Snacks for Salt Lake

Tomorrow Matt and I are taking our two toddlers, putting them in a cab, and flying them with us on two airplanes on our way to Salt Lake City. Boy, just saying that makes me tired!

I've tried to prepare myself mentally for the challenge that this might be for all of us, (I'm hoping I'll be pleasantly surprised) and I've been preparing physically for the trip as well. I sought advice from my Facebook friends, and asked for tips on how to get through two flights and a layover with two near-two year olds. The overwhelming answer I got: snacks! Be prepared with snacks--particularly new things that they haven't gotten bored of yet.

So, a few days ago, I trekked to the grocery store and picked up almost nothing but junk food. I've made the decision that I'll allow the girls to devour evil amounts of sugar on this trip tomorrow, because, that's what you do as a parent--you stave off bad behavior with sweets. Right? 

To accomplish a successful trip, I realized I needed to put snacks into containers that we could just readily reach for and bust out since there won't be any room (or time) for dolling it all out once we reach cruising altitude. 

I ordered these cups (6, actually) from amazon. They are called snack traps and I LOVE them. The girls think they're awesome, and mommy likes them because they don't spill and only allow for little bites at a time. Since Sophie has been known to stuff her face, this was a great solution. Plus, they're totally portable!

For their snacks, I decided to go with pretzel sticks, airheads (something chewy for them to help their ears pop....yeah, we don't do gum), fruit snacks--a solid Sewell favorite, animal crackers, and mini chips ahoy cookies!

Let's get real, people, I'd LOVE to haul along some carrots, broccoli, celery, grapes, tomatoes and cucumbers instead but I'm not going to take a cooler with me as a carry on (I'll save that for my photography equipment and apple products), but I think these snack-packs are full of yumminess that will keep the girls tongues and tummies satisfied. 

We'll be sure to get them some "real food" during our layover in Chicago.

The Million Things Man

In my therapy session this evening, my counselor asked me to name some characteristics of Sean that were descriptive of how I remember him being. For each attribute I named, a memory accompanied it. I think about him every day, and I wanted to share these memories that I have while they are still fresh in my mind.

Sean was Kind: When it came to arguments, he never yelled. Not with me anyhow. The two times he was snappy with me included an allergic reaction to an anti-nausea medication, and a severe (eventually fatal) brain hemorrhage. I think I'll give him a pass on those...

Sean was Considerate: He consulted me about everything. Whether it was how I was doing after being told he had recurred again or what movie I wanted to see that weekend, he made sure to include me in his life in every way possible. 

Sean was Mischievous: I'll always laugh at the looks on his sisters' faces when they tell me the stories about how he poured pickle juice on them in the shower. I'll always remember laughing so hard when he told me the story about how he had to speak to police officers when he was 6 because he got caught up in a game of "I'll show you mine if you show me yours" with a girl from class (really? come, on they're in 1st grade!) And I'll have a constant reminder of his mischievous antics in front of my face every single time I look at Sophie, who has a very distinctive devious little smirk...and it ain't her mama's!

Sean was Funny: He made me laugh. I love laughing, and I loved his sense of humor. "If I was a dog, I wouldn't even drink beer!"

Sean was Smart: I remember when he and I were dating, I told my mom that he was probably smarter than me, which wasn't something I had ever found in a boyfriend before. She agreed. He was witty, intelligent, and bright. His ambition to become a doctor was infectious and he constantly made me want to do things to better myself.

Sean was Not Stubborn: Or if he was, he wasn't anywhere near my level. I'd like to believe that we had a good system of compromise in our relationship, but truth be told, he relented to me, not because he felt frustrated or stuck, but because he loved me, and recognized when something was important to me, for whatever reason.

Sean was a Fighter: Sean fought each day like he truly had something special to live for. 

Sean was Determined: He was determined to remain strong for me, his family, and his friends. He was determined to knock cancer on its ass, and did so many many times throughout his 3 year battle. He was determined to leave an impression on the world, and he was determined to always seek greater things out of life.

Sean was Hopeful: He was always hopeful that the next treatment would be the one to cure him forever. He was always hopeful that there was a next treatment. And he was always hopeful that there was a bright future waiting for him after he had put his disease behind him. His hope gave me hope in all of those things too, and from him, I learned how to hope for things for myself after he was gone.

Sean was Loving: There wasn't room for hate in his heart because his entire being was taken up by love. He loved me, passionately. He loved his parents and his sisters vehemently. He loved God and gave his life to Him in so many ways. And he loved his children with all of his being from the first idea of their conception to his very last day on this earth. Also, he loved football. This is very important.

Sean was Protective: Stephanie, I'm looking at you. I remember when we happened to be in the neighborhood on a Friday evening and decided to stop by and say hi to all of you, and there you were, out on your driveway with a big group of big guys. The look on your face as you saw us drive up was priceless. The look on Sean's face was...terrifying. He was adamant about your protection, about keeping boys way from you, and about locking you up until you were 30. If he knew you were in Florida right now, we'd all be in for it!

Sean was Outgoing: He did, after all, make the first move. 

Sean was Charismatic: Especially with children. He wanted to be a neurologist and find a cure for his father's disease, but children were drawn to him like he was covered in sugar-dust or something. He would have made an amazing pediatrician, and had a natural knack for getting kids to bust out great big belly-laughs. 

Sean was Spiritual: He looked to God for answers, and always directed me to do the same.

Sean was Existential: We used to have loooooooong conversations well into the night along with his roommate, Trevor, about why were are here on this earth and what our purpose is, and how we rationalize our free-will along with God's plan for our lives. These were some of the greatest nights of my life.

Sean was Playful: He was game for almost anything. We once drove along State Street after dark, trying to hit the red lights, so that Trevor, riding in the passenger seat wearing a truly gruesome-looking Halloween mask, could slowly turn and peer into the window of the car stopped next to us. I've never laughed so hard in my life, and some of those people probably had the shock of theirs! He did normal things too, like build snowmen with me in the winter (although he did instigate some pretty competitive snowball fights), dye all of his hair red for a Utes game in Las Vegas, and wrestle with his parents' German Shepherd, Rio...who was just his size.

Sean was Intuitive: He had a great sense of things. He could read people...particularly if they were full of it. He had a great sense of me and who I was, and he always knew just what to do or say to set me back on track. Not meaning to say that I was full of it...

Sean was Understanding: He was gracious and patient which translated into him being one of the most empathetic and understanding people I've ever known. Nothing about people seemed to shock him, and if it did, he acted like it didn't matter, which it didn't.

Sean was Non-Judgmental: He understood that people are human, and that whatever mistakes a person made in their life was part of their human experience. He simply loved, and left the judgment to a higher power. 

Sean was A Million Other Things: He was an oldest child. He was 6'3. He was born in March. He was my best friend. He was an xbox geek. He was a handsome devil. He was a movie fiend. He was amazing.

I'm always in awe of how much life this man packed into 3 short years with me. I'm even more amazed at how much love he packed in there as well. It was effortless for him, and I'm grateful to have had him as an example in my life. Today is not a special anniversary of anything, although it is Kyle's birthday, so there's that. But it's not a special day where I remember the love and friendship I experienced with this man. It's every day. 

Marvelous Messy Marker Madness!

Lately I've been struggling. There are many things in my life that I feel that I am good at, and being a mother has always been one of them. But for the past little while, I've struggled at finding a balance between motherhood and taking care of myself. In a conversation with Matt this past weekend, I confessed that I often feel like a lazy parent. I feel like I'm constantly saying "no" to my girls, and although I have a good reason for doing so sometimes, there are many, many other times where I feel like I say no because I'm too lazy. And I hate that. Being a lazy parent isn't something that I find acceptable for myself. 

As my hubby so graciously reminded me, "twins are hard". And as obvious as that should sound to a mother of multiples, it sort of came out of nowhere at me. My struggle with finding that balance definitely stems in part from feelings of being overwhelmed, from feeling exhausted, and from feelings of frustration. I feel overwhelmed by how much I feel I fail as a parent on a daily basis. There is so much more that I could be doing for and with my daughters, and these things just aren't happening, plain and simple. I am exhausted from the tantrums (and there are so many) and the constant reinforcement of "no", and from battling day in and day out with myself over what the best way to get through this developmental stage is. I'm frustrated because I feel like I should know better, like I should have all of these answers, and like I'm making excuses for myself because, I am a lazy parent.

But after some soul-searching, and a good hard look at my girls' well-being and overall happiness, I know that I am not a lazy parent. I know that I am an overwhelmed, exhausted, frustrated mommy of multiples. But I'm not lazy. The way today played out is a typical example of my plight. I felt as though I accomplished nothing. But as I thought back on my day and recounted the things I had checked off my to-do list, I was amazed at how much I had actually completed, even though I felt the opposite. My day went like this: I woke up, showered, got the girls out of bed and dressed, made breakfast, cleaned the kitchen, allowed my children to watch Curious George while I vacuumed the living room, my bedroom, and the bathroom. I cleaned both bathrooms. I cuddled with Olivia (who was extra clingy and temperamental today) on the couch, and fixed the girls' lunch. I put them down for a nap, ironed and starched Matt's work shirts for the week, tackled some editing that I have backed up, supervised the installation of a new air filter in our AC unit, and caught up on some emails. I called our health insurance company (and you all know what a pain that can be!), preemptively prepared a snack before the girls woke up from their nap so that as soon as they had been changed we could run out the door for an errand. I got the girls up from their nap, changed them, and ran out for our errand. We went to Michael's and picked up some new art supplies to serve as entertainment away from the TV. I busted out the washable markers, and a strip of paper, and let my two two-year-olds go at it (and that they did!). I  managed to take photos of their playtime, clean them and their mess up, and busy them with boxes while I rested for what felt like 2 minutes. I made them dinner, and then cleaned that up. I made myself dinner (while holding Olivia the entire time), and returned some more emails.

At this point, Matt came home from work (about 7 pm) and he was able to help me with the rest of my evening which included getting dinner for him, a bedtime snack for the girls, and then executing their bedtime routine (jammies, brush teeth, bedtime story, drink, bed). 

Now, some of this is typical of my every-day routine, and some of it is a little bit off. For example, sometimes we eat together all as a family, but on nights when Matt has to work late, the girls get hungry before he gets home so we all eat in shifts. The errands that we run from day to day are different, and mostly consist of trips to the park or Costco, and my lunch-break is filled with a myriad of tasks that make the 2 hours (if I'm lucky) while the girls nap simply fly by.

Lazy? I guess not. Even so, keeping busy with tasks and chores and errands doesn't help with the persistence with which I tell the girls, "no" throughout the day. And since I had been feeling like a terrible, lazy parent, our errand to get new art supplies today was my way of forcing myself to let go a little bit (okay, a lot) and let my kids be kids. They got super messy, and had a blast. They were so proud of themselves, and I took that opportunity to photograph that moment in their childhood.

I haven't posted many pictures lately, and that's because I have about 5 drafts here in my blogger account that have to do with my opinions on current political issues and writing those has taken up much of my time and brain-power. I'm not going to post them though (you're welcome) because I feel like those of you who know me already know where I stand on most issues, and while I could keep shoving it all down your throats, I think I'll let Facebook handle that one.

So, here are the photos from this afternoon's "YES" to what turned out to be a marvelous messy marker madness! Let me just be clear that while I am attempting to be a little more laid back, a lot more patient, and to allow my girls to hear "yes" along with the no's, these are washable marker's. Let's face it, I just couldn't allow this to happen any other way....and yes, my floor was covered in ink.

But those smiling faces and infectious giggles were well worth the mess and clean-up!

London, Baby!

For those of you who got that this post's title is a reference to Joey on Friends, give yourselves 10 points. :) For everyone else, you really need to brush up on your '90's pop culture!


Last Friday night the world watched (1 billion of us, as per NBC's Matt Lauer) as Danny Boyle's take on the history and significance of the British Isles unfolded in what turned out to be a good-not-great 2012 Olympic opening ceremony. The music was intense, the theatrics were...well, theatrical, and if it hasn't been for Meredith Vierra's incessant commentary I probably wouldn't have understood what I was watching. For whatever reason, my mind kept wandering back to "that Pan's Labrynth director" and the wonderfully weird spectacle my bizarre mind desired to experience only to have my hopes squished under the realization that we were, in fact, dealing with Slumdog Millionaire's director....which is a very different movie in very important ways.


Matt and I agree that our favorite part of the ceremony was the transformation from the agrarian period into the industrial revolution. I thought it had a very Les Miserables feel to it, and it pretty much sent a chill through my entire body. Well done Mr. Boyle.


Can we all just take a moment and acknowledge how incredibly _____ (insert synonym for 'stupid' here) it was when her Royal Majesty, Elizabeth, Queen of England, "jumped" from a helicopter with none other than James Bond and parachuted into the arena for her grand entrance? Not the evening's finest moment. Yes, I know it wasn't the queen who jumped out of the helicopter. I do find it risky, though, to put the queen and James bond on the same flight, however, I mean what I'd something had happened to the both of them?!


As I was watching the Parade of Nations, I found myself in awe of the athletes from Syria. They were there from a war-torn country, showing support for their homeland, and it was very moving for me to see the athletes make such a hopeful presence, despite the tragedies that are occurring in their country. What a true showing of the Olympic spirit--hopefulness, unity, and good old-fashioned competition.


I have no idea as to the history of the USA athlete's previous uniforms that they have donned in opening ceremonies past, however, I did feel that it was a ridiculous party-foul when it was reported that the designer of the team uniforms, Ralph Lauren, had used garments that were made in China. It's so typical of what this country is known for, and although Mr. Lauren promised to only use made-in-America uniforms "next time", we'll just have to wait and see. If there was ever a time where it was important for representatives for the USA to be wearing clothing made in their own country, the Olympics are certainly it.


Now, let's talk about the cauldron lighting. How sweet was it to have the 7 young athletes who symbolized the next generation of Olympians light the cauldron? Not very. I personally felt that it was very "hunger-games", which I'm sure was not the intent, but that book truly ruined that moment for me, I must say. Anyway, I just hope these kids realize the honor that they were given, and that they strive as athletes, citizens of their countries, and members of the human race to live up to that honor. The next generation of nearly everything in this world is a treasured facet of growth and as cliche as it sounds, it truly is where the future of mankind lies. 


I was definitely disappointed that the cauldron was kept so low within the stadium. It has always been a great symbol of what the Olympics stand for to display the Olympic flame where it can be seen by all throughout the duration of the games. Whether you consider it a light of hope for peace and unity across all nations on this earth, a symbol of warmth and acceptance, or even if you're a it's-just-a-giant-ball-of-fire type of person, having the flame set atop a high perch is something that just needs to happen at the Olympics. It just does.


Just how old is Paul McCartney these days? My goodness! I wonder if he felt insulted that before he came on, the audience was being serenaded by a Beatles cover-band. Perhaps he was grateful that he wasn't asked to play all of those songs. I mean, after all, singing Hey Jude for what felt like 20 minutes has got to take a lot out of you, right?


It wasn't the Super Bowl, but I did enjoy the commercial advertising the kickoff of the NFL season in September featuring Petyon Manning with the Broncos. Now THAT got me excited! 


I heard the next day that NBC took a lot of flack for not airing the ceremonies live. Normally this wouldn't have been a big deal for me, but as I now live in the Eastern Time Zone, I felt that I was up so late! I'm torn as to whether or not I enjoy sports in this time zone better or worse than my old home of the Mountain Time Zone--it means that I don't have to miss any of the early NFL game by attending church, but it does mean I have to stay up later at night to catch the end of the Sunday and Monday night games. Eh, in a perfect world, huh?


So there you have it, my thoughts and opinions on the 2012 Olympic opening ceremonies. 

A Girl Raising Girls

I just read this article from the parenting section of the Huffington Post. It's all about the ways some dads said their perception of women has changed since having a daughter.


At first, I thought about emailing it to my husband. Maybe he'd read it and think about the topic and how it might apply to himself. Not that he needs to, he's a fantastic husband and father, but I'm always lacking in adult interaction and it might make for an interesting conversation, at the very least.


Yeah it's a great question to ask men. Stereotypes are everywhere and men get typed as being womanizers a lot of the time. So what happens to those womanizers after they settle down and end up with a little sugar, spice and everything nice in their life? If you want to find out what those dads said, check out the slide show at the bottom of the article. It's definitely an interesting read.


But what about the way women view themselves? Several months ago there seemed to be a war being raged on Facebook (where else?) about whether some women dress too immodestly or whether men treat women likes pieces of meat. The truth is that both sides of the argument are probably true to an extent. If you're a Pinterest-lurker like I am (I hardly ever pin, but I definitely browse!) you've probably seen the text image that wonders the question, "if more women acted like ladies would more men be prompted to behave like gentlemen?" and I feel like this topic is a never ending cycle. It's a classic chicken or egg. And I don't have an answer for you on this one.


The Huffington Post article got me thinking about how having daughters has changed my own perceptions of women and motherhood.


Before: Women have to fight in this world to get wherever men are. If women fight hard enough, they'll be respected. If they fall short, they'll be objectified.
After: Work as hard as you can ladies, toward whatever goals you have set for yourself. Don't worry about how men see you. How do you see you? That's what matters.


Before: Being a woman is challenging. Physically. Emotionally. Mentally.
After: I still believe my "before". However, I've learned that whatever challenges you are facing, other women are experiencing them too. Maybe not every woman experiences every challenge that you face, but don't isolate yourself by feeling sorry for yourself and believing you are alone. Reach out for help and don't be proud.


Before: All women who have children and choose to work outside of the home while raising their family are strong and impressive.
After: Not all women who have children and choose to work outside of the home while raising their family are strong and impressive.


Before: Being a SAHM is easy-peasy. Spending the day in your own home running your household exactly how you want it must be incredibly rewarding.
After: Being a SAHM is the hardest job I've ever had. I can't speak for others, but for myself, it's lonely, it's tedious, it's thankless, and yields minimal rewards. And I love it.


Before: Little girls are not gross like little boys are.
After: This is completely false. They can be just as disgusting.


Before: Everything you do with your first child (children, in my case) will be wrong. You'll make so many mistakes you'll think you're lucky your child survives past infancy. But at least you'll learn in time for your second.
After: False. You will do so many things right. You'll find many reasons to be proud of yourself. And the things you do wrong aren't all that wrong. They might feel like it, but most of the time you really can't do anything at all, and that's what feels wrong.


Before: You'll never get mad at your kids because you remember how your childhood was and you'll never let yourself become THAT parent.
After: You'll be amazed at how much you can actually dislike your children. It's that whole, I-love-you-but-I-don't-like-you phenomenon. Don't feel guilty, just let it pass. You'll like your kids again after a while.


Before: Women are amazing and you can do it all!
After: Women are amazing, but you can't do it all.


Before: Be there for your kids. They'll need you.
After: Be there for your kids, they'll need you. But you'll need them too. It's your job as their parent to raise them to take on the world, know how to be supportive as friends, siblings, and children, and how to be empathetic, sympathetic, kind, and loving.


Before: Life is short. Eat dessert first.
After: Dinner first. Dessert later.


Before: Being a mommy is the best feeling in the world.
After: Being a mommy is the best feeling in the world!


For me, not everything changed after I had kids. Some things did though, and I've had to learn how to be harder on myself without being too hard on myself, how to balance family-time and me-time, how to connect with my husband and my children at the same time, AND how to connect with my husband and my children separately. Being a woman is an amazing hat to wear, and I hope to live a life that shows my daughters how wonderful it truly is. I think it takes a little bit of sugar, a lot of spice, and lots and lots of being nice to pull it off.


I've got an entire cabinet dedicated to spice...

Go-To Recipes

Everyone has recipes that are their go-to's. You know what I mean--staples. Something that you can whip up without really even thinking about it. Something that just hits the spot every time, satisfies all who crave, and leaves your head (and belly) inflated with the belief that you are a master-chef....and maybe you are! 


I'm not a master-chef, per se, but I do enjoy cooking, and I'm proud of the recipes I throw together that feed my family and provide the satisfaction that only food can bring. Admit it people, there is a special spot in your soul for food (at least, there should be!) and no amount of love in the world can substitute! 


In this post I'll be sharing two of my go-to recipes. One is an easy-peasy chicken salad recipe, the other is a classic chocolate chip cookie recipe handed down from my mother to me, although I actually suspect this recipe has been in our family for quite a while, or at least that it has made its way to several branches of the Nelson family tree. 


Chicken Salad:


This chicken salad recipe is great. It has a great blend, great flavor, great texture, isn't too heavy on the calories, and is definitely awesome for summer time! It's crazy easy to prep ahead of time when you have a minute (say....like when your kids are napping!) and by the time the dinner hour rolls around the flavors have had amble time to combine into sultry awesomeness. I also like this recipe for just the opposite--it's equally awesome if you throw it together last minute on a whim or in a pinch. Everything in this recipe compliments everything else, and if a piece was missing, I think it would be noticed--and missed! It's just my basic go-to summer sandwich.


**Quick disclaimer on this recipe: some of these measurements are just guess-timates. I seriously just throw things together until it tastes right. Use your judgment, adjust to what you and your family like, and you'll find that this recipe will follow you anywhere.**


Ingredients:
2 cups cooked chicken, shredded (I've tried cubing, and shredding most definitely works better in terms of holding the salad together)
4 celery stalks, chopped
1/2 cup crasins
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (I use walnuts when I'm not serving to my father, who is allergic!)
1 cup chopped red delicious apple
2 tsp lemon juice
1/3 cup green onion, chopped
approx. 1/2 cup mayonnaise or plain yogurt
Onion powder and black pepper to taste (I estimate I use somewhere around 1/4 tsp onion powder but I treat it like salt and make sure I don't add too much!)


Prep:
In a mixing bowl, combine the apples and the lemon juice (this will prevent the apples from browning throughout the existence of your salad). Mix in the chicken, celery, nuts, crasins, green onion, onion powder and black pepper. Add mayo by the spoonful, stirring after each addition, until it is well-spread (you're shooing for the consistency of a tuna salad). 


Serve well-chilled on your favorite bread (I most recently used a multi-grain bread we got from Costco, which I think has been my favorite pairing so far) between romaine or green-leaf lettuce leaves. 


Yield: 4 large sandwiches

And for dessert...

Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies:

(Okay, so I know I've professed my hatred for baking many times, but this recipe is so easy and I do it so often that it doesn't feel like baking. Plus, there's no kneading involved, which means it doesn't involve a workout, and you do, in fact, consume more calories by eating these cookies than you burn by making them, which in my opinion is something that should be characteristic of a good treat!)

Ingredients:

1 lb margarine (2 sticks), softened

1 cup white sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 large eggs

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 package (12 oz) semi-sweet chocolate chips 

Prep: 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. 

In mixing bowl, combine margarine and sugars. Beat with an electric mixer until well combined. Add vanilla and eggs. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. 

In a separate bowl, combine salt, baking soda and flour. Mix well. Add to sugar mixture and combine until well mixed. Add chocolate chips and stir until spread throughout cookie dough.

Spoon 1 Tbsp balls of dough onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 8-11 minutes. Remove from cookie sheet and allow to cool.

Yield: 45 cookies

I feel as though most of the meals I make are go-to's in the sense that they tend to be simple, delicious, involve minimal prep work, and often provide substantial left-over's making for an easy night off from the kitchen the next day. These two, however, are a couple of my favorites, and I hope that if anyone tries them, you enjoy them!

Oh the Mess!

Have you ever spent the morning blow-drying your windows, coffee table, and walls? 


I have.


....okay, so it wasn't the entire morning, but I did spend a good 30 minutes undoing what it took my kids a mere 30 seconds to do. As I poured myself my second cup of coffee for the morning, my children were wreaking havoc on our living room windows, coffee table, entertainment unit, and my beautifully bright yellow walls. Their weapon of choice--Crayola Crayons. 


There are no pictures of this incident in this post, because I was not amused, so I didn't take any. The first thing I did after my discovery was commence a frantic roundup of all the loose crayons around the house. They were all thrown into a ziplock bag and hurled onto the top shelf of the closet where probably only Matt will be able to reach them. I think I'd have to classify this mess as the largest they've accomplished to date (although I fully expect to have to deal with bigger, more damaging messes in the future....the near future). Use your imagination though, and picture scribbles of purple, red, and green all over nearly everything but paper and the couch. They got the couch in deep blue crayon yesterday and that left me frantically searching Google for ways to get crayon out of a microfiber sofa. My final solution was rubbing alcohol, and I won't say that it worked like a charm, because it required a lot of spraying and scrubbing, but there is no longer bright blue crayon immediately visible on the couch.


So what does my hair dryer have to do with this? I had read somewhere, in some parenting blog online or a parent-section article of some online news outlet that if you heat up the crayon wax (as long as its on a hard surface) with a blow-dryer, it will just wipe off. I wasn't anxious to try out this fantastic-sounding solution to a well-known pitfall of toddlers with access to crayons, but after utilizing the technique, I think that it's definitely the easiest and most effective method of crayon-removal that I've tried. I used this method on the walls, table, and entertainment unit, and was thankful that a simple spray of windex was able to take care of the scribbles on the windows. 


I had originally started the process using a paper towel that I had dampened with water, but I had to switch to a damp washcloth as the heat from the dryer dried out the towel to the point where wiping up the wax was really only smearing it around. After I made the switch, though, the concept worked wonderfully. For my friends who read this blog and have kids close in age to mine or who have kids coming up on this stage, remember this--you'll be glad you did!


Of course I know that kids make messes. There was the famous baking soda disaster a couple of months ago, not to mention countless chocolate milk and juice spills, water being splashed (or poured) out of the bathtub, and even several poop incidents. Then there are the piles of toys that need to be picked up several times each day, the pages in books that have to be taped back together, the pre-baby-proofed-garbage can that was apparently a screaming temptation to these kiddos, and don't even get me started on what the back seat of my car looks like when the car seats get taken out.


Even with this knowledge, I have to acknowledge that I am a textbook Type-A personality, and once again have to mention my CDO, and I'll be the first to admit that I hate all things sticky, gritty, or just plain messy. There's the sandbox at the park, where some genius decided to stick a water table, the beach with the endless sunscreen applications and the inevitable pound of sand that is brought home in the car stuck to everybody's everywhere, the New England summer humidity, and the occasional leaky diaper (that one still puzzles me--pretty sure I'm a professional diaper-er at this point!). It all rocks those CDO tendencies and gives me anxiety and higher blood pressure.


But then there's those chubby cheeks that ball up when my little girls smile because they're so proud they used the crayons by themselves. And there's those chubby fingers wrapped around that evil stick of wax. And there's those chubby toes that carry those sweet little girls off running while they giggle their heads off trying not to let the "mommy-monster" catch them. 


I guess as long as I get the chubby cuteness along with the overwhelming mess of life, I'll relent my grudge against the crayons (although I'm serious about Matt being the only one who will be able to reach the bag where it landed), keep giving my girls their chocolate milk, keep encouraging fun bath-time splashes, and I'll continue to make sure we have lots of trips to the park where they can run around and burn off that mischievous energy that can so easily translate into the neighbors watching the crazy blow-dryer lady going at the walls again (*eye roll*).


Gotta love those kiddos.

Homemade Pizza

Matt has been asking me for a while now to make homemade pizza. Whenever this request has come up I usually throw it into the "I don't bake" category of my refusals, but when I found a recipe this weekend on allrecipes.com for a no-rise-necessary pizza dough, I finally gave in a decided I could handle the feat. 


The recipe still calls for dry-active yeast (which honestly freaks me out a little bit, but not quite to the extent that the bag of turkey giblets shoved inside the dead bird does) so I'm not really sure how the whole thing is pulled off, except that it turned out just fine for me after some minor adjustments to the whole process. The recipe I found calls for vegetable oil and I used EVOO instead, which I think gives it a better flavor. I made two pizza's this weekend, and the first time I added the yeast with the dry ingredients then added the water and oil afterwards, and the second time I dissolved the yeast per the package instructions in a sugar-water solution (Mom, stop with the chemistry going through your brain right now) and I think I liked the dough better after doing it this way, but Matt said he couldn't tell the difference.The recipe also said to bake the pizza at 375 for 25 minutes, but I've added a whole 10 extra minute (maybe even 12) to give the crust sufficient time to bake all the way down to the middle. There's nothing I hate quite like doughy-pizza crust. Blech!


The first night that I made the pizza we did basic pepperoni. I didn't do anything fancy like make my own pizza sauce. It came from a jar labeled "pizza sauce" that I bought at the store, and I didn't even grate my own mozzarella cheese. I think next round I'll go with the block of mozzarella and do the shredding myself just to save a buck or two but going with the pre-shredded package worked out great for my first attempt. This was the pizza that didn't quite bake long enough for my taste--we let it go only for the 25 minutes recommended in the recipe. We all ate it for dinner and it tasted great. The girls loved it and had the leftovers for dinner the next night too.


The second night that I made pizza, Matt suggested doing a chicken alfredo pizza, and I obliged as this might be my most favorite type of pizza there is. It turned out fantastic, and so I've decided to post the recipe here. I've had a few people ask for it since I posted my photo on Facebook last night, so to those of you who were interested, here it is!


*Side note, I fully plan on exploring more in the kitchen and whipping up some truly awesome pizza's (bbq chicken soon to come!) but I may never make a Hawaiian. I agree with a statement that Sean made once when he said, "Fruit does not belong on pizza! There is no place for fruit on pizza!" 


Pizza Dough:


3 cups all-purpose flour (bread flour or whole wheat may be substituted)
1 Tbsp white sugar
1 tsp salt
1 packet dry-active yeast
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 cup warm water 


Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine and mix dry ingredients together in mixing bowl. Add oil and water. Mix until a sticky dough is formed. Spread on lightly greased pizza pan or stone.


Top as desired. 
I used:
1 chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces, poached in water. 
2 cups fresh spinach, boiled along with the chicken. I added the spinach to the chicken while it was about half-way done as the spinach doesn't need to be in the boiling water as long as the chicken.
1/2 jar Bertolli's alfredo sauce, although I do have a great recipe for homemade alfredo sauce that I'll have to share sometime. Use whatever your favorite sauce is--if you're good enough to pull off imitations, try a google search for Olive Garden's alfredo sauce and see how that works out! I'll bet it's amazing with this pizza
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
Black pepper


I spread the dough out on the pizza pan first (with a layer of olive oil underneath to prevent sticking) and then spread the sauce on top, I started by using the entire jar of alfredo sauce but realized that it was going to be waaaaay too much. I scooped half the jar back in and was very pleased with the end result. I mixed the mozzarella and parmesan cheeses together and sprinkled 3/4 the mixture onto the dough. After the spinach and chicken had been drained, I separated them and spooned a couple tablespoons of sauce onto the chicken and mixed that in with some black pepper. I spooned the chicken onto the pizza, making sure to spread it around evenly. I used a fork to scoop the cooked spinach onto the pizza and made sure that was spread around evenly as well. I topped that with the remaining cheese and sprinkled some more black pepper on the entire thing. 


Bake at 375 for 35-38 minutes, or until the center of the pizza dough is thoroughly cooked.


If anyone tries this out, let me know how it goes! Same if you changed anything in the recipe, I'm definitely open to improvements, suggestions. 


One thing I do have to say about this dough is that it's not the greatest pizza crust I've ever had in my life, but for someone who hates baking and kneading and measuring and dealing with flour in general, it worked out really well. I plan to throw some herbs into the mix at some point, maybe even some cheese to be mixed in as well. I think there's a lot of potential for some really creative, flavorful crusts, so we'll see what I can come up with!


Enjoy!

Crane Beach

Yesterday Matt and I took the girls out to Crane Beach in Ipswich. Matt had been to this beach once before with his sister and her family and had been looking forward to making the trip with me and the girls. This beach is about a 45 minute drive from where we live. There's a hefty admission fee-$25 per vehicle for people who are not members of the Trustees of Reservations. Unfortunately, that's exactly the category we fall into. They do offer memberships and members have the option to purchase a beach parking sticker for an additional fee putting an annual pass to this beach right around $150. 


When we first moved to the area, we bought an annual pass to the Museum of Science at the premium level in order to benefit from the 2-hours of free parking that comes with it. We're definitely considering buying the annual pass for Crane as well, although we're not sold yet. Matt pointed out that we'd probably only want to go to the beach between the months of May-October (that's a stretch--it's probably more realistically like June-September). Still, if we went to the beach 6 times throughout those summer months, the pass would pay for itself in parking savings. 


There are more pro's on our list than con's for sure: this beach has a well-kept bathhouse (one for men, one for women, obviously) vending machines and a snack-shack that provide cold beverages and lunch for your day out, picnic tables under shade, a very-present lifeguard staff and my favorite feature, sand that passes as acceptable to someone who was raised on Pacific-coast beaches. I was told by a co-worker of Matt's this past weekend that they actually bulldoze rocks away from the beach in order to keep the sand more fine and less rocky than the beaches that are typical of the metro Boston area (hence the expensive admission charge!). 


We haven't checked out any of the other beaches that have come recommended to us yet, so maybe we'll do that before we commit to a year at Crane. We'll have to get to it soon though, beach season is upon us!


So while the adults figure out the logistics of where to "play", the girls were busy actually playing. They had a great time at the beach and this was their first experience at a beach where they were old enough to enjoy their surroundings. 




These girls are all about scooping! They spent hours just shoveling sand into and out of their buckets.

I have a love/hate relationship with Target. I don't like their return policies and I think that their staff is incompetent, in a nutshell. However, I love their products. They have great clothes for kids, great prices on makeup (my favorite brand of mascara sells for about $2 less at Target than at Walmart--what's with that?), plus they have that $1 section in the front of their stores, which is where I found these awesome buckets with shovels included (you might remember me mentioning this section in a previous post where I talk about their lovely Easter hats we found for them)! They are definite must-have's for our beach outings. I also found the girls' swimming suits there. I loved these ones not only because they have polka-dots (I have developed a love of polka-dots over the last several years) but because they are ONE piece. I'm not against people wearing bikini's, and I have owned and worn many a bikini myself, but I do not find bikini's appropriate for my 1 year old children. Alright---the one-piece thing and they have tutu's on them as well! We love tutu's!

While Sophie was taking in the view, I snapped this shot of her piggy--this is the first time I've done braids in her hair, and they turned out so adorable! The moist sea-air and the spray-on sunscreen sort of destroyed the look in the end, but they were adorable while they lasted, and I'll definitely be doing them again!

The girls alternated between the sun and the shade. We bought a beach umbrella at Costco, which we instantly decided was a wise investment!

Sophie wasn't as openly thrilled about the beach as Olivia was, but every once in a while she'd crack a smile. I love it when she smiles :)

Daddy's girl!

They haven't figure out how to pack the sand down into the bucket and use the shape of the bucket to make sand castles yet. We're relying on their cousin Linus to show them how it's done on the next trip to the beach!

While Matt was great about staying in the shade and applying lots of sunscreen, I ended up with a sunburn on my shoulders and legs. It's not too bad, and I've got the aloe vera goin' on, so in a few more days I should be back to normal!

When people ask me how I like it here, I usually tell them that it's different, but in a good way. I grew up with the mountains, and now I live on the coast. It's a fair trade, if I do say so myself.