Legos in Our Coffee

New Year, New Look!

2012-01-01T08:19:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!! Since we are all about organizing, updating and freshening, we are going to be updating the blog the next few days...so don't be surprised if you see some things moving around! Check back soon for a new post!

3 days until Christmas ... The Elf is getting antsy...

2011-12-21T19:27:00.000-08:00

It's almost time for Sam the elf to return home to the North Pole for the year, so he has been making sure to keep himself busy, and keep Connor entertained. Here is our latest installment in the Elf on the Shelf story...

Sam had a play date with all of Connor's stuffed animals...

Just Chillin'

Playing with the Army men... It looks like Sam is outnumbered...

I'd rather be fishin'

Sam's Dad came back for a visit and the playable elf joined in for a little genealogy lesson and a look back at the history of The Elf on the Shelf...

Connor was NOT happy about this...

A good elf is always available for emergency rescues...

Time for an elf update... Sam has been busy again...

2011-12-11T18:03:00.001-08:00

Well, Sam the elf has been busy again this week. The first few days were a little slow (hanging from the chandelier, hiding on a shelf) but as we get closer to Christmas, Sam has been having more fun.

Here are a few of his escapades...

He must have wanted Connor's room to look more like the North Pole, so he made some snowflakes...

A little adventure...

And the best one yet... Sam raided Connor's sock/underwear drawer and scattered socks all over his room, and underwear all over the tree... Gotta love his creativity...

Purex / Better Homes and Gardens Magazine Subscription Giveaway!

2011-12-08T15:45:00.001-08:00

Who doesn't love fun mail in their mailbox?! We don't know about you, but Brian and I love getting anything besides bills in our mailbox these days! (We've managed to get everything but our new SUV paperless though -- WOO HOO!) We are all big readers in this house, so one of our favorite things to see in the mailbox every afternoon is our magazines!

With that in mind, we wanted to let our readers know that Purex is giving away 20,000 Better Homes and Gardens Magazine Subscriptions!!

Just go here to enter for your chance to win one of the 20,000 Better Homes and Gardens (a whole year's worth!)Subscriptions...have you checked them out lately? Such eye candy! I especially love the new recipes that they include each month, along with the really great photos! I always find something new to add to our monthly menu plan. You have until December 20th to enter, so go quick!

What do you like to get in your mailbox?

Sam the elf has returned for another Christmas season...

2011-12-03T05:39:00.001-08:00

We are only a couple days into December and is appears that Sam, the Elf on the Shelf has returned to watch over Connor and cause some trouble. I will try to document his escapades as he terrorizes the house and causes Connor (and us) grief.

Here are some of the highlights so far:

Nov. 25 - He Stopped in the day after Thanksgiving to toilet-paper the Christmas tree in the family room. He saw we were slow to put up decorations, so he took on the task himself...

Nov. 27 - Sam saw we had the Christmas village set up and must have decided that he was home sick. He spent the day there watching Connor (and getting watched by Connor)...

Dec. 1 - Sam delivered the first piece of Connor's LEGO Advent Calendar, nothing too exciting to see here...

Dec. 2 - Apparently sugar makes elves hyper, because Sam made a mess today...

Dec. 3 - I don't know if Sam is trying to say that Connor has too many toy trucks, or that he has some really cool trucks and enjoys playing with them... Either way, Sam thought a parade would be a fun idea.

Keep watching, we will be updating Sam's mischief every couple days...

Get a Melissa & Doug 25% Off Coupon When You Take the North "Poll"

2011-11-16T17:37:00.000-08:00

Melissa & Doug want you to tell them which of their educational toys you think is the best! Just click on the image below to place your vote in the North "Poll!" You'll Get a Melissa & Doug 25% Off Coupon** to use at MelissaAndDoug.com just for voting!

We are going on vacation!

2011-11-12T15:43:00.000-08:00

Soooo, for the last few years, my sweet momma's family has been begging her to come down to Florida (we live in NY, if you didn't know) during February for a family reunion. For whatever reason, it hasn't worked out until now. We finally decided that this was the year - we are going to Florida in February! Not only that, but due to the fact that Brian and I will be celebrating our 10th (Wow! 10th!!:)) Anniversary in 2012, and we spent part of our honeymoon at Disney World, we decided that it was time to return to the House of the Mouse with our boy! (Mom is spending the time with her family in Orlando!)


Photo from Yorkblogs.com

Now, don't go getting all impressed...if you've read our blog, you know that we (((big pink puffy heart))) LOVE a bargain and we are certainly on a budget! So, we are starting a new series here at the blog - Disney On a **Real** Budget! I will be the first to admit that I read a mega ton of blogs - and I don't think I have seen a recent, real life Disney trip blogged about....but we would certainly love to read one if you know of any. So here's the scoop - we are going over February Break in 2012 (read - Peak Season at Disney) and we are driving (With the airfares that week at a consistent $3500 - $4000 round trip for four of us to fly...there is no other way.). Luckily we just got a new vehicle that is great on gas (for another post...um, Brian, that's all you!) and we are good with the driving, especially when we are looking to save that much cash. We literally are pulling this trip together in about three and a half months - no year long planning here, and we are paying cash for it all. We will be back with the details of our planning and booking as they occur...but know that we are looking to maximize our dollars and pack a ton of fun into the short time we have there (the downside of driving - less days to play!).

So, do you have any tips on saving money at the Happiest Place on Earth? Post them below!

My Ping Zing Story...

2011-11-11T16:06:00.000-08:00

Back in August Cheryl and I were doing a normal thrift store run and I found these little gems hiding in a beat up old Wilson golf bag. Originally I though they were just another junk set, but then I was something familiar... the Pingman logo on one of the grips...

JACKPOT... $1.49 per club... yup, they belong to me...

A complete set of Ping Zing 2's were now mine. 3 iron thru 9 iron and 2 wedges is excellent condition. There was a small ding on the 6 iron, and 15 years worth of grime, but overall the clubs are great. The leading edges are crisp and the groves on the wedges are still in good shape... A little cleaning and we are in business.

The grips on the other hand were in need of some help. Luckily Lamkin was having a promotion on their Facebook page for free grips. Between myself, Cheryl, and a few 'friends' I was able to procure 6 free grips. A quick trip to Golf Galaxy for 3 grips, which happened to be on sale, and my problems were solved. I chose the N-DUR 3, and they look great.

Cost:
Clubs - $18
Grips - $6
TOTAL - $24

Great deal if you ask me, especially considering that they sell for over $100 on eBay, now I just need to find a buyer... or maybe keep them as a spare, either way, I win...

UPDATE: The clubs have been sold for $130... That means more money for Disney...

Crowdtap and Old Navy - Awesome! :)

2011-11-05T18:12:00.000-07:00

As you know, Brian and I love a good deal. Even better, we love free stuff! :) Recently, I was given the opportunity to sample a winter coat from Old Navy through a Sample and Share program on Crowdtap.

For those of you not familiar with Crowdtap, it is a network for Brand Influencer Communities, which basically means it's a bunch of companies that are working with Crowdtap to do marketing research in a new format - via surveys, polls, and word of mouth marketing via social media. I generally log in daily, answer a few "quick hits"(short polls on various topics) and earn points. Occasionally I get invited to participate and offer my feedback in discussions, and every so often, there are what are called "Sample and Share" opportunities, which are a nice way of trying new items and giving lots of feedback, via reports on Crowdtap, Facebook and Twitter. I've only been using Crowdtap for a month or so, and was selected to sample a coat from Old Navy as part of the Old Navy Style Council on Crowdtap. I jumped at the chance - hello, have you even spent a winter in Central New York?! It's chilly!! (and the snow....ohhhh, the snow.....we measure it in feet, not inches here!) Not only was I given a coat to sample (and keep!), I was sent a coupon for me to SHARE with a friend. Wanting to share my coat selecting fun, I chose to give the coupon to my sweet momma, who is perpetually cold, and who goes above and beyond for our little family on a daily basis. I thought she deserved a warm fuzzy...coat!

We chose to visit our local Old Navy Store on a recent Saturday afternoon...while the temps were definitely calling for a coat! We were in a coat shopping mood, and had perused the Old Navy website
that morning to see what we had to choose from. I was actually indecisive - torn between looking for a dressier car coat for work, or a puffy winter jacket. I really liked the looks of the Frost Free Shawl Neck Jackets (in white)

But I also LOVED the look of the Wool Blend Car Coat in Big Leopard ( OMG, leopard print on a coat...think of the accesorization options!)

Meanwhile, my mom was checking out the same style, but in a nice basic black! (I guess mom wasn't quite ready to take the leap to leopard just yet!)

So off we went on our merry way to the local store...only to find - wop, wop - no Frost Free Shawl Neck Jackets in store for me. Actually, it was a whole lot of trouble to even find the winter coats as they were all spread out around the store...one rack here, one rack there...front of the store, back of the store....it was kind of a nightmare trying to find them in general, but we got through it. So, anywho, off to the dressing room we went with an armful of coats, in a plethora of styles...and the trying on began.

First up, the leopard print car coat I had been eyeing. Soft, fuzzy, eyecatching print...but on my petite 5'3(on a tall day) self, it was just too much leopard....it swallowed me up! I wasn't happy with the buttons and where they fell on me, plus the actual buttons themselves seemed too much trouble to do - through the edge of the coat, as they were hidden. I'm sorry, but I just don't have that kind of time in the morning on my way to work - toss on and go is all I have time for. That combined with the overwhelming look as a whole made it a no go for me....

Next up, the Wool Blend Coat in Black Tweed -

Again - Darling on the hanger...the tweed is stunning and a really good weight. I loved the larger collar and even the belt and buttons...but on me, it just felt....frumpy. Back to the rack it went!

I also tried on the same coat in Plaid...

but yet again, it was too much pattern for my frame and personal preference.

Meanwhile, my mom had happily tried on and decided on the Wool Car Coat in Black, as she had seen originally on the website....so she fetched a few more coats for me from the racks...since the car coat length did not seem to be working out for me. Knowing that I have several peacoats already in various colors, she brought me the Wool Blend Toggle Coat in a few colors.

I took one look at them and immediately realized that Momma does know best! It was fabulous! Just right on the length, the zipper made it a quick and easy closure for me, and the toggles are real wood and a cutey cute detail. My favorite part was the pockets - more of a patch style than a traditional inset pocket, they hold my phone and my gloves without any puffiness! The sleeves stay down when I raise my arms, which will be great for scraping off the car in the winter snowstorms, it has a hood and it was lightweight, yet warm and cozy, and i didn't feel like the Stay Puff Marshmallow Man! Whoo hoo! I just needed to decide on a color...since it came in the grey, a beautiful fuschia (my signature color!) a dark plaid and a lighter plaid....and the winner was:

The Grey Plaid!!

Sadly, in my jacket selection elation, I didn't take a photo of myself actually IN it! Trust me, it's PERFECT! :) I've worn it out a few times already and got lots of compliments - I actually had to show people the tag because they did not believe it was from Old Navy!

Overall, a pretty great experience with Old Navy's coats and the shopping experience! Thanks Crowdtap and Old Navy - my momma and I are going to be pretty cozy this winter in our new coats!

(Disclosure: I am disclosing that there is a material connection between myself and the brand(Crowd Tap and Old Navy) discussed in my post. I have received a gift or sample which I have kept, used in full or consumed. This gift came from the company, or one of its agents, whose products or services are discussed in my post.)

KZG Golf - Part II - The Clubs...

2011-09-17T18:48:00.001-07:00

I came home on Friday to a box on the doorstep... Party time...

This morning I was able to get up early and get to the course when it was only 49˚. Luckily it warmed up to 53˚ by the time I was done. I was only able to play 9, and hit about 50 balls on the range, so here are my initial impressions...

Overall, I LOVE the 3 wood, but the driver and I still have some work to do. The driver I have been using is 2 inches longer, different flex and different launch...

THE FAIRWAY WOOD: KZG PTi Extra stiff shaft 15˚ - This club is beautiful, they both are. I love the all black look and the red accents. In my bag I was missing a club to fill the gap between my driver and my 3H, after only 9 holes, I can tell this is the club I was missing. Distances are about 20-25 yards longer than my hybrid and look to be about 20-30 yards shorter than my driver. The ball flight starts out low and starts going up about 100 yards out. It is a mid level fight and for me I was getting about 230 yards on a normal swing in damp conditions. I also like that I have a hard time slicing this club which is the reason I didn't carry a 3 wood in the first place.
Negatives: I have only hit this club about 25 times and there is already signs of scuffing on the sole. This doesn't effect play, but just an observation.

Driver: KZG PTi Extra stiff shaft - Again... a beautiful looking club out of the box. At 42 inches the club feels more comfortable in my hands than the 44 1/4 Burner I was playing. After getting fully fit, I was anxiously awaiting this, but after a bucket of balls, I just can't seem to get comfortable with this club. Maybe it's because I learned some bad habits with my old club that was not a good fit to my swing, but something is still amiss. It took me about 20 balls to figure out that I need completely change my stance... Once I adjusted my ball position, things started to straighten out but I still need to hit a few more buckets to get comfortable with this thing.
Negatives: #1 is the sound... I just can't get used to it. It's louder and echoes more than I expected... it's loud... #2 The scuffing - I attached a pic, but it's pretty bad. Again, this doesn't effect playability, but I didn't expect that much from my first outing.

Headcovers/Grip/Shaft: Not the typical sock, they are a pretty neat magnetic closure that I have never seen before. I like them a lot ( need to get pics), The grips and shaft are nice, KZG grip and NovoTech shaft look great and match the club perfect. I had the option of red blue or black shaft, I chose black, I like thinks simple...

OVERALL: This has been a great experience, and I wouldn't trade it for anything. The Golfers Edge in Rochester, NY and KZG were extremely helpful and professional in all of their communications and I would recommend both as excellent companies. The fairway wood is absolutely perfect and fills a much needed hole in my bag, but the driver needs some more practice time before I am fully comfortable with it.

UPDATE: I've been able to get out on the course a few times, (twice in November, unheard of in Syracuse), and I still stand behind my love of the 3 wood. I have been using the Golfshot app on my iPhone, and tracking my shots. Besides the fact that I am actually hitting the fairway, I am crushing the ball. 9 shots tracked with an average of 223 yard. At that rate, I don't have a need for a driver, which is good because I still can't get used to the PTi Driver. More on that later...

KZG Golf - Part I - The Fitting...

2011-09-17T18:45:00.000-07:00

Back in July KZG joined GolfWRX as a sponsor and sponsored a contest for a custom fit Driver and Fairway Wood. I was recently notified that I was the winner. Here are the results of my fitting, and eventually a review of the clubs...

The contest - http://www.golfwrx.com/forums/topic/494572-kzg-giveaway-custom-fit-driver-fairway-stand-bag/
Winners thread - http://www.golfwrx.com/forums/topic/501231-kzg-winners/
KZG Website - http://www.kzgolf.com/
The Golfer's Edge - http://paulsandersgolfersedge.com

--------------------------------------------

So I went and got fit on Saturday for the KZG driver and fairway wood. I went to "The Golfer's Edge" just outside of Rochester, NY, and was scheduled for a one hour fitting with Paul Sanders who is rated as a top 100 Clubfitter.

I should mention a little about myself first before I get to into this... I have only been golfing for about 2 years, and I play about once a week, sometimes twice, but thats it... I have never taken lessons or been fit, and all the clubs I bought were just off the shelf. I typically shoot right around 95-100, and I know I need some work on my game, but at this point, I'm in it for the fun...

The Process:
When I got there, Paul had me warm up first and hit a few balls using my own driver while he set up the Trackman. My current driver is an 07 TM Burner with a Miyazaki Kusala Blue 72g Stiff. After a few swings it was obvious by looking at the Trackman data that I typically hit a slice, and I was swinging between 95-105 mph, and by ball was traveling around 240-260 yards, with a carry of around 220 or so. I was also able to see that by using impact tape that almost all my shots were off the heel of the club. Paul recommended that I use a shorter shaft and we tried a 44" shaft with the KZG PTI head.

After about 10 minutes and a few tweeks with my form (ball position and stance), I was back at it, but this time I was hitting the ball in the center of the face and more towards the toe, I was not hitting a slice on 7 of 10 swings. Th e slice was still there, but maybe only 4 of 10 swings. Typical ball flight was low and distance was about the same as well, but the ball was landing in the fairway with a slight fade. Paul then tried a couple different shaft weights and lengths, and played around with the head weights. We got my ball flight a little higher and made the face slightly draw biased.

The Results:
In the end I ordered a KZG PTI head with Novatech X shaft at 76g and 44" as well as a PTI 3 wood stepped down using the same specs to match. He ordered the clubs today, and I'm hoping they will be here within the week.

Overall, this being my first venture into properly fit clubs, I am very pleased. Paul Sanders understood that I was fairly new to the game and really walked me through everything (way more than I remember and posted here). He is going to email me with the Trackman data so I have that to look at as well. From what I have seen so far, and not being able to compare to any other manufacturers, and I very impressed with the fitting process and the use of the Trackman software. Everyone at "The Golfers Edge" including Paul Sanders was extremely helpful and the process will surely help my game in the long run. While I doubt I will travel an hour and a half to visit the shop for lessons, I am now convinced that I need to pursue lessons with a qualified instructor. Paul recommended a few, and told me what to look for when I go that route. I can't wait for the clubs to arrive, and as soon as they show up I will be sure to hit the range and post my results.

Once again thanks to The Golfer's Edge (Paul Sanders), KZG (Chris Lesser) and GolfWRX for the contest...

3.22.11 - Picture of the Day...

2011-03-23T16:04:00.000-07:00

NO golf course should look like this in March... 3 days into spring and it's still snowing... NOT COOL...

3.20.11 - Picture of the Day...

2011-03-21T14:52:00.000-07:00

YUMMMM... An after-school treat from Pastabilities... gotta love it...

3.20.11 - Picture of the Day...

2011-03-20T16:04:00.000-07:00

Cheryl did some shopping at Rite Aid this weekend and worked her coupon magic... 10 tubs of Lysol wipes for $4.00... I guess that's a pretty good deal...

3.19.11 - Picture of the Day...

2011-03-19T15:40:00.000-07:00

Saturday... that means soccer... next week is the last game, so Connor put his all into this one... the red team was brutal and pushing kids all over, but Connor held his ground and played great... here he was in goal about to make his second save...
Good Job Buddy...

BONUS PIC:
Tonight was the Super Moon. The closest the moon will be to Earth in 18 years... Doesn't look like much here, but it was pretty cool to see...

3.18.11 - Picture of the Day...

2011-03-18T15:28:00.000-07:00

The weather is beautiful, and Dunkin is loving the chance to get out and run. He is loving the back yard again... We are all VERY glad to see the snow gone...

3.17.11 - Picture of the Day...

2011-03-17T20:24:00.000-07:00

What could be a better find for picture of the day than an old school camera? We found this little gem at the Rescue Mission for $2.99. I'll use this in class along with Cheryl's Dads old school Motorola bag cell phone to talk about evolution... the kids love gimmicky stuff like this...

Oh yea...
HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY...

3.16.11 - Picture of the Day...

2011-03-16T19:17:00.000-07:00

The trap is set... Bring on the leprechauns. Connor drew up the blueprints and bult the trap. Now we can't walk through house without tripping over tripwires..

3.15.11 - Picture of the Day...

2011-03-15T15:54:00.000-07:00

Here is a picture of the creek at school. After a little bit of rain and a lot of snow melt, the water was quite high. The first picture was taken at 8:30 in the morning, the second was at 2:30... what a difference a day makes...

3.14.11 - Picture of the Day...

2011-03-14T19:13:00.001-07:00

New golf clubs are always great, but free golf clubs are even better... Thanks TaylorMade...

3.13.11 - Picture of the Day...

2011-03-13T19:03:00.000-07:00

Connor was begging to get his LEGO apartment on camera, and put it on the blog, so here it is...

3.12.11 - Picture of the Day...

2011-03-12T15:57:00.000-08:00

St. Patrick's Parade in Syracuse... Also known as "Connor Day"... We also went to The MOST (Museum of Science and Technology)

3.10.11 - Picture of the Day...

2011-03-10T18:17:00.001-08:00

This little $5 piece of plastic saved my computer... well, not really my computer, but all of the file on it... Basically, I took my hard drive out of my MacBook and put it in here... now I just use this as an external hard drive...

3.9.11 - Picture of the Day...

2011-03-09T18:12:00.000-08:00

Connor playing on the couch...

3.8.11 - Picture of the Day...

2011-03-08T17:46:00.001-08:00

Hot Taco's anyone???

3.7.11 - Picture of the Day...

2011-03-07T11:14:00.000-08:00

SNOW DAY...
13" of fresh snow... IN MARCH...

3.6.11 - Picture of the Day...

2011-03-06T23:05:00.000-08:00

We saw Geoffry the Giraffe at the mall and Connor just had to get a picture...

3.4.11 - Picture of the Day...

2011-03-04T11:00:00.000-08:00

The snow is finally melting and Dunkin has found out that there are at least 4 balls buried out in the back yard... He's having a blast...

3.3.11 - Picture of the Day...

2011-03-03T15:56:00.000-08:00

School pic again...

We are doing a lab where we are testing various surfaces for bacterial growth and then trying to determine which cleaning material (Soap, Alcohol, Bleach) would work best to clean it. We are doing the lab tomorrow, but here is the incubator heating up and ready to go...

3.2.11 - Picture of the Day...

2011-03-02T10:30:00.000-08:00

Another picture from school...

Welcome to 2011, where city schools get nothing but budget cuts and 7 year old technology. This is an actual computer that one of my students had to use. Of course we have more computers than that, but of the 24 I had for my 19 students only 18 worked...

Gotta love it... lets cut more jobs... [end sarcasm]

3.1.11 - Picture of the Day...

2011-03-01T15:36:00.000-08:00

Grilling in the garage... I'm sure there is nothing wrong with this...

2.28.11 - Picture of the Day...

2011-02-28T18:09:00.001-08:00

The class was working on the computers today so I snapped a quick pic and uploaded it to the class website...

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

2.27.11 - Picture of the Day...

2011-02-27T13:42:00.001-08:00

Connor went to the doctor last week and they said he had strep. Well now it looks like he might be allergic to the mess the gave him... We'll find out for sure in a few minutes.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

2.24.11 - Picture of the Day...

2011-02-25T07:57:00.000-08:00

Well, we are just about finished, The kitchen looks incredible, and is much brighter and cleaner looking.

2.23.11 - Picture of the Day...

2011-02-25T07:43:00.000-08:00

Well, Dunkin wanted to take part in the painting...

2.22.11 - Picture of the Day...

2011-02-22T03:33:00.000-08:00

Just little demoing... nothing too extensive, but hoping it will make a big difference in the overall look...

2.21.11 - Picture of the Day

2011-02-21T15:38:00.000-08:00

Well, the red wall is now primed and ready to be painted "Vintage Gray", and the beadboard is up on one wall. Next is calking the seams, putting up beadboad on the other 2 walls, crown molding and baseboards, paint the walls, paint the ceiling, new faucet for the sink, and eventually paint the cupboards...

2.20.11 - Picture of the Day

2011-02-20T14:54:00.000-08:00

So the Kitchen renovation has begun... I'm sure Cheryl will update with a complete blog post when we are done, but here is a picture of Connor doing his part... This is all going to be covered up, so why not let him leave his mark...

2.19.11 - Picture of the Day

2011-02-19T15:11:00.000-08:00

So after taking Connor to the doctor to find out he had strep we braved the cold and wind to get to Target for the meds... I was trying to get a picture of the snow blowing, but it doesn't show up too well in pics...

I originally was hoping to upload a video of the drive through the snow, but that doesn't seem to want to work...

2.18.11 - Picture of the Day...

2011-02-19T08:22:00.001-08:00

Today Cheryl and I decided to start the kitchen demo while waiting for the tax guy... Here are some before pictures, hopefully the after will be up next week...

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

2.17.11 - Picture of the Day..,

2011-02-17T18:20:00.001-08:00

Yes, it is only 3 days after Valentines day... Yes, it is still the middle of February... No, it isn't even close to St. Patricks day yet... Yes, those are jelly beans...

If anything bugs me more than terrible drivers, it's skipping holidays to make more money... Ughhhhhhhh...

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

2.15.11 - Picture of the Day...

2011-02-15T18:36:00.000-08:00

A little gem I found on the FLIP... Connor must have made the video when no one was looking...

2.14.11 - Picture of the Day...

2011-02-14T17:05:00.001-08:00

I Love You Cheryl... Happy valentines day... Just a pic of Connor playing with the LEGO set we got him. He seems to appreciate them s lot more now that he is putting them together himself...

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

2.13.11 - Picture of the Day

2011-02-14T17:01:00.001-08:00

Happy birthday to Cheryl's mom... Dinner at Dominick's and all the kids got together and bought her a b&n Nook... Pretty cool little device...

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

2.12.11 - Picture of the Day

2011-02-12T09:47:00.001-08:00

Connor defending the goal...this was about 3 seconds before he had a huge save...

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

2.11.11 - Picture of the Day

2011-02-11T17:46:00.001-08:00

Not too much exciting happening today, so here is a picture of 'spot'...

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

2.10.11 - Picture of the Day

2011-02-11T12:34:00.001-08:00

Well, looks like I'll be posting from my phone since my computer crashed... Let's hope Apple can figure something out...

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

2.9.11 - Picture of the Day...

2011-02-09T18:54:00.000-08:00

So... The dog decided to drink some wine and pass out while watching the SU game... I hope he learned his lesson that partying too hard has it's consequences...

2.8.11 - Picture of the Day...

2011-02-08T17:57:00.000-08:00

As much as I'm ready for winter to be over, and as much as I hate shoveling and snow blowing the driveway, I do love the way the trees, fields and roads look covered with a fresh clean coating of snow...

2.7.11 - Picture of the Day...

2011-02-07T18:22:00.000-08:00

Well, I missed a day yesterday... whoops... anyway, I got a new toy at work today. A MOBI board that will allow me to interact with my computer similar to a SMART board. I was also able to get the SMART software installed on my computer so this should make class a little more fun...

2.5.11 - Picture of the Day...

2011-02-05T19:46:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday Josh and Heather...

2.4.11 - Picture of the Day...

2011-02-05T06:35:00.000-08:00

Connor making his dinner...

2.3.11 - Picture of the Day...

2011-02-03T16:12:00.000-08:00

We were doing a lab in school today testing to see which foods contained fats, protein or carbohydrates... the kids really enjoyed it, and I think they may have learned something... for once the effort I put into designing a lab paid off...

2.2.11 - Picture of the Day...

2011-02-03T16:00:00.000-08:00

Finally... 19th win for Syracuse... I'm betting it was because of Connor's foam finger...

1.31.11 - Picture of the Day...

2011-01-31T18:55:00.000-08:00

Well, 31 days and 30 pictures... not too bad... I'm starting to enjoy this. Today I was actually out of work while it was still daylight so I figured a carwash and some pictures were in order. And a little experimenting with my phone...

1.30.11 - Picture of the Day...

2011-01-30T17:11:00.000-08:00

This summer we adopted a cute, little, 8 pound puppy... now we have a big, 50 pound eating machine...

1.29.11 - Picture of the Day...

2011-01-29T13:10:00.000-08:00

With Batman in the goal, Connor has his game face on... 1st day of indoor soccer practice...

1.28.11 - Picture of the Day...

2011-01-28T23:24:00.000-08:00

Cheryl and I went to a Syracuse Crunch game tonight with a group of people Cheryl works with. We also stopped at The CopperTop Tavern for dinner and a few drinks beforehand...

We also saw this beauty on the way there...

1.27.11 - Picture of the Day...

2011-01-27T17:29:00.000-08:00

So one of the teachers on Cheryl's team ordered a full body skeleton, and before she was even able to get the box open Cheryl stole the skull when her back was turned. After about a week of the headless horseman, the cranial cavity reappeared on the lunch table...

I guess he's "not going anywhere for a while..."

1.26.11 - Picture of the Day...

2011-01-26T17:40:00.000-08:00

Connor has been home for 2 days because of a stomach bug so Cheryl emailed the teacher and let her know that we wanted to get all the work he missed for him to do as homework. So tomight, he sat for about 30 minutes and got everything done... I'm so proud of him, and he actually enjoys doing the work...

1.125.11 - Picture of the Day...

2011-01-26T07:12:00.000-08:00

Well, the latest auto upgrade is in... I installed a Metra iPod adapter from techforless.com that allows me to play my iPhone through the car stereo and control the music with the steering wheel controls...

1.24.11 - Picture of the Day...

2011-01-24T18:34:00.000-08:00

Couple pics today... Dunkin... just because... and the temp on the way to work. This is the air temp... windchill was -24... brrrrrrrrrr

{Menu Plan Monday}

2011-01-24T14:46:00.000-08:00

Well, after being woken up at 2:30 in the morning by the sounds of a retching little boy, and then spending the rest of the night alternating between being up with him and trying to (unsuccessfully) fall back asleep, only to get up in the -24'F weather to go to school because I had annual reviews for my Inclusion students that I could not miss, I am SO glad I do menu plans for each week! This really saved me today because I didn't have to attempt to deal with the "What's for Dinner?" Game. Without further ado, here is what is on our dinner menu for the week...I can't provide links to recipes since I only have them in my head! Post in the comments or send us an email if you'd like a specific recipe and I'd be happy to get it to you. Keep in mind we do very little with packaged foods in our home and use the freshest ingredients we can get our hands on - even in our current Arctic State!

Monday: Crustless Ham and Cheese Quiche, Salad and Toast(made with fresh country bread)

Tuesday: Homemade Mac and Cheese, Roasted vegetables.

Wednesday: Buffalo Chicken Roll Ups, Antipasto Salad

Thursday: Homemade Oven Baked Chicken Fingers, Potato Wedges and Brocolli

Friday: Dinner out with staff - heading to a local Hockey game and Coppertop Tavern

Saturday: Chinese Stir Fry with vegetables, rice.

I start a new menu on Sunday when I see what is in our freezer and needs to be used up, and then my mom shops for the next two weeks for us with a list that I get together for her on Mondays. And with that, I do believe the quiche is done!

1.23.11 - Picture of the Day...

2011-01-23T16:48:00.000-08:00

I think this picture explains itself...

Testing the BlogPress app

2011-01-22T17:52:00.001-08:00

I'm trying different blog apps for my phone, and it looks like BlogPress is the best so far, I'm just trying to get all the photo settings right.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

1.22.11 - Picture of the Day...

2011-01-22T15:25:00.000-08:00

Well, the new tires are on, the GPS mount is installed, and the driveway is partly shoveled... AND, SU lost again... I see no better reason to grab a beer... I first tried this stuff down in Virginia at the golf course, and it was about 2 months before it showed up here in Syracuse...

1.21.11 - Picture of the Day...

2011-01-21T18:36:00.000-08:00

Well... I guess I have my own story from the classroom...

Today I was at my team meeting with 4 other teachers in a tiny room talking with a student about why he is doing so poorly when I say something flutter in the doorway out of the corner of my eye. I figure it was just a pencil being thrown down the hall and ignored it... About 10 seconds later, I see a flustered head peek around the corner, and a voice nervous says "did anyone else see that?" Now I'm starting to think "maybe that wasn't a pencil"... I think I just saw a mouse...

Now I know you have all see the TV shows where people jump on the chairs and screech like a little girl when a mouse runs by... Imagine that with a pregnant woman, and 2 other scarred women, while the 2 guys in the room jump up and start looking for it... YUP... that was the scene while the student just sat there not knowing what to think... after about 2 minutes the scared little mouse runs out trying to hide, and right into my trap... OK, it was a pencil box, but it worked...

Now the little guy is quietly resting in my room in an old aquarium as the new class pet...

I plan on upgrading is cage next week and making him more comfy...

The day the underwear came...a story from the Classroom

2011-01-21T08:39:00.000-08:00

Every once in a while, as a teacher, things happen in the classroom that make you stop and think, " I really need to compile all of my stories and write a book about the things that happen in the classroom." Well, with the two of us being teachers, you can bet there are a lot of stories! So we are going to start a series here on the blog titled "Stories from The Classroom." Today was one of those days...

Our class was taking a spelling test this morning in typical Friday fashion. As my young learners were intently spelling Commonly Misspelled Words, I walked around, monitoring their activity. As we finished our spelling test, we transitioned and started talking about the upcoming book report project they have due and I handed out some scratch paper for them to start on their rough drafts. I was at the front of the room when it happened. A student got up to sharpen his pencil, several students had their hands raised to ask a question, and it was honestly a very good moment in the classroom - students on task, focused, excited about their project...I looked to the back of the room, and in the middle of the floor I spied what looked to be a winter hat or a scarf - naturally, since are in the middle of an Arctic Blast these days. I assumed it had fallen off of Lisa's chair, which sat innocently nearby. I made the mistake of looking an instant too long, and the rest the class swiveled their attention to it. The student who had gotten up to sharpen his pencil looked down at it. And I uttered the words..."What...IS...THAT?!?!" I instantly realized it was not an innocent pair of gloves, a scarf OR a hat. The students were intrigued. The pencil sharpening young lad leaned down to pick them up, and in his hand he raised...a pair of fifth grader sized black boxer briefs. Which he promptly, and politely asked me, "May I throw these in the garbage, Mrs. P.?" And then, I lost it. In front of my entire class of 5th graders. Tears rolling down my face, I could simply nod. The class looked at the underwear, back at me, and then launched into an uproar.

Via: Google Images

The only thing I can think of is that they were static clinged inside someone's clothes. And they fell....onto my classroom floor. On the upside, my kids thought it was hysterical that I was laughing so hard I was crying. I guess they will all have a story to tell tonight when their families ask them what happened in school today. :)

1.20.11 - Picture of the Day...

2011-01-20T15:50:00.000-08:00

Truck upgrade # 3 - New tires... after a lot of searching, I finally decided on the Nitto Terra Grapplers in 265/70/17. They are slightly larger than stock, and should help tremendously compared the the Dunlaps that came stock...

1.19.11 - Picture of the Day...

2011-01-19T18:37:00.000-08:00

Well, this week should be like Christmas for my truck... Upgrade # 2 (#1 was the WheatherTech Digital Floor liners) was a set of Lamin-x yellow fog light covers... this should help in the fog (obviously), and the pleasant snow storm we gets... The entire process took about 5 minutes from start to finish, and the longest part was waiting for the lights to warm up to make the application easier. Once my new tires come in tomorrow, and are installed this weekend, I plan on getting a few good pics, but for now, this will work...

1.18.11 - Picture of the Day...

2011-01-18T17:21:00.001-08:00

Ahhhhh... How I love road salt...

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

1.17.11 - Picture of the Day...

2011-01-17T19:18:00.000-08:00

Rochester's STRONG Museum of Play. This was the Superheroes exhibit...

1.16.11 - Picture of the Day...

2011-01-17T19:07:00.000-08:00

Hotel Day... Connor was incredibly surprised, and loved the hotel, and the pool. And of course, the first thing you need to do when you get to a hotel is jump on the bed...

1.15.11 - Picture of the Day...

2011-01-15T19:50:00.000-08:00

Always a good way to leave the Casino...

1.14.11 - Picture of the Day

2011-01-14T16:04:00.001-08:00

Dinner with Connor to start the "weekend of fun". Tomorrow Connor has a birthday party down the street, and then spending the night at Grammas while Cheryl and I hit the casino. Then off to Rochester for a night in a hotel, swimming in the pool, the mall and the museum...

And as of right now, all Connor knows about is the birthday party, should be a good time...

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:New York 31,Clay,United States

1.13.11 - Picture of the Day...

2011-01-13T16:36:00.000-08:00

The view from my desk... without the students of course. Notice the Human Fetal Growth lab and pile of Regents exams on my desk... the fun never ends. Tomorrow is the menstrual cycle...

1.12.11 - Picture of the Day...

2011-01-12T18:08:00.000-08:00

LET'S GO ORANGE !!!

Another win for Syracuse. What a way to start the season... #4 in the AP poll, 17-0 and another 20 point win...

1.11.11 - Picture of the Day...

2011-01-11T18:30:00.001-08:00

And that's all I have to say about that...

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

1.10.11 - Picture of the Day...

2011-01-10T17:27:00.000-08:00

So after the constant nagging, I (yes me, Brian) decided to cave in and make the absolute best cookies ever made. I think tomorrow will be a good day at work... at least the teachers will be happy...

Salted Caramel Dark Chocolate Chunk Cookies – The Ultimate LA Cookie
Courtesy of Jenny Flake, Picky Palate

2 sticks softened butter
3/4 Cup granulated sugar
1 Cup packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 Tablespoons pure vanilla
1/4 Cup burnt caramel sauce (you can use any caramel sauce here, like Smuckers)
3 3/4 Cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
12 oz bag mini chocolate chips1 1/2 Cups chopped good quality chocolate

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a stand or electric mixer, beat the butter and sugars until well combined. Beat in the eggs and vanilla, and swirl in the caramel sauce until well combined.
2. Place the flour, salt and baking soda into a large bowl and mix. Slowly add to wet ingredients then add the chocolate chips. Save chunks for later.
3. Place a 1/4 cup scoop of cookie dough into muffin top cups. Press down, then sprinkle with a pinch or two of sea salt then press the chocolate chunks over top. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until just golden around edges. Remove and let cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Serve with milk!!
Makes 18 Large cookies

Finished product...

1.8.11 - Picture of the Day

2011-01-09T05:15:00.001-08:00

Well, since we didn't get home until late I missed another deadline. Last night was the last Christmas party of the year. We all went out to Cheryl's brothers house for the final exchange.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

1.7.11 - Picture of the Day...

2011-01-07T15:39:00.000-08:00

Couple pictures today... For Christmas I got Connor some Army clothes and a bag to keep it all in... I still need to get a jacket, but he love dressing up as an Army Man...


They say the iPhone takes pretty good close up shots...

1.6.11 - Picture of the Day...

2011-01-06T16:54:00.000-08:00

So we finally decided it was time to start going back to the YMCA... Connor enjoys going into the play area and open gym when they offer that, Cheryl does the Zumba thing, and I just run on the treadmill and use the machines if it's not too busy... So while Connor and I were waiting he decided to take a picture of his loose tooth...

1.5.11 - Picture of the Day...

2011-01-06T05:16:00.000-08:00

I couldn't post last night so here is last nights picture... We are expecting 5-8 inches of snow over the next couple days so I brushed off my truck to use as a starting point...

Works for Us: Freezer Organization

2011-01-05T08:38:00.000-08:00

With all of the talk in January of reorganization and fresh starts, I have seen quite a number of posts on blogs and message boards regarding pantries and freezer storage. We are really lucky in the way that our house is laid out and used. Our main floor is very open, and we have a kitchen pantry which is quite handy. About six feet away from that is our living room/entry way coat closet. When we moved in, we found it to be more handy as a dumping ground for the vacuum, the random odds and ends we didn't know what to do with, and paper towels. It was when we moved in that I started couponing and stockpiling, and the coat closet got transformed into more of a long term storage pantry - we've kept it that way for the last few years and I have to say that it works out well for us - gives us extra space and the ability to keep more on hand - saving us money in the long run. Along with our pantries, our freezers get a lot of use and are both organizationally (and financially) one of my favorite parts of the house.

I am all about freezer cooking - Ive been doing it for years now. It's a great time saver, and really handy on those busy nights we have. It will be another post for another day! We have a big freezer in our basement and then our kitchen refrigerator/freezer now, but up until last month (when we had our oh so unefficient, 34 year old fridge from my childhood hauled away by our utility company) we had one in our garage too, which really helped with organization. We are going to replace the garage one when we find a good one on Craigslist, but until then we are working with two (one and a half, really!) and I do as much cooking/storing as I can fit. This really works for us because we only grocery shop twice a month, and it keeps our grocery budget to less than $100 dollars a week for our family of four - Brian and I, Connor and Grandma. That's pretty good for people who love to cook and are total foodies!

First off, I keep the following frozen items on hand at all times(mostly for weekend lunches and nights when everything is going wrong and we just need to eat!):

Prepared/Convenience Foods:
-Chicken Nuggets
-Chicken Tender strips
-French Fries
-Tater Tots
-Onion Rings
-Frozen Pizzas
-A few loaves of bread (white and wheat)
-Bagels

For Fresh Use:
-Mozzarella and Cheddar Cheese - shredded and in 2 cup portions per zip lock bag.
-Chicken Breast (2-3 breasts per bag)
-Ground Beef ( 1 Pound per bag)
-Steamer bags of frozen vegetables - the sauce and butter free kind.
-Frozen Roasting Chicken
-Ham Steaks
-Roasts
-Steaks
-Frozen Bread Dough
-Frozen Rolls(Rhodes brand)
-Bacon

These are my basics - I use them weekly in my recipes...and having a good supply keeps me from having to have Brian run to the store for a forgotten ingredient!

Not our fridge! But close! Image from www.30dayGourmet.com

Then, I also have freezer meals that I have prepared ahead - to the point where I can freeze them, pull them out and finish them off...depending on the season or my cooking moods. We don't do a lot of casserole type items, or anything that is fully cooked/just gets reheated (I consider them leftovers...can't do it!LOL) but right now I have the following:

-Marinated London Broil with Blue Cheese/butter sauce to be poured over it when done.
-Beef Stroganoff (not thickened or creamed yet, I thaw, cook, thicken/cream and boil fresh noodles for it)
-Mac and Cheese
-Twice Baked Potatoes
-Soups - French Onion, Chicken (no noodles yet), minnestrone(no pasta in it)
-Spaghetti Sauce with Sausage
-Marinated chicken - packages of Lemon Garlic, BBQ, and Dry Rub Spiced
-Garlic Bread - Prepped, just need to be topped with cheese if we want it and baked.
-Chicken Spaghetti

These items change a lot - I like to cook big on Sundays and then take out half for another meal before I finish off the recipe. I also spend a day or two on our school vacations prepping stuff for busy weeks.

Some other stuff I like to keep around:
-Muffins (I cheat and buy the big packs at BJ's - break them up into packages of two and freeze them)
-Waffles
-Pancakes
-Homemade stock - chicken and vegetable stock.
-Homemade Gravy
-Margarine
-Butter

Some tips I have found over the years that help me:

-Use the good brand of freezer bags. They are thicker, prevent freezer burn and are worth every penny. We love Ziplock!

-Freeze as much flat as you can and label bags on BOTH SIDES!

-My other favorite packaging material comes from the dollar store! They are foil pans with cardboard lids - they come in a variety of shapes and sizes and they can go right into the oven! We use them a lot for heavier items like mac and cheese or potatoes - things that aren't sloshy. They stack nicely and I love that they are no clean up required!

-Compartmentalize - I have a big waxy coated cardboard box on the bottom shelf of the freezer - it holds all of my larger cuts of meat - the chicken, ham, holiday turkeys, etc. They don't roll around and I can slide the box out like a drawer. All of our packaged chicken and beef live in their own baskets on another shelf. We store the frozen cheeses and bread doughs all together. All three of the adults in the house know where everything is and when we grocery shop and purchase/package anything new, it goes in the right spot of the freezer.

-Date everything and be sure to rotate! I think working in a grocery store during college pretty much ingrained this in us, but we date everything(on both sides!) when we label it, and the newest stuff goes in the back/bottom - thus forcing us to use what's older, first.

-Know what's in there! I keep a list in my iPhone, which is always with me, but I also go through the freezer regularly - like, weekly - so I know what has to be used, or refilled.

-Once or twice a year, do a big clean out and defrost that freezer, wipe it down and then restock. We tend to do this to our big freezer towards the end of summer - especially helpful when we don't get paid in August - and then refill after a total cleaning. It uses stuff up and saves our grocery budget! The smaller freezer upstairs gets emptied and cleaned monthly...it's more of a short term storage space and for every day/convenience items....like ice cubes and ice cream! :)

So there you have it - a little look into our freezer space. There is nothing like opening the freezer door and seeing a nice compact version of Wegman's Frozen Foods Department staring back at you. How do you use your freezer space? Or are we the only crazy people who are over achiever organizers when it comes to the cold stuff?

1.4.11 - Picture of the Day...

2011-01-04T18:51:00.000-08:00

Well, I'm an idiot... With all the time I spend taking care of my truck, buying things for it and making it look nice, you would think I would be smart enough not to drag the large, heavy, steel blade of the snowblower along the side of it...

But noooooo, a nice long scratch through the clear coat and paint exposing raw metal during the one time of year cars rust the most in the North East is exactly what I decided to do...

1.3.11 - Picture of the Day...

2011-01-03T16:49:00.000-08:00

Waiting for dinner... Dunkin is NOT photogenic at all... I think his coat is too shiny, and he won't sit still for longer than about .33 seconds...

1.2.11 - Picture of the Day...

2011-01-02T07:56:00.000-08:00

Today we are having a rock concert... My job is to control the spotlights, Cheryl helped Connor design the set, and Gramma is going to mop up the stage after everything is done...

Connor's poster to advertise for the show...

1.1.11 - Picture of the Day...

2011-01-02T07:49:00.000-08:00

Well, I think this one is pretty self explanatory... day one, minute one... welcome 2011...

Happy New Year!

2011-01-01T14:03:00.000-08:00

Out with the old....in with the new! Here's hoping 2011 is full of love, laughter, prosperity and good health for all of our family and friends! :) I have always heard that you should spend the first day of the new year in the way that you want to spend the rest of the year....so today I cleaned out the closet...created a HUGE donation for our local thrift store and a matching HUGE hand me down pile for my sister and niece...and got that all nice and organized...whew! I can see the closet floor! Now we are waiting for our dear friends to arrive so we can go out to dinner to celebrate the holidays together! So, I guess that means that I am looking to spend the next year organized, charitable, comfy and cozy at home, and with good friends...sounds great to me!

I love Brian's photo of the day idea...can't wait to see what that entails...perhaps I shall even hijack it on occasion and do it as well...although my exciting photos would probably be what I was wearing or something like that! We will see...we will see! Until then...we hope that you are spending the day in a way that sets the tone for the rest of the year...and that health and happiness fill your home this year! Cheers!

My New Years goal... (Brian)

2010-12-31T17:50:00.000-08:00

Well, Cheryl and I went out and bought new iPhone4's this week... It was a pretty good deal as well, they are normally $199 each, but Radio Shack had a deal for $51 off saving us $102. Not a bad deal at all, especially since I knew I could sell our old 3G's for $200 a piece. So, when all was said and done we were paid $100 to upgrade out 2 and a half year old phones.

I'll post my review of the iPhones some time in the future, but for now, my goal is to take a picture every day of 2011. It might be of Connor, vacations, food, golf, camping, new toys, my truck, school, whatever I feel like taking a picture of... Who knows, I will probably forget after a week, but if I do remember, it could be pretty cool in the end...

Happy to announce...

2010-12-23T11:45:00.000-08:00

Whoo hoo! Brian and I just found out that we were selected to become a part of the new Purex Insiders - a group of Bloggers who will be able to try and then share our thoughts on new products and work with the Purex Brand Team by offering tips and opinions...something we really are good at! :)

We do lots of laundry around our house and Purex is one of our go to brands - especially with our oh so sensitive skin - so this is a really exciting opportunity for us! Check back for the latest news from Purex!

Dear Santa...a letter from the grown ups...

2010-12-12T16:17:00.000-08:00

Well, it's Christmas time once again, and we are almost ready for Christmas here at the Pudney House.
We thought that since Connor is getting ready to write a letter to Santa, we would like to write a letter as well....one from "us" for our wishes... just in case the big guy reads our blog.

Dear Santa,

We hope that you are doing well and staying warm up in the North Pole. We have tried very hard this year to be good in all areas - as parents, as spouses, and as teachers. As always during the Christmas Season, we hope for prosperity, good health, joy and happiness for our family and friends, but just in case you have a little extra room in your sleigh, we thought you might like to know what is on our wish list this year:

1. A new bathroom. This really would be quite spectacular, considering it would benefit our whole family! We don't want anything fancy, just a new floor(since ours has water damage and needs to be replaced) and a new tub, since we are pretty sure that is the cause of the water damage. Perhaps you have a few elves who are tradesman and can do quick work? We only have the one tub, you know, and we kind of need it on a daily basis! We'd even be happy to help with the painting and such, we just don't have the skills(or tools) to do the heavy repair work needed...so, yeah, that's our biggest wish!


Image courtesy of Google Images

2. Thrift Store Treasures....As you know, we love to refurbish new to us, thrift store treasures, especially dressers! We think it's a frugal, green way to cozy up the house in a way that represents us. We had our first true find just this past fall, and it now lives in our kitchen. Our living room really would benefit from a dresser as well - we have the perfect spot! So we are hoping that you could bring us some "Thrifty Luck" - with our holiday vacation coming up, it's going to be the perfect time to do a little furniture makeover...we just need the piece!

Image via Thenester.com

3. Obedience Lessons for The Dog. Yes, our dog. Oh, he's a crazy boy, that Dunkin. At 6 months old, we think we are pretty lucky that he seems to have stopped growing...for now. He's a big boy. And gentle, too...just lacking the social graces that we would like him to have. So some obedience classes really are needed...just have to find the ones that fit our schedule.


The Dunk. December 2010.

4. For Cheryl...a new Vera Bradley Bag....specifically, this one:


The Squared Away Tote www.verabradley.com

It's The Squared Away Tote from Vera Bradley in Baroque. Love it! It would hold all of my necessities, plus all of the junk I tote for Connor(and Brian, too!) I am a HUGE fan of Vera bags - I've carried one for the last 6 years consecutively. They look great, are roomy, comfy to carry, and best of all - washable! I still pull out my older styles and patterns to carry, depending on my mood, and even after being washed several times, they still look brand new!

5. For Brian...new Tires for the Tacoma...specifically, these:

Image from www.goodyeartires.com

The Goodyear Duratracs...the Tacoma is our baby - we love that truck. But the tires are getting a little worn after the miles we've logged in the last 18 months on it, and its time for an upgrade. Most of our miles are on the highway, but when the situation arises, we need to be able to (and quite honestly, get a thrill out of) go offroad. Camping trips and our weekend day trips to the Adirondack Mountains (home to numerous off roading spots) really are much more fun when we have the traction needed! Plus, they look great, too!

So Santa, those are our wishes for this year. We are looking forward to your arrival this coming Christmas Eve, and will be sure to leave your usual homemade cookies and beer, along with some carrots for the reindeer(organic, naturally!) We wish you safe travels and good weather for your trip! Merry Christmas!

Love,

Brian and Cheryl

Christmas Card 2010

2010-12-05T12:53:00.001-08:00

Christmas 2010 Christmas Card

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Holiday To Do List: Wrapping Center

2010-12-02T12:35:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite parts of Christmas preparations is setting up my Wrapping Center! We started doing this when we moved in to our house and had space to actually utilize it. For the first few years, we used our guest bedroom....and then Connor was at an age where he realized what we were doing and my mom moved into the guest room, so now we have it set up in our basement. It works just as well, if not better, because all of the gifts we buy come from the car, to the basement and get wrapped and stored in Rubbermaid Totes until the Big Guy comes. No sneaky peekys!

So, what do we have in our wrapping center? Well, it starts with a 6' long banquet table that we purchased for our family gatherings several years ago at BJ's. Then, we have all of our wrapping paper stored standing up in a storage container purchased at Target a few years ago. It looks like a garbage can with a tall lid which is great for keeping the paper dust free and from rolling all over! (I will admit to having a penchant for the wrapping paper, especially Hallmark wrapping paper, so we have a lot of it!) After that, we have separate boxes of bows, tags, pens and scissors, adhesive runners and tape lined up on a nearby shelf so that we have everything we need to wrap at our fingertips. Gift bags and larger shirt boxes are stored in a Rubbermaid Tote standing up on the floor - we just flip through to find what we need.

This has saved us SO. MUCH. TIME when we have a last minute gift to wrap, or a quick 5 minute block of time(especially while waiting for laundry to finish!)...and especially when Brian needs to wrap gifts! So, I guess I'd better get to setting that up this weekend because the presents are piling up and we need to get wrapping!

Holiday To Do List: Advent Calendar

2010-11-30T07:19:00.000-08:00

So, I mentioned yesterday that I love me some Holiday Traditions...today I wanted to share another tradition we have started for Connor - our Advent Calendar. When we were kids, Brian and I had the chocolate Advent Calendars - the kind where you open up a little cardboard door and pop out the cheapy chocolate?! Well, we've upped the ante with our version.

We started our Advent Calendar three years ago, when Connor was old enough to start counting down to Christmas. Our calendar is a a simple Primitive style fabric tree, that hangs on our kitchen pantry door. It has 25 small pockets. The first year, we used simple things to fill the pocket each day - a small piece of chocolate, some stickers, a matchbox car...then last year, we found the Lego Advent Calendar and we used that....attaching the day's Lego Toy to the pocket with a clip each day. Connor LOVED it!

Lego City 2009 Advent Calendar Photo via Amazon.com

This year we are doing the Playmobile Advent Calendar:

Playmobile Advent Calendar Image via Amazon.com

We chose this one because while Connor (and us!) LOVES Legos, he also has started a collection of Playmobile sets, and we wanted to add to that collection. This Advent Calendar is a nice collection of Woodland Creatures, which will be right up his alley! We purchased it at our local Wegman's, but it is available online at retailers like Amazon.com for right around $20.00. We plan on clipping each day's piece to its pocket like we did last year, and setting up the backdrop on Connor's dresser in his room. I know he is really looking forward to it!

I've seen lots of cute tutorials on the blogs I read lately for making new Advent Calendars. I think I am going to look into this, since our pockets are a little too small. So, is there an Advent Calendar in your house? What do you put in it?

Holiday To Do List: Order Those Christmas Cards!

2010-11-29T14:02:00.000-08:00

Falalala! It's the most wonderful time of the year in our house! We are gearing up for a meaningful yet simple, family centered holiday season. With a five year old, we are truly at a GREAT age for Christmas - Connor is a big believer in all of the magic that goes a long with the holidays and Brian and I love every single second of his joy! Traditions at the Christmas Holidays are big in my family - special foods, special Christmas Eve rituals, and along with those, we have added some of our own special traditions since we've been married. One of the most anticipated Christmas Traditions since Connor was born has been our Christmas Card photo. We spend several weeks in the fall thinking about what we will do for the photo, what he will wear, and what kind of card we want to send. When Connor was a baby, I made all of the Holiday Cards by hand and enclosed a photo of him. Then, I got busy, and I bought premade cards to attach a photo to. Easy, but not quite what I had in mind. It was when Connor was three that we found the solution!

Shutterfly. With GORGEOUS card designs, a simple to use interface, and great prices, we figured that we would give it a try. When the cards showed up, we were stunned. The paper was thick and luxurious, the quality of the printed image was phenomenal and the colors were just so vivid! It's been such an easy process for us for the last two years that I am so excited about ordering from them again this year - especially when I saw their Holiday 2010 designs. We are anxiously awaiting just a light snowfall this weekend to take our photos (we have a great idea in mind for this year's photo...so excited!) so that we can get our order in. So...what will we choose???

With so many great designs, it's been difficult to decide, but right now we have it narrowed down to the following card designs...

We just love the cool, wintry blue of this one combined with the Vintage typeface. It's called Vintage Noel Christmas.


Image from Shutterfly.com


Image from Shutterfly.com

This card is called the Red Revamped Christmas Card. We love the traditional red and green used on this card in combination with the black and white photo option. The square card reminds us of our wedding invitations and we think it's a nice twist on a Holiday card. It would be great with the family photo we have in mind.

Our last contender for Christmas Card 2010 is this one....Sending Holiday Cheer.
We could totally see a photo of Connor and Dunkin the Dog on it...


Image from Shutterfly.com

This one made our list because of the bright green and red color combo, the fun text box and the fact that we could be a little sillier with our photo on this card. Sooo, which one will we choose? We will let you know!

Image and Text from Shutterfly.com

The fabulous thing about Shutterfly is that they aren't just for holiday cards...we've also ordered thank you cards, photo mugs and photo mouse pads as gifts from them as well. My favorite gift ever, though, was the photo book I ordered last year for Brian, showcasing photos of our family from each month throughout the year. It was a big hit! We have it displayed in our family room, it gets a lot of views, and its glossy, hard cover still looks brand new. Definitely keep them in mind for a unique gift for those hard to buy for grandparents! It was super easy to put together, I simply uploaded the photos that I wanted to use, added text and basically dragged and dropped into one of my choice of templates. I could have added as many photos and pages as I wanted to. I just couldn't get over how easy it was!

In addition to all of the great products that Shutterfly offers, they are offering a great promo for bloggers! We wouldn't even mention this if it wasn't a company that we truly adore, but we feel that this is such a great product from a great company that we had to share it with you. Don't miss the chance to get your holiday cards! Bloggers get 50 free holiday cards from Shutterfly… sign up here: http://bit.ly/sfly2010.

Sooo, have you sent out your Christmas Cards yet?? If so, what do you do? Are you the traditional boxed cards family, photo cards, lengthy Christmas letter? Tell us in the comments!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

2010-11-28T06:59:00.000-08:00

Ahhh, yes, the holidays are coming! Our neighbors are out in full effect with their decorations and lights. It's a competitive sport around this neighborhood at Christmas - Holiday Decorating. Literally, our neighborhood community association has a contest for it. We've never won - we gave it a try a few years, Brian was up on the second story roof stringing lights and everything. Then it became apparent that we could not compete with the "professionals"...the neighbors who make Clark Griswold look bad. We now stick to a safe lighting scheme of retro white bulbs, greenery swags and wreaths, and festive red bows. I will be encouraging Brian to finish up that little project today...can't be the only house in the neighborhood without lights!

Image from etsy

In addition to the exterior lighting, we will really start full scale with the inside decorating this week...and seriously, this is the year I finish cleaning out and donating all of the holiday decor that just doesn't do it for us...you know...the army of snowmen I have been given over the years, the plethora of ornaments from my various decorating schemes, and all of the strange figurines that have invaded our home. We visit the local Thrifties enough, we can drop off a donation the next time we go. This year, we are about streamlining, colorful lights, kindergarten artwork ornaments and the retro decorations from our childhood that we love. We are still on the search for a set of five foot tall plastic Santa and Frosty guys - we have the 12" ones from my mom, but really, the tall ones would put us on the map in the Holiday Decorating Contest here....so if you know of a set that needs a new home, please, feel free to let us know!

Well, I'd better get the Thanksgiving decor picked up before the boy returns from his sleepover at Grandma and Grandpa's house. I'm sure he will be running in to see where the Elf on the Shelf has landed for today!

Free Golf Clubs... Sure, I'd love some... (The Review)

2010-07-17T16:40:00.000-07:00

First off, thanks to mygolfspy.com, Miyazaki Golf Shafts, and Cleveland Golf for the opportunity to test and keep the shaft. It is truly appreciated. The shaft was shipped and arrived at my doorstep in less than a week, that alone is pretty impressive.

At first glance, I was excited and couldn't wait to get my new shaft, then I went to the website and realized that there was more than one option, and I had to choose the right shaft for me. Having never bought a shaft before, I had no clue, so after much reading and a quick trip to Golf Galaxy, I decided that the Miyazaki Kusala Blue 72 was the shaft for me. As you can see in the picture, there are three different driver shafts available based on trajectory (Low-Mid, Mid, and Mid-High), then I needed to choose the flex, and weight of the shaft.

So, what did I put the shaft on? A stock 2008 Taylormade burner 10.5 degrees with a stiff stock shaft, and I had it cut down to keep it the same length as the stock shaft - 44.5".

About 2 weeks after I first learned I won, I was on the driving range testing this thing out. Honestly I wasn't expecting much, since I am still working on my swing, and about 50-65% of my drives are pretty bad slices. BUT, after about 5 slices, I stopped and got into a grove. I can't do a side by side analysis, but I do like the weight and flex of the new shaft. It seems slightly stiffer, but not much. I couldn't tell any difference in weight, but I'm not sure of the stock Burner shaft weight, so it could be the same, I'll check.

The Kusala Blue is a mid trajectory shaft, and I did notice the ball flight was lower than the stock Burner, which I ballooned quite often. I was not able to get a good read of distances from the driving range, and my one 9 hole outing, but from the three drives I had on the course, I did not notice any real gain in distance off the tee, but I will comment more on that next week, one I get a chance to play my regular course with my phone/GPS app.

Overall, the shaft is beautiful, and the graphics are VERY different and will get a lot of attention, but they are not distracting at all. The ordering process was slightly confusing, but from what I hear the folks at Miyazaki are developing an online tool to help choose the right shaft for everyone. They have also just released a new line of shafts which include hybrid shafts.

Again, Thanks MyGolfSpy for the Lottery, it is truly unique and sets this site above all the rest...

Now for the Pics...

Free Golf Clubs... Sure, I'd love some...

2010-07-17T16:34:00.000-07:00

So a few months ago, a new golf forum was started (www.mygolfspy.com), and as a way to encourage people to join they were giving away prizes.

SO, I thought a few prizes would be fun...

8th place - Never Compromise NCX-Ray Tau Putter

Then there was the Avatar Contest - Winner

First my avatars -

And the prize - A Gene Nead Custom Handmade "Damascus" Steel Divot Tool

Next was the "Lottery" where they sent out 24 different pieces of golf equipment to be tested. I received a Miyazaki Kusala Blue 72 Driver shaft which I will review later.

Oh, I forgot to mention a few other things that have nothing to do with MyGolfSpy...

Leaderboard Golf was having a contest where you had to guess the top four finishers in the US Open. Top 3 win prizes... I won a 57 degree Sand Wedge.

A Taylormade 6 iron that Taylormade was giving away to encourage people to try their new irons, a Golfpride putter grip which is on my NC putter, a Lamkin grip which is on the driver, A Taylormade hat from an event at Golf Galaxy, and 2 dozen Callaway Tour xi golfballs.

Menu Plan Monday

2010-05-03T08:26:00.000-07:00

We are back! After a bit of a blog break, we are now trying to post (much) more often here at the blog! Today we are starting off with a post that has to do with a strategy we have found helps us save a ton of money on our grocery bill each week. We used to decide what we were having for dinner each night that afternoon - causing multiple trips to the grocery store each week, and a lot of wasted groceries each week. When we tried planning out a weeks worth of meals at a time, we found that we did much better with our diets:) and our budget!

So here's this week's menu -

Breakfasts: (nothing formal - we grab what we feel like, and Connor eats whatever Grandma offers to cook him!)
Eggo Waffles
Cereal
Blueberry Muffins
Fruit
Cereal Bars

Dinners:
Monday: Grilled Turkey Keilbasa, Grilled Potato Wedges, Green Beans
Tuesday: (Golf Night) Sub Sandwiches from Wegmans
Wednesday: Chicken Fajitas w/ Rice and Salad
Thursday: Lunar Pizza(Family Recipe for Italian Calzones)
Friday: Barbequed Chicken, Macaroni Salad and Baked Beans
Saturday: To be decided

A few notes:
- I don't ever plan dinner for Saturdays, we sometimes go out, eat with family or friends, or else we throw something on the grill - easy. Plus, sometimes we have something pop up unexpectedly, so we have to change dinner plans. If that happens, we have that meal on Saturday.
-Lunch - I don't plan lunches because I know Brian takes leftovers from the previous night's dinner. I don't eat leftovers, so I keep a supply of yogurt, cheese, fruit, crackers, and the like in the fridge for my lunches. Connor and Grandma eat lunch at home - whatever Gram makes that day - PB and J, mini pizzas, homemade "lunchables", etc.
-Leftovers - Brian takes leftovers for lunch the next day. We don't ever eat leftovers for dinner. I don't like leftovers, and I have found its easier for me to make four/five servings of dinner - and send the extra serving with Brian for lunch, than it is for me to deal with leftovers in my fridge. We are really good with portion sizes and have learned over time how much food feeds our family for a meal - another budget helper.