Basket of Indulgence

A couple weeks ago I won a basket of indulgence from Free 2 Be Frugal! I've been meaning to take a picture of it to share with you all, but I just haven't gotten around to it.

You can head over to Free 2 Be Frugal yourself, and check out all kinds of deals, freebies and samples there. Maybe you will be lucky enough to win one of her giveaways too! (Thanks Niki!)

Elimination Diet

Allergy progress: On Friday we tried soy milk. A little bit for breakfast, a glass at lunch and one at dinner. It looked like he did fine, though he did have two tiny little red spots at bed time, but I don't think it was related. So, we tried the same thing on Saturday, and all went well. We'll put it on the maybe list (because of the two red spots) and take him back off for now.

Today is officially the start of our new schedule. I will be working a long day in the office on Mondays (while The Husband is home with The Boy), staying home with The Boy the rest of the week, and working from home in the early mornings and evenings. It's a full schedule, and leaves basically no time to play, any free time will be used to do homework. I'm doing all of this to get a handle on The Boy's food allergies.

However, for the start of our "project", The Boy woke up with a rash all over his face! Ugh. And it looks as though The Husband is going to have to go into work. So we aren't really starting off on the foot I had hoped for, the right one.

It's possible that the lunch meat that we got could have been the culprit, though I have doubts. It's an organic product, contains chicken and sodium lactate (my research showed that this was not a potential allergy). The label also said that good practices were used to prevent any contamintation from other allergens. He ate the lunch meat at 5:30pm and at 8:30 when The Husband put him to bed he was just fine.

Is it possible that something in his bed irritated him? I suppose so, so I took everything out and put it in the washing machine with Tide Free again this morning.

Or is it the fact that he has a cold of some sort and is pretty snotty? He potentially slept with snot all over his face during the night. Or maybe it has something to do with cutting his canine teeth.

We are going to do everything we can to get his face cleared up today so that we can try a new food tomorrow.

Happy Birthday

Happy birthday to the husband and the daddy at our house!

We took The Boy to see the allergist again on Monday and she decided to do another skin test. During these tests, his skin is exposed to allergy-causing substances (allergens) and then is observed for signs of an allergic reaction. The results came back that we should stay clear of treenuts, he had a reaction to three of the tree nuts that were tested. However, this still does not solve our issue and the doctor wants us to continue to completely limit dairy for the next 6 mos. Dairy is a known allergen for coming up negative in blood and skin tests.

Today and tomorrow are The Boy's last days at childcare. Starting next week I will stay home and keep a close eye on The Boy's diet. The last few weeks now that he has had an allergen free diet he has been doing great! Next week I will start by adding soy back into his diet and see what happens. I am looking forward to being home with him, but am going to have to find some stuff to keep us busy.

Free Children's Museum

On Sunday we took The Boy to the Children's Museum. On the third Sunday of every month the Children's Museum is free, thanks to Target. We got there right at opening time, 9am. I think we were the first ones in the door, which meant we had the water works play area all to ourselves for a good 10 minutes. We roamed our way through the museum until 10:30, and it was only then that I realized it was started to get a bit crowded.

The museum asks guests to leave their strollers in the car, because of the crowds. That note made me a bit nervous about navigating the many kids and parents, but it wasn't bad at all, but leaving the stroller at home would be the way to go, who needs it?!

On the way out of downtown St. Paul we strolled up and down the aisle at the St. Paul Farmer's market. We picked up Honeycrisp Apples, bread and tomatoes for under $10!

What He CAN Eat

Lately, I've been using this blog as a record to keep track of The Boy's food allergies/intollerances. So while some of these posts may be quite boring for you, it's good information for me to have written down somewhere other than on sticky notes on our fridge.

Here is what we know Jackson can eat without reaction:
Oats
Rice
Apples
Pears
Chicken
Hamburger
Gyro Meat
Enjoy life Chocolate Chip Cookies (allergen free)
Rice Krispies
Black Beans
Pinto Beans
Rice noodles
Bananas
Annie's organic fruit bunnies
Peas
Aspagargus
Squash
Sweetpotato
Rice Milk
Potato
Back to Nature Apple Cinnamon granola
Hol Grain Brown Rice crackers
Lima Beans
Spinach
Mashed potatoes (made with rice milk, no butter)
Green beans
Brocolli
Mango juice

Monday Feature: Likes and Dislikes

The Boy's likes and dislikes change so frequently and this feature is such proof of that. It is so nice to see that his likes are always more than his dislikes!

Likes: Caterpillars, driving the bus, puzzles, reading The Very Hungry Caterpillar, watching baseball, the farmer's market, Caliou, climbing into cupboards, pushing buttons on the computer, raking and jumping into leaves, singing ABCs, reading books on the LeapFrog LeapPad, animal pajamas, watching the rollercoaster at MOA, taking showers with Mama and rice crackers.

Dislikes: Pumpkin insides, spinach, brushing his teeth, wearing clothes and the scuba diver that talks from the aquarium at the MN Zoo!

The Results Are In

The bloodwork has come back for The Boy, which unfortunately doesn't tell us anything. I had a lengthy conversation with the doctor just now and she said it's very common for these food allergies not to show up in blood tests at this age and we just have to start with a trial and error process, being very careful to read labels so he is not exposed to something we are unaware of.

His blood was not tested for tree nuts though, so the blood will go back to the lab for additional testing.

We are to continue the strict diet minus the top allergens -- no wheat, soy, dairy, fish, shellfish, nuts, strawberries, raspberries, tomatoes and eggs -- for the next couple of days while he is at childcare. This weekend we can start with soy and watch him for 5-7 days to see if he has any reaction. We'll do this for a while, trying wheat and dairy last.

She advises not giving him nuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, or egg until he is at least three.

We also talked about his platelets levels being high (404). It's nothing to worry about at this time, but she will check his past platelet levels and see if there is anything to be concerned about.

Allergies Tested

This morning we took The Boy to an allergist. After many many days and weeks of hives from head to toe and rashes on his face, we made an appointment with a specialist.

It was obvious to the doctor that he was an "allergy kid" and she also thought that his snoring and cough were probably asthma related. While The Boy sat on my lap and ate a Nilla wafer, the nurse did a scratch test (picture) that unfortunately didn't come out with any definitive results (a small reaction to subjects 3 and 4). After already spending an hour and 45 minutes in the doctor's office it was decided that he would go in for a blood test to get some better results and to also check in on his immune system. The Boy was a real trooper and didn't complain with any of the pokes or pricks.

The doctor also found that his left ear was infected, which I had suspected. His ear was draining yellow/brown fluid over the weekend.

While he was a great little kid, all of this got him well off schedule and feeling a bit out of sorts. Which meant for a ROUGH afternoon. After FINALLY getting down for a nap after many tears, The Boy woke up thrashing in his crib from what we believe to be a nightmare. Loads of whimpering, whining and crying later, The Husband and I were plum tuckered out!

We headed to Target to get all of his presciptions filled anyway. He'll be taking Singulair every day to help control the asthma, and he's on another antibiotic for the ear infection. We also have some Zyrtec for when the allergy symptoms start kicking in. At Target, we checked out hepa filters while waiting for the prescriptions to be filled. The doctor suggested a hepa filter run in his bedroom all the time to clear out any allergens, along with special pillow and mattress protectors (the filter she suggested costs $300!!). She suggested using a different detergent, but I already don't purchase anything with any dyes or perfumes, so I am not sure that a more expensive brand of the same thing will do any good, but we will discontinue use of dryer sheets in his laundry. It's all a bit overwhelming presently and we'll be digesting this over the week and deciding on how many of these precautions we'll be taking.

The blood tests will come back in a week, and we will have a follow up appointment wiht the allergist in 4-6 weeks. Whew! That's a load of information to share.

Brain Cells on the Loose

There was a time not so long ago that I was pretty much on top of it. I didn't need to be reminded of doctor's appointments or work meetings. I never locked myself out of the house or my keys in the ignition while I stood outside peering in. I didn't misplace my car keys, my sunglasses or my mittens or even an entire book of stamps. I mostly knew what was on my calendar for months at a time and I didn't need to keep a daily lists.

Since having The Boy all of this has changed. Now, a day isn't started without a list made. I can tell myself to stop at the gas station on the way to work as I pull out of my driveway, but forget by the time I come upon the nearest gas station just two miles down the road.

So, this weekend's misstep was no surprise, and the thing that managed to remind me of how forgetful I am these days, was also ridiculously funny, which is why I felt the need to share.

The brisk fall has started to set in, which typically means that the hardwood floors throughout our house can be a bit chilly. While I cleaned up our bedroom during Jackson's naptime I came across my Cabela's slippers and decided to slip them on my feet to keep my toes warm. I spent the rest of naptime indoors, doing homework and a bit of picking up, then I fixed a snack for The Boy when he woke up from his nap. I thought it would be fun to take the boy to Como Zoo since the weather was so beautiful. I packed up The Boy and myself into the car and zipped down 94 to the zoo. I found a good parking spot and stepped onto the road, got The Boy's stroller out of the back and flipped it open on the sidewalk. Believe it or not, it was only then that I realized, those wonderful Cabella's slippers were still on my feet. Now what?!?

There was no way we were going to drive all the way home so that I could put on proper shoes, I can't imagine the look The Boy would have on his face after I told him that it was going to be awhile before we could go in search of lions and tigers. No one seemed to notice and they were actually relatively comfortable footwear to stroll around looking at the zebras and giraffes!

Presidential Election

With the election only a month away do you know who you are voting for?
Take the Select A Candidate Survey now.

Monday Feature: Likes and Dislikes

Likes: Bob the Builder, stickers, pumpkin muffins, goats at the appple orchard, corn dogs, sticks, new Thomas the Tank pajamas, coloring, singing Wheels on the Bus, wearing his bike helmet, harvesting vegetables, dried apples, the library, puzzles, the color yellow, and putting groceries away

Dislikes: Okra and cleaning out the garden

I Love My Cub

I found out today while grocery shopping at our neighborhood Cub that kids under 12 can get a free apple and a free cookie from the bakery. I'm not sure if this is all Cub Foods store as this was entirely new to me, and the cashier did not know the answer to my question, but was kind enough to give me the information in the first place. So check your local Cub and let me know! The Boy will be enterained eating FREE snacks so I can have more time to spend looking at all my favorite foods.

Monday Feature: Likes and Dislikes

Likes: gigantic rocking horse at The Renaissance Festival, Yo Gabba Gabba dance mat, trains, rice crispies covered bananas, corn flakes, dehydrated apples, climbing up on the dining room table, "helping" put laundry away, reading Goodnight Moon, hiding behind the shower curtain, Dolly Parton, playing with radios, sweedish meatballs at Ikea, juice, cornbread

Dislikes: Not being able to climb on dining room table, cooked carrots, going night-night

Free Samples from Walmart

While I am not the biggest Walmart fan, they do have some great free sample offers. Check them out here.

Strawberry Allergy

Second encounter, the culprit: Raspberries. Like the strawberry reaction we had a few weeks ago, we've had another and maybe even slightly worse (I'm pretty sure two of the spots were hives). I wish that we would have recognized this sooner, as each and every exposure to the fruits has the potential to make the allergy worse. So it is no strawberries, raspberries, or kiwi until The Boy is at least two when we will try again. I guess it's good we are now heading into a season without fresh berries, so the absence from our diet won't be so hard to manage.

What do you know about food allergies? Is your child allergic to berries? Something else?

Huge Kid's Sale

This is where I will be on Saturday:
Come to the Washington County Fairgrounds to shop for great deals on pre-loved brand name and excellent condition children's clothing, toys, equiptment, books and so much more.

Friday 5-8 (consignors and volunteers only)
Saturday 9-3 (public sale $1 admission)
Sunday 9-12 (public sale 1/2 price sale)

Washington County Fairgrounds Bldg A. Located on the corner of Manning Ave and Hwy 5 in Stillwater.

Check www.munchkinmarkets.com for details or call 651-253-0897.

Making Me Laugh

My Little Giraffe

This is the costume I found for The Boy at Once Upon a Child for $10.

The Boy is going to be a giraffe this Halloween, provided he doesn't gain an ounce or get any taller between now and then. I found a Halloween costume for The Boy at Once Upon A Child the other day. I brought it home, washed it and The Husband put it on The Boy to make sure it would work. We put the little giraffe hood up over his head and guided him to the full-length mirror to take a gander of his new look. The Boy's response when he saw himself in the costume: "Cute".

Monday Feature: Likes and Dislikes

Likes: seagulls, elmo movies, geese, fishing, wearing my gloves, garbanzo beans, counting 1-2-3, singing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, Singing his ABCs, playing with sticks, corn, stacking cups, pancakes, raspberries, dried apple slices, talking on the tele, kicking balloons, sweet tart suckers, mickey mouse stickers, playdoh and dairy-free jumba juice

Dislikes: anyone helping him to eat, cranberries and loud lawnmowers

Consignment and Second Hand Stores for Children

Turn Style
Roseville
Fairdale Shoppes
2393 Fairview Ave. N., Roseville, MN 55113
Comments: Only a very small selection of children's clothes.

Savers
1719 Beam Ave
Maplewood, MN 55109
Comments: Not a lot of infant or toddler clothes, but loads for older kids. The toy selection is rather large, but not great. I have had some great luck in the books section.

Next to New
1183 Geneva Ave N
Oakdale, MN 55128
Comments: Very small selection of clothes or toys. Mostly women's fashions.

Once Upon a Child
2839 White Bear Ave N
Maplewood, MN 55109
(651) 773-5122
Comments: When I have the patience this is the place to shop. I don't like stepping over lots of kids playing with toys on the floor to get a good look at the winter coat selection. But if I can go without The Boy (who only wants to play with the many toys spread all over the floor) the trip is worth it.

I need to add more to this list, with your help!!

On Consignment

I'd love to get a list going of all the consignment stores that have a good selection of children's clothes in the Twin Cities. Now with garage sale season coming to and end, this list will be good to consult. Please comment with the consignment stores you head to.

Latest Cheap Toy

My mom found these great blocks at a consignment store in Oakdale called Next to New (1183 Geneva Ave N). The selection of clothes for boys was not all that great, but there were some good finds for little girls. So far the blocks have kept The Boy busy and I'm going to talk The Husband into building more!

Breezy Point

We just got back from a great trip to the Brainerd area. We stayed at Breezy Point Lodge, which for many reasons, I would not recommend it to others. For one, the water smelled so bad, I had a hard time getting myself clean in the shower in the time I could hold my breath! Two, the cleanliness of the rooms gave me (and surprisingly even The Husband) a bit of the creeps. Third, the pool area and the locker rooms were, plainly put, NOT clean. However, we still managed a great time. We spent very little time in our room and lots of time seeing the surrounding towns.

We all found our favorite stop on the trip to be The Chocolate Ox in Nisswa(we biked the 7 miles to and from), the best candy store in all the land! They had the world's best selection, and a lot of nostalgic choices, from Wonka Bars, Lemon Heads, Boston Baked Beans and Mallo Cups to a massive collection of Jelly Bellys, Sweedish Fish, and Gum Drops. We settled on some Grasshopper Malted Milk Balls, Sweedish Fish and fabulous turtle-like treats, all to be washed down with a bottle of Bubble Up. The Boy was given a Sweet Tart Lollipop by the owner when we arrived and was content clutching and licking while we perused the shops in Nisswa.

Omnivore 100

Instructions:
1) Copy this list into your blog or journal, including these instructions.
2) Bold all the items you’ve eaten.
3) Cross out any items that you would never consider eating.
4) Optional extra: Post a comment here at www.verygoodtaste.co.uk linking to your results.


The VGT Omnivore’s Hundred:


1. Venison

2. Nettle tea

3. Huevos rancheros

4. Steak tartare

5. Crocodile

6. Black pudding

7. Cheese fondue

8. Carp

9. Borscht

10. Baba ghanoush

11. Calamari

12. Pho

13. PB&J sandwich

14. Aloo gobi

15. Hot dog from a street cart

16. Epoisses

17. Black truffle

18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes

19. Steamed pork buns

20. Pistachio ice cream

21. Heirloom tomatoes

22. Fresh wild berries

23. Foie gras

24. Rice and beans

25. Brawn, or head cheese

26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper

27. Dulce de leche

28. Oysters

29. Baklava

30. Bagna cauda

31. Wasabi peas

32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl

33. Salted lassi

34. Sauerkraut

35. Root beer float

36. Cognac with a fat cigar

37. Clotted cream tea

38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O

39. Gumbo

40. Oxtail

41. Curried goat

42. Whole insects

43. Phaal

44. Goat’s milk

45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more

46. Fugu

47. Chicken tikka masala

48. Eel

49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut

50. Sea urchin

51. Prickly pear

52. Umeboshi

53. Abalone

54. Paneer

55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal

56. Spaetzle

57. Dirty gin martini (vodka yes, gin yuck)

58. Beer above 8% ABV

59. Poutine

60. Carob chips

61. S’mores

62. Sweetbreads

63. Kaolin (I don't know what this is)

64. Currywurst

65. Durian

66. Frogs’ legs

67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake

68. Haggis

69. Fried plantain

70. Chitterlings, or andouillette

71. Gazpacho

72. Caviar and blini

73. Louche absinthe

74. Gjetost, or brunost

75. Roadkill

76. Baijiu

77. Hostess Fruit Pie

78. Snail

79. Lapsang souchong

80. Bellini

81. Tom yum (wish I had some now to get rid of this cold!)

82. Eggs Benedict

83. Pocky

84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant.

85. Kobe beef

86. Hare

87. Goulash

88. Flowers

89. Horse

90. Criollo chocolate

91. Spam

92. Soft shell crab

93. Rose harissa

94. Catfish

95. Mole poblano

96. Bagel and lox

97. Lobster Thermidor

98. Polenta

99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee

100. Snake

About Me

A bloggy friend sent this to me.

Have you ever…

gone on a blind date? I have... and it actually lasted some time.
skipped school? most of my senior year and any 8am class in college
watched someone die? luckily, no
been to Canada? Just over the border a few times, Windsor, ThunderBay, Sault Ste. Marie
been to Mexico? got married there. Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan, Tijuana
been to Florida? Orlando, Tampa and St. Petersburg
been on a plane? That's how I got to Florida and other places
been lost? only for a moment
been on the opposite side of the country? Does Austin TX count?
swam in the ocean? not a fan, but I have.
had your booze taken away by the cops? never, I was much too slick
lettered in high school sport? I was too cool for HS sports.
cried yourself to sleep? sure
played cops and robbers? don't think so.
played dolls? I had the Barbie Dreamhouse
sung karaoke? I shouldn't, but I have.
paid for a meal with coins only? I don't recall
done something you told yourself you wouldn’t? Lots of times
cheated on an exam? never got that kind of break
made prank phone calls? This is what having friends over in grade school was all about.
laughed until some sort of beverage came out of your nose? I've seen it happen, but never out of my own nose.
danced in the rain? To Every Rose Has Its Thorn
written a letter to Santa Claus? I'm sure.
watched the sunrise with someone you care about? No.
been kissed under the misteltoe? Maybe by a relative?
blown bubbles? to The Boy when he sits on the potty
gone ice skating? love it
been skinny dipping outdoors? ah, yes
had a nickname? Goldie, Bean Dip, Bahooba, Thankfully, none of them stuck
been to Africa? I wish!
eaten cookies for dinner? I'm sure that's happened once or twice.
been on TV? No
been in a car accident? Yes. None have been my fault.
favorite drink? pepsi
favorite alcohol? good beer
favorite vacation spot? I like the beach
favorite salad dressing? French and Blue
favorite pie? apple or pumpkin
favorite number? 7
favorite movie? On Golden Pond
favorite holiday? Memorial Day
favorite food? Just about anything.
favorite day of the week? Sunday
favorite brand of body wash? Just soap for me.
favorite toothpaste? Crest
favorite smell? A gardenia or freshly baked bread
Do you have any tattoos? i do.
body piercings? in my ears. my belly back when my belly was cute.
Do you drive a 2-door or 4-door vehicle? 4
What do you do to relax? read, watch a movie
How do you see yourself in 10 years? I can't even figure out what I'm going to do tomorrow.

Dermatologist

We can't get into a dermatologist until October 28! That's nuts, isn't it??

Free Sample

Get a free sample chewy granola bar mailed to you from Quaker! Here>>

Monday Feature: Likes and Dislikes

Likes (this week):
Baby pigs, tractor rides at the zoo, chocolate soy milk, mandarin oranges, animal crackers, Elmo videos, climbing like a monkey, doing the monkey dance, singing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, Sweet Martha's cookies

Dislikes:
Cauliflower, the carousel, pig ears

Toddler Entertainment

I found this activity to be quite entertaining for The Boy, for about 15 minutes, which we know at 19 months is pretty good. I took a piece of cardboard and punched holes all around the edges using a hole punch. I tied a large knot at one end of a long shoe lace and allowed The Boy to sew inside and out of the holes. What other fun and cheap activities do you do around your house with kids?

Peeling Fingernails: Updated

The bloodwork all came back normal. The next step is to see the dermatologist that our pediatrician recommended.

Peeling Fingernails

When The Boy is asked what a doctor says, his reply is something like "No more monkeys" while he shakes his finger up and down, it's mighty cute. However last week he wanted nothing to do with his doctor or his doctor's nurse! He started to cry the minute we got to the hallway. Poor kid thought he was going to have to get shots again, and no matter how many times we said no shots, the crying never stopped.

We took The Boy in to see the doctor today because he's been having some strange things happening with is fingernails. His nails have been breaking and peeling up in places where they shouldn't, and then the other day I noticed that his toenails on his two big toes were peeling up from the nail bed at the cuticle. The Husband and I decided that this was something worth having checked out, so he made an appointment.

The doctor isn't sure what it is exactly, but he has seen it before. It could have been some serious disease of which I can't remember or even if I could, couldn't spell or pronounce, but it would involve massivley swollen lymphnodes and some other very obvious symptoms, so that was easily ruled out.

There are a few other things that this could be, most of which are not serious, but we're following the process that the doctor has recommended. First of which was checking his blood for his potassium, magnesium and phosphorus levels. So after all those promises of no needles, we ended up at the lab giving blood (oops!) The next step is to head to a dermatologist to see that she agrees with our doctors orders. I admit, I'm a little worried, but the doctor was clear that it wasn't anything to worry about. I will follow up as soon as I know anything.

Who gets the flu in August?

I do. And it's why I haven't posted. Some crazy flu bug has hit Minnesota and I managed to get it. Now, I just have to hope that The Boy doesn't get it.

Your Local Fire Station

We are lucky enough to have a firefighter in the family, so getting an up close and personal look into fire trucks is a pretty easy thing for The Boy to do. Just this weekend we took The Boy to visit the fire chief and he LOVED hanging out in the command center, with all the buttons and levers to push and pull. The Boy sat on my lap and steered the big wheel all the while, making siren noises. I tried to take a picture with a fire hat on him, but those hats are just too heavy for his little head.

I know most elementary schools head to their local fire station for a field trip every year, but the fire trucks are exciting for pre-schoolers too!

Have you tried calling the local fire department for a tour? Do fire stations do that sort of thing? I would imagine it would be easier in smaller towns, but what about major cities? Share your experiences with the rest of us.

Monday Feature: Likes and Dislikes

Likes: going for a hike, new books, fire trucks, breaking sticks, family, chipmunks, puppies, playing in cars, frybread, bike rides, canoe rides, daddy's toothbrush, camping and zippers

Dislikes: not being able to play in cars, potato salad, cucumbers, not getting a long enough naps and new molars

Weeknight Recipe: Marinated Chicken Breasts

Add chicken breasts to a ziplock bag filled with Italian Salad Dressing and allow to marinate overnight. After work, put them on the grill for roughly 7 mins a side, or try using a George Foreman type grill in the cold months. The chicken stays moist and is oozing with delicious flavor. Best of all, it's easy! Add a veggie and fruit to the meal and you are done.

What chicken marinades to you use?

Weeknight Recipe: Cold Linguine and Peanut Sauce

This is an easy recipe to make the night before or transport (camping) as it can all be done ahead of time and it's served cold.

Ingredients

1 pkg. linguine

3 breasts cooked bite-sized chicken

2 cucumbers (squeezed and cut length wise)

4 carrots (sliced lengthwise)

2 cups bean sprouts

Sesame seeds

Peanut Sauce

1/4 cup peanut butter

1/3 cup rice vinegar

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup warm water

1/3 cup sesame oil

2 cloves minced garlic

1 tsp. fresh grated ginger

To make peanut sauce combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir with a fork until smooth. You can add more peaunut butter until you get the consistency you are looking for.

Toss the peaunut sauce over cooled linguine noodles, chicken and vegetabes. You can garnish with sesame seeds if you wish. The peaunut sauce will keep in fridge for a week.

Potty Training Help

Here are two resources for help with potty training:

Huggies offers a free potty training dvd. It says it takes something like 5-6 weeks for delivery, but we got ours in two. Sign up here

And Pampers offers a free potty training kit

The Children's Museum

I haven't taken The Boy yet, but I hear that The Children's Museum is a great place for toddlers on up. The third Sunday of the month is always free, check it out this Sunday!

Monday Feature: Likes and Dislikes

Likes: baby bunnies, pulling weeds, black olives, swim lessons, playing with friends, lawn mower tractor rides, The Ting Tings, Elmo videos, macaroni and soy cheese, chocolate soy milk, climbing up the step ladder

Dislikes: Chucky Cheese's Rat, sharing his toys, being told no, getting out of the bath, the monster truck ride at Chucky Cheese

A Lesson in Bike Safety

We had a bit of a scare at our house yesterday afternoon, but thankfully everyone is okay. We took The Boy out for a bike ride around the lake near our house. On one side of the lake, the trail is downhill and twisty, making it easy to hit speeds of 20+ mph. On one of the corners the bike trailer made its way off of the path a bit and upon re-entry, the trailer came up off the ground and rolled. It was incredibly scary to see, and could have produced serious injury if not for all the precautions we have taken.

We did a lot of research while shopping for the perfect bike trailer, and wanted the safest and most comfortable trailer for The Boy to ride in. We found the safest trailer on the market, and thanks to my dad's financial assistance we were able to afford it, The Trek Go Bug.

The roll cage on the Go Bug, saved The Boy's head from reaching the trail, though his helmet did make contact with the ground and rubbed a hole through the screen. The rest of the trailer that made contact with the trail is damaged, scratched and the fabric torn. The Boy did end up with a little scrape where his elbow made just a bit of contact.

While the event itself was incredibly scary, and caused us to spend the remainder of the day indoors getting through the emotions of such an event, everyone is safe. I wanted share this post with everyone, to encourage the use of helmet, even in a bike trailer. Accidents can happen, on the road and on a secluded bike trail. The Boy escaped serious injury because he was wearing his helmet properly!

This shows a bit of the damage to the trailer

Weeknight Recipe: BLTs

I'm sure that you don't need a recipe to make BLTs, but I thought that this could serve as a good reminder for an easy weeknight meal. I pick our tomatoes fresh from the garden and I add cheese (everything is better with cheese). For The Boy's sandwich I add a slice of veggie cheese. This week, he picked his sandwich apart and ate the contents separate and was much happier with the raspberries I offered, but it's worth a try... especially with the fresh tomatoes this time of year.

Chorebuster

My husband and I have frequently had the "who does more chores debates". I have now found a way to put an end to it and keep up on those chores that are easy to put off. It's called Chorebuster. Chorebuster is a free internet resource for organizing your chores and generating a calendar for your family to keep track of what's on the "to do list".

Each week I print out a calendar that includes checkboxes next to each chore, and tape it to the refrigerator door. The Boy is too young yet to have his own chore list, but I imagine that this will be a nice tool when he is able to pull his own weight around the house. It also includes an option of adding rewards to each chore, a handy resource for sure!

Weeknight Recipe: Pineapple Fried Rice

After someone gave me feedback on one of my recipes over at Minnmoms.com, I decided that there is indeed a need for sharing my quick weeknight recipes. So here is the first of many I hope:

Pineapple Fried Rice

2 diced chicken breasts
2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
1 can chunk pineapple
small can bean sprouts
1 cup frozen peas
1/2 cup chopped carrots
1 package Uncle Ben's 90 sec. microwavable brown rice
1 egg scrambled

1. Cook diced chicken in two tablespoons vegetable oil. Add soy sauce simmer 2 minutes.

2. Add pineapple, bean sprouts, peas and carrots, stir fry for 4 minutes, or until vegetables are soft.

3. Add microwaved brown rice to the pan.

4. Add scrambled egg, stir fry another 1-2 minutes until egg is cooked.

Horse Racing at Canterbury Park

Another cheap site to visit if you are from Minnesota is Canterbury Park. Cost of admission is $5 (we had a BOGO coupon). Sorry, I don't know what the age limit is on kids get in free, but The Boy is only 18 months, so his admission was free. He loved watching the horses race and there is plenty to do during the breaks in racing. Including a large outdoor park to play at, you can watch horses get their place ribbons or keep your eye on them in their stalls. And on Sundays there are free pony rides! August 17 and 31 are listed on their site as free admission days.

The kids don't even have to know that you sneak inside to bet your retirement savings on PUTYOURLEFTFOOTIN being riden by jockey Garcia. Indeed he has a good chance, the race program states "This horse should challenge the top choice for the lead and if Garcia can sprint to the lead he may have a chance at a wire to wire score."

You may not want to take my betting advice, although we did walk away with $1.20 in winnings!

Monday Feature: Likes and Dislikes

Likes: new books, Elmo, horses racing fast, telephones, playing hide and seek, the butterfly garden at Como Zoo, treats, veggie cheeseburgers, radios, stereo cords, metal tongs

Dislikes: being strapped in his stroller, going to sleep at night, being hungry, rain, petting puppies, staying in the bathroom with his toothbrush, being quiet in the library

Shh We're In the Library

I learned my lesson. The Ramsey Country Library is not the place for a toddler. I know, they have story hours, and maybe then it's okay for The Boy to screach at the top of his lungs, but even then I think those that are enjoy the solitude of the library are going to be quite annoyed, even if The Boy is one of the cutest you've ever seen.

I was looking for some titles that haven't shown up at Half Price Books, and thought I would give the library a try. The Husband and The Boy came along for the trip. We found a great Elmo video and some jazzy kids music for The Boy to try out, and for those first few moments he did okay. Then we headed of to the aisles of non-fiction for myself and The Husband. We attempted to beat record speed at the relay race of "I take the boy, you look, you take the boy I look" but we came in last. The relay race ended with me out in the parking lot with the boy while The Husband quickly checked out our less than perfect finds.

I will go back to the library for more CDs, DVDs and books for all of us, I'll just drop the boy off with a grandparent before I do it, for the next few months anyway. We'll give it another go come winter when The Boy knows what "shh... we're in the library" means.

Como Zoo

Yesterday a friend and I took our boys to Como Zoo. It was a beautiful afternoon, and because we showed up in the late afternoon, the park wasn't as crowded as usual, and the animals were at a very active time of day. The Boys went on the train ride (with moms right beside, of course) and had a blast. The tooted their horns the whole way around the track.

We also checked out the giant butterfly garden, it was a great spot to let The Boy explore, and he was even lucky enough to have a Blue Morpho land right on his leg, so he could get a very close look.

Besides the gas money it took to get there, not a dime was spent. My girlfriend bought the train ride, but the butterfly garden is free along with the rest of the park. (They do request a donation at the door, unfortunately I did have any cash on me, but usually donate a few dollars, it's worth it!)

Repeat after Me (or don't)

This morning while we were getting in a little play time before The Husband had to jet off to work, The Boy surprised us again. I don't remember what it was exactly that prompted The Husband to end a statement with "Oh My God" but he did. And like father, like son, so did The Boy: "ohmy ahd" or something close to that. I guess it's time to really start watching the words coming out of our mouths, because he's picking up on it, even when we think he's not listening.

Favorite Toddler Foods

I'm looking to add a little more variety in The Boys diet, but having a hard time finding new ideas. Here is what is on our menu a lot lately, what's on your's?

-rice
-mashed potatoes and sweet potatoes
-chicken
-beans (black)
-jelly sandwiches
-tacos
-chicken sausage with sundried tomatoes
-brocolli
-peas
-pizza (no cheese)
-soy yogurt
-carrots

Today for lunch The Boy had half a ham sandwich, sweet potatoes, and half a bagel with Tofutti. The last time he had this, he gobbled it up, today, he wouldn't eat the bagel. I can't keep up with his ever changing tastes.

Get Computer Time

Do you have to wait until nap time or bed time to read your blog roll, check your email, or do your online grocery shopping? It's usually what's happening in my house that allows me time to get online and post to my blogs. But every once in a while I check in to work email or upload photos with The Boy on my lap.

I can typically spend a few minutes on the laptop, if the main part of the screen is taken up with a You Tube video of old Sesame Street clips, particularly ones that have Elmo in a starring role. In the future I may use this as an alternative to buying dvds to buy time while I make dinner, etc.

Eats for Cheap

I'm stealing today! Instead of posting, I'm sharing this great resource for cheaper eats in the Twin Cities from the PiPress' Minnmoms.

Cheerios Challenge

Simply sign up for the Cheerios Challenge and get coupons for Cheerios! What Mom doesn't buy Cheerios?? Sign up here.

Typically we purchase Target's brand of "toasted o's" but these coupons may make Cheerios cheaper.

Monday Feature: Likes and Dislikes

Likes and dislikes from the week:

Likes:
airplanes, bike rides, sand, sunshine, his cousins, fig newtons, chicken nuggets, camping, the color red, pizza

Dislikes:
getting his hair cut, sitting still, cold water, being quiet in restaurants

A staycation...

The latest trend in vacationing has coined a new term, "the stay-cation". We had one of our own this weekend. We camped at Lake Elmo Park Preserve, and can't wait to do it again. The trip in total cost us $36 plus groceries, much less than we would have spent had we stayed home and found things to keep us busy all weekend. Lake Elmo Park Preserve is a wonderful spot to camp, the sandy-bottom pool, the many bike trails and playstructures kept us busy for two days.

One of our campmates turned us on to a new bonfire treat: Smores with Reeses Peanut butter cups instead of Hershey's Chocolate Bars... a tasty treat indeed. What do you roast over the coals at your bonfires?

Camping with Toddler

I don't have much time to write as we are heading off for another weekend of camping, this time in The Metro. However, I did want to share my sweet camping treat for The Boy that I am bringing along. Now that it's been berry time for a couple of weeks, and we've been stocking up on blueberries, strawberries, raspberries and blackberries we some times end up with more than we can eat. When the berries start to get mushy, I toss them into our Magic Bullet and puree them. I pour the pureed mixed berries in little plastic containers and stick them in the freezer. When we pack up the coolers, I toss a few of these inside, they help keep things cool, and they make a great summer treat for the boy. After spending a day or two in the cooler they end up being a real fruit slushy to be enjoyed on a hot summer day. Enjoy and have a great weekend.

Free Event: Sculpture Gardens

While returning from a Sunday trip to the Farmer's Market, we took The Boy to the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden. It was around 9 a.m. and besides one woman and her little boy, we were the only ones in the park. It was a great way to spend a morning, and The Boy took plenty of time to burn off energy running through the gardens. There is very little to get into trouble with and The Husband and I were able to take a leisurely stroll, while holding hands even.

Get out?!? you say? I know, since you've had kids when is the last time you had a free hand to grab on to your husband's? It seems my hands are always picking up toys, holding a book while I read, wiping boogers, or kept busy by any number of other child raising tasks to be done each day.

Banana bread recipe needed

Over the years I've mananged to foil every banana recipe I've tried. Once, I was so proud of the perfect loaf that came out of oven only to watch the insides splat on my cooling rack when I tipped it over to remove it from its pan. I did almost cry on this round. Last night's round was semi successful. The loaf looks pretty, the consistency perfect, flavor good, but unless you have a load of milk to wash it down it isn't so good. Why is my banana bread dry? Do you have the secret?

Does your sunscreen work?

A scary find today while I was on the Internets:

Does your sunscreen work? An investigation of nearly 1,000 brand-name sunscreen products finds that 4 out of 5 contain chemicals that may pose health hazards or don't adequately protect skin from the sun's damaging rays. Some of the worst offenders are leading brands like Coppertone, Banana Boat, and Neutrogena.

What sunscreen do you use? Does it contain harmful chemicals? Will you stop using it now?

Twin Cities best beach

The Husband, The Boy and I went to the beach yesterday. In our search for the perfect beach, we found Square Lake Park. The beach is clean, the staff friendly, the crowd managable, and the fun heaping. There are many steps to get down to the sand and it is five dollars to park (I'm sure this is what keeps the crowd managable). If you plan to frequent the beach often or other county parks, a Washington County park pass can be purchased for $25 to allow you access all year long, and the money supports your Washington County parks.

Nothing to do on Friday night?

Last Friday night we went to the City of North St. Paul. Every Friday night they block off their main street for a History Cruisers car show. St. Paul farmers set up a farmer's market stand, food venders sell State Fair fare, and people cruise the streets. It's a free event and is fun for the whole family. We were lucky enough to have a old fire truck among the '57 chevys whose owner fitted The Boy with a bright red Fire Chief's hat which he loved.

Thrifty mama

In the process of creating a blog for my family, I found that I really enjoyed writing, taking pictures, and filling our family and friends in on our adventures, and now I'd like to fill the world in on these same adventures. Which is why I created this new blog.

The Husband and I live together with our 18 month old boy in the Twin Cities metro area. We enjoy finding ourselves exploring the cities, and discovery new things to keep us busy.

The boy is having a wonderful summer shoveling sand at Square Lake, picking out sugar snap peas at the St. Paul Farmer's Market, helping his mom and dad to take care of the yard, spending mornings at the MN Zoo, and many more adventures that I plan to tell you about here.

Our family is also dabbling in a social movement known to most as The Compact. We have a slightly modified version that we are following, and are often finding ourselves, diverting from the plan. I am hoping that this log will help us to comply with our pledge whole-heartedly, but one can never tell.

Monday Feature: Likes and Dislikes

The Boy's Likes and Dislikes:

Likes:
playing with Mama's laptop, climbing on dining room chairs, playing with Daddy's watch, going bye-bye, bikes, watching the garbage truck, brushing his teeth, playing hide and seek

Dislikes:
spider bites, onions and following directions at swim lessons

What's in my vegetable garden

It's the time of year I love most: We have brought in the first crop from our garden. Tomatoes, banana peppers, jalepeno peppers, and grape tomatoes. I just love being able to pick direct from the garden and make delicious salads and blts... Mmmm Good!

Monday Feature: Likes and Dislikes

Likes and dislikes from the week:

Likes:
baseballs, split pea soup, tractors, great grandpa's puppy, boats, pizza and soy ice cream bars.

Dislikes:
green peppers, going night-night and not being able to crawl on the dining room table.

Landscaping on The Compact

I heart Twin Cities Free Market (TCFM). Even better than Craigslist, where you can find used stuff for cheap, TCFM is FREE!

The Husband was talking about putting edging in around some of our gardens and around the pine trees in the backyard and then filling them in with woodchips or rock. I reminded him of The Compact and I also felt sad about the thought of buying an enormous amount of plastic that perhaps someone else would be willing to get rid of.

And, that's when I started checking Craigslist, and after a few days wasn't having any luck. It was then that I was reminded of TCFM, and sure enough 350 feet of plastic edging someone wanted to get rid of, in our own city, no less. The recycler had looked all over, even went to the city to see how he could recycle this massive amount of plastic and was turned down. However, they did tell him to try posting it on TCFM. And this is how we ended up with 125 feet of just what we were looking for!

The pictures taken are just of the plastic placed on the ground, we have yet to dig in and make it a permanent part of our landscape. We'll do that whenever this rain stops and we start getting some June weather.

Now, I'm on the lookout for free rock or woodchips, I am so resourceful.

Our lives as Compact(ors)

Week 5 of our pledge not to buy anything new for a year:
The Compact pledge has gone well in our house thus far. We had purchased a few Mother's Day cards, because I was too lazy to make them, though our Father's Day cards will be hand made (I hope). The Husband also had a real need for new hiking shoes, and because hiking shoes count as an exception (they are a consider a health and safety item) we felt justified in making the purchase. Aside from these two buys, we have been dilligent about following the Compact.

So far this pledge has forced us to really think about the things that we want and need and how to get them. The Husband has not been as excited to take this journey as I have, but I think he is coming around.

I am in real need of summer clothing. Normally I would head out to the mall and make the purchases I need (want). However this pledge has forced me to find another way, and I have -- Savers.

Last Friday's Saver's Purchases All for $31.00:
Ann Taylor tank top (tag attached)
Abercrombie khaki shorts
Larry Levine black capri pants
Merona shorts (tag still attached)
Gap shoes for The Boy (like new, size 7 for this Fall or Winter)
Rugrats Puzzle (still in the wrapper)
Diggers and Dumpers book
Elmo's Takes a Picture book (with a little camera that flashes)
Tonka Tractors book

Did you hear that? Only $31.00!

Here is another local story about a family following The Compact.

The Compact

Have you heard of The Compact? It's a group of people from San Fransisco that started a social movement of sorts, last year. In 2007 they pledged to not buy anything new for one whole year.

The objective of the group:

To go beyond recycling in trying to counteract the negative global environmental and socioeconomic impacts of disposable consumer culture and to support local businesses, farms, etc.

To reduce clutter and waste in their homes.

To simplify their lives.

The main principles of the group are:

1. Not buy new products of any kind (with exception for sanitary and health reasons
2. Borrow, barter, or buy used

I've been thinking that this is something I would like to try, and for the past few weeks I've been trying to convince The Husband that this is something we CAN do, and might even have FUN doing. I'd like to add to my objective list, to save money. I imagine myself rolling around in a pile of dough like Scrooge McDuck after this year!!! Think we can do it?

I've been giving it a try for a few weeks now, and have done well. The only thing purchased new by our family were Mother's Day cards. The Husband had not agreed to the project yet (he still hasn't, but I'm working on him) and was convinced that the added stress of making cards was not something I needed to do, so he made the Target purchase.

Here is a story from the Star Tribune about a family from Waconia that gave it a try.