30 + 44 = Awesome

4 Comments / Family Funk, Kid Talk, Memories /

Last Saturday TW said she thought Jenn would need balloons for her birthday. I didn’t get it. Balloons? Why would she need balloons? It hit me about three days later. Oh. 30. She’ll be 30. Of course she needs balloons.

So we ran down to the Dollar Tree before coffee and grabbed a few mylar balloons and one on a stick for JMP and some birthday candles. Those were a hit, particularly with JMP — he played with them all day long.

Then it was pretty low key for the rest of the day. We all did a little work. TW had a little nap. We played with JMP.

I picked the girls up from school and brought them home where we all sang to Jenn while she opened the magic birthday bag. (TW got a present in her email this morning and she’ll get another present tomorrow when she and Chris go shopping…)

Then we all loaded up in two cars and went out to Chicken & Waffles (TW’s choice) — mmmm, chicken and waffles. We got there too early for the live Jazz but we wanted to beat the storm and it’s a good thing we did. It was bad (brief, but bad) — watching the lightning strike in the field across from the restaurant. Ouch. I’m glad we weren’t out in that. It was a good dinner — JMP enjoyed it, quite a lot.

Then it was back home for a quick blowing out of the 30 birthday candles and a few bites of cheesecake before the little girls had to head back to their dad’s house.

It was nice having Jenn home for her birthday. 30 years. It seems pretty impossible, to me.

30 + 44 = Awesome Read More »

Peapod Pick Up

1 Comment / Daily Dose, Foodie /

I did win a $100 gift card at BlogHer ’13 but am not required to blog about my experience with Peapod — I’m doing it because I want to!

So remember when I said I should have ordered from Peapod for the post-BlogHer 13 mayhem but since I didn’t, I was totally gonna do it when JMP came to visit.

Well he’s here and I placed an order a couple of days ago for pick up today.

I chose pick up because I wasn’t 100% sure what would be going on at the house and it might have been really crazy to have delivery people arrive and get the dogs wound up and out of control. Next time, I’m going to have the order delivered because the pick up location isn’t in the greatest of locations — too much construction between here and there.

I wasn’t really sure what I should order so I grabbed a mix of things we needed and things that were on sale. I threw in a couple of coupons (that should be doubled) for the junk in a can that Elly likes sometimes.

I’ve probably got too many ears of corn and too many jalapenos and I might even have too many heirloom tomatoes. But… the prices were pretty good and I wanted to see how the produce was since it’s probably what I’d be most likely to order regularly.

Not bad — the grapes are JMP approved.

It was convenient to be able to order a cheesecake for Jenn’s birthday cake, too. Very convenient.

Thanks, Peapod!

Peapod Pick Up Read More »

We Bought All of the Things

3 Comments / Family Funk, Kid Talk /

We had a ton of fun being grandmas today — we bought all of the things that caught our eyes or caught JMP’s eye and I mean all of the things.

We bought clothes (including something cute for the photos we have to have taken later in the visit because my mom is annoying.)

We bought books.

We bought a foam sword.

We bought bath toys.

We bought some sort of snack ball thing that is going to be a bad idea but JMP’s mom was fascinated by it so we had to have it.

We bought a wooden train.

We bought a night light.

We bought shoe bins at IKEA that I’m going to have to ship to them (full of toys.)

We bought a sleeping bag backpack combo thingy so the next time JMP goes camping with his parents, he’ll be ready!

We bought a kid bath towel.

We bought a hat.

We bought Jockey Bras (those didn’t catch JMP’s eye, though he was fascinated by the murals and the lighting in the very cool Jockey Bra store.)

We bought things I can’t even begin to think of right now.

Everything, we just bought everything.

There are a lot of toys at Grandma and ThatGrandma’s house — though it is hard to convince Skeeter and Lola that the toys aren’t THEIRS.


A very tired JMP at IKEA.

We Bought All of the Things Read More »

Written in Red

2013, Books in Bed, Favorites, Sci Fi and Fantasy /

Thatwoman is a pain in the ass.

She goes on and on about how she likes a book but when I pick it up to read it she says “Oh, that was really good but I don’t know why you’re reading it.” Like I’m deficient in some way? Like I NEVER like the books or kind of books she likes? Like… I don’t even know. It’s like the GD Kite Runner all the damn time around here, (long story, don’t ask.)

So yea, I picked up Written in Red and see above… and then I pretty much read it non-stop until I was finished. Which is saying something since after TW went all Kite Runner on me (see above) I looked at some really bad reviews of this book and I was nervous.

Damn TW and damn the people and their DNF mean reviews.

Because I really enjoyed Written in Red. I liked The Others. And, I liked the humans, too. This was not the typical werewolf/vampire book. Not typical at all. There were PONIES. Very powerful ponies. I liked them. I liked everything about the book. Even the annoying Simon.

Written in Red Read More »

The Passion of the Purple Plumeria

2013, Books in Bed, Favorites, Fiction, Women /

The Passion of the Purple Plumeria is my favorite of all the Pink Carnation books — that’s saying something.

I can also safely say that I’ve never really liked Jane.

And, I’ve always loved Miss Gwen.

I often find the 21st century pieces a little slow and just want them to get on with it or go away — in this book, I loved the entire storyline. I want that book!

Also, if you read this — don’t miss the interviews in the back of the book (I know I skip those sometimes, so don’t!)

The Passion of the Purple Plumeria Read More »

Five Non-Sucky Ways to Use Lists to Drive Traffic to Your Blog

4 Comments / Daily Dose, Day to Day /

Disclaimer: Some of these I’ve done, some I have not. Some I might do in the future. Some I highly recommend, some I do not.

1) Write a list post in which you tell Mr Lady that she is full of shit.
2) Write a list post in which you explain that you weren’t really attempting to drive traffic in that first post — just trying to bug Mr Lady.
3) Write a list post in which you announce the location of BlogHer ’14.
4) Write a list post in which you explain all of the reasons why a Lesbian Cougar Pit could be dangerous. (And fun.)
5) Write a list post in which you share images of all of the things your puppies (or prairie dogs) have destroyed in your home. Add photos.

"Are The Dogs Eating the Couch"
“Are the Dogs Eating the Couch?”

Five Non-Sucky Ways to Use Lists to Drive Traffic to Your Blog Read More »

A List Just Because I Can

18 Comments / Daily Dose, Day to Day /

And, because I like lists. So there.

1) Mr Lady says one should not write numbered list blog posts.
2) Mr Lady is full of shit.
3) Lists are awesome.
4) My to do list, however, is so freaking long and complicated that it’s almost enough to make me not like lists anymore.
5) Nah. I really, really like lists.
6) I was thinking about all of the things that made today suck ass — that’s a really horrid list. You don’t want to see that.
7) Then I started thinking about all of the awesome things we’re gonna do when JMP and all the peoples are here. That’s a really cool list. So, here’s a sub-list! (Take that Mr Lady)
a) Kohl’s Childrens Museum
b) One of the zoos — probably Brookfield, since I’ve not been there
c) the Library! We never go to the children’s section and we’re so gonna do that.
d) the darn Sears or Target photo center (because my mother is annoying)
e) coloring and finger painting and tearing paper and gluing it to the things — maybe to boxes!
f) I’m gonna give him an m&m or six. hahah. his mother is gonna be maddddddddd.
8) Ok that’s enough of that. I don’t want to spoil any surprises or anything. You’ll have to wait for the instagrams.
9) But before JMP arrives, we really have to clean the house.
10) And the prairie dogs.
11) I also need to catch up on some reading because I won’t get to read while JMP is here. He’s too distracting.
12) Did you know writing blog posts with numbered lists is a good way to distract yourself from asshattery?
13) Also, it’s a good way to get that post in to keep your blog every day streak going when you’ve had a shit ass day and are tired and don’t really want to write anything (or don’t want to write anything you can actually write.)
14) So there, Mr Lady. So there.
15) Lists are awesome. Blog posts of numbered lists are awesome. I’m tempted to blog an entire month of numbered list posts and send them to Mr Lady all day long. She’d like that, wouldn’t she. Maybe for her birthday (that gives me many months to prepare great list topics… yea, I’m setting an Outlook reminder to do that. Hahaha. I can’t wait. You can join me, if you want… buzz me and I’ll add you to the list of people who are going to bug the hell out of her with numbered list blog posts for her birthday.)

A List Just Because I Can Read More »

Plated: Yes, I Do Cook, Occasionally

4 Comments / Daily Dose, Foodie /

We received a gift card from Plated at BlogHer 13. I’ve not been asked to blog about their product by Plated or by my employer (which happens to be BlogHer). The opinions below are purely my own — and that of my family members who ATE the food. Heh.

I figured what the heck, right? We have these gift cards sitting here, might as well use one… so on Saturday night, I peeked at the menu and decided to order a flank steak and a chicken dish. Except by the time I checked out, the flank steak was no longer available. That made me sad. I didn’t really want any of the other options but I picked the one I thought looked most interesting….

So on Tuesday, the ingredients for Grilled Chicken with Balsamic Peaches and Quinoa and Arugula Salad and Pork Tenderloin with Watermelon, Mint, Feta and Cucumber Salad (this one was the one I chose when the flank steak was not available.)

KarenLynnn was right about the packaging. I think they need to use those Styrofoam packing containers that TW’s mom’s insulin is shipped in.

I thought we’d make the first dish on Tuesday night… but we didn’t because, errr, I don’t know why. We just didn’t. So Wednesday night I made the Grilled Chicken. It was a hit but boy did it use a lot of pots, pans, and bowls. Also, I should have used fewer greens — we’d have liked it better with a smaller green to quinoa ratio and I’ll remember that for next time.

You should also know that I ordered 2 plates of each dish but I was feeding three adults… TW didn’t think it was going to work out but it did. Perfectly.

And, tonight I made the Pork Tenderloin which was also a hit and EXACTLY the right amount for the three of us. (It also used fewer dishes, heh.) One problem — I should have read through the recipe before I started (hahaha, yea yea, I know.) After putting the pork to marinate and making the salad, the next step called for grilling the pita bread. Fine except the pork still needed 20-30 minutes so if we wanted warm grilled pita, we were screwed. I ended up wrapping it in tin foil and leaving it on the hot griddle. The pita was barely warm when the pork was ready. No big deal and it really was my fault for not reading through and thinking about how this might work out.

One other thing to note — Karen Lynn was also right about the timing. The cucumber for tonight was just about done. If I’d waited another day, there’s no way I could have used it. So next time I order, I’m going to have to be really conscious of our schedules and make sure that we really DO make these dishes on the first two days after the ingredients arrive.

And yep, I’ll order from Plated again. It was nice to have everything ready and not have to PLAN something or look around to see if we had all of the ingredients for a real meal. Very convenient. Easy recipes. Win-win!

Plated: Yes, I Do Cook, Occasionally Read More »