So, as you know, I work in a high school so am privy to a lot of great TV talk. I've realized lately that I watch all of the same shows as my 14 year old freshmen girls. Should I feel bad about that? I think my sister watches tween/teen shows, too...right Sister? Have I sparked your interest? Are you ready to make fun of me?
So, my favorite 3 channels are pretty much Bravo, HGTV, and ABC Family.
My current favorite 14 year old girl shows are:
Pretty Little Liars and Switched at Birth - both are on ABC Family and about high school kids. I also thoroughly enjoy Make It or Break It (another classic ABC Family show about teenage gymnasts).
I'm not really sure why I'm drawn to these shows because the acting is pretty bad, but I'm still a little obsessed. The real puzzle is how I get The Husband to be just as hooked as I am. Am I a 14 year old girl who married another 14 year old girl? Honestly, I'll DVR an episode and watch it before he gets home from work and when he finds out he'll be like "Oh, thanks for watching it without me, did you at least save it?"
What are your guilty pleasure TV shows??
When I said I'd blog everyday I didn't say they would be good. = )
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Monday, June 13, 2011
long day
Has anyone ever taken something away from you that wasn't necessarily yours to begin with, but still stings when it's gone?
Today my principal gave my room to another outside organization that works in the school without even talking to me about it first. The girl who works for that organization is constantly complaining about not having enough space. Her solution: go in with her boss and ask for my room. Here are some quick facts:
She works 3 days a week - I work 5 days a week
She serves a specific set of students - I serve all students
She has been at the school for less than a year - I have been there for 4 years
Students don't like to hang out in her room - Students rely on my room as a safe place to hang out
There is another one, but I probably shouldn't blog about it. Let's just say I've never had a student complain about me or my behavior.
Makes me think about my return from maternity leave...and if my work is even valued enough to make it worth coming back.
This is definitely new for me...
Today my principal gave my room to another outside organization that works in the school without even talking to me about it first. The girl who works for that organization is constantly complaining about not having enough space. Her solution: go in with her boss and ask for my room. Here are some quick facts:
She works 3 days a week - I work 5 days a week
She serves a specific set of students - I serve all students
She has been at the school for less than a year - I have been there for 4 years
Students don't like to hang out in her room - Students rely on my room as a safe place to hang out
There is another one, but I probably shouldn't blog about it. Let's just say I've never had a student complain about me or my behavior.
Makes me think about my return from maternity leave...and if my work is even valued enough to make it worth coming back.
This is definitely new for me...
Sunday, June 12, 2011
third trimester...more house projects
So, today officially marks our 28th week and the beginning of our 3rd trimester. For those women who say pregnancy flies by and is the most wonderful time of your life...I'm calling your shit. We found out we were pregnant the day after Christmas, which feels like a year ago...at least. I'm not sure if that is because I love Christmas so much or it seriously felt like a year ago, but the combo is enough to say I've been pregnant forever.
My new goal is update everyday of my 3rd trimester...a little experiment. I got an email update welcoming me to, and I quote, "the trimester where you'll experience heartburn, indigestion, hemorrhoids, leg cramps, sleepless nights, stretchmarks, and varicose veins...but you'll finally get to meet your adorable baby!". To the person that wrote that, and I quote, "fuck you!". The only one of those I've experienced so far is sleepless nights, but that was my life before pregnancy so I'm used to it.
The Husband is in super house repair mode now...which is crazy if you've seen our cute little "cottage by the park" house. Some things do not need to be redone, torn out or completely changed. Paint on the other hand...is something we could do a lot more of and by "we" I mean him because 'I'm not supposed to'. = )
New projects/project updates:
The Nursery
It is almost done!! It's painted a nice, soothing green and I stenciled a birch tree on the wall between the crib and the changing table. We got a great white faux animal fur rug, framed some cute art, and bought one of those 9 cube storage units with canvas baskets for the closet. It's pretty stinkin' adorable if you ask me! Now the finishing touches are curtains for the closet and the window, which my mom has volunteered to make (thanks mama) and a quick one-day update on the half bath in the bedroom, which pretty much needs a new sink and some tile on the floor. My dad can help The Husband knock that out in a day.
Our Bedroom
There was nothing wrong with our bedroom before...other than the fact that our house is 104 years old so closet space is terrible and the actual dimensions of the room are small, but who needs a grandoise master suite? Is that where you're going to bring your guests during your Christmas party? Are you going to sleep in the living room and spend your waking hours admiring your huge bedroom? I don't think so. Who cares about a smaller bedroom? I HATE those people on House Hunters that claim to want an old craftsman, but bitch about a small room (and then I find out it's actually bigger than ours) and how their massive California king bed and ugly furniture just won't fit. Sorry, I kind of got off track. We bought our first real, adult bed frame and decided to repaint the room a cool blue. The bed is here and put together, but the painting just happened today! We also moved the bed to a different wall because I sleep better facing north to south and our bed was east to west. I know that sounds weird, but it makes a difference to me. There are articles if you don't believe me.
The Yard
This is totally The Husbands turf, but I'm proud of what he's done. We constantly have people walking down our street to get to Lincoln Park that stop in front of our house and stare. A lot of people have lived in the neighborhood for years and can't believe what we've done to it in 2 years, but some people have never seen it and just stop to say how sweet and cute it looks. The Husband ripped out all of the grass, brought in new dirt, and had the lawn hydro-seeded in the fall. Our grass is green, the lawn is flat and he keeps it mowed...with pretty diagonal lines. I'll admit, the grass is awesome. Even the neighbor, a 4 year old, prefers our yard to his. He is constantly climbing over the fence while announcing that he is "going over to Derek's yard". We also installed a fountain to block out the street noise on the back side of our house, The Hubs installed new electrical so we no longer have to run an extension cord to said fountain. We have a real garden where I've planted carrots, cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes, basil and strawberries! We have amazing wildflowers starting to sprout (thanks to my sisters wedding favors) and some beautiful plants and flowers that I make up names to because I'm not really a plant/flower person. We can't wait for summer barbecues!!
The Basement
We haven't touched it other than buying a new leather sectional. It still needs a bedroom door and the painting needs to be finished. The Husband only rolls. He refuses to "cut in". I have a ridiculously steady hand, which I think I get from my dad, but that doesn't help when I'm not supposed to paint. I'm not posting pictures of the basement until it's done...sorry!
I think that's good, right? But, will everything be ready before baby boy Beals' gets here??
My new goal is update everyday of my 3rd trimester...a little experiment. I got an email update welcoming me to, and I quote, "the trimester where you'll experience heartburn, indigestion, hemorrhoids, leg cramps, sleepless nights, stretchmarks, and varicose veins...but you'll finally get to meet your adorable baby!". To the person that wrote that, and I quote, "fuck you!". The only one of those I've experienced so far is sleepless nights, but that was my life before pregnancy so I'm used to it.
The Husband is in super house repair mode now...which is crazy if you've seen our cute little "cottage by the park" house. Some things do not need to be redone, torn out or completely changed. Paint on the other hand...is something we could do a lot more of and by "we" I mean him because 'I'm not supposed to'. = )
New projects/project updates:
The Nursery
It is almost done!! It's painted a nice, soothing green and I stenciled a birch tree on the wall between the crib and the changing table. We got a great white faux animal fur rug, framed some cute art, and bought one of those 9 cube storage units with canvas baskets for the closet. It's pretty stinkin' adorable if you ask me! Now the finishing touches are curtains for the closet and the window, which my mom has volunteered to make (thanks mama) and a quick one-day update on the half bath in the bedroom, which pretty much needs a new sink and some tile on the floor. My dad can help The Husband knock that out in a day.
Our Bedroom
There was nothing wrong with our bedroom before...other than the fact that our house is 104 years old so closet space is terrible and the actual dimensions of the room are small, but who needs a grandoise master suite? Is that where you're going to bring your guests during your Christmas party? Are you going to sleep in the living room and spend your waking hours admiring your huge bedroom? I don't think so. Who cares about a smaller bedroom? I HATE those people on House Hunters that claim to want an old craftsman, but bitch about a small room (and then I find out it's actually bigger than ours) and how their massive California king bed and ugly furniture just won't fit. Sorry, I kind of got off track. We bought our first real, adult bed frame and decided to repaint the room a cool blue. The bed is here and put together, but the painting just happened today! We also moved the bed to a different wall because I sleep better facing north to south and our bed was east to west. I know that sounds weird, but it makes a difference to me. There are articles if you don't believe me.
The Yard
This is totally The Husbands turf, but I'm proud of what he's done. We constantly have people walking down our street to get to Lincoln Park that stop in front of our house and stare. A lot of people have lived in the neighborhood for years and can't believe what we've done to it in 2 years, but some people have never seen it and just stop to say how sweet and cute it looks. The Husband ripped out all of the grass, brought in new dirt, and had the lawn hydro-seeded in the fall. Our grass is green, the lawn is flat and he keeps it mowed...with pretty diagonal lines. I'll admit, the grass is awesome. Even the neighbor, a 4 year old, prefers our yard to his. He is constantly climbing over the fence while announcing that he is "going over to Derek's yard". We also installed a fountain to block out the street noise on the back side of our house, The Hubs installed new electrical so we no longer have to run an extension cord to said fountain. We have a real garden where I've planted carrots, cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes, basil and strawberries! We have amazing wildflowers starting to sprout (thanks to my sisters wedding favors) and some beautiful plants and flowers that I make up names to because I'm not really a plant/flower person. We can't wait for summer barbecues!!
The Basement
We haven't touched it other than buying a new leather sectional. It still needs a bedroom door and the painting needs to be finished. The Husband only rolls. He refuses to "cut in". I have a ridiculously steady hand, which I think I get from my dad, but that doesn't help when I'm not supposed to paint. I'm not posting pictures of the basement until it's done...sorry!
I think that's good, right? But, will everything be ready before baby boy Beals' gets here??
Thursday, April 21, 2011
still trying new things...
So, sorry I've been absent, but I seriously believe that no one reads this so why should I post? I mean...I'm not fooling myself, I have 5 followers...awesome! BUT...I love the 5 of you so thank you, for those that read but don't follow...just follow...this is the first time that someone will encourage you to follow the crowd (Katie, before you comment on how 5 isn't a crowd - I know).
On to my real post.
I have never done Yoga...ever. Not even on the Wii...it's just something I think incredibly thin, fit people do in their free time. In my free time I would rather watch an episode of Bethenny Ever After or House Hunters, not exercise (reference blog post). So, when a friend recommended Prenatal Yoga because you're surrounded by women going through exactly what you're going through I thought I would test it out. I'm no dummy...I needed to learn some basics before jumping into this new hippy-dippy world. I bought a Prenatal Yoga video from Target for $10.00 and used the yoga mat that I "earned" for raising $3000 for the Y this year. First of all, I am not that flexible, but that just makes the argument for me that I SHOULD be doing yoga, right? Second, I really dislike the woman's voice and she says exhale funny...like ex-ale. Third, the dog just wanted to be on the yoga mat with me and it was too crowded, not to mention his white hair is now stuck to the mat (like everything else we own). BUST. I might try it one more time...if so, I'll let you know how it goes.
Another new thing that I tried was a dessert for Easter at the sister-in-law's house. I thought I would try to make cupcakes with a delicious mini reese's peanut butter cup baked in the center. I looked all over the internet for a "secret trick" so it didn't sink to the bottom, melt and make a gooey mess. The only half normal person out there who actually gave TIPS said to freeze the peanut butter cups first...made sense to me. The other loons out there are putting Mounds and Black Licorice in their cupcakes (I think that is actually illegal in some states). So, I froze my pb cups, made my batter and overfilled my cupcake sleeves because I like when they have a muffin top (this is the only type of muffin top I will allow in my life because The Husband is a fatist...sorry Husband). Well, the stupid pb cups still sank to the bottom and the chocolate melted leaving a chunk of peanut butter at the bottom of the cupcake. I guess they are still good, but I wanted them to be nice and a little fancier. If you look at the bottom of the cupcake it looks like I magically burned just the center...upon further inspection you'll notice it's chocolate, but still.
Does anyone have suggestions or a bitchin' cupcake recipe that will make me look like, even though pregnant and feeling icky, a domestic goddess in the kitchen?
On to my real post.
I have never done Yoga...ever. Not even on the Wii...it's just something I think incredibly thin, fit people do in their free time. In my free time I would rather watch an episode of Bethenny Ever After or House Hunters, not exercise (reference blog post). So, when a friend recommended Prenatal Yoga because you're surrounded by women going through exactly what you're going through I thought I would test it out. I'm no dummy...I needed to learn some basics before jumping into this new hippy-dippy world. I bought a Prenatal Yoga video from Target for $10.00 and used the yoga mat that I "earned" for raising $3000 for the Y this year. First of all, I am not that flexible, but that just makes the argument for me that I SHOULD be doing yoga, right? Second, I really dislike the woman's voice and she says exhale funny...like ex-ale. Third, the dog just wanted to be on the yoga mat with me and it was too crowded, not to mention his white hair is now stuck to the mat (like everything else we own). BUST. I might try it one more time...if so, I'll let you know how it goes.
 |
| (that is supposed to be Oliver) |
Another new thing that I tried was a dessert for Easter at the sister-in-law's house. I thought I would try to make cupcakes with a delicious mini reese's peanut butter cup baked in the center. I looked all over the internet for a "secret trick" so it didn't sink to the bottom, melt and make a gooey mess. The only half normal person out there who actually gave TIPS said to freeze the peanut butter cups first...made sense to me. The other loons out there are putting Mounds and Black Licorice in their cupcakes (I think that is actually illegal in some states). So, I froze my pb cups, made my batter and overfilled my cupcake sleeves because I like when they have a muffin top (this is the only type of muffin top I will allow in my life because The Husband is a fatist...sorry Husband). Well, the stupid pb cups still sank to the bottom and the chocolate melted leaving a chunk of peanut butter at the bottom of the cupcake. I guess they are still good, but I wanted them to be nice and a little fancier. If you look at the bottom of the cupcake it looks like I magically burned just the center...upon further inspection you'll notice it's chocolate, but still.
Does anyone have suggestions or a bitchin' cupcake recipe that will make me look like, even though pregnant and feeling icky, a domestic goddess in the kitchen?
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
lazy or amazing?
There is a short list of things I hate doing. Here they are...in order.
1) Working out - this is because I have an exercise allergy called Cholinergic urticaria. It is the rise in body temperature that produces the itching, swelling, and small hives that some people experience. People who have this may also experience the same reaction in hot tubs (not me), saunas (nope), and see that they are more likely to get it on hot days (perhaps, but it happens on cold days, too).
Treatment of Cholinergic urticaria:
2) Grocery shopping - I don't know how this one started, but it is definitely something I dread. If I absolutely have to go, I like to go to my local Safeway because I know the layout with my eyes closed. I make a list at home starting with the 1st aisle so I can easily get everything in 10 minutes or less without backtracking. I hate backtracking. If I forgot something back in aisle 6 it's my fault and I'll just need to live without it...there is no going back. Recently, however, The Husband suggested we get our groceries delivered. Genius! I feel pretty lazy and a little bad about spending $6.00 to have them delivered in a 2 hour window, but if it saves me from people who can't park, the Real Change guy who always looks so sad, those indecisive people who just stand in the aisle, parents who are yelling at their children and the temptation to buy 2 gallons of chocolate and peanut butter ice cream because it's on sale...I'm OK with it. So is it lazy or amazing that you can grocery shop online and someone will deliver it right to your door?
That's it...I only hate doing 2 things. I don't hate going to the dentist or paying bills...I don't hate cleaning (although The Husband may disagree with the current state of our home) or doing laundry. Just working out and grocery shopping.
What do you hate doing?
1) Working out - this is because I have an exercise allergy called Cholinergic urticaria. It is the rise in body temperature that produces the itching, swelling, and small hives that some people experience. People who have this may also experience the same reaction in hot tubs (not me), saunas (nope), and see that they are more likely to get it on hot days (perhaps, but it happens on cold days, too).
Treatment of Cholinergic urticaria:
- Antihistamines
- Avoid exercising on warm or humid days
- Reduce the intensity of your work-out
- Stop exercising at the first sign of flushing, itchy skin or hives (this would be all the time...so it makes it hard to work out)
 |
| that's me when I exercise |
2) Grocery shopping - I don't know how this one started, but it is definitely something I dread. If I absolutely have to go, I like to go to my local Safeway because I know the layout with my eyes closed. I make a list at home starting with the 1st aisle so I can easily get everything in 10 minutes or less without backtracking. I hate backtracking. If I forgot something back in aisle 6 it's my fault and I'll just need to live without it...there is no going back. Recently, however, The Husband suggested we get our groceries delivered. Genius! I feel pretty lazy and a little bad about spending $6.00 to have them delivered in a 2 hour window, but if it saves me from people who can't park, the Real Change guy who always looks so sad, those indecisive people who just stand in the aisle, parents who are yelling at their children and the temptation to buy 2 gallons of chocolate and peanut butter ice cream because it's on sale...I'm OK with it. So is it lazy or amazing that you can grocery shop online and someone will deliver it right to your door?
That's it...I only hate doing 2 things. I don't hate going to the dentist or paying bills...I don't hate cleaning (although The Husband may disagree with the current state of our home) or doing laundry. Just working out and grocery shopping.
What do you hate doing?
Friday, March 4, 2011
one more new thing
So after what seems like a lifetime I'm happy to announce that The Husband and I are expecting our first baby in September!
We found out the day after Christmas, which was the best present ever. With this news comes more home improvement...shocking, right? Well, our third bedroom is perfect for a nursery, as it has a half bath. Well, I'm not sure that a bathroom makes a great nursery, but it makes it nice for handwashing after changing poo-filled diapers. I know you're thinking a little paint does not a home improvement project make (I'm tipping my hat to Laura on that sentence). Well, you're right, but this room needed more than just paint. This room had a floor that had been raised 4 inches for no apparent reason and a weird shelf around the upper portion of 3/4 of the room...not to mention paneling over the sheet-rock. The Husband immediately ripped out the floor and everything that made it 4 inches taller and ripped out 2 walls of sheet-rock (including the weird shelving) so he could insulate. It took a little longer than I thought it would, but the floor is redone, the walls are insulated and have new sheet-rock AND the room is painted a nice, soothing green. And in case you're wondering, yes, we will be finding out the sex so we can plan the rest of the room. = ) The bathroom needs to be redone, too, but we'll do that a little later.
Here are some before photos:
We'll wait to show you the final results when it's all done, but here are some work in progress photos and the finished floor. Notice the original bathroom door reinstalled...it will show you how high the floor was.
Wait, did you want to see Baby Beals, too? = )
Yay!!
We found out the day after Christmas, which was the best present ever. With this news comes more home improvement...shocking, right? Well, our third bedroom is perfect for a nursery, as it has a half bath. Well, I'm not sure that a bathroom makes a great nursery, but it makes it nice for handwashing after changing poo-filled diapers. I know you're thinking a little paint does not a home improvement project make (I'm tipping my hat to Laura on that sentence). Well, you're right, but this room needed more than just paint. This room had a floor that had been raised 4 inches for no apparent reason and a weird shelf around the upper portion of 3/4 of the room...not to mention paneling over the sheet-rock. The Husband immediately ripped out the floor and everything that made it 4 inches taller and ripped out 2 walls of sheet-rock (including the weird shelving) so he could insulate. It took a little longer than I thought it would, but the floor is redone, the walls are insulated and have new sheet-rock AND the room is painted a nice, soothing green. And in case you're wondering, yes, we will be finding out the sex so we can plan the rest of the room. = ) The bathroom needs to be redone, too, but we'll do that a little later.
Here are some before photos:
 |
| Notice the "step down" |
We'll wait to show you the final results when it's all done, but here are some work in progress photos and the finished floor. Notice the original bathroom door reinstalled...it will show you how high the floor was.
 |
| Before |
 |
| After |
Wait, did you want to see Baby Beals, too? = )
Yay!!
Thursday, March 3, 2011
cooking makes me happy
I'm officially back! Took a short break because I wasn't feeling well for a while.
So, I'm not a huge cook, but I definitely love to eat...so I figured I should practice cooking so the eating would be easier. ; )
I'm pretty good with brunch, but I dabble in other things, too. It helps that our kitchen was fabulously updated when we bought our house (which by the way is under construction...AGAIN). My dad has always raved about gas ranges and how you really can't cook on anything else, but none of my rentals nor my condo had gas so I didn't know what he was talking about until now. I would never go back to electric, but don't worry electric friends...I'm not snobby about it.
One thing I made recently was Tortilla Soup...I even made the tortilla strips that went on top. In addition to the strips, I made chips. I bought the salsa. It was simple, easy and delicious. For some reason I had it in my head that it took hours and could easily be ruined, but neither of those things are true. Not sure anyone could mess this one up. The Husband liked it, but he would eat a baked shoe so I guess that isn't really a good measure.
One thing I do exceptionally well is Aebleskiver, it's like a sweet, yummy Danish pancake ball. My grandma taught me, my sister and our cousins how to make these. If you haven't had them I highly recommend it. I'm more than happy to share the recipe. Williams-Sonoma sells an Aebleskiver pan which I think it great, but they also sell a mix (don't ever tell me you used the mix...I will judge you). My grandma puts apple sauce in them after about 1 minute in the pan, but I think that makes them too mushy. I think my sister puts in small pieces of apple, which sounds much better. Sister, is that right?
A staple dinner in our home is lettuce wraps with ground turkey because it's healthier. I think The Husband only likes this dish because it's easy AND he can make a pile of "slop" when he's done with the wrappers and use tortilla chips to scoop up the "slop". He makes me smile. With the salsa, light sour cream, iceburg lettuce, lean ground turkey and low fat cheese...it's pretty darn healthy.
I love gnocchi! Period. I thought it would be cool to make it at home, but I was terribly wrong. It is a long process and can end up inedible in a matter of seconds. First of all, I made way too much dough, which I guess ended up being a good thing because I could try a million variations. The final product, paired with a homemade creamy red sauce was actually really good. I will not do this again.
Overnight Baked French Toast. Enough said.
Man, I love food. I also love bacon, who doesn't? So, I think if you wrap anything in bacon it just makes it better. I think asparagus is delicious, not super psyched that it makes your pee smell weird, but it tastes great! So why not wrap it in bacon? Have it as a side dish with lighted breaded, baked chicken...DONE!
Cheers and happy cooking (eating)!
So, I'm not a huge cook, but I definitely love to eat...so I figured I should practice cooking so the eating would be easier. ; )
I'm pretty good with brunch, but I dabble in other things, too. It helps that our kitchen was fabulously updated when we bought our house (which by the way is under construction...AGAIN). My dad has always raved about gas ranges and how you really can't cook on anything else, but none of my rentals nor my condo had gas so I didn't know what he was talking about until now. I would never go back to electric, but don't worry electric friends...I'm not snobby about it.
One thing I made recently was Tortilla Soup...I even made the tortilla strips that went on top. In addition to the strips, I made chips. I bought the salsa. It was simple, easy and delicious. For some reason I had it in my head that it took hours and could easily be ruined, but neither of those things are true. Not sure anyone could mess this one up. The Husband liked it, but he would eat a baked shoe so I guess that isn't really a good measure.
One thing I do exceptionally well is Aebleskiver, it's like a sweet, yummy Danish pancake ball. My grandma taught me, my sister and our cousins how to make these. If you haven't had them I highly recommend it. I'm more than happy to share the recipe. Williams-Sonoma sells an Aebleskiver pan which I think it great, but they also sell a mix (don't ever tell me you used the mix...I will judge you). My grandma puts apple sauce in them after about 1 minute in the pan, but I think that makes them too mushy. I think my sister puts in small pieces of apple, which sounds much better. Sister, is that right?
A staple dinner in our home is lettuce wraps with ground turkey because it's healthier. I think The Husband only likes this dish because it's easy AND he can make a pile of "slop" when he's done with the wrappers and use tortilla chips to scoop up the "slop". He makes me smile. With the salsa, light sour cream, iceburg lettuce, lean ground turkey and low fat cheese...it's pretty darn healthy.
I love gnocchi! Period. I thought it would be cool to make it at home, but I was terribly wrong. It is a long process and can end up inedible in a matter of seconds. First of all, I made way too much dough, which I guess ended up being a good thing because I could try a million variations. The final product, paired with a homemade creamy red sauce was actually really good. I will not do this again.
Overnight Baked French Toast. Enough said.
Man, I love food. I also love bacon, who doesn't? So, I think if you wrap anything in bacon it just makes it better. I think asparagus is delicious, not super psyched that it makes your pee smell weird, but it tastes great! So why not wrap it in bacon? Have it as a side dish with lighted breaded, baked chicken...DONE!
Cheers and happy cooking (eating)!
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