Weekly Meal Plan

Once again, we are back to planning out our dinners, couponing and trying to limit grocery shopping because we got out of control again on our grocery bill! It helps that my husband's new business is not as crazy busy as he has been in the last 5 months so we can actually plan on eating together and on meal times (for the most part). 

Here's what is up for dinner in our house this week..

Monday - Broccoli and Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breasts with Roasted Asparagus/Red Potatoes/Broccoli

Tuesday - Pork Tenderloin in the Crockpot w/ carrots and roasted red potatoes

Wednesday - Leftovers with the Pork, either bbq pork sandwiches and a salad or pork tacos with rice (will depend on our mood of the day ha)

Thursday - Meatball Stroganoff

Friday - Chicken Tenders w/ rice

Saturday - Out to dinner for my birthday

Sunday - At my parents for my birthday (lasagna)

What's on your meal plan for the week?

Baby Lit

It's no surprise to ANYONE out there that I have a book problem.  I hoard books like a crazy lady.  I am sure we have over 100 books in this house and they are stashed in various locations.  Actually, I am sure we have over 100 books.  Make that closer to 200.  It's insane.  One of the things I was most excited about when I was pregnant? Sharing the love of reading/books with my child.

Her bookshelves have been full since before she was born and her books are now joining mine in bursting out all over the house.  LOOOOVE. 

However? Kids/baby books? Some of them flat out SUCK.  As in, we never open them because they are just that bad.  Book publishers/writers/whoever, books NEED TO MAKE SENSE.  Even baby books!!!

I was stoked early last month when I came across Baby Lit books in Parents Magazine (i think?).  Pride & Prejudice for babies? Jane Eyre? Alice in Wonderland? Shakespeare? Be still my nerdy heart!!! I immediately added the Pride & Prejudice to Isla's Amazon Wish List and made a trip to Barnes and Noble to check it out in person, just to make sure I was a fan.

Oh my gosh.  The beautiful illustrations, the connecting to the real story (making reading time fun for parents and babies alike!!) , the sturdy board book and just enough words made it even more of a WANT.

Imagine my joy, when I opened an email a short time later asking me if I wanted to review some Baby Lit books? YES, PLEASE!!!

This week, I opened a package with Jane Eyre: A Baby Lit Counting Primer and Alice in Wonderland: A Baby Lit Colors Primer by Jennifer Adams and art by Alison Oliver.

I immediately sat down with Isla and read Alice in Wonderland.  She sat, listened, hit on the pages and when we were done she gave the edges a nice chew.  I think this means it got her approval. ;)  It defintely got my approval! Bright colors, simple words and a nice intro to Alice in Wonderland.  Only complaint? The blue caterpillar isn't really blue in my color opinion.  Very small complaint.

Later on that same evening, we opened up Jane Eyre.  Now excuse my ignorance as I have yet to read the real Jane Eyre, but I found this book to be just as awesome as Alice! My favorite page? 3 candles with a side note: It is always dangerous to leave a candle lit at night! So true!

Once again, beautiful illustrations, nice simple text and even a little science lesson with pictures of insects and their names!  Beautiful. 

I really cannot rave about these books enough! The illustrations are amazing.  I highly recommend them, especially for those adults who enjoy these stories.  Great books for baby and mommy/daddy!

Thanks to Gibbs Smith for allowing me to review these, however all thoughts / opinions are mine!

Spring

I've always said that Summer is my season, followed closely by fall.  However, the last few days I've been re-evaluating and have come to the conclusion I may becoming a Spring girl. (Note: Spring still hasn't officially started so this may change. )

I mean 70s, sunshine, trips to the park, multiple walks, runs outside? Ahh.. My body missed the sunshine.  (In more ways than one, I may cause a car accident with the glare from my legs, if you know, I lived on a busy street.)

Spring is after all, when my beautiful daughter was born, (and me too!).  Spring is March Madness.  Spring is trips to Florida!! Spring is flowers.  Spring is the sound of birds chirping (before they get annoying when they keep you awake/wake you up at 5 am in July).  Spring is new full of new beginnings.  Spring is a time to start fresh.

Yeah, it might not be so bad after all.

Don't forget to suggest something fot the April Group Read!

A day in the life of Kim...

Today, we have Kim! She's a friend of mine who has an adorable daughter and is basically me, in a different body and state.  So she's awesome.

I am a mom, wife, and RN, navigating my way through this world. I have chosen to write about a normal day in my household. This took place on Thursday, March 1.

AM

4:45 - Alarm goes off, turn over to quiet it as to not wake up B (my husband).

4:50 - Start pumping before T (my 7month old daughter) wakes up so she has her morning bottle.

5:05 - 5:35  Finish pumping, clean parts, and jump into the shower. I get ready for the morning and grab a granola bar or a banana to eat. I'm not a huge breakfast fan, for some reason it makes me nauseous.   (See, I also can't do breakfast!!;) )

5:40 - B is showered and getting T ready for daycare this morning, he drops her off. I grab my lunch from the fridge, kiss B and T goodbye and head out the door for the morning commute. I am hoping traffic isn't horrible.

6:30 - 6:45 (depends on traffic) - I arrive at work head up to the floor and grab my assignment.  I work in a level one trauma center (hospital) in a metropolis. I currently work in the cardiac-renal unit. Today's assignment isn't bad, I start out with 4 patients with room for an admit. I start getting information from the charts and prepare for report.

7:00 - 7:20 Receive report on my patients and get prepared for the day ahead. I'm working a 8 hour day shift today.

7:30 - 10 I spend the morning doing assessments, giving medication, answering phone calls, calling MD's, and preparing patients for various testing. This time always goes by quickly.

10 - Finally! A few quick moments to chart before being interrupted by a resident. Changing fluids and medications for a patient, darnit I had just hung a new bag.

11:30 - Lunch! I grab my lunch and pump and head into a private room. It isn't the most convenient thing to pump during lunch but to provide nutrition to my child, makes it worth it.

PM

12-3 Back on the floor, more medications, more charting, more answering/sending phone calls. I have one possible discharge and an oncoming admit.

3 - time for report to oncoming shift.

3:45 - Finished tying up loose ends and head out to the parking ramp to pick T up from daycare. Thank goodness this wasn't a crazy day (which is few and far in between).

4:30 -  Pick up T from daycare and head home.

4:45 - Feed T supper, she started solids about a month ago and we are now feeding her 2 times a day in addition to her normal milk feedings.

5:10 - No bath time tonight. We do baths on Thursday and Sunday night, more often as needed. So we start her normal bedtime routine: diaper change, lotion, pjs.

5:30 - 5:45 - Bottle and rocking chair. She falls asleep quickly and goes down for the night. T generally sleeps 12+ hours. She goes down around now and is up between 6-7am.

6:00 - Sit down to pump and read through emails and online boards. Start supper if it is something that will take awhile. Tonight it's love birds -  quick and easy so B will make dinner, he is the cook in our house.

6:30 - 7:30 B get's home from work and makes dinner. He checks on T and we eat together. Sometimes he has work to do from home otherwise we catch up on shows we've DVR'd.

7:30 - 10:30 Catch up on tv shows, surf the web, read a book, laundry, pick up the house, whatever needs to be done or we feel like. Then it's off to bed while waking up and doing it all over again tomorrow.

Luckily my shift varies, although I work weekends it is nice to have extra days at home with T. This also gives me time to clean the house and get odds and ends done around here during the day.

Thank you for reading!

Thanks, Kim!

Do you work the same set schedule or does it vary?

April Group Read Suggestions!

How is the year flying by so fast? I mean, it's almost spring break and soon after we will be done with school for the summer! Woo woo. In April, we will be discussing whatever we pick on the 13th and the 27th.

Here is what we have already enjoyed..

The Violets of March
Rebecca
State of Wonder
The Invisible Bridge
The Postmistress
The Scent of Rain and Lightning
Still Missing
The Sandalwood Tree
Major Pettigrew's Last Stand
Something Borrowed
The Blue Orchard
Sammy's Hill
In the Woods
Shanghai Girls
The Weight of Water
Water for Elephants
The Color Purple
The One That I Want
The Secret Garden
House Rules
American Wife
Firefly Lane
Middlesex
The Reader
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
The Awakening
Pride & Prejudice
I See You Everywhere
I really enjoyed The Violets of March and am excited to talk about another book! Suggestions will close on March 16th and I will add a poll up on the side bar!

The Violets of March - Discussion 1

TGIF!

I sat down with this book and the next thing I knew I was on page 160! I really am enjoying it even though I keep thinking a little critically over the details.  I think hearing how gooooooooood it is, kinda set me up to find something to dislike.

I will say, Sarah Jio has a way with words. I can see the characters, feel and smell the Puget Sound and I want to know alllll their secrets.  This book reminds me of a Kristin Hannah novel. 

I like how she can pick right back up on the island like she's never left even though it has been 10 years.  I would love to have an island/oasis to go to like that.

1. Emily finds two love interests on Bainbridge Island: Greg and Jack. What are your impressions of each of these men?

2. How do you feel about everyone keeping the secrets and not givng Emily more information?

3. Who do you think Esther and Elliot are?

4. How do you predict their story will end?

5. Do you believe in fate? What do you think of the affect fate had on Esther? On Emily?

Anything else you'd like to add? Last discussion will be March 30th with a guest post from the lovely Lisa!

Have you ever...

been reading a book and keep going, DID THE WRITER REALLY JUST WRITE THAT???? I am currently struggling with this.  The book in question, started out slow, as a slew of characters were introduced and then some random pig-headed comments started slipping through.  I thought hmm, well that was odd the first time and then within 10 pages or so more popped up.  Are you kidding me?

I am all for being crass and and the random gross comments but when you are reading a thriller and the line "he shook his friend when he is done", is included you start to wonder if this isn't supposed to be a BAD erotica book?

I mean COME ON.  The worst part? I was given this book for a review and I am hosting a giveaway for another book by this author. 

So far? The review isn't looking very nice and I doubt any of my normal readers will want to try out his other book. 

However? You can't buy my opinion and I will honestly review it, because there are a few parts that keep me interested, if I don't throw it out the window first.

A day in the life of Angela...

Hola! Tuesday's seem to come quicker and quicker! Today, we have my friend Angela, a kickass, super smart, and ridiculously gorgeous gal from Minnesota!

If you would like to participate in the day in the life series email me at pinkflipflops44 at gmail dot com.  If you already did one and want to partake again, you are more than welcome! ;)

A day in the life of a suburban, corporate American worker bee.  A little background on me:  I am in marketing research for Target Corporation, married, and have a dog and a cat.  Here is how a typical day in my life goes:

5:57 Eyes open.
6:00 Think about getting up before alarm.
6:06 Alarm goes off. Invite dog back into bed. Check phone. Close eyes.
6:15 Snooze.
6:24 Think about getting up.
6:31 Finally up. Stretch.
6:50 Teeth brushed and showered.
6:59 Half dressed watching the cat chase a fly.
7:08 Hair dry and dressed.  Kiss my sleeping husband before heading downstairs.
7:26 Out of the house after cleaning out the front seat of my car. Driving to the transit station.
7:43 Parked. Bus leaving station but another one will pull in shortly. It's 20* out (warm! for this time of year), contemplated leaving my gloves in the car.7:46 On the bus.
7:50 Departed. Using my phone to read up on crocheting dreadlocks - my sister wants to dread her hair.8:08 We're downtown.  Just a few blocks' walk to work.

 This is one of my favorite views on my walk to work every morning.  I work on the 30th floor.

8:17 At work. Grabbing something to eat in the caf.

 This is one of a few entrances to the HQ building.

8:23 At my desk. Stopped on every floor but 27. #annoying

 This is my desk.  It's never this clean...

8:30 Catching up on emails, reviewed a deck from an agency, forwarded, checking websites, emailed potential financial advisor for a meeting = basically procrastinating.
9:35 Making good progress, but interrupted by a coworker. Have to run to Caribou (a few blocks away between two Target HQ buildings, connected by skyway so I don't have to go outside) for a meeting. #notenoughtime
10:19 Meeting went well, lots of synergies between 2 upcoming projects.  Walking back to HQ.
10:22 Is it lunch yet?
10:25 Back to my desk, working on an exec summary on a 1pm deadline
10:58 I live off to-do lists. Need to make progress, FAST.

 The start of my to-do list for the day.

11:20 Deadline doc sent to coworker for her adds/edits. Time for lunch?
11:35 Sent a draft email to coworkers. Now lunch! Catching up on personal email in the elevator.
11:39 Quick jaunt outside. In line at chipotle. #hungry Choices...
12:20 Brought lunch to team table, chatted with a co-worker over a burrito.
12:42 Back at it.
1:25 The 1:00 deadline passed without issue, minor changes before sending by EOD (end of day).
1:32 Status meeting with a client
2:00 Status done, checking websites, pumping myself up for the afternoon. Looking forward to yoga.
3:38 Working my tail off to get this exec summary out!
3:56 Mother fucker, Outlook crashed.  I pray to god in heaven that I didn't lose my email draft.
4:03 Sent and only 3 minutes late to my 4:00.
4:40 I survived Monday! Ducked out of a meeting and changing into yoga gear.
4:46 On my way to the bus. It's going to be tight getting there on time.
4:49 Eff it's snowing. The commute is going to be terrible
4:54 Still waiting for the bus... It usually comes every 6 minutes. Standing under a heat lamp.  At least I'm in comfy yoga clothes.4:57 On the bus (and got a seat!) next to someone playing analog sudoku - a rarity these days.
5:14 Halfway there. I'm going to be late :( Plow is slowing down traffic behind it.
5:25 Just turning into the bus station. Not sure if I'll make it or not.
5:32 Driving to the studio.  Map says it will take 16 minutes.  Let's see if my lead foot does me justice...
5:33 Call the studio to see if they will start on time; they will.  #crap5:42 Stuck at a light. Ack.
5:48 Off the highway, missed my yoga class. Going to cry.
6:00 Home, not happy.  Sulk around in my yoga clothes for a while despite my husband's words of consolation.
6:10 Decide to make French onion soup for dinner.  Appetizer: carrots and hummus.
6:30 Onions cooking on the stove.  Pull out my phone and/or hop on my laptop while dinner is cooking.
7:26 Add wine, beef broth, chicken broth, and apple juice to the soup.
7:42 Spoon soup into mini casserole dishes, top with bread and Gruyere cheese.  Broil.

 I <3 these mini casserole dishes (yes they are broiler safe) - they are perfect for French onion soup.

7:48 Dinner is served.  A glass or two of wine consumed.
8:13 Turn on the Bachelor from the DVR.
(Lost track of time at this point, probably went up to bed around 11:30, checked my phone, fell asleep to do it all over again the next day.)


That's a pretty typical day.  It takes me about 45 minutes to get ready in the morning and an hour commute each way.  It's a longer commute than most, but I like my job and my house, so I'll deal with it.  The snow is par for the course this time of year in Minnesota.  I should have planned my afternoon better - I was only minutes away from making it to yoga.

Most of my days are meeting-filled, like this one.  I rarely have a day without 3-4 meetings - the busyness keeps me on my toes and productive, believe it or not.  As you can tell, I live off deadlines.  My personal and professional life are planned out based on due dates.  My work gets done in the order that it's due.  I love to-do lists; I could not survive without Sharpies and Post-Its.

My desk isn't always that clean - consider yourself lucky that you see it in a neat state.  Most cubes at Target are covered in red bullseye paraphernalia; dogs are very coveted plush toys around these parts. 

There you have it - thanks for reading!

Thank you, Angela! I am addicted to shopping at Target. 

Do you require to-do lists or do you fly by the seat of your pants?

What Isla Ate...

A goal of mine was to nurture a child that wanted to try new things and not be a picky eater. Ever since I introduced solid foods to Isla, various tastes/textures have been my focus.  I am proud to say that at this stage in the game the only thing she isn't a huge fan of appears to be green beans.  I'll take it.

Some things she enjoys: apples, bananas, pears, peas, sweet potatoes, goldfish crackers, graham crackers, cheerios, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, avocados, spinach, corn, pulled pork, chili, black beans, salsa, sour cream, greek yogurt, dijon mustard, nutrigrain bars, macaroni and cheese, burgers, cheese, broccoli, potatoes, ritz crackers, cauliflower and I'm sure there are other foods I'm missing. 

Basically, if I put it on her tray? She will annihilate it!

Here is a glimpse at a typical weekend day..

6:30 Nurse

8:30 Breakfast - 1 banana and some cheerios

10:30  Nurse

1:00 Lunch - Raspberries, Macaroni & Cheese, sweet potatoes and goldfish crackers

her poor cheeks.. they were soo puff and big after her big nap (this is her lunch photo that day)



1:30 Nurse

3:30 Nurse

5:30 Nurse

6:00 Dinner - Some bites of Chili, cheese, sweet potato, corn and peas

7:15 Nurse

The funny thing is, she usually eats even more food than this! Her teeth have been bothering her and so she hasn't been shoveling as much food in lately.

Here's to hoping she will always stay so open-minded to trying new foods!

Friday Five

THANK GOODNESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS IT IS FRIDAY.  Oh good god, do I need a weekend.

1. I am exhausted.  All the time.  My body won't fall asleep at night and my daughter keeps waking up earlier and earlier.  I am good until about 8pm.  But, I have to stay up til at least 10 to pump and when I pump, I get a second wind and I usually end up tossing and turning until midnight-ish.

2.  My daughter is 9 months old.  HOLY CRUD BUCKETS.  The last 9 months have gone by so so so fast.  On Saturday, she will have been outside living as long as she was inside growing! ;)

3. March is my birthday month! ;) I get ridiculously giddy over my birthday and I really shouldn't.  My husband sucks at gift giving and I'm not having a party nor will anyone probably get me a good present, but oh well, a girl can still wish for birthday surprises.  2 years ago my students threw me a surprise party and that was awesome!

4.  Speaking of my birthday, that means Spring Break is coming!!! We are headed to Anna Maria Island and I am so so so excited.  Anyone ever been? Any places we need to hit up?

5. Please for the love of all things holy, if you have a child, please teach them that they are not the BEST THING EVVVERRRRR.  That, yes, there are OTHER people they must share space with and take turns with and no, they cannot choke them and yell at them if they don't get there way.  Heck, remind the random adults you pass who didn't have parents that taught them that.  Please.  I'm begging you.  Preschoolers are outta contrrrrrrrrrrrrrrol.

Oh and let's throw out a random Friday 6.  I got engaged on this day, 6 years ago!!! ;)

Are you as ready for the weekend as I am?