The Kids Learn About Composting

RemembeRed asked:  This week, I’m asking you to take us into the moment your favorite photograph of yourself was taken, to show us who you were then and what the photograph means–in 300 words.

Today I'm sharing a photograph that is definitly NOT my favorite of me, but I'm in it. 

This is one of those "day in the life" type photos.  I took the kids outside to mess around in my garden.  As you can see, it was time to weed out the long gone zucchinni plants, turn the soil and help me plant a winter batch of garlic. 

What this photograph means to me?  Love, fun, memory makers. 

I taught the kids about composting.  That it's good for the soil and the plants.  I know it sunk in a little bit because Maddi told my mom at Thanksgiving that we put food in our garden and it was "good for the world". 

As I look at this photo now, I cringe at those veins on my forehead, the wrinkles.  But all those self-criticisms fade quickly as I get back to the root of the photo.  That's me and my kids and we're making memories right there. 

Movie Collection - Holiday Style

ABC Family's 25 Days of Christmas starts on December 1st and it's a good thing, because when I went to pull my favorite holiday movies from our DVD collection I came up with a whopping four.  Yes, that's right, we have four holiday inspired movies in our house.  I searched high and low to scrape these together.  I know we had A Christmas Story - my favorite Christmas movie ever - and I couldn't find it.  Couldn't find it last year either.  I truly loathe buying something that I know we already have and simply can't find, but this might be one of those times when I just have to bite the bullet...or turn to ABC Family for my holiday movie fix instead!

A sad holiday movie collection

What are your favorite holiday movies?

This post was prompted by Melissa from Adventuroo whose father has fallen ill.  I'm sure she would enjoy a visit and a thoughtful comment or two over at her space to let her know you're thinking of her.

Something To Be Thankful For {Capture the Everyday}

The prompt this week at Capture the Everyday was: Something You're Thankful For.

Family - Thanksgiving 2011

We're piled on the bed at my parents' house watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.  Love me some family.  Immediate and extended.  Near and far.  I feel like I hit the jackpot with my hubs.  And I think the odds are not in one's favor of winning the lottery twice, but I feel like I did with the kiddos.  For that I am thankful.


Capture the Everyday is about getting you to capture those everyday moments in your life! Each Tuesday, Melissa will issue a simple challenge to capture something that’s a part of your daily life. You can post just a picture or add some words to go along with it. You’ll have a week to get it done and then she’ll issue another. It’s a quick, easy way to start capturing those little parts of life we sometimes take for granted.

Also linking up to Maxabella Loves this week. 

Tell me, what or whom do you have to be thankful for today?  Happy Thanksgiving!

#KidsTalkinTurkey

I'm linking up with the girls over at VlogTalk this week for their special holiday linky #KidsTalkinTurkey!

Here's my video of the kids telling me what they know about Thanksgiving and also what they are thankful for.  It is kind of long - 8 minutes of cuteness - but they had a lot to be thankful for.  Promise the next one won't be so long.  Listen in!

Happy Thanksgiving!  I hope you all enjoy time with family and friends, think of what you're thankful for, watch football, maybe PLAY a little football - hint, hint familia - and think of others on this day.

On Bended Knee {Mama Kat's Writing Workshop}

For Mama Kat's writing workshop (last) week, I chose prompt #3: Married? Tell us the story of how the question was popped. 

My then boyfriend (hey, I don't want to ruin the ending) planned a trip for us to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.  It was Spring Break 2001, he was in his junior year at Arizona State University.  I was very, very excited! 

Source

I wasn't one of those gals that analyzed his every move and was expecting an engagement ring at every single opportunity. That just wasn't me.  I was happy and content and I suppose my biological clock wasn't ticking (loudly) yet. Though, I'll admit, I did have my fair share of pages ripped from issues of Modern Bride magazines of my favorite rings, dresses, shoes, etc.  It just wasn't consuming my every single thought at that time.

Going on a Spring Break vacation to Mexico, to me, meant exactly that. 

I had absolutely no inkling that I was about to become an engaged woman.  He was cool as a cucumber.  He didn't act weird, sketchy or twitchy like a man about to become engaged...or hiding a secret in his pocket.  I wasn't suspicious at all when we took a stroll on the beach to watch the sun set.  I also didn't think it odd that he wanted to take a picture of me in this exact spot.

Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

He took this picture and then we sat down in the sand to watch the sun set over the ocean.  And drink some White Russians. 

From here on out?  A total blur!  I admit, I can't remember his exact words, but I can assure you it was sweet, romantic and all that it should have been. 


Some thoughts: 

• The quality of that picture is terrible - sorry bouts that!
• The picture was taken by my hubs immediately before he popped the question.  Notice my right hand is playing with my left hand's ring finger?  Hmmmm....maybe subconsciously I knew what was coming.  Still, here I was, clueless of what's to come.
• After the fact, he told me that he carried the ring in his left pocket (in the box).  No, I didn't notice the bulky box in his pocket.  He probably made sure I walked on his right side.  I sat in the middle seat in the plane with him on the aisle.  Also, I was somewhat of a distressed flyer at that time.  I wanted Valium.  I wanted strong alcohol - even though our flight was at 7AM.  I wanted something to take the edge off.  So I was not exactly honing in on suspicious activity.
• At that time in Puerto Vallarta, when you got into the terminal their security process consisted of red and green stoplights that everyone walked by.  If it turned red, you had to stop and you got searched.  Naturally, hubs was sweating bullets that he might have to empty his pockets right there in the airport.  Lucky for him, we both pulled the green light.  Still, I think that would have had its own romantic appeal.  On bended knee in the Puerto Vallarta airport surrounded by security guards and tourists?  *sigh* 

Love you honey!

What is YOUR story?

{Capture the Everyday} The Look of Fall

This week's Capture the Everyday assignment: Sign of Fall

We don't have a lot of big trees around here (yet) to make piles of big beautiful Fall leaves for the kids to jump into, but this is the look of Fall in my neck of the woods.

Fall 2011

I have an obsession with taking pictures from our back patio of this very view.  Sunsets, rain, storms, long views, or just because.  This blustery morning of fog and Fall rain made for a rather short view, but still beautiful to me.


Capture the Everyday is about getting you to capture those everyday moments in your life! Each Tuesday, Melissa will issue a simple challenge to capture something that’s a part of your daily life. You can post just a picture or add some words to go along with it. You’ll have a week to get it done and then she’ll issue another. It’s a quick, easy way to start capturing those little parts of life we sometimes take for granted.

{Review} Cholula Hot Sauce ~ The Flavorful Fire

Imagine my excitement when I found out I was going to review Cholula Hot Sauce for my blog!  See, I love me some Mexican food - hot and spicy is my style.  I may have mentioned that fact here before, had tacos twice in one week on the meal plan or mentioned it yet again, so yes, it's a serious obssession of mine.  I would love to make Mexican food over and over and over throughout the week...but variety is the spice of life, right? 

The Cholula Hot Sauce arrived in the cutest little four pack - perfect for gift-giving or keeping all for yourself.  The four pack included Chili Lime, Chili Garlic, Chipotle and Original.

You know how many restaurants have Cholula sitting on the table as a condiment? Yes, for a few days, we had the Cholula sitting on our dining room table or the kitchen island for easy grabbing whenever the mood, or the food, struck.
My husband immediately called "dibs" on the Chili Lime which is one of his favorite flavor combos.  He doused many a dish - eggs, burritos, rice, soup - with the sauce and has given it a hearty thumbs up.  I mixed it into a little bit of mayo and had a flavorful turkey sandwich - yum! 

Another of his favorite flavors was the Chipotle.  He also took that for a spin on all his favorite foods.  Nice and spicy smokey in flavor. 

The Chili Garlic was quite tasty.  I used this one to spice up my homemade guacamole and it was perfection, really.

The Original is the classic and was my favorite. I popped some popcorn and even though I have a terrible addiction for butter and parmesan cheese on my popcorn, I sprinkled Cholula Original all over it one evening instead.  Oh yeah!  If you've never tried this before, you should give it a whirl.

Doesn't this Artichoke Cholula Cheese Bite recipe make you hungry? 

You can visit Cholula's website or their Facebook page to find great recipe ideas and a $1 off coupon to get your very own bottle(s). 

I know  my husband and I are fans and those who like to add a little spice to their food will enjoy Cholula Hot Sauce, too. 

Thanks to Cholula Hot Sauce for sending the products to review!  All opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

{Capture the Everyday} Collecting Post Cards

What do I collect you ask?  What don't I collect is more like it.  Not really, I've cleaned up my act with the collecting (a little) as clutter makes my head spin. 

When I was thinking about this prompt, my "stripe collection" popped into my head.  It seems I have a thing for striped shirts.  I don't purposely go shopping to buy stripes, it just happens.

Stripe Happens

When I was younger I collected post cards like a fiend.  I bugged everyone I knew and asked them to send me a post card from wherever they travelled...or from wherever they lived at the time...or...or free post cards they found in magazines or at the doctor's office or the free ones from budget hotels...you get the point.  ANY post card.  I proudly tacked them up on my bedroom wall (along with my Bop and Tiger Beat posters of New Kids on the Block, Corey Haim, Troy Aikman and the likes). I didn't collect a particular genre like cityscapes or food - I was happy with anything. 

Deltiology - is the study and collection of post cards.

Once I moved away from home I took them all down and packed them in my cedar chest where they've remained for the past 15 years.  I have continued to collect, just not as wildly.  When we go somewhere new, fun or exciting I buy at least three postcards - one for each of the kids' baby books and one for me.  If someone else is going somewhere and I remember I'll ask them to send me one. 

I pulled a handful from my cedar chest this morning for this photo opportunity.

And from that pile (which is just a small sampling) I pulled a few favorites.

L to R: 
1.  Happy New Year from Around the World - from my junior high Japanese pen pal.  Hi Masako! 
2.  Man ballerina, black and white - from a dear friend who supported my post card habit! 
3.  Hedgehog by Anne Geddes - loved the message on the back from another dear friend: "Nothing new here - just work and run around and never clean my house, oh well!" 
4.  This was a post card I picked up advertising a free lecture series at the college I attended, but I sent it home to my parents.  I wrote very random blurbs all over the back between the lecture info, like "big hair-->" (pointing to the lecturer) and "I broke the zipper on my Guess jeans...AGAIN!"  Freshman 15, anyone?  

5.  I was a HUGE Friends fan.  This one was of Joey and Phoebe. 

Phoebe, what do you think a good stage name for me would be? --Joey 

Flame-boy. --Phoebe

6.  The last one with the tortellini salad recipe on the front was from my vehicle service department reminding me I had a service appointment coming up.  Ummmm, OK.

What do you collect?  Snap a picture and head over to Adventuroo to link up and Capture the Everyday!

Free Tiny Prints Card Today

Who doesn't like a little FREE in their life? 

Tiny Prints is (one of) my newest guilty pleasure and you can personalize a FREE card from Santa for the special kid(s) in your life on November 9, 2011 (TODAY!!)  To get yours, go visit and "like" Tiny Prints on Facebook today.  Click on Special Offers and the information will display.  If you click "Send it to me first" it will be completely free, you won't have to pay for the .44 stamp!

You do have to enter your credit card information if you haven't ordered from them in the past but this card is truly free!  I've done this several other times and it's always free and ships super quick.

Friday Flava Flave

I'm piping in this Friday with a super easy dinner for those busy weeknights when putting together a full-blown meal seems like climbing Mt. Everest.  This is one of my favorite go-to meals because it is super easy, supery yummy and I always have these ingredients on hand.  To me, it's total comfort food. 

True, this particular night the enchilada sauce came from a can (hence the EASY, go-to nature of this recipe), but soon - very soon - I'm going to be posting cheese enchiladas where I MAKE the enchilada sauce from green chilies bought at the Hatch, New Mexico chili festival.  Yes ma'am, you read that right.  I can't wait to whip those up and share!

Green Chili Enchilada Casserole
Pile of corn tortillas
Big can of enchilada sauce, red or green, your choice
Lots of cheddar cheese - or colby, or co-jack, or whatever - just make sure there's lots of it
Green onions
Cilantro
Sour cream

Mmmmkay.  Got your ingredients ready? 

I put a thin layer of enchilada sauce in the bottom of a square pan because you don't want the tortillas to stick to the pan and I like saucy enchiladas.  You could also use a 9x13" pan for a large gathering or if you prefer your casserole thin.  Toss down a layer of tortillas, overlapping where necessary to fit.  Spoon or pour enchilada sauce over tortillas and top with a generous amount of cheese.  You could throw in a layer of onions and cilantro here if you are so inclined - or wait till the end so each person can dress theirs to their liking.  And repeat until your pan is full.  Cook at 375 degrees until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Top with onions, cilantro and sour cream.

Serve with rice and beans, chips and guac.  YUM! 

Also, very easy to tweak to your preferences.  Do you like chicken?  Throw it in.  Ground beef?  Done.  How about beans instead?  Spread a thin layer or plop spoonfuls on top of the tortillas before saucing it.

I'm linking up with Foodie Friday today!

Post Halloween

I wanted to drop off a post about our Halloween and picture of the kiddos in their costumes. I thought they were equally adorable - my Sparkle Witch and T-Rex.

They had such a blast trick or treating!  It only took one or two houses to instruct them how to go up to the door, actually say, "Trick or Treat" and then, "Thank you" and, "Goodbye".  After that they were old pros! 



Here they look slightly confused, right?  This was house #1.



What freaked me out was after we were done for the night, hubby told me the figure that was shrouded in black (like the grim reaper kind of) standing by the sidewalk was an actual person, not just a prop.  Hubs talked to him as I walked blissfully unaware right by him.  Thankfully, he decided not to scare me the wee ones.  Truthfully, that could have ruined Halloween for our kids, what with me screaming like a banshee and flailing my arms around and stomping my feet like an idiot.  Oh yeah, that for sure would have happened.  And me being scared would have scared the kids that much more.  So, thanks grim reaper, for playing it cool.  For these sweeties.

I'm linking up with Four Plus an Angel and Sellabit Mum for Boo in the Blogosphere.

 

{Capture the Everyday} Halloween Closeup

We carved pumpkins on Sunday night and the kids loved it!  They picked up the pieces and called themselves pumpkins.

Maddi designed both pumpkins herself by drawing different pumpkins on a piece of paper.  Jae picked out his favorite (a happy one) and she picked out her favorite (a scary one) and the hubs drew the templates onto the pumpkins.

Belated Happy Halloween and Happy November!  Only 23 more days until Thanksgiving and 54 days until Christmas!