tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-39475929591310422762024-03-19T05:22:58.921-04:00My {Crunchy} LifeA blog about scrapbooking, family,veganism and all things crunchy.Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12852920270468877759noreply@blogger.comBlogger226125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3947592959131042276.post-57467436195720280162011-11-26T15:09:00.002-05:002011-11-26T15:18:29.888-05:00DivorceIt's been a long time. While trying to think of things for my 5 year olds school Time Line project, I decided to look through my old blog for ideas. Boy did that get emotions going!<br /><br />Last Oct of 2010, My husband told me he wasn't sure if he loved me anymore. It was tough, but we decided we would make our marriage work. In Dec, he told me he wanted a divorce. In Feb I found out he had been having an affair with his boss. He was in love with her. All the late nights at work were actually spent with her at the bar drinking and what not. There is so much more to the story...things that happened throughout this whole time. A lot of mind games. A LOT of lies. <br /><br />Needless to say, we are in the process of divorce. 14 years down the drain. He ruined a good thing, tore our family apart and is now not even being a good father. He's become a very selfish person that only cares about himself. With his new cool hair, designer clothing, cologne and social life. He's living single life with a bachelor pad. My how people change. I don't even recognize him.Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12852920270468877759noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3947592959131042276.post-31520736399844364422010-12-06T22:27:00.005-05:002010-12-06T22:43:01.640-05:00I'm Still Alive!Wow. It has been a long time!<br />So much has been going on since my last entry. Kieran turned four Aug 8th, Chloe turned one Oct, 11th and Nevin just turned 13 on Dec, 4th! I have a 13 year old, People!! CRAZY!<br /><br /> Lately I have been going through some very emotionally taxing times. So please send happy energy my way. Hopefully I'll look back at this time and think...man, that was rough, but we made it through and look at us now! :)<br /><br />Today we went to my friends. We've been doing this every Monday(or try to at least). It's so nice. Her oldest is Nevin's age her 2 middles are Kieran's age and she also has a baby. The boys play, practice guitar and we all have dinner together. LOTS of boy energy but, fun! I'm really enjoying it.<br /><br />We got our tree tonight(man it's cold out there!) and I'm SUPER excited to decorate it tomorrow!! Yippee!!! I'm like a kid at Christmas. I just love it. I really need to get a move on my shopping and get better at being sneaky with packages being delivered. Kieran insists on opening boxes and we can't have that!<br /><br />We'll be visiting Santa sooon! I'm not even going to attempt getting a picture with Chloe on his lap. I know she'll want nothing of it. She gets upset with just normal people tak to her...let alone sitting on a creepy looking mans lap ...hehe! Kieran loves Santa, though. I'm excited for him! <br /><br />Before I go, here are some recent photo's!<br /> <br /> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ7SDobl3x88xNi4U4ZW9Zrhqucim1Iu-qYEmPlOn45PnCATAE7mD6XjD2UsYl0ADnfjl-p16KE2bSimQbmNPoo33wF0Wz0llpvHRRsz4c7Ea4fvM9LsmID6Ca2G8t9fNBJ8vRzXSQoQRd/s1600/IMG_2836.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ7SDobl3x88xNi4U4ZW9Zrhqucim1Iu-qYEmPlOn45PnCATAE7mD6XjD2UsYl0ADnfjl-p16KE2bSimQbmNPoo33wF0Wz0llpvHRRsz4c7Ea4fvM9LsmID6Ca2G8t9fNBJ8vRzXSQoQRd/s320/IMG_2836.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5547780320726679330" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdP5TNKSOjXChnGC4z63RZebldIO3YcZTae98k9vedv3N5PVGXVHyFY17gyWePuuz95bhccLs4388q1N_oTcMl5sx9vg2rGBmitYCosymUPTz_ffVGVMKLCQqcq8vpSOKMeLwR4LHm9GiV/s1600/PA163301.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdP5TNKSOjXChnGC4z63RZebldIO3YcZTae98k9vedv3N5PVGXVHyFY17gyWePuuz95bhccLs4388q1N_oTcMl5sx9vg2rGBmitYCosymUPTz_ffVGVMKLCQqcq8vpSOKMeLwR4LHm9GiV/s320/PA163301.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5547780309812536002" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKvNAStFutf37bTqomdMTlEbzyIaS07Slq1pdlilR4ifVM_NOHIGItqVuvNcVkLcXOju466HI44jwekZJ0Jqg16a5mlwtCHCyiduAgUvkCB1KJXl5zq_kxjiU7z8mC0RVRdl9nYaZiCwWE/s1600/IMG_2843.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKvNAStFutf37bTqomdMTlEbzyIaS07Slq1pdlilR4ifVM_NOHIGItqVuvNcVkLcXOju466HI44jwekZJ0Jqg16a5mlwtCHCyiduAgUvkCB1KJXl5zq_kxjiU7z8mC0RVRdl9nYaZiCwWE/s320/IMG_2843.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5547780323755528098" /></a>Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12852920270468877759noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3947592959131042276.post-62847672638423981192010-08-17T20:42:00.005-04:002010-08-17T20:54:21.760-04:00Another Give Away and I've Been Featured!It's that time again! Time for another give away! When I reach 300 fans on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Chloe-Bowie-Boutique/120463011332570?ref=ts">Chloe Bowie's Facebook page</a>. I'll be giving away a set of two clippies of your choice. These can even be custom made if you'd like. Please tell your friends! :)<br /><br />I also wanted to share that I've been featured on <a href="http://etsymom.blogspot.com/2010/08/few-of-our-favorite-things.html">Etsy Mom's A Few of Our Favorite Things treasury</a>! It's the pink flower headband. :) So cool!Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12852920270468877759noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3947592959131042276.post-75044618909845161152010-07-28T00:41:00.003-04:002010-07-28T00:46:13.832-04:00Give Away!!I created a page for Chloe Bowie on Facebook and decided that when I reach 75 "fans" that I will do a drawing for a free hair bow of choice. If you want a chance at winning a super cute bow, or just want to check things out...please visit http://www.facebook.com/pages/Chloe-Bowie-Boutique/120463011332570 and "Like" my page! We are so close...already at 65 fans!Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12852920270468877759noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3947592959131042276.post-45220009383029229772010-07-12T22:01:00.003-04:002010-07-12T22:06:58.207-04:00RawI'm once again feeling inspired to go raw. Maybe not 100% raw, but close enough. I tried this about...2 years ago? I failed miserably! So I'm doing more research and looking into going raw while breastfeeding especially. for any raw foodies out there...is it super time consuming to make meals? I'm really worried about that since we lack time for that sort of thing here. Well, baby steps...starting tomorrow. Going for a green smoothie in the morning and fruits and nuts during the day. Also, time to start weaning off the coffee...not looking forward to that. I have a SERIOUS iced latte addiction. Sometimes(well honestly, almost everyday) my day revolves around getting that latte! I'm going to try. Here I go...again. :)Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12852920270468877759noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3947592959131042276.post-86979978959787056792010-07-06T19:41:00.004-04:002010-07-06T19:55:23.540-04:00Fourth Of JulyWe celebrated Independence Day by going to my father in law's house. It was nice to see family and the kids had fun with sparklers and those cool growing snakes(my fave as a kid!). The men set off some cool fireworks too! Oh, only bad part of the night was when I set my thumb on fire! Ouch! FIL had no ice so I kept my thumb on a cold water bottle until we left, then headed to a 24 hour pharmacy for some lidocaine gel and popped some motrin...that helped so much! Yeah, so that happened while trying to light a twentieth sparkler, that was being stubborn.<br /><br />The weekend before we went to the Spree. A local carnival our city has and ended the day with fireworks! We thought for sure Chloe would be terrified. She's such a sensitive girl and scares easily, but she surprised us and wasn't afraid at all! Just a little jumpy in the beginning. It was a perfect evening!<br /><br />Hope everyone had a fabulous 4th of July!!!<br /><br />I'll end this post with some pics. My friend http://www.etsy.com/shop/ccbaby?ga_search_query=ccbaby&ga_search_type=seller_usernames made the tutu that Chloe is wearing and of course I made the bows ;).<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9C6Gtrg5r3CW4TCtxFxUSUXYUH_dtpbluSzS4yP-oHp3_IVrZHnS37MnL-LSSoihdce2tnk_wbE0-hhybmW1peeL7mNKOxzEAu_zEkAbfe1P32zWgKmrh4Z_gy2z8sWk1bFQWguO7xYz-/s1600/P6272151.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9C6Gtrg5r3CW4TCtxFxUSUXYUH_dtpbluSzS4yP-oHp3_IVrZHnS37MnL-LSSoihdce2tnk_wbE0-hhybmW1peeL7mNKOxzEAu_zEkAbfe1P32zWgKmrh4Z_gy2z8sWk1bFQWguO7xYz-/s320/P6272151.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5490945573782393106" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix-uH6dGOnRkfMmO1hUmHZiXX7MMmIRmHBTffGbd9huLNX5ndHqh6GF_IHo4aODOc4fM54KT3i3Q5RI2ZB2x4r4kqdRHCI_BugrqZbPHwEDHx-rIRSaZa3IDBHud3Z-taPqpR43v4-vZC4/s1600/P6272046.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix-uH6dGOnRkfMmO1hUmHZiXX7MMmIRmHBTffGbd9huLNX5ndHqh6GF_IHo4aODOc4fM54KT3i3Q5RI2ZB2x4r4kqdRHCI_BugrqZbPHwEDHx-rIRSaZa3IDBHud3Z-taPqpR43v4-vZC4/s320/P6272046.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5490945571551295218" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDCwO3l7MHLS3wAmb-bQreU_b8uz2YYZNe8KNolja-gTx5NnvXsy4nviIom7-PpuJ0kmBM_6LZE3TARm6cyrwkuMbxRGYP4ngfgkLTdvgR1RqnzM8p53Jc2klnlfhlCL3a8jUYqVHrMzeI/s1600/P6272033.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDCwO3l7MHLS3wAmb-bQreU_b8uz2YYZNe8KNolja-gTx5NnvXsy4nviIom7-PpuJ0kmBM_6LZE3TARm6cyrwkuMbxRGYP4ngfgkLTdvgR1RqnzM8p53Jc2klnlfhlCL3a8jUYqVHrMzeI/s320/P6272033.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5490945564989977410" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpaJKgw1X6gviQTQ4yju4hYIgjBGEydGeHj8GKk-ShnNAw3sRXdCooAihVUISjFiBFEEfGRq2u7qf5GctM5feu1sfx5E5-_ewdbU7gxDd_tuvr0AYnW2E3KiEzvGDIWngDUsp4YC3cA5No/s1600/IMG_2559.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpaJKgw1X6gviQTQ4yju4hYIgjBGEydGeHj8GKk-ShnNAw3sRXdCooAihVUISjFiBFEEfGRq2u7qf5GctM5feu1sfx5E5-_ewdbU7gxDd_tuvr0AYnW2E3KiEzvGDIWngDUsp4YC3cA5No/s320/IMG_2559.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5490945559208372786" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj61WArKfozl1XhyphenhyphenRfhiFUl5e71CoTxXfVo7KVKCiWhxAHlD2wzZQ6r6LLkU_TqKoZFZckmcCcKAmu7zzQ-jL1QFWQUIpnLamZWPQtprFmilVW1j2oWosPWMuy_yVTbt1eQKv-EBb0Mevik/s1600/IMG_2565.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj61WArKfozl1XhyphenhyphenRfhiFUl5e71CoTxXfVo7KVKCiWhxAHlD2wzZQ6r6LLkU_TqKoZFZckmcCcKAmu7zzQ-jL1QFWQUIpnLamZWPQtprFmilVW1j2oWosPWMuy_yVTbt1eQKv-EBb0Mevik/s320/IMG_2565.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5490945552834782658" /></a>Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12852920270468877759noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3947592959131042276.post-55373530420841538382010-06-28T19:08:00.003-04:002010-06-28T19:16:56.834-04:00Father's DayWe had a pretty chilled Father's Day. It was nice! <br />Kieran made Josh a cute hand print picture and Nevin walked up to the store on his own and bought him T-shirts and socks..hehe! I sent my Dad's card a day late and included some pictures. He bought a cute little outfit for Chloe that says I love Grandpa. So I had her wear it in the pics. <br />I'm very glad to finally have a relationship with my Father. I'm glad that I'm able to put the past aside and have in in our lives.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRJ__k8KHKvHPO_JzQcWnkP3YA9iADyWe-JRSxgFNLbf91FX85aFiyUbCpaCfGtT2SoPGK7K80wbMwfiTB_bsGuJwu9mTrDhU13CxMKWvnbkhmISkMua4l2cPpm0OV7uEgG5wdCozf8SdX/s1600/P6201771.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 290px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRJ__k8KHKvHPO_JzQcWnkP3YA9iADyWe-JRSxgFNLbf91FX85aFiyUbCpaCfGtT2SoPGK7K80wbMwfiTB_bsGuJwu9mTrDhU13CxMKWvnbkhmISkMua4l2cPpm0OV7uEgG5wdCozf8SdX/s320/P6201771.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487967185463549906" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbXR8CjTGGI0nlSzcesL1YzspIcSjdRdo3xMXs52RfpxeUQHCrWkHrLli29yjp-Ad-XgB6UdBwHVXy3EQifAs_d79RuBJ2yP1duFqd_BfF9fCvRtjG84HBu_-KzJQ9UqL5FSAR8UU31Egb/s1600/P6201772.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbXR8CjTGGI0nlSzcesL1YzspIcSjdRdo3xMXs52RfpxeUQHCrWkHrLli29yjp-Ad-XgB6UdBwHVXy3EQifAs_d79RuBJ2yP1duFqd_BfF9fCvRtjG84HBu_-KzJQ9UqL5FSAR8UU31Egb/s320/P6201772.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487967183557951202" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikW_JEmI8UGA1qiVDctWDA8LFv2lzmW-ICJVM1y_lFPMr4360o-VpyFndH1lAITG71e9aX3v6IhoTXcXqPwtQ4EI27SJ6KR22x1u-m8LWDNXkiAbSiSKTzO-CECBPFgnmKw-E9ROjzfSFP/s1600/P6211784.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 242px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikW_JEmI8UGA1qiVDctWDA8LFv2lzmW-ICJVM1y_lFPMr4360o-VpyFndH1lAITG71e9aX3v6IhoTXcXqPwtQ4EI27SJ6KR22x1u-m8LWDNXkiAbSiSKTzO-CECBPFgnmKw-E9ROjzfSFP/s320/P6211784.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487967179189999666" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWgS87v3v8zQpZPJRSYP2zFQWOi0Jz-2IaPvkumMT-f-OXtdbLc9vqDAO4O2FOnmeQK_ORDlgWjsdLlyaxLTdWCw9qkEf1hSAqOjxt32tz-uciInv9hi2wM-voCKXsqY4Rz30WCIbQJGy2/s1600/P6211781.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 242px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWgS87v3v8zQpZPJRSYP2zFQWOi0Jz-2IaPvkumMT-f-OXtdbLc9vqDAO4O2FOnmeQK_ORDlgWjsdLlyaxLTdWCw9qkEf1hSAqOjxt32tz-uciInv9hi2wM-voCKXsqY4Rz30WCIbQJGy2/s320/P6211781.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487967167624457314" /></a>Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12852920270468877759noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3947592959131042276.post-51273769797107906322010-06-21T20:02:00.008-04:002010-06-21T20:17:45.731-04:00So I Did Forget A Few Things - And Beach PicsChloe leans in to give kisses now...so sweet! Oh man. I forgot the other thing! Jeez, talk about Mommy brain! Haha!<br /><br />Some pictures I wanted to share from our beach outing the weekend before last. Of course they are mostly of Chloe since my two boys are completely against having their pictures taken these days :( .<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm9S4tzxgINeK_C0Iv56mDt7_9zUdfHryZqF1neZoc2-PwbEZCCaPxw4YE3zwl-zsLwS-qRZg5hWF9zHi12umRiSWp9u2pxf-Ue4FqMtbabxTDD5DhlzNFSMujR79DbXmNlkxFg9OxSSrr/s1600/P6131563.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 222px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm9S4tzxgINeK_C0Iv56mDt7_9zUdfHryZqF1neZoc2-PwbEZCCaPxw4YE3zwl-zsLwS-qRZg5hWF9zHi12umRiSWp9u2pxf-Ue4FqMtbabxTDD5DhlzNFSMujR79DbXmNlkxFg9OxSSrr/s320/P6131563.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5485383370347459986" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmotAmlpP3gkbot2-bZ9XSFNf2L56XMymnar8jibT8fHDKVIOkhVDjWamy1VaGhNhg-X47AjpMKBS0-vBlkuGia0pd2JlmK-XL4uNloOiAZYBjiUGpTLZoOTK5LqP0vTJGp5mkoAo1KlBr/s1600/P6131566.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmotAmlpP3gkbot2-bZ9XSFNf2L56XMymnar8jibT8fHDKVIOkhVDjWamy1VaGhNhg-X47AjpMKBS0-vBlkuGia0pd2JlmK-XL4uNloOiAZYBjiUGpTLZoOTK5LqP0vTJGp5mkoAo1KlBr/s320/P6131566.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5485383361941423186" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidQgnyhPr6oRZK1H8DcZc_Dm1rPDSEDGfvAyZPTuiSRNFva7wUTcbzg3g40gVqmr9J8vSoTKsFD-CRKYcHkJ8DNnQK-BtXHTqHv9hIAfKQwZMuYE1s2gc2bjY7Z4Vr3qtqwjz1RVsGHHKV/s1600/P6131559.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidQgnyhPr6oRZK1H8DcZc_Dm1rPDSEDGfvAyZPTuiSRNFva7wUTcbzg3g40gVqmr9J8vSoTKsFD-CRKYcHkJ8DNnQK-BtXHTqHv9hIAfKQwZMuYE1s2gc2bjY7Z4Vr3qtqwjz1RVsGHHKV/s320/P6131559.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5485383340096524802" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvMlup_v3XSywC66yrQxJuL9p9WYZRxbCu040ZK_Z-8kzIoFdMdztCaTdwjLRWuN3ViBNMFp3KUd_IqDPTANRTDTlJ5kZDCuz5Zwr9mUs8Sor_1BFH-VoLDydg4NqnVC4CF6uIM1r-Jy5S/s1600/P6131595.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvMlup_v3XSywC66yrQxJuL9p9WYZRxbCu040ZK_Z-8kzIoFdMdztCaTdwjLRWuN3ViBNMFp3KUd_IqDPTANRTDTlJ5kZDCuz5Zwr9mUs8Sor_1BFH-VoLDydg4NqnVC4CF6uIM1r-Jy5S/s320/P6131595.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5485385511103571682" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz3Jmsc1m3uJB1rRdQToGsoohZh7asH6p_BgOMlJxzJfy6EGuOaLABgQbzLR61e1NIpwZkDHVXHBMTEeEGPYLJiBeE3w6PBwIIrUQYHzIdoX9T4uWFX6OiYNhA9lSrg-V5dkY5swzc6Fz7/s1600/P6131588.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz3Jmsc1m3uJB1rRdQToGsoohZh7asH6p_BgOMlJxzJfy6EGuOaLABgQbzLR61e1NIpwZkDHVXHBMTEeEGPYLJiBeE3w6PBwIIrUQYHzIdoX9T4uWFX6OiYNhA9lSrg-V5dkY5swzc6Fz7/s320/P6131588.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5485385505387208514" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaXtZMVkg19rRdIWxzuPgfj0ueKaGRIYxthJBsDuOVm1u7z8_pXgqSH81pz4pp_wzAW2zjgpNWB8wG7xi1K8NM_fzzpd2g7Gg8CBZODnkxj_ezl-n809VEx5U1ipvv4Zd78HDGELAHtFHM/s1600/P6131556.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaXtZMVkg19rRdIWxzuPgfj0ueKaGRIYxthJBsDuOVm1u7z8_pXgqSH81pz4pp_wzAW2zjgpNWB8wG7xi1K8NM_fzzpd2g7Gg8CBZODnkxj_ezl-n809VEx5U1ipvv4Zd78HDGELAHtFHM/s320/P6131556.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5485385493223075714" /></a>Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12852920270468877759noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3947592959131042276.post-85613569738674212022010-06-21T00:02:00.003-04:002010-06-21T00:15:32.300-04:00Where Have I Been?Man, seems like forever since I blogged last.<br />So much has been going on! Where to start. <br /><br />Chloe is now 8 months old...can you believe it? She gives high fives(sometimes can't get her to stop hehe)she says, nunununu(for num num which is what we call nursing and this was actually her 1st real word!), kitty(been saying that since about 6ish months) and dada. She can army crawl to get what she wants and she finally got a tooth! She waves her hand up and down on her mouth to make silly sounds and loves playing with her brothers. Just so many new things! I'm sure I'll remember something later that I forgot to mention.<br /><br />I started an Etsy shop! You can see pics on the side of my blog. I'm selling hair bows, hair bow holders, clips and hopefully more soon. I just started it so I'm still getting the hang of it all. If you have an Etsy account, please add me as a favorite! :)<br /><br />I'll be back to post some pics and things tomorrow. Now it's time to wind down before hitting the hay.Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12852920270468877759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3947592959131042276.post-79019134262458512372010-05-17T23:22:00.008-04:002010-05-17T23:38:19.375-04:00Dysphoric Milk Ejection ReflexFinally, there is a name for what I've been going through! <a href="http://www.d-mer.org/Home_Page.html">Dysphoric Milk Ejection Reflex</a><br />My friend posted this on a forum and as soon as I started to read it I began to cry. I've been dealing with this for so long now and it's nice to know that I'm not crazy, this is an actual condition and there is a name for it!<br />I'll be trying some of the suggested natural remedies asap.<br />I hope others suffering from Dysphoric Milk Ejection Reflex(D-MER)stumble upon this information so they know they are not alone and there is help.Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12852920270468877759noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3947592959131042276.post-28925676842803804772010-05-03T20:04:00.004-04:002010-05-03T20:33:49.620-04:006.5 Month Chloe UpdateThese kids just change so darn fast! <br /> Well, Chloe can now sit up unassisted! She only lasts about 20 seconds or so before toppling over, but we are so excited about it and so proud!<br />I *think* she's been saying "Dada" but it could just be babbling..hehe. She loves to eat now! So far she's had banana, avocado, sweet potatoes, apples, squash and peas. yum! I think her favorite are the sweet potatoes. <br />She can actually scoot a little now! She doesn't go far...just kind of pushes with her toes, butt goes in the air and ends up rolling over.<br />Oh! She started making a noise with her tongue. She mimics how we call the cats. Hmmm...how to explain the sound in text. Oh well, hopefully you know that cat calling sound..ha! Oh, she LOVES the cats so much! <br />She knows what jump means and will usually jump if you say "jump, jump, jump".<br />So she can't crawl yet but, she sure can get to what she wants. She uses a combo of rolling and short scoots. So cute.<br />She is really ticklish on her neck and rib area. Love her giggle!<br />It's funny, but she is so much more sensitive than the boys were at this age. I didn't think there would be that much of a difference between boys and girls, but there is here! We avoid loud sudden noises here...well, other than Kieran(he's a walking loud and sudden noise hahaha) but she's so use to him. He rarely scares her. If Josh shouts across the house ans Chloe is near him she will totally lose it. It's so sad! So we don't really do that anymore. Not so loud anyway. ;)<br />She is so great in the car now. Josh has even taken her(without me :O) on short trips to the store. She still doesn't like to be in the car anytime after 8pm.<br />I just can't get over how fast she is growing. It makes me sad and happy at the same time. <br />She is our last baby so I'm just really savoring her!Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12852920270468877759noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3947592959131042276.post-1020697863580381212010-04-24T16:43:00.002-04:002010-04-24T16:50:19.750-04:00New Blog LookI got my new background from here <a href="http://simplychicblogs.blogspot.com/">Simply Chic Blogs</a>. Check them out. They have some super cute backgrounds!Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12852920270468877759noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3947592959131042276.post-59643550795222054212010-04-23T20:00:00.001-04:002010-04-23T20:02:14.329-04:00Job UpdateWell, it looks like he'll be there longer than 2 weeks but, he doesn't think he'll be hired on after the 3-6 month contract period. Ugh. A job hunting he will go! I hate the unknown. Stresses me out!Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12852920270468877759noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3947592959131042276.post-76502573612502873542010-04-14T19:57:00.003-04:002010-04-14T20:05:35.068-04:00LifeWe are so stressed right now. My husband recently went on an interview, got the job and with higher pay...awesome, right? We were very happy. Then they decided they wanted him to be hired on for a contract position. It was to last between 3-6 months and after that he would probably get hired on for a permanent position. Today, his first day there, they told him they will only be using him for two week a trial run and that they are not sure he's right for the position!! WTH? I'm so freaked out right now. So in two weeks he could be jobless. He went from getting a new job and being told this in the matter of a few days. If they do keep him on for the 3-6 month period he gets no benefits, no paid time off...even for sick days. So we went from happy and excited to worried. Ahhh! Please send good vibes our way!Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12852920270468877759noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3947592959131042276.post-63699278553091653752010-04-11T18:11:00.004-04:002010-04-11T18:42:31.471-04:00Chloe's Six Months and New Job Updates<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigTPltTPZCW2ohK3_x1z08_n0Fft44H0MRvCRSjBtI5OI6Oi2DCjyQPO04gmY8uBeVqK8mG8fsM4vuj4lJFwexMccaKgbDoNTol81Y_zE3LDfLZM_2_NmvxjkfNx2m8QM0fH1HCgycY4bF/s1600/IMG_2308.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 139px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigTPltTPZCW2ohK3_x1z08_n0Fft44H0MRvCRSjBtI5OI6Oi2DCjyQPO04gmY8uBeVqK8mG8fsM4vuj4lJFwexMccaKgbDoNTol81Y_zE3LDfLZM_2_NmvxjkfNx2m8QM0fH1HCgycY4bF/s200/IMG_2308.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5459013465810341698" /></a><br />Wow. It's been a long time since I've blogged. <br />There has been so much going on lately! <br />Josh just started a new job...well in two days he will be starting. the pay is higher but, it's a contract position that lasts anywhere from 3-6 months and after that he may get hired on permanently. Also...he found out after he took the offer that he may not be getting any paid time off, such as vacation and sick days. So that part really sucks. He doesn't get any benefits either. Well, he has a job...that's the important part! His current job is not stable. People have been getting fired left and right! Scary.<br /><br />Chloe has been growing so fast! She is now 6 months old, weighs about 18lbs. She's now into 6-9(or 6-12) months clothing, though she can still fit into <em>some</em> 3-6mos. She loves to babble. Her new favorite things to say are Babababa, diydiydiy(sounds like "die" but didn't want to type that haha). She is a rolling around pro and tries to scoot with a little success sometimes! As far as food. Well, we have tried frozen mango in a mesh bag thing and have spoon fed smashed up banana to her twice. It's really just to let her try something new and for fun. She doesn't eat it every day. I think pretty soon I might try some avocado. So pretty much exclusively breastfed with a little food once in a while. She loves playing with her brothers. Kieran is her constant source of entertainment! Hehehe. She gets really excited around the cats. She loves her jumperoo and exersaucer, playing on the floor with her toys and of course being held or worn. She likes bath time but, only if it's with Mommy. She gets scared and cries if I bathe her without getting in as well. so we try to avoid that. Hmmm...what else. She likes to make sounds by patting her hands on a table on clapping on ours hands. There is just so much that I know I'm forgetting some. I just can't get over how quickly this 6 months has gone by. It seems like I just had her! <br /><br />Well, I'm thinking about making this blog private. Of course I'd invite people to join it. I really don't want to have to do that. But some things have come to my attention and it makes me a little uncomfortable with being so 'out there' and having pictures up for just anyone to copy and use as they wish. I can't go into it but that is part of it. For now I'll just add my name or email address to my pictures. <br /><br />I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter!! :)Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12852920270468877759noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3947592959131042276.post-50371396671435843742010-03-08T22:33:00.001-05:002010-03-08T22:36:41.387-05:00Vlog?I'm actually blogging...say wha?? <br />I just feel so drained by the the end of the night, which is the only time I can actually sit down and think. Even now I'm nursing Chloe and typing one handed.<br /><br />So. I've been watching video blogs on You Tube since I was in the beginning stages of my pregnancy with Chloe. Mostly just following women who were due around the same time. I find it intriguing and something I might like to try but, at the same time I don't know if I'd be comfortable putting myself "out there". I mean, I know I'm already doing that here, but I'd be on video. For some reason I think that would make me feel more vulnerable. I don't know. I also have no idea how to connect my channel with any kind of community. I don't even have a webcam. So if anyone out there reading this knows anything about vlogging, vlogs, or just wants to share an opinion on it, please do so!<br /><br />I'll try to update more on the happenings around here soon. Hopefully tomorrow!Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12852920270468877759noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3947592959131042276.post-13071763734423697882010-01-20T14:52:00.005-05:002010-01-22T01:21:06.315-05:00More Birth PicturesMy Doula and friend came over on Monday and we had really nice visit. She brought along some pictures she took during Chloe's birth. I know I already shared some, but I couldn't help but to share these too! I love these two. That moment right after a baby is born is so magical! I can't even describe the wonderful feelings. Just amazing.<br /><br />Josh helping be to sit up<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-moCyw891uC5B45mN7EDJPwrHpCq1aga_AAUKn_gUop6iXtMMZuO3XH8xcLCa62XrgmC7yA_slwxff56f1-ugw82md87Q2rGaI-yiYfFUFp5vApsMofDob6c7LTxrTRqsclbjrXeWjhXO/s1600-h/DSC_0012+2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 268px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-moCyw891uC5B45mN7EDJPwrHpCq1aga_AAUKn_gUop6iXtMMZuO3XH8xcLCa62XrgmC7yA_slwxff56f1-ugw82md87Q2rGaI-yiYfFUFp5vApsMofDob6c7LTxrTRqsclbjrXeWjhXO/s400/DSC_0012+2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5428913775320120178" /></a><br />Pure joy!!<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEpdT70_Ax86Sudk8OuWzmCmFeVH8hHjeYidAAk0AzV4K69ZwaskMuM3EUw7sQ2o_kYZnVm1UomD-Z3holcxQTqvJ_yGsp7-i1GYCkuoZVKNZVMJubVB80pdOKmN1qD1Rn5y0ltju2lO3E/s1600-h/DSC_0014+2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 294px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEpdT70_Ax86Sudk8OuWzmCmFeVH8hHjeYidAAk0AzV4K69ZwaskMuM3EUw7sQ2o_kYZnVm1UomD-Z3holcxQTqvJ_yGsp7-i1GYCkuoZVKNZVMJubVB80pdOKmN1qD1Rn5y0ltju2lO3E/s400/DSC_0014+2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5428913563301816610" /></a><br /><br />I'm not sure if I'll ever get around to writing my birth story. I want to, but things are so fuzzy and it's hard to remember it all in order and what times etc.<br />I'm also suffering from the Baby Brain! Haha! Maybe with a little more sleep and a little more time to think I'll be able to write a little something out.Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12852920270468877759noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3947592959131042276.post-83755674773942220912010-01-12T00:53:00.005-05:002010-01-12T01:22:41.682-05:00My Birthday and Chloe is 3 Months!Today(yesterday..it's 1am)was my birthday. I'm 32...wow. 32. Feels weird typing that out! It was a great day. I had some yummy vegan cupcakes with pineapple frosting. I love that frosting! I was surprised with a couple gifts. Didn't expect anything! While at the mall on Sat I mentioned I liked these shoes <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR6tQZKnYgkK6rCZ14iRUWvMk_o4QtaEqaWfVNMvgKnD7Z_sgQ8HVGpCTDK07txfk2nEyQkEJEKTYBfBpwjZeyNjdy0lV2DYYWhEUQfspmriC2XxjnkYsFRCcOmPYff99xvbvQxlx0Elgg/s1600-h/Shoes_iAEC1038059.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR6tQZKnYgkK6rCZ14iRUWvMk_o4QtaEqaWfVNMvgKnD7Z_sgQ8HVGpCTDK07txfk2nEyQkEJEKTYBfBpwjZeyNjdy0lV2DYYWhEUQfspmriC2XxjnkYsFRCcOmPYff99xvbvQxlx0Elgg/s320/Shoes_iAEC1038059.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425729925855828738" /></a><br />Josh later went back and got them! I love that they are 100% vegan. No animal products or by products, are made of hemp, organic cotton, recycled soda pop bottles and the soles are recycled tires! So awesome.<br />The boys got me the Glee Volume 2 CD. I guess I'm an official Gleek? Haha!<br />Pretty cool birthday indeed!<br /><br />Chloe turned 3 months old today! Man, where has the time gone? She is growing so fast. She now smiles, coos, laughs(I've gotten her to do it twice), she's a drool machine and loves to sing along to songs(so dang cute!). :)<br />I ordered her a little tutu from Etsy and can't wait to use it for her 3 month pictures! She is such a super sweet baby.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw6brfnco1VMARxOHLhWzdyrs-MlRUuXfazhtugZAJqCAjWxb7afXaLhiBepYcagAhg1yM4kjRz5XHoqfGiNVTYR35B7vkFQpKeeLV957X39_scO6FVOe2muiYDMYySwGjg28oAUyM39fJ/s1600-h/IMG_1924.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw6brfnco1VMARxOHLhWzdyrs-MlRUuXfazhtugZAJqCAjWxb7afXaLhiBepYcagAhg1yM4kjRz5XHoqfGiNVTYR35B7vkFQpKeeLV957X39_scO6FVOe2muiYDMYySwGjg28oAUyM39fJ/s320/IMG_1924.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425733024662886114" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsyha-zLm_0sxFF1KUE9reNyCFSyVOrDQV2ft-eax3RW1nQGbc1ZgEFiEo3ehyzQ20I_2rG569zIKMz_tmafSCgFosl7yH__IJgbmApOjLWWORjWB1cA6dNOHwXWJJchzeMCnT-YEi15Fg/s1600-h/IMG_1914.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 237px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsyha-zLm_0sxFF1KUE9reNyCFSyVOrDQV2ft-eax3RW1nQGbc1ZgEFiEo3ehyzQ20I_2rG569zIKMz_tmafSCgFosl7yH__IJgbmApOjLWWORjWB1cA6dNOHwXWJJchzeMCnT-YEi15Fg/s320/IMG_1914.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425733018849404786" /></a>Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12852920270468877759noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3947592959131042276.post-37690296796528542542009-12-30T16:05:00.002-05:002009-12-30T16:08:53.695-05:00Mexican LasagnaThis stuff is the bomb. We had it a few weeks ago and I've been meaning to blog about it. I've been craving it like crazy so maybe we'll have it for dinner tonight. Seriously...sooo freaking good!<br /><br />Once again, I got this from the Fat Free Vegan Kitchen website. <br /><br />1/2 large green bell pepper, chopped<br />1/2 large red bell pepper, chopped<br />1/2 jalapeño pepper, finely chopped (optional)<br />2 cloves garlic, minced<br />1 large onion, chopped<br />corn tortillas--at least 12<br />3 cups (28 ounces) fatfree refried beans <br />2 medium tomatoes, diced<br />1 tsp. chili powder, divided<br />1/2 tsp. cumin, divided<br />3 cups black beans, rinsed and drained<br />1 cup salsa<br />1 can enchilada sauce (or 1 1/2 cups homemade)<br />sliced black olives<br /><br />Preheat oven to 375 F.<br /><br />In a non-stick pan with a little water (1 tbsp.), sauté the peppers, garlic, and onion for about 3 minutes, or until softened. Set aside.<br /><br />Spray a 9 X 13-inch baking pan with non-stick spray. Line the bottom with a layer of tortillas (you may cut some of them to fit). Make sure you cover the entire bottom of the pan.<br /><br />Stir the refried beans and spread half of them evenly over the tortillas. Cover the refried beans with half of the pepper-onion mixture and half of the tomatoes; sprinkle with half of the seasonings and half of the black beans.<br /><br />Add another layer of tortillas and repeat the layers of the other ingredients. Spread the cup of salsa over the final layer of black beans. Cover with a final layer of tortillas, pour the enchilada sauce over the top, and sprinkle with black olives. Cover and bake for about 30 minutes or until hot throughout. It will be easier to cut if you allow it to cool for about 10 minutes before serving.<br /><br />Note: Fresh corn is a great addition to this. I use about 2 cups of uncooked (or frozen) corn and add it as one more layer. You may need a deeper pan, though.Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12852920270468877759noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3947592959131042276.post-24869904427555571792009-12-29T19:40:00.002-05:002009-12-29T19:46:49.094-05:00Crazy DreamsI've been having such crazy dreams lately(not abnormal for me). The night before last could have been a sci-fi book!<br />Well last night I had a vivid dream that I was pregnant again. I was about to give birth and decided to go to the hospital and have an epidural. Josh was upset with me and trying to talk me out of it and I had a lot of guilt about making that decision.<br />I was telling him that I could not go through the pain of natural child birth again. I felt so afraid in my dream. So odd since I've had two home births and I'm all for them!Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12852920270468877759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3947592959131042276.post-59280972394635122552009-12-27T10:41:00.003-05:002009-12-27T11:07:18.881-05:00And Just Like That...It's All Over<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTCVHdms_lP6N_D5LLDQepwNTO9JJgVB5MqMYo5zQgpYZPRbZsrNzWvD5bpvX_jDCsoAyjRpNI3EcONzfVOKb6d4hA4WOv4JTWgfkBBEyz99mEkTPD_LRlfAkzLiM-Oelv3QlVzu_H8CRs/s1600-h/IMG_1815.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTCVHdms_lP6N_D5LLDQepwNTO9JJgVB5MqMYo5zQgpYZPRbZsrNzWvD5bpvX_jDCsoAyjRpNI3EcONzfVOKb6d4hA4WOv4JTWgfkBBEyz99mEkTPD_LRlfAkzLiM-Oelv3QlVzu_H8CRs/s400/IMG_1815.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5419948210006650370" /></a><br />For some reason I don't feel ready for Christmas to be over. It seemed to come and go so quickly! We did have a lovely Christmas though! Christmas Eve we spent time with family...it's my favorite part of the holiday! We spent Christmas day in our PJ's all day long. It was wonderful! The kids loved their gifts. Kieran was so surprised that Santa brought him a trampoline! As much as I tried to cut back on the amount of money spent on gifts...I think I may have failed a little. I think we still spent less than usual, but not like I'd planned. I tend to get carried away with the fun of the shopping for them. I get so excited thinking of all the things they will love. Now I just need to pack up a bunch of Kieran's toys that he never plays with and save them for when Chloe gets a little older. <br />I didn't get what I asked santa for( digital rebel camera), but that's okay. There is always my birthday, or next year. We really need to put money into fixing up the house more. I did however get some pretty awesome gifts! I got a new Mother's bracelet with each of the kid's birthstones. They have such pretty birthstones! I just love it. I also got a CD from the show Glee. We were all totally spoiled by my Dad. We made him a calender with the kids pictures on each page of the month. Josh got one from the kids too, but his is a desk calender for work.<br />Our tree is wilting so we need to get that down. Boohoo!! I'll miss it so! I just love the lights and seeing the kids handmade ornaments on the tree everyday. I'll miss it! I am looking forward to having more room in the living room though!<br />I hope everyone had a fantastic Christmas!!Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12852920270468877759noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3947592959131042276.post-75302290679883315052009-12-13T15:18:00.003-05:002009-12-13T15:27:22.723-05:00Christmas Tree Ornament<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioFpzlNGGg7tzzTkFcKw9QDO3CcDnO9Oi0qxDa-G80crrJvtc9EGKdFTAP94dGN_03rFby6rZvRTKa4BA9SbEfuSkgORZrDc7NX434q7Dn7MjYVUi9YU6dgikPZzN2viNbFVt3g-EOXLzL/s1600-h/IMG_1736.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 284px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioFpzlNGGg7tzzTkFcKw9QDO3CcDnO9Oi0qxDa-G80crrJvtc9EGKdFTAP94dGN_03rFby6rZvRTKa4BA9SbEfuSkgORZrDc7NX434q7Dn7MjYVUi9YU6dgikPZzN2viNbFVt3g-EOXLzL/s400/IMG_1736.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5414820051439744290" /></a><br />I got this idea from my friend Shannon. She had one like it hanging on her tree.<br />Kieran and I had so much fun making this together! If you're going to attempt this you'll need some good scissors to cut the Popsicle sticks. ;)<br /><br />Supplies:<br />Popsicle sticks(we used one larger tongue depressor type for the trunk).<br />Pipe cleaners<br />Green paint<br />Glue<br /><br />That's it! Super simple. I already had all of these things in our craft box so it was great.<br />Of course you can do this a number of ways...you don't have to go by the way we did.Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12852920270468877759noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3947592959131042276.post-23715935158276469072009-12-10T01:14:00.006-05:002009-12-11T00:24:52.598-05:00Nevin's 12th Birthday<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh33xQHKfj-d8-72_XSLDe6YxOulYASng1BIN4Zo8pzz9bZyrqwf_LLHSurM_Bk5jWRd8aVLiaQr7dhDtBnCnKiYkq8cXUTUNSx9EIcB5LrCorPyiK3kKrVHnrde3GN-5g4UTkx-E0y9NMo/s1600-h/nev+12.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh33xQHKfj-d8-72_XSLDe6YxOulYASng1BIN4Zo8pzz9bZyrqwf_LLHSurM_Bk5jWRd8aVLiaQr7dhDtBnCnKiYkq8cXUTUNSx9EIcB5LrCorPyiK3kKrVHnrde3GN-5g4UTkx-E0y9NMo/s400/nev+12.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5413489380055421458" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib8IZ-qOHiliXs65Oo1GmcIbU_ldzIHGTRJgTsYkCw5FuQz21rEhtIIxVm2M0CIM8zNP-oaQdeAkd3Krygo9Z_NrhGt3my6zATtIsbO3dBU6Fy-eqt_t1-GbVT_T0J16fUTe_-fPWbQKPn/s1600-h/IMG_1612.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib8IZ-qOHiliXs65Oo1GmcIbU_ldzIHGTRJgTsYkCw5FuQz21rEhtIIxVm2M0CIM8zNP-oaQdeAkd3Krygo9Z_NrhGt3my6zATtIsbO3dBU6Fy-eqt_t1-GbVT_T0J16fUTe_-fPWbQKPn/s400/IMG_1612.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5413489370057048146" /></a><br /> Nevin turned 12 on Dec.4th. My little boy is twelve! It really does seem like yesterday that he was five. Every time I think about it I want to cry! It also makes me feel pretty old :P. I'm so proud of him. He really is a good kid with a kind heart. He'll always be my baby...hehe!<br />He had the choice to either have a big party or get a big gift. He chose the big gift. He wanted Drum lesson's so we signed him up! He starts next Thursday right after his guitar lessons. I'm excited for him!<br />We had a fun day. We took him to see A Christmas Carol and on our way home picked out our Christmas tree. For dinner he chose Pizza(with vegan rice cheese). We had cake the next day.<br />It was also Chloe's 1st time at the movies. She didn't make a peep during the whole thing. She was either nursing or sleeping.:)<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglXt8XzuyJJqfWaelGVGlF-bg6X_i1JfW5FtIAU8LIUjA9k2GgExXUn_gRA3pTJmWWEmqI5U9p9uJBe5q4O8TaVAF8vQWbeEZNxHyf-jTaAzxrYVAGU6W4jW-RWtpBl7JRIc9fUWIlVoDW/s1600-h/IMG_1610.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglXt8XzuyJJqfWaelGVGlF-bg6X_i1JfW5FtIAU8LIUjA9k2GgExXUn_gRA3pTJmWWEmqI5U9p9uJBe5q4O8TaVAF8vQWbeEZNxHyf-jTaAzxrYVAGU6W4jW-RWtpBl7JRIc9fUWIlVoDW/s400/IMG_1610.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5413489922235852498" /></a><br />and I can't leave out sweet Kieran!<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1hQYoJ33n1OnGYkPqGIUESX8RrbpxN0UQ0u8riXKBqgEyhQ0KL20DjdrFcWM-GWAaPtbzxxgVjtzU1SSeCIQxiAEVW5TYwVoMXPEmrh7kjmIqJf_fTgom7CXBmVISnPMbqYkxQUDTMAiw/s1600-h/IMG_1614.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1hQYoJ33n1OnGYkPqGIUESX8RrbpxN0UQ0u8riXKBqgEyhQ0KL20DjdrFcWM-GWAaPtbzxxgVjtzU1SSeCIQxiAEVW5TYwVoMXPEmrh7kjmIqJf_fTgom7CXBmVISnPMbqYkxQUDTMAiw/s400/IMG_1614.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5413490408320374050" /></a>Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12852920270468877759noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3947592959131042276.post-47971071977973170282009-12-07T20:52:00.003-05:002009-12-07T21:03:26.986-05:00Chili MacTonight we had Chili Mac for dinner. It was pretty darn tasty! I added a lot of salt to my bowl, but that's only because I'm a salt addict...ha! The hubs said it was good, Nevin liked the noodles :P and Kieran wasn't in the mood to try it...so I'm not sure what he thinks. If I can get him to have some I'll let ya know!<br />We will for sure be making this again. <br /><br />I got the recipe from <a href="http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2008/08/chili-mac.html">Fat Free Vegan Kitchen</a>.<br /><br />Chili Mac <br /><br />2 cups elbow macaroni <br />1 onion, chopped <br />1 15-ounce can tomato sauce <br />1 1/2 cups water <br />4 teaspoons mild chili powder* <br />1/4 teaspoon chipotle chili powder <br />10 ounces frozen corn kernels <br />1 16-ounce can pinto or kidney beans, rinsed and drained <br />2 to 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast <br />5 cups thinly-sliced kale (thick stems removed before slicing) or other greens** <br />salt and pepper, to taste <br /><br />Cook the pasta in plenty of boiling water until tender. Drain. Sauté onion in a large non-stick pot until translucent. Add remaining ingredients, as well as cooked pasta. Simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve hot. <br /><br />*This is chili powder, not pepper, a mixture of mild chili peppers and cumin that adds no heat to the dish. If you want it spicy, add cayenne or additional <br />chipotle chili powder. <br />**If you use a faster-cooking green such as spinach, add it during the last 3 minutes of cooking. <br /><br />Feeds about 6.Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12852920270468877759noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3947592959131042276.post-70319654362064833482009-12-03T18:44:00.003-05:002009-12-03T18:56:40.189-05:00Meal PlanningSo it's come to my attention just how much we've been spending on groceries. I won't say, but just know it's a ridiculous amount! With Christmas coming up we really need to cut down on the spending. So no more $5 peanut butter...no matter how good it is! I've also decided to meal plan and stick to it. I'm hoping that by buying things we know we need instead of willy nilly buying and then going back for the things we need...it will save some moolah.<br />So here is what I have as far as meals so far. Let me just say that this would have been easier if I weren't avoiding soy products!<br /><br />-Spaghetti w/ garlic bread and salad<br />-White bean and kale soup w/ french bread<br />-Veggie Chili w/ french bread<br />-Barbecue Seitan w/ fries and corn<br />-Chili Mac /w some sort of side<br />-Cauliflower Mushroom Marranca<br />-Veggie cabbage rolls w/ side of green beans<br />-Mexican Lasagna w/ rice<br />-Veg French bread pizza w/ side of asparagus<br />-Veg Tacos w/ mexican rice<br />-Veg "Field roast" with mashes potatoes and corn<br /><br />So that's what I've got so far!Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12852920270468877759noreply@blogger.com7