riveting things I learned in June:

1. Reading blogs for the last 5 years paid another round of dividends when I had my first anxiety attack last month. After the second one in a week I knew what it was and stopped thinking I was near death. Other bloggers sharing their story helped me recognize anxiety. Whew. Crisis averted.  
2. Breathing into a paper bag actually does bring some relief. (See above)
3. I would rather be strong than skinny. Right now I am neither, but I am working on it.
4. When your 5 year old says she is ready to get rid of the Polly Pockets do not stop to do anything else. Immediately go to the charity bin, the dumpster, the side of a cliff, or anywhere you can to rid these from your home. I did not do this. I regret it.
5. I find spraying bird poop off our flagstone patio to be quite soothing. I do this almost every evening. 
6. Making room for friend time is necessary. Going to the beach with Gussy Sews is a delight.

What did you learn in June? Are you enjoying your summer? Emily at Chatting at the Sky has 9 things to share from her June.

Baby Weight

Here's the thing.  With very few breaks, I have been pregnant or nursing since August 2005.  Wow.

Noah was born in 2006, Chloe in 2008 and Rachel in 2010.

What I'm tryin' to tell you is, I've got a few pounds to lose.  (By the way, Rachel is asleep in my arms as I type this and she just sleep laughed and it was the sweetest little thing.)

I get big, really big when I'm pregnant.  Like, a fat roll on the back of my neck big.  Like, my fingers look like hot dogs big.  Like, people constantly ask me if I'm having twins big. Here, I'll prove it:

I was just 33 weeks along in this picture.  That's Myra from My Blessed Life AND also from her beautiful new blog The Casabella Project. This was the last night of The Relevant Conference and we were taking pictures like it was the last day of school.
 
With each pregnancy I gained 45 pounds.  And I didn't care because I was making a baby and I was so excited to be a Mama.

So far, I have lost 22 pounds without trying.  I am already down to a svelte 188 lbs, and my baby is just 6 weeks old.  Yes, people you can do the math and see that I was 210 lbs when I gave birth.  And it wasn't much weight from said baby:

This fall I am turning 40 and we are thinking about taking our very first cruise.  I would love to be in ship shape {hardy, har, har} for both of those events!

So, I tell you what I'm gonna do.  I'm gonna lose 40 lbs by the time I turn 40.

And I hate to exercise and I love to eat.  Let's do this thing!

Clean Your Stove, the easy way

Do you have nasty looking burners on your stove, like this:

Turn your gas stove on as low as the flame will go and in about 30 minutes, it will look like this:

 

Isn't that amazing?  I am easily impressed.  Here ends the infomercial.  Happy Labor Day!

Five Question Friday

Well this looks like fun!  I was visiting some of the girl's I met at the Nester's slipcover party and over at Carrie's blog she is playing along with Five Question Friday from Mama M at My Little Life so I decided to try it.

1. Do you have an iPhone and, if so, how do you get apps and what are your favorites?
Yes!  I get my apps from the App Store and my current favorite is the Chipotle app. I used it today and it's as close to drive through as you can get with Chipotle. I ordered and paid on my iPhone as I was leaving Moms Connection, drove to Chipotle, walked straight to the cash register and grabbed my lunch!

2. What is your fondest memory of K-3rd grade?

When I was in kindergarten we still took naps and sang nursery rhymes and I loved it!  Now I think kids are expected to read and write by the time they start school.

3. What makes you cringe at the thought of touching?

Raw meat.  I love meat, but prepping and cooking it makes me shutter (I even wear disposable gloves!)

4. If you could have any celebrity show up on your doorstep who would it be and why?

I think Kevin and DeLana Harvick would be so fun!  I follow them on Twitter and they always make me laugh.

5. What would you say is your best physical feature?

Probably my eyes.  Many people comment on my green eyes.

No Ironing Solution

I figured out a way to get the hems on these little sweater dresses to lay down. It works for me and it might work for you too.

When they come out of the dryer the hem is usually curled up.

With a few strategically placed clothes pins the hems lay flat after about an hour.

Voila! No more curled hem. I use this trick on the collars of my husbands shirts too.

Race on over to We Are That Family to find out more Works For Me Wednesday tips!

Flowers

Trader Joe's usually has great mixed bouquets for $3.99. The interesting thing I have found is if I split up the bouquet with like flowers together, they last longer. A lot longer. For some reason the cut flowers seem to suck the life out of each other when they are not with their own kind. Interestingly enough, people can be the same way at times. Finding refreshment with your own kind can become more important the busier your life becomes.

Don't Forget!

The Season Premiere of Ice Road Truckers is tonight on The History Channel! Sweet, I love man TV.

Don't Wear Earrings to a NASCAR Race

You might think wearing earrings to a NASCAR race is a fine idea...until you put on your radio headset and they push into the side of your neck for 4 hours. Ouchie.

Last week some great friends from our church gave us tickets to last nights race in Richmond. We immediately scheduled my mom for babysitting, filled the fridge with breastmilk and headed to the race. Here is the view from our awesome seats, right across from the exit of Pit Row in turn 1 and right in front of the pole sitters pit box (Denny Hamlin, in case you were dying to know who was on the pole.)

During the national anthem the Blue Angels did an amazing fly over. This part always takes my breath away and makes me so proud to be an American.

Not everyone gets as excited about racing as I do. This little one was fast asleep before the first 100 laps were complete.

And this lady (click on photo to enlarge image) was so beside herself with excitement she started knitting...she was a pro too, one of those that can knit without ever looking at her needles. Unlike the guy on the left, who smoked 1,050 cigarettes during the race. At one point he was half on my seat cushion and ashing on my leg too, but it was worth it.This is us walking out of the track listening to the final laps on the radio. We are smiling so big because we weren't getting pelted with beer cans the fans were throwing after Dale Jr. got wrecked, just as he was about to win the race. And because we were going home to our nice cozy bed.

Square or Round?

A Tupperware lady once told me they have discovered there are square people and round people and most everyone has a preference. I have heard the same thing about green and blue. I am a square green person. What are you?