I like to travel too!

In a little while (well, about 16 days) I will be travelling with two friends to spend a long glorious weekend in Las Vegas with two other friends. I am so excited to be away from the kids and to just spend some time hanging out with adults! (And G for a little bit) I haven't been on an airplane in years (don't ask how many, I can't remember) and I am so excited! I loved to travel before I had kids, and I miss it! I realize it isn't London or Sydney, but being able to travel again is going to make me yearn to travel more often. So take a look at the countdown clock at the right* and be totally jealous of me when I am hanging out in Vegas and not home dealing with the kids! (Can't wait to see you CB! And I am so excited to see Beth from AZ too!) *My countdown clock is now at the bottom....I found one that I liked better!

I'm feeling the heat (Indian Summer heat that is) FTF

Even though there is a chill to the air here in Utah, the High Temp has still been in the high 70's, low 80's. We thought we were over the"heat wave" and that fall was near. Alas, I still go out and sweat like there is no tomorrow. OK, I know, I know...."Never let them see you sweat" and never talk about it either. Well, if you want to Fight The Sweaty Frump, we have to talk about it. I know there are prescription deodorants and Anti-perspirants, but who wants to talk to their Dr. about that? Unless you sweat excessively, you don't have to go to your Dr. to stop sweating, you just have to go to the drugstore and buy:

You can find it just about anywhere and it it less expensive than its counterpart, Secret Clinical Strength. They work the same way, put it on at night and no sweat in the morning! (My only problem is remembering to put in on at night). Certain Dri has a whole line of products...try them out!

PS I found a place that sells my fave face mask! Walgreens carries the Queene Helene Mint Julep face mask for cheap! ($3.79 here in Utah) and the person I talked to said she stocks it all the time since it is one of their best sellers! I'm now off to mask and clean out those pores!

UPDATE* Mrs. Fussypants posted her FTF...check it out!

I'm sharing the music of my life

Music is a big part of my life. Actually, a big part of the Behunin Family's life. Not only is music on in the car when we drive, it isn't the usual SLC radio stations. We are either listening to satellite radio, or an iPod. For the next few weeks, I am going to be using an idea from another blogger. Clever Girl Goes Blog, Tia, did a post about a week ago that gave us the "Mixtape" from the soundtrack that is her life. I think it is a great idea...but there are sooo many songs that remind me of sooo many things, I am a bit overwhelmed at the prospect of choosing just 10-12 songs. (I should just copy Katie, and do a Top 10 song list made up of songs taken from another Top 100 song list. That would be so much easier.) I'm going to give you my soundtrack three songs at a time. Doing so will give me time to think, and to give you more perfect song titles. Here I go: I'm starting with the songs that remind me of the top 3 people in my life: Seth, Colin and Lillian. 1. Spend a Lifetime: Jamiroquai- This is the song that goes through my head when I think about Seth. Not only was it on a mixed tape he made me when we were dating, but it was on the video of pictures that was made to be played at our wedding reception. 2. Godspeed (Sweet Dreams) :Dixie Chicks- The CD Home came out the year I was pregnant with Colin. It is my favorite Dixie Chicks CD to date, and Godspeed was the "lullaby" I memorized to sing to my unborn child. The lyrics fit any little boy very well, and even though I don't sing it anymore, Seth was kind enough to put it on the CD he made for Colin when we found out he was a boy. 3. Upside Down: Jack Johnson- The movie Curious George was popular when I found out I was pregnant with Lillian. While this song was playing on the radio (for the umpteenth time) Lilly would "dance" around as if she really enjoyed it, making my stomach do flip flops. I vowed to get the CD for her....still haven't done it, but at least we have the DVD to make up for that. So that is the start of the "Mixed Tape" of my life. I'll try to come up with three more for next week...if I can't do it....just bear with me!

I love PW's recipes! Wednesday's Wonderful Recipe

So last week I finally made Cynthia's Spicy Shredded Pork. The recipe is on Pioneer Woman Cooks, and it looked soo delicious, I just had to try it. I bought a pork roast, and all the fixin's and came home to make it...and then realized I didn't have time. So I froze the uncooked roast to have at a later date. It took me a few weeks, but I thawed the roast and threw away the fresh limes (by that time, they weren't so fresh) and went to work. I followed the recipe almost to the 'T'...the ingredients include olive oil, but the instructions didn't say where to use it so I assumed it was for the spice paste (a small Cuisinart chopper works well for this step). I put a little too much in and it was a bit runny, but smelled heavenly! I also used pre-minced garlic for it, since I have a HUGE jar in the fridge. (I mean huge....if you need minced garlic for anything, let me know and I'll bring ya some!) I had the brilliant idea to cook the roast, shred it, then put it and the juices into the crock pot to keep it warm until dinner time. I should have cooked the roast a bit longer in the oven, but after sticking it all in the crock pot (Holly helped me realized it wasn't quite done enough for shredding) on high for another hour or so, it turned out beautiful. The meal was delicious! I thought the amount of brown sugar was going to be too much for my husband, but he told me not to change a thing! He ate two helpings of it. Since only two of us ate the Spicy Shredded Pork, we had some leftover (despite the eating of the second helping). The first night we had white corn tortillas with it and ate "taco cart type" tacos and the second night we had nachos (I almost didn't get any, since Seth threatened to eat all of it!) There are a lot of things you can do with the pork, and I think I might try enchilada's the next go 'round! I used bottled lime juice instead of the fresh, but think the fresh would be better. This will obviously be a recipe I will be making again, and again, and again! So look for pork roast to be on sale (grocery prices are horrid!) try the recipe and let me know what you think. PS Thanks for all the supportive comments on yesterday's post....I DO feel better, and I will be a good girl and stop venting. At least for now.

I'm annoyed too (Updated)

OK...I guess this is the week to vent. I am totally passive-aggressive when it comes to some things....but I need to get it out so I can get over it...bear with me! If you call me and leave a message and I don't get back to you right away...I am busy! I don't have the time I would like to devote to our conversation. Please DO NOT call me back within 24 hours of leaving the first message and just assume I am ignoring you, or that I don't like you anymore. It makes me want to not call you back at all. I am not a person that digs the phone. I CAN get on the phone and talk for hours, but it isn't my first priority. Get over your insecurities and just let me call you back when I can. I'm done...I had to get that out. This applies to a couple of people in my life but not everyone (Not you CB,or you Allison...I promise!). I wish I could just say this to them without it hurting their feelings, but I know no matter how nice I am when I say it, it won't come across the way I want it to. Thanks for listening...again, you guys are all great! *OK I re-read this post and had to update a bit. CB and Allison do not leave a message, then call back less than 24 hours later to make sure I got that message. The purpose of mentioning those two, is because they are two of my "out-of-town" friends that call more often than others. ALSO....if you leave me a message with an emergent situation, I will call you back as soon as I can, and not when I have more time to chat. I don't ignore those types of call. Just had to clarify! (Cuz I know all of you thought I was a horrible person to not return a call in a timely manner if it is an emergency)

I wonder about the meaning of dreams too.

During the last few weeks I have had a somewhat recurring dream. I don't remember the details of the dream, but it feels so real to me nonetheless. It has the same premises, but the dream isn't always exactly the same each time. In these dreams there is some kind of emergency, or end of the world, or alien invasion. Something to that effect. I am not prepared for the type of emergency that is happening in either dream. I can't get to my husband, and there are various people telling me what to bring with, and what I will need to survive. And I rarely have anything they are suggesting I bring, OR I forget I have it at home, and I have to go back to get it. The panic in these dreams is so realistic....so numbing. The fear even more so. I always end up waking up without finishing the dreams. I am in a panic that my safety has been compromised and I am ill prepared. I have even gone and gotten a drink and checked to make sure the house is still secure before going back to bed. I feel so relieved and foolish at the same time for being so into the dream. Does it mean anything? Am I just paranoid? (OK we all know I am paranoid about someone breaking into my house. It happened 3 times in the old house, and I still can't get over it) Is my subconscious trying to tell me something? Do I need to stop watching the news right before bed? (The dreams started happening as hurricanes started approaching land) I can't help but wonder what, if anything, these dreams mean, and what, if anything, I need to be doing about them. (Maybe I should borrow some Ambien from someone to help me sleep!)

I'm a German Food lover too!

Today we went to Snowbird's 36th Annual Oktoberfest. We met my parents up there for a leisurely Sunday afternoon full of great food, cool music, dancing, and well of course, BEER! My Dad and Seth enjoyed each of the "beir gartens" and the different varieties of beer they offered. My Mom and I were the DD's and we enjoyed brats, warm potato salad, and Spaetzel. (The kids couldn't wait for the long food line, so we got them a hot dog from the Snowbird Cafe) We got to dance the chicken dance, and Lilly loved it! I think she had the most fun out of all of us. I didn't get a lot of pics.....mostly because I know Seth wouldn't let me take any of him, and Colin won't smile for me at all, but below is a slide show of the ones I took! (Sorry, I didn't get any of my Dad, I should have, but I just don't think sometimes!)

Make a Smilebox slideshow

I am a Mom with a question...

Is it that hard to make sure every parent of a kid on a soccer team knows when there is a practice? Is it that hard to talk to the team after the game to make sure we are all on the same page? Why can't adults communicate?? I found out today during Colin's soccer game that a few parents have been informed of practice being held every week since soccer started. The parent that has been in charge of is isn't the coach, since the coach travels out of town during the week, and apparently hasn't been telling everyone about the practices. She just thought it wasn't a very good time for some of us, and never questioned that we didn't know about them. I don't think the coach knows about the practices either....I asked last week if we had been missing them because of lack of knowledge, and he said he hasn't been having them because he has been out of town. What does that say about the person holding the practices? I don't think I would have known about them if I hadn't have eavesdropped on a conversation she had been having with some other parents. Do I not look like a soccer parent? Has my kid not been at every game? Do I act like I am so irresponsible that I wouldn't take the time to bring my kid to a soccer practice? Ugh! I am just a little pissed off that we have been missing practice that Colin really needs due to lack of communication, and since my husband has the "what are you gonna do about it" attitude that I don't have, I needed to vent. (BTW that kind of attitude is a good one to have, I just can't quite get there sometimes...well most of the time) Thanks for listening! *And just for the record....I'm not all that fond of the lady running the practices, and this whole thing just makes me realize my instincts are right on sometimes.

I'm a Mom wanting to stay stylish in Fall Fashions-FTF Friday

Fall Fashion is full of great sweaters, stylish jeans, and sassy boots! I started looking for new sweaters a few weeks ago and found some great ones from Old Navy that were $15 a piece online! I tried them on in the store, then bought them online. When they got here, I thought nothing of them until last night when I was getting ready to go out. I tried a green one on (they say redheads look great in green!) and found it didn't fit as well as I thought...I looked like this:

Damn! I took both sweaters back and would like to find some new ones that hug all of my curves perfectly! Is it even possible? Do I have to spend more money than I have just to find a few nice sweaters for fall and winter? I guess my quest continues.

So what I am saying is I was able to Fight The Frump by Fighting the Muffin Top, and returning those sweaters. I could have kept wearing them, and pretended I didn't even notice the bulges.That was a bit depressing having to take them back but my search for the perfect sweater will continue....as well as my mission to stay stylish and un-frumpy!

Fight the Frump with Mrs. Fussy Pants!

I'm glad my satellite radio is working again!

For the last little bit, by satellite radio has been skipping, and I haven't been able to listen to it. At first I thought it was interference from the fire near Draper, then I thought it was the way Seth installed the antenna. Then it got reset and it is back to normal (except for the Punk channel...it is now AC/DC all the time for a Limited Time, but it doesn't say how long it will be like that! I miss my Ramones!) Anyway.....I was listening to BBC Radio 1 yesterday and they had Katy Perry (of I Kissed a Girl Fame) in studio for an interview and live performance. I listened for a little bit, it was interesting to hear what was going on while she is in England, then she did an acoustical version of I Kissed a Girl. Her voice is awesome! It was rich and deep and just awesome! I loved the in studio version of that song, and I would like to hear more of just her singing.

Since we live here in the US, we can't get the online version of her Radio 1 visit, but listen to her on last.fm (http://www.last.fm/music/Katy+Perry).

Let me know what you think...and Kim, I know you already love her, I'll have Katie call you so you can listen to your phone just ring!

I'm a damn good cook too!-Wednesday's Wonderful Recipe- Part 2

This week is all about Pastor Ryan's Mexican Lasagna. Mmmmmmm........I'm a little hungry as I am writing this post. Here is the recipe link: http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2008/08/cooking-with-pastor-ryan-delicious-mexican-lasagna/ Even though this version was a little harder to make (not a 30 minute meal) it had a lot more layers, and a few more ingredients. I tried to cut it in 1/2 since I was not feeding a churchful of people like Pastor Ryan was. It worked pretty well. I omitted the beans, and messed up a little with the layers (I put the enchilada sauce on the top because I forgot to put it on, AND I used all the salsa verde in the bottom so there wasn't any for the other layer) BUT that is what is so great about this recipe....it is totally forgiving (most likely because it is from a Pastor,ha ha ha I slay me!). My husband said he liked this version better than the Rachael Ray version, possibly because it has a bit more kick. Overall, I think when in a pinch, I will make the Rachael Ray version, since it is quicker. But when I actually plan things out, I will make Pastor Ryan's version since the person I cook for likes it better, and the difference in ingredients makes it cool to make for a larger crowd. Like if family comes over for dinner, or if you have to make dinner for a board meeting (thinking of making this for next month, not sure though). Next Week: Another P'Dub recipe review

I'm a little appalled...or am I a prude?

I just saw this post on Parent Dish about Francis Bean Cobain's Sweet 16 birthday party. She being the daughter of celebrities Kurt Cobain (former lead singer of Nirvana) and Courtney Love (lead singer of Hole), got to have a great party at LA's House of Blues. Since most of the Sweet 16 parties have a theme, it isn't surprising that her's did too....although what is a bit surprising is the theme itself. Francis Bean Cobain had a "My Suicidal Sixteen" birthday party. As you will recall her dad committed suicide in 1994, to what some think of as the detriment of the music scene. I'm not sure how tacky that theme really is. She claims any "Sweet 16" party marks the death of childhood, and is how a young lady makes her entrance into the adult world. What do you think? It is tacky just because it is tacky? Is it tacky because of her family's past? If any other 16 year old had the same theme, would it be as appalling? *Update* OK, so I spelled her name wrong....it's Frances Bean not Francis Bean. I know it is a bit trivial, but,I'd prefer my posts to be ac accurate as possible.

I'm a blog hopper too

I'm going to admit I am a bit of a snoop. When I am bored and I have read all the updated posts of the blogs I follow, I blog hop. I read some of the blogs on other people's blog rolls. I go back to posts I haven't followed links on, and I follow those links. When those don't suit me, I go to my blog, and at the top I click on "Next Blog". It takes me to the blogs of a variety of people, some pretty cool, other's kinda lame, and even other's ones I can't read due to them being written in a foreign language (BTW, does anyone know how to combat that? Is there any way to just get random English written blogs?) One thing that bugs me about this "random" blog hopping method is that I get some of the same blogs over and over sometimes more than 3 times in a "hopping session". And they are mostly ones I didn't want to read in the first place! I haven't found anything of note hopping this way, although I have found a few blogs from people living in Utah and I have hopped around there some (notice I said some, most of the Utah blogs I have found are pretty much the opposite of the things I am interested in, and are all the same). One of my favorite new blogs is one I found from White Trash Mom and her recent "Whiskey Tango" Tuesday post. The Blogess is so funny in a very irreverent* way. I don't know why I haden't found her until now. She's going up on my "blogroll" since I feel like I've got to share her with you guys! *disclaimer...irreverent=crude, crass & cussy,very cussy! I also started reading a blog by clicking on a link under the "More From BlogHer" title you find on all blogs that belong to BlogHer. (It's a great way to find new blogs to read, and know that if they are featured, more than just one person is reading them, so they must be worth it to check them out. ) House of Clams is pretty good, and Tracy Glisson uses the clam theme throughout her blog. I think I'll read it every day, but not sure if I'll put it on my blogroll, I guess you'll just have to wait and see! So, blog hopping can find you some great new blogs to read....and be a wonderfully rewarding way to waste time!

I am a braggart!

So I guess it is about time to let you know how Colin is doing in Kindergarten. He seems to be doing really well, no notes home from the teacher, his work looks pretty good (if only he'd do his homework when we ask) and every time anyone (most specifically Katie) asks him how school was he says "Awesome"! Today he was the class "V.I.P." He told me this consisted of being his teacher's helper by taking stuff to the office, holding the door open for his classmates and passing out papers. He also answered questions from his classmates so they could get to know him better. One of the questions they asked was "How do you like to help your Mom?" his answer "I like to do laundry". Now, he doesn't normally help my with laundry duties, (yes, I said duties) because I am a little picky sometimes, so I usually just do it on my own. He has on occasion helped me sort (it's an easy way for kids to learn their colors) and has even helped me put it into the washer. I didn't realize how much fun he had doing it, I guess I will have to let him help me more often! So, I guess I am here to say I am a little proud of my son, he is growing up so fast, and doing things I didn't think he would be able to handle. I hope I'll be able to handle that!

I'm a Mom with clogged pores-Fight The Frump Friday

Once a week I used to take the time to unclog my pores (yeah I know it sounds gross, but we should all do it!) I would wash my face and either a) use Biore Pore Strips or b) use a mask. I know most of us know about the Strips...but sometimes, you just need an all over facial. My favorite mask is this one:It is a great mask! My only problem is I can't find it anymore! It is so inexpensive, lasts a long time, easy to remove, and it made my skin feel so nice. I ran out a few month's ago, and I can't find it anywhere in the SLC area. I have checked all of the places I frequent, and no one carries it! Let me know if you find it anywhere....if not I guess I'll have to order like 3 tubes from drugstore.com and just stock up.

Do you have an over the counter/non-department store mask you like to use? I'd love new ideas!

Mrs. Fussypants doesn't have a FTF post yet today....I may link to her later, so check back soon!

I'm a memory keeper too...

All of you know today is the 7th Anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on the United States. Last year one of our neighbors put flags in front of some of our houses, to help us remember. My son, being 4 at the time asked me why we had a flag in our yard. I explained to him as best I could why we have this day of honor. This year, another flag was placed in our yard, and even though he didn't ask why, I still told him. I remember where I was when I first heard about the terrorist attacks. I remember the feelings of shock, awe, and horror as I watched TV in the following weeks and months, and tried to move on. I hope to pass those memories on to my kids little by little, as they get older, so they will pass them onto their kids, so we we will never forget the men and women that lost their lives on September 11th. 2001. So we will never forget the many men and women that came to the rescue of New York City and essentially our nation, as they lived up to the promises they made when they became Police Officers, Firefighters, and rescue workers. So we will never forget the men and women that died fighting for our freedom, and that are fighting for our freedom right now. I will keep those memories for them, so I will never forget. *I will return to "Turntable Thursday" next week...it just didn't feel like an appropriate post today.

I'm a damn good cook too!-Wednesday's Wonderful Recipe

For this week's Wonderful Recipe I did a little comparison cooking. (I'm trying to prepare for these weekly posts a little more) One of the recipes I have found that has more than one great way to make it is Mexican Lasagna. Not only does Rachael Ray have one I have made many many times, so does Pastor Ryan, a guest poster (I dunno if that term is correct) on Pioneer Woman. So the next two weeks will be a bit of a comparison of these two recipes and what my family thought of them both. Enjoy! Rachael Ray's Mexican Lasagna 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 2 pounds ground chicken breast, available in the packaged meats case (I use two big cans of Kirkland Brand canned chicken) 2 tablespoons chili powder 2 teaspoons ground cumin 1/2 red onion, chopped 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained (Most of the time I omit these) 1 cup medium heat taco sauce or 1 (14-oz) can stewed or fire roasted tomatoes 1 cup frozen corn kernels Salt 8 (8 inch) spinach flour tortillas, available on dairy aisle of market (I use Wal-Mart's fresh regular or salsa tortillas) 2 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar or shredded pepper jack 2 scallions, finely chopped (Or use green onions) sour cream to put on top Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Preheat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil - twice around the pan. Add chicken and season with chili powder, cumin, and red onion. Brown the meat, 5 minutes. Add taco sauce or stewed or fire roasted tomatoes. Add black beans and corn. Heat the mixture through, 2 to 3 minutes then season with salt, to your taste. Coat a shallow baking dish with remaining extra-virgin olive oil, about 1 tablespoon oil. Cut the tortillas in half or quarters to make them easy to layer with. Build lasagna in layers of meat and beans, then tortillas, then cheese. Repeat: meat, tortilla, cheese again. Bake lasagna 12 to 15 minutes until cheese is brown and bubbly. Top with the scallions and serve. This recipe was the easiest to make. Even though I could use the ground chicken, the canned stuff works out really well. I almost always have it on hand. This lasagna is also great to take to someone for a dinner, just let them bake it when they have the chance. I haven't frozen it yet, but may just try that next time I make it. My husband likes it, and will eat it when I make it (especially if I make it without the beans...the wuss! J/K) All in all this is a great meal and a recipe I will keep for a long time! Next week: Pastor Ryan's Mexican Lasagna.

I'm not a very good writer.

I just re-read the previous post and realized I didn't do a very good job of summing things up. I know I was taught how to write an essay. Have an intro; body (consisting of at least 3 paragraphs); then a conclusion. Don't know what I was thinking when I finished that one off.....so here we go: Because I am so obsessed with Yahoo! News, it thrills me when I can talk to other people about some of the great current headlines, past headlines, even the weird headlines that you wonder "WTF", or why they are even in the Top 10 in the first place. I also love being able to read how these headlines come into play in other people's lives. I know Seth and I have conversations like the one jdg and Wood had, I just can't remember them enough to blog about them. Maybe I need to just buy a tape recorder to recall all of those "special" moments. (Yes, Seth I said "special) So how was that for a conclusion? Sorry, you'll have to read the other post, then read the conclusion over here....I'm too lazy to "edit" the other post....and doing it this way adds one more post to my post numbers. :)

I am a Yahoo! News junky!

On, My Yahoo! "front page", I have the Top 10 most viewed news stories of the day at the very top. I like to try to keep up with current events, no matter how mundane (I must admit though, I am getting wary of the news about Iraq, and I haven't been paying close enough attention to the elections, but that will change). Sometimes, I will check out the Top Headlines and be appalled and amazed. On any given day more people will look at a headline about a celebrity, than they will about the state of our country. I find it a bit amusing. Right now the top headline is "Oasis singer Noel Gallagher attacked on stage" (9/8/08 9:10PM) right before "Police: Montana Mom kept dead son in car trunk", and "Ike set to bypass Keys, but Gulf Coast worries". WHAT!? It is more important for people to know about Noel Gallagher than it is for them to learn about a wacked out Mom or a hurricane threatening the lives of our fellow Americans? I admit I read the Noel Gallagher story out of morbid curiosity, but I don't consider that actual "News" unless you are a family member of Mr. Gallagher's, and I would hope you would learn about it from him, or his band members, or even a personal assistant before you would read it on Yahoo! News. Another story that has been in the news lately is the one of Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, OK FORMER Detroit Mayor. (He plead guilty to obstruction of justice and assault after lying about it repeatedly) I found this post from jdg of Sweet Juniper. Not only does it hilariously reference the above story, but it also references a phrase that has been in the headlines. I laughed so hard at the whole post that my husband gave me the "Why did I marry you again?" look. Take note that jdg & Wood live in Detroit and jdg is also a SAHD, that doesn't try to sugar-coat everything for his kids. *As usual here is a disclaimer...the Sweet Juniper post is just a fun conversation between husband and wife, and the views of jdg and Wood are not necessarily the views of this blog owner.

I am a stressed out person, trying to Fight The Frump!

As many of you know, I have highish blood pressure. My Dr. put me on a low dose medicine to help lower it, and also gave me a few tips to keep it low. One of the suggestions was to meditate. I know on some of my yoga DVD's they have a short section that includes a little meditation. And we have all heard of the stereotypical sitting cross-legged hands on knees saying "ohm, ohm, ohm". But what do you guys do to "meditate"? Do you take a long hot bath and concentrate on washing your stresses away? Do you make sure you take time out for yourself every day to just sit and think, even if it means locking yourself in the bathroom for 20 minutes? Do you practice yoga? I just need a few ideas on how to relieve the stress...I know some of you exercise for a certain amount of time each day......that is on my list of things to try out....just let me know how you keep stress out of your life on an everyday basis. Fussy doesn't have a FTF post today, due to a family emergency. Keep her family in your thoughts....and hopefully she'll be back next week!

I happen to like kids music too.

Just last month The Laurie Berkner Band came out with a new CD, Rocketship Run. I am ashamed to admit, I haven't purchased it yet (well, I don't think my little sis J has bought it for me yet) so I haven't listened to much of it. BUT my kids LOVE Laurie Berkner.....Lilly can even say her first name, and she knows when Laurie comes on the radio/TV/iPod. Colin still cites her as his favorite singer, and would kiss my feet if I played her CD's more often (and I mean literally kiss my feet). They aren't extra cheesy, and a lot of their songs are songs you can dance to, so it gets the kids up off their butts and onto their feet. The lyrics are pretty easy to memorize....at least parts of each song are. Lilly loves We are the Dinosaurs, and the phrase "marching, marching" comes out of her mouth often. Check out Two Tomatoes Records for some Laurie Berkner Band memorabillia, and some occasional contests. And last.fm to hear some of their music.

I'm a lover of easy meals!

Since these last few days have been fairly cool...and we all know winter is around the corner (well, if you live in Utah it is, CB) I thought I would share one of my favorite recipes to make on the fly in the fall/winter. I got the Chicken Pot Pie recipe from an issue of Parenting magazine a few years back, and loved it since you can make ahead and either bake right there, or freeze it, and bake from frozen. Makes it perfect to have on hand, or take to a family that might need a meal for any number of reasons. Colin loves helping me make it (although, he doesn't eat it) and he asks for it often. Chicken Pot Pie 2 skinless chicken-breast halves (12oz. total) cubed 10.75 oz can cream of chicken soup 10.5 oz jar chicken gravy 1/2 tsp. pepper 1 cup frozen peas and carrots 1 cup frozen chopped onion 1/2 tsp dried oregano 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese 9 inch refrigerated pie crust In a bowl combine all ingredients except pie crust. Pour into 8 or 9 inch round foil pan. Place pie crust on top and tuck edges under. Cut steam vent in crust. Cover with foil and freeze until ready to use OR bake covered at 400 degrees for 45 minutes, then uncovered for 15 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes before serving. To bake from frozen: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place pie on baking sheet and bake, covered for 1 hour. Uncover and continue baking until golden brown and sauce is bubbling, about 20 minutes more. Sometimes I add a little bit of canned/frozen corn, or a few dices of partially baked potato. My husband loves it, and it never lasts. You can always use fresh ingredients, or low-sodium/reduced fat soup or gravy. Enjoy!

I'm the worst photo sharer ever!

Finally the pictures some of you have been waiting for....Colin's first day of kindergarten! I had a hard time keeping Lilly out of the picture....so you'll have to suffer through one with her in it...so without further ado: