The old ball 'n chain

I can't believe we might actually rid ourselves of our house in Utah! We've been stuck to that money pit for over 2 years...2 YEARS, I say. We accepted an offer on it today, so please keep your fingers crossed, pray, or whatever it is you people do.

Swiffer-ama

I've been a devoted Swiffer customer since college. They're so darn easy to use, and you don't have to store a yucky wet mop in your house. Well, I ran out of Swiffer mop pads, and it's not cost effective for me to purchase more at the moment, so I tried re-puposing my Swiffer by attaching an old washcloth to it.

Ta-dah!!


It worked fabulously. Add a grout brush to the mix, and you're unstoppable. My floors have never looked so good!

Atlanta

We made a trip to Atlanta in May to visit family and say farewell to my nephew leaving on a mission to Madagascar (cool assignment, huh?). A good time was had by all. Sam's parents flew in for the occasion, so it was a mini-reunion. (Super mini, considering Sam is one of 10 kids.) We even got to spend one day with my aunt and uncle taking in the Atlanta aquarium, enjoying pizza al fresco, and topping it off with Ben and Jerry's ice cream. Mmmm.

Flashback.....

During our visit to Atlanta, I walked into our guest room and was greeted by my niece's teal flats. Wowzers! My mom had a pair of shoes JUST like these when I was a kid. I couldn't wait until I was old enough to borrow them and would try them on regularly to gauge my growth. Sheesh, can't believe they're back in. Maybe I'll get a pair after all.

2:07 split

Inspired by my missing Seattle lately, I channeled all of my energy into an erg workout at the gym yesterday. Miracle of miracles, I was able to hold a 2:07 split -- same as when I rowed in college. Not too shabby for a body who hasn't rowed in 3 years and has birthed 2 kids. Although, in the rowing arena, I was considered a lightweight, so maybe it's just that I now have more weight to generate momentum....hmmm.

Herbal Iced Tea

I love drinking herb tea all through the winter and with this recipe, I can enjoy it all through the summer, too!

HERBAL ICED TEA
-from Ina Garten

4 bags Celestial Seasonings Red Zinger
4 bags Celestial Seasonings Lemon Zinger
4 cups apple juice

Steep tea bags in 4 cups of hot water. Cool and mix with apple juice. Enjoy!

School-sick

Oh man, I'm missing UW (The University of Washington) today. The first time I set foot on campus, I couldn't believe that people actually went to school in such a beautiful place! Seattle is picture-perfect.

I miss college. I miss going to class in the drizzle. I miss the cherry blossoms. I miss the jagged treetops against the mountains. I miss Mt. Rainier. I miss the Institute. I miss the water. I miss the green outdoors. I miss the ferns. I really miss my friends.

It was totally worth paying out-of-state tuition for 4 years. It's time for a visit.

Sebastian's Birthday, Part II

Just a follow-up on Sebastian's 4th Birthday festivities. For his family-only celebration, I offered to make him ANYTHING he wanted for dinner, ANYTHING. Turns out he wanted to go to the new IKEA to eat in their café. Great by me. How much easier could that be? By the time dinner rolled around he'd forgone a nap in place of swimming and had consumed so much sugar that he was exhausted. He fell asleep during the 5 minute drive to our new IKEA. Poor kid. I had to practically drag him out of the stroller to eat his dinner. Luckly IKEA's bright lights and colors gave him a second wind, and he was ready for cupcakes when we got home. Red velvet cupcakes, that is. I'm not a huge fan of red velvet cake, but here's a great recipe with WONDERFUL vanilla frosting that's not too sweet. I don't know how all that red food coloring can be good for a kid, but hey - it couldn't be worse than the amount I've consumed eating Twizzlers these many years.




The following weekend we hosted a dinosaur-themed party. I'd say it was a hit despite the fact that I forgot to fill the piñata with candy. Don't those things come pre-filled!? The kids didn't seem to care, since I quickly supplied them with candy. I can't remember the last time I laughed so hard. The party was fun and total chaos fueled by sugar. I think next year I'm going to make whole wheat zucchini muffins with a low-sugar frosting. The kids won't even know what hit them!