Lately

January 17, 2012September 30, 2015 Lindsey P. BrackettLeave a comment

Inspired by Julia, I’m linking up with Amanda today.

Well, and I haven’t blogged in a week and my scattery pregnant brain that tried to make coffee

without water this morning is having trouble focusing.
I like linkys that give me a focus.

and a list.

I like those too.

So, lately I’ve been enjoying many random things…

One.

Like my new cookbook.

Source: google.com via brewmama on Pinterest

I’ve blogged a bit about some of the recipes I’ve made, but let’s just say, it’s been great to use whole wheat flour in pizza dough and waffles and not have my kids or my husband complain. And we cannot wait for our garden this summer to really use this baby.

Two.
On that same note, I’ve really been enjoying this blog lately. I like the simplicity and the motto and the reminder that living simply can also mean that you eat really well. Today’s post is on my menu for next week.

Three.
The lovely Biltmore Estate
We visited this weekend to take advantage of our passholder appreciation discounts
and to take a behind-the-rooms tour.
Unfortunately, this baby didn’t want to climb six flights of stairs and I had to quit.
Oh, well. Guess we’ll have to go back.
And I’ll have to post on how to enjoy Biltmore with little ones because my girls love it.

Four.
Getting Organized
I’m trying, really I am. I have a list of 32 things I want to get done before my 32nd birthday in February.
So far, I’ve done six of them. For some reason, though, I keep finding more things to add to the list which seems kind of counter-productive don’t you think?

Five.
My Family Notebook

We made these at MOPS this past week and I’m using it. Really, I am. and I’m going to.
I just have to remember it’s there. Today I made a list of the little chores (dishes, laundry) I want
done daily. And I did them. Yay, me. But then I ate lunch and now there are dishes in the sink again.

Six.
Family Pizza Night

I started making homemade pizza several months ago and now I’m addicted.
What are your favorite toppings beyond the usual? I made chicken and spinich last week, sausage and green peppers this week. Joshua said I should take the picture after I put the cheese on but I thought the peppers were pretty.

Seven.
Food. Recipes. Cookbooks.
I think I might have an obsession. I have decided to embrace the fact that I’m not crafty.
But I can cook pretty decently and I really like that.
So I think I’m trading in my modpodge
for a spatula that spreads icing.
But will my freezer ever look like this? Probably not.

Source: joelens.blogspot.com via Lindsey on Pinterest

Eight.
(trying to) Live Simply
I made my own laundry detergent.
and I’m not buying napkins until I can get them for (almost) free, so cloth will have to do.
After all, I have a 5-gallon drum of laundry detergent to use.

Nine.
I wish I was enjoying my laptop.
Joshua bought me a used ibook off craigslist for Christmas.
I can’t get it to connect to our wireless. It tells me the password is wrong. It’s not.
Apparently we have a WPA and it needs a WEP?
I don’t even know what I’m talking about here. Help, please.

Ten.
Planning a Nursery
It’s taken me a while to get used to the idea that soon there will be another one.
and this one isn’t a girl.
We finally agreed on what to do about a nursery and Amelia will be relocating to our office and sharing this larger-ish space with baby brother when he relocates from the pack-n-play in my bedroom.
So we’ve got months to work on this idea.
Thank goodness for Pinterest.

Source: myyellowsandbox.blogspot.com via Lindsey on Pinterest

monday

My Rainy Miscellany Monday

January 9, 2012 Lindsey P. Brackett1 Comment

Writing random is the best therapy for when I can’t think of a single idea to make cohesive.

Linking up with lovely Carissa who had sunshine this weekend. No fair.

One.
I’m not sure what happened to my good napper. Suddenly instead of 2+ hour naps in her crib, we’re lucky to get a bit over an hour in the toddler bed. At least she’s in the bed, and then she gets herself out when she wakes up, and she plays and makes a mess of her room and I have to pick up books and teasets constantly. Which I wouldn’t mind if I’d had time to shower before she woke up.

Two.

I planned our whole menu this week from stockpile and freezer. Pretty proud of that. So even though I’ll visit the store for a few sale items and a couple of essentials, like butter, I don’t HAVE to. And that’s a wonderful feeling.

Three.

Do you want to know what we’re having? Do you care?

Monday–Pork Chops, Fried Potatoes, vegetable (still undecided there)

Tuesday–Stroganoffish Dish

(gr. beef, peas, mushrooms, cream sauce, extra macaroni noodles because I made too many on Sunday)

Wednesday–Church Supper because I’m helping serve.

Thursday–Breakfast. Probably blueberry pancakes. Or maybe burritos.

Friday–leftovers (if any) or homemade pizza (if not)

Four.

I think I’m going to have to break down and institute a “no tv after school” rule. Mainly because we don’t have cable anymore, so they fight over what to choose off Netflix. I’m not a fan of the fighting or the zombie like state. Although it does mean I can catch up on blogging if I didn’t have time earlier in the day.

Five.

I love Groupon. We’re going to Asheville for the weekend, well just overnight, and I found a great deal on a voucher for a cute little tearoom with Sunday brunch which will cost us less than half of what we can’t afford to spend on Sunday brunch at Biltmore.

Six.

This rain is making me foggy. Last year we were buried in snow, but this year I guess we’ll just get washed away.

Seven.

I made a 32 by 32 list of ways I need to get organized in the next month before we host folks for mine and Amelia’s birthdays. I should probably go clean out my closet and make some headway.

Blessings to you today!

amelia · Friday Five · motherhood · reflections

Five Minute Friday

January 6, 2012 Lindsey P. Brackett3 Comments

This is a great idea from Gypsy Mama. Now let’s see if I can write uninterrupted for five minutes. It’s supposed to be more stream-of-consciousness than edited and perfected posting.

Because I ever have time for editing and perfecting.

Here goes….

The first Friday of the New Year. The topic is roar…

Roaring for what exactly? And how? Amelia likes to roar. Especially when she’s strapped in the grocery buggy for longer than thirty minutes and the line is long and she’s bored. Then she starts roaring. So I say, Amelia are you a tiger? And she says in that sweet little almost-two lisp, Yesh.

Then we pretend to be an elephant, a pig, a cow, a duck, a chicken, an owl (with flapping arms and hoo-hoo) and a lion (which is basically a tiger again). It’s adorable and makes me feel like a roaring mama. Fended off that tantrum, that’s right.

Sometimes she roars and chases her sisters around the house. They squeal and run and climb in and under the kitchen table and make lots of noise that I sometimes get annoyed by. So then I roar like a mean mama. And they get in trouble for—for what? For being kids? For having fun? For distracting me from something that can’t possible be as important as they are?

Their daddy roars with them too. He chases them all around the house and they play and play. Always right before bedtime. And I’m usually in the kitchen wiping down the table and wishing I had the courage to roar just for the fun of it. Just to hear my own voice and their laughter.

ROARRRRRR……I’ll work on it.

cooking · savor

Sweet Savorings

January 6, 2012September 30, 2015 Lindsey P. BrackettLeave a comment

Savor is my word for 2012. Taking special notice and joy in the moments of everyday. And sometimes savoring the bounty we have in our very own home.

In my quest to get the girls to eat more fruit and vegetables this winter (they would subside on a steady diet of cheese and cookies if I let them), I enlisted their help with dinner tonight and found some savory accompaniments via that time-sucking vortex: Pinterest.

First, I made our version of this, which just means I used more eggs and a steamer bag of broccoli.

Source: cookingwithmykid.com via Lindsey on Pinterest

And Belle who had turned up her nose when I mentioned broccoli quiche gobbled hers up and asked for more. It’s all about the presentation. I flipped ours out of the mugs, but Belle kept hers in. She said it tasted better that way.

We also made these delightful crescents. Easy enough for the girls to do, and I swapped out the strawberry jam for sliced fresh strawberries and some blueberries we picked this summer and keep in the freezer for such a time as this.