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