22 pounds down!

I'm not exactly sure how it happened, since I've had a really bad couple of weeks with my diet. I got on the scale for my weigh-in this evening and somehow had dropped three pounds since my last weigh-in two weeks ago! This puts my total loss at 22 pounds. 20 pounds sounds like a huge milestone for some reason, but having lost the additional 2 also puts what I have left to lose at less than 30 pounds. It's an inspiring place to be because not only does that amount I've lost sound significant, but the amount left to lose seems doable. I am more energized than ever to push hard through the last month and achieve my goal for the competition. That's 10 pounds in 4 weeks. After that, there are just 18 to go. A little cleaning, a little decluttering, and I'll have met all of my requirements to start trying for our fourth (and what we plan to be our last) child. And then, I can also blog about something more interesting. :)

Flip Diaper Covers--When they say "one-size," they mean it!

I was upstairs and Isaac was almost asleep when he decided to tinker with his diaper and pull the tab off. I know it's lazy, but we didn't have any more diapers upstairs, and I didn't feel like going back downstairs, so I came up with a creative solution.

I haven't blogged much about it, but we put Naomi in cloth diapers sometimes. I probably should do them more often to get our money's worth, but one way I have tried to make them more economical is purchasing one-size-fits all covers. These snap into different configurations so that they grow with the baby, and can supposedly be used until potty training. You just need to buy new prefolds (the classic cloth diaper) to put inside the cover. I haven't been able to test this out, since Naomi obviously isn't at her largest diaper size yet.

I bet you can guess where this is going. I didn't want to waste Isaac's diaper, and I had an extra Flip diaper cover left, so I just unsnapped it to its largest size and tried it on. It fits! And Isaac is no ordinary-sized 2-year-old, either. He's about in the 98th percentile. So it looks like we will be getting our money's worth out of these covers.

Bento: Manly bentos and more

So the past two days I have packed bentos fit for a king--or at least a dude. I started out with just about the manliest thing I can think of: a big hunk of beef. Actually, it was a three-pound chuck roast from the quarter of freezer beef we bought late last summer. I cooked it up in the crock pot on Tuesday, then chopped it up and divided it in three. The first portion went to make beef and noodles (whole wheat egg noodles, since I'm on this health kick). This went into Nate's bento for today, layered over two mashed potatoes, and served with a side of corn. I gave him Rainbow Chips Deluxe for dessert.

For dinner tonight, we had more beef. I had a craving for French dip subs, but in my usual fashion, I didn't have all of the ingredients. I was missing crusty bread. Also characteristic of me, I thought, "No biggie! I'll just make some." I also had no yeast, so I Googled for "no yeast crusty bread" and ended up at this recipe for Irish Soda Bread. It seemed simple enough and I set to work. No sooner had I measured out four cups of flour than I realized that I also had no baking soda. Levi emptied the entire box last week thinking it was candy or something. Soda bread with no soda?! I decided to give it a go with baking powder (triple the amount). Somehow, the stuff turned out surprisingly well. It was dense and moist, with a nice, crispy crust. Now I can't wait to get started on Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day!

I made the bread in 2 loaves instead of a round so I could use it for sandwiches. I sliced the pieces in half and topped them with some of the roast and muenster cheese, then toasted them in the oven for about 5 minutes. I served it with bowls of leftover juices from the roast. The crispy bread absorbed the juices and om-nom-nom! Delicious is an understatement. It wasn't as bad as you'd think on the calories either. The bread has almost no fat in it, and the entire sandwich, including 1/3 pound of beef has only about 400 calories. Without the chips, this would have been fairly diet-friendly.

Nate really enjoyed his too, so I packed him another for tomorrow's lunch. I included the rest of the "jus" in one of Naomi's baby food cups. He also gets the familiar celery and carrots and some Rainbow Chips deluxe, and I threw in a bag of chips on the side. This lunch is so un-bento. It's full of processed, bad-for-you foods, but oh well. It's manly, it's tasty, and it won't embarrass my hubby.

Bento: No more hearts!

A while back, I defined my bento style by saying that I wouldn't make something so cutesy that a 30-year-old man would be embarrassed to take him to work. Apparently I have crossed the lines with the hearts and his co-workers are starting to talk, so it's serious, manly bentos from now on. Well, except for his birthday. I have interesting plans for that. ;)

So here is my last bento with a cute little heart cutout. It contains: Ham and mild cheddar on whole grain white bread; potato chips; red seedless grapes; carrot sticks; Hershey's miniatures.

And also, while I was making my own lunch, life threw me a little bonus, as if to make up for the cuteness I'll be missing in my bentos. I made us some cheddar melts with tomato, onion, and ranch dressing. When I cut into the onion, the inner rings were shaped like little hearts. It was so cute that I had to take a picture of the toasted melt before I placed the top slice of bread. Awww!

Temptation

Well, just a week from the end of NaBloPoMo, I have failed once again. After I totally spaced Saturday's posting, I got frustrated and skipped Sunday's as well. Now recently, I discovered you can change the posting date to something else, and I could change the dates of two posts to make it look like I kept up, but I won't cheat. It will mean more to me when I actually do this thing legitimately.

I also have fallen behind badly on my diet. I did fine at McDonald's Saturday, but then our day at the museum was a bit of a disaster and we were so exhausted on the way home, we decided to stop for dinner, too. And we stopped at Penn Station. I was full after eating half of the sandwich and was prepared to set the rest aside, but it was so darn good that I couldn't stop. That and it was comforting. I admit it. Food is a huge comfort for me, and the past few days have been the kind that made me want to drown my sorrows in caffeine, sugar, and rich chocolate cake. It was tempting not to record all of this at The Daily Plate because it's embarrassing how much I ate, and quite frankly, is a lot of work to enter all of that food! But I did it anyway, and the calorie totals were staggering. What's even more frightening is that I used to eat like that all the time! It's no wonder I gained about 40 pounds in five years. Actually, I can't believe I didn't gain more.

Today, it's back on the horse. Not much damage has been done. I can try NaBloPoMo next month, and tomorrow, I'm back to my normal calorie limit. Wednesday evening will find me chugging away at the Y. Before long, who knows? Maybe I'll even end up getting organized!

My "dieting" philosophy

Today we return to the topic of weight loss, since all the others have been exhausted. I'm hoping to hit the 20-pound mark next Monday, although I'm not sure if I'll make it or not. The past week or two have been abysmal. Well, actually, I have lost a little (less than a pound each week), so it hasn't been too bad, but I feel myself slipping off track a bit. Even so, my daily calorie totals haven't exceeded maintenance level more than once.

For me, I find that it helps to see calories much like currency. I give myself a daily allowance, and I am allowed to spend that in whatever way I chose. If I want to have a Hershey bar as an afternoon snack, I just have to eat less for lunch or dinner. This way, I never deny myself anything, so it doesn't feel like dieting. On the flip side, sometimes I opt for the more healthful option simply because I can eat more of it. I could have an apple, a string cheese stick, and five saltines for the same amount of calories as are in that Hershey bar. That's practically a mini meal! Tomorrow, we plan to travel out of town, and we are supposed to be eating fast food on the way. Hopefully I can find some good, filling choices.

On a side note, I found a new tasty item that is "economical," calorically anyway: the Pacific Shrimp Soft Taco at Taco Bell. They are zesty, flavorful, and two of them make a nice little meal for under 400 calories.

And with that, I will say good night before I pass out asleep on the keyboard.

Daylight freaking savings!

I've been writing a lot about bento, so I'll give it a rest for a today. That, and I packed Nate tuna casserole for tomorrow and not only is it not photogenic, but he doesn't want it. I guess he doesn't want to heat stinky things in a public microwave. Whatever. I'll gripe about daylight saving time instead.

I know daylight savings is supposed to be a good thing. I am all about supporting businesses, and I honestly hope that it's helping their productivity, but it sure isn't helping our family's internal clocks.

In order to help the kids get tired, I thought I'd try physical exercise. Today, I took them outside for about an hour to enjoy the weather. Naomi was getting a little chilly by the end, so we snuggled up in my jacket and nursed for a while. The boys would have stayed out all day if I could have let them, but they can't stay out alone. They spent a lot of time in the sandbox and a little pushing around the bubble mower and poking a dead squirrel with a stick. Don't worry, I warned them not to touch it, hence the use of the stick.

The exercise worked, too. They took nice naps this evening and woke up right around 8 p.m. This made bedtime a little tricky. Finally, about midnight, I tried counting quietly to help Isaac relax. Little by little, he began settling down. By the time I reached 750, his breathing had deepened, and I thought he'd fallen asleep, so I stopped. About 30 seconds later, a little head popped up and he asked "What happened?" And so we made it to 1000.

Bento: Beef Manhattan

I felt really bad about packing Nate that mystery meat the other day. He ended up having a business lunch, so he didn't eat it until today. It turns out, the crackers had gone soft and the meat tasted a bit tinny. To make things worse, I found that he had comisserated about said mystery meat with a co-worker whose wife has been known to pack steak and lobster--in the same lunch! Oh, the shame.

I am hoping that tomorrow's lunch makes up for it. This may be one of the less attractive lunches I've put together thus far, but it promises to be tasty. The entree is packed in two separate compartments, the gravy in the top left, and the rest in the larger area at the right. The "rest" includes toasted whole grain white bread, layered with mashed potatoes and slices of beef chuck roast. The gravy is nicely congealed (is there such a thing?), so it should travel well. He'll just need to heat it and pour the gravy over the whole deal. With, it I packed the familiar side of carrot and celery sticks. I am also sending a cup of butterscotch pudding. This should be the last of the crappy phone camera pics, as I found my charger today. Yay!

Hurry scurry!

Yikes! I am barely going to make it in time for tonight's deadline. Thanks, Laura, for reminding me and keeping me on track. I don't have much news anyway. Let's see: I ironed something for the first time in about 3 years today, only to learn that I am not speaking in front of the library board until next month. Also, I only lost 0.6 pounds at this week's weight. Ah, well. At least the February-March "birthday season" is over in my family. We should be cake-free until Memorial Day weekend. Oh, and speaking of birthdays, I finally got my presents from Nate: a Legend of Zelda t-shirt (which I need to alter since it's a men's XL) and the book Healthy Bread in 5 Minutes a Day. Both could provide for some interesting blogging. I guess I did have some news after all. :)

Bento: Sweet canned meat

You might think the title of this blog is oxymoronic, and you might be right. However, around our house, it's been a couple of weeks since we did major grocery shopping, so I have the fun of working from our pantry stash. Sometimes this helps me come up with creative dinner ideas. Other times, such as this time, I end up doing something silly like packing canned meat in my husband's lunch. This particular variety is supposed to be "corned beef," so I am thinking of doing some semblance of a Reuben for the kids and me tomorrow. Nate doesn't like Reubens, so I had to think of some way to make his corned beef-ish stuff more appealing. Of course! Everything is better cut into cute little heart shapes. So here is it. I have lost the battery charger to my camera again, so you'll have to settle for a crappy camera phone pic. This lunch includes: shortbread heart cookies; woven wheat crackers; tangelo sections; hard boiled eggs, "corned beef" from a can, cut into little heart shapes. Who knows? He might just like it!

Sweet celebration!

Today was pretty great. I woke up early to breakfast in bed, prepared by my husband. Because of daylight savings, the kids slept an hour late. This gave us time to finish preparing for my in-laws' visit. The house is now cleaner than it's been since we got everything moved in last July. Make no mistake, toddlers still live here, so it's not immaculate, but it's good enough for now. We made a giant leap this weekend and will be making baby steps until it's all done. Somehow, I think it's going to work this time.

After they arrived, we enjoyed a nice dinner of beef chuck roast, mashed potatoes and gravy, and sweet corn--a simple, hearty meal that is one of my favorites--topped off with birthday cake. I mentioned giving them a list, which included several types of chocolates as examples of what I like. It turns out, they got me all of them. I also got some nice herbal teas and a scented oil candle, which I will try out once I find a place high enough to set it that the boys can't reach. So far, despite having 10-foot ceilings, these places are few and far between.

Most of all, I ended up getting what I've wished for every holiday since I've had a home of my own: a clean(ish) house. If we can keep it that way, I am well on my way to having everything I've ever wanted.

The last birthday I plan to celebrate

No, I'm not thinking morbidly (although that's not altogether unlike me). Sure, I'll get older. I just don't know if celebrating it is worth the effort. I mentioned in passing that last Monday was my birthday, and it was rather uneventful. I had a nice dinner and some yummy strawberry cake with my parents on the previous Friday. Tomorrow, Nate's parents are coming to give me my gift. I invited them over, knowing full well that the house was a wreck, and thinking that would give us motivation to clean up a bit. Also, since they're already bringing me a gift, I felt it would be rude to invite myself over there.

Today, when I wasn't at Nina's baby shower (congrats, Nina!), was spent marathon cleaning our downstairs in preparation for their visit. There was also the task of finding something I want. Easy, right? Not really. First, she wants to get me something "for me." This is with the best of intentions, because I think she feels I'm being a martyr, but I truly prefer practical gifts. For example, I would love a panini press, but I'm not supposed to ask for that because cooking is something I have to do. I don't have time to go out shopping for myself, so I am resigned to asking for mostly food items (e.g. herbal teas, chocolates). I also put a couple of gift cards on the list, but I know those are also frowned upon. I really appreciate the gift, but the asking itself is exhausting.

So that's it. If you want to wish me a happy birthday, you had better have done it on my 27th. Next year, I think I'll just wake up and be 28 and let that be the end of it.

Power outage

I had forgotten how light it is in the city at night until I came home to find my electricity down. Apparently, my street is the dividing line for the outage, and my house just happens to be on the wrong side of it. Thanks, neighbors across the street, for leaving all your lights on so I could see to get into the house. The kids were pretty spooked at first, but I found that once I opened some of the doors to the bedrooms, there was a bluish glow coming from outside. It was enough to find my way around anyway. Also, Nate had his iPod to use as a flashlight, and of course we have light from the laptop screens, at least as long as the batteries hold out. Everyone is now tucked into bed. It's kind of peaceful, really. Should we still be out tomorrow, this house great natural lighting.

I am writing this in Text Edit, using what charge is left in my laptop battery, and hoping that power--and my Internet--will be restored in time to post for NaBloPoMo. Too bad the "citywide" wireless only works in about 8 select parking spaces scattered around town. As midnight approaches, I fear I will lose out over a silly technicality.

I made it! Apparently, Blogger is on Pacific time, so I'm actually even early. Yay!

Bento: Homemade chocolate pudding

I have seen these adorable mini puddings in several people's bentos and, since pudding is one of Nate's favorite desserts, I wanted to try them. Too bad they seem to be sold out everywhere online. Anyway, I decided to make my own version. The pudding is Chocolate Cornstarch Pudding made from scratch, which is super easy, but involves every bit of one's attention. Keeping little people from climbing onto my counters and emptying out my pantry distracted me from constantly stirring, which resulted in a lumpy pudding. Oh well. It was still tasty. I crumbled Oreos on top of one of my servings, and that camouflaged the texture nicely. I was planning to do this for Nate, but found that he had already polished off the Oreos the night before. So pffffttt to him.

Anyway, back to the bento. You may recognize the little pudding cup from a couple weeks back. That is one of the 2 ounce screw-top containers I use to freeze and store baby food. The lid wouldn't fit inside the lunchbox, but the pudding was set enough to stay put. Also included are: strawberry shortbread cookies (a post-Valentine's Day sale item at Aldi), radishes, carrot and celery sticks, thin-sliced turkey and cheese on a whole wheat sandwich thin.

Finally a TV birth worth watching!

Since we only get TV online (no cable or satellite here), I get much of my entertainment from Hulu.com. That's how I started watching The Office--it's not like I didn't like it before, but maybe I had a schedule conflict or something. Online, I can watch anytime. But I digress.

I have been following the show for a few months now, and I was excited to see Pam giving birth to her and Jim's baby. Still, I figured it wouldn't cover much new ground. The expectant parents would arrive at the hospital, and the wife would be wheeled to the delivery room in a wheelchair, where she would obediently hike up her legs in stirrups. Then she would crush her confused husband's hand as she screamed through a few contractions before delivering what appeared to be a 2-month-old baby. Afterwards, the baby would be whisked away to the nursery, where the awaiting family would look in adoringly through a window. I figured that I would watch like usual and grumble about the false image TV gives to childbirth.

Surprisingly I found that the show represented many natural parenting techniques, honestly and with good humor. One thing that was different was that they didn't show anything from the delivery room at all. Kelly mentioned epidurals in one of the "documentary" type shots, but that was anecdotal, and nothing was said about how Pam gave birth. You could hear her from outside, and from the way she was moaning, I assume that she went mostly natural. Still, it was a nice touch, I think, to leave that out and let viewers imagine what was happening.

I was also pleased to see that the baby roomed in and that the Halperts chose to breastfeed, even when it wasn't always easy. This introduced another very real issue: know-it-all nurses. Their nurse just wouldn't give up with the "Why don't you let me take her to the nursery and give her a bottle so you can rest?" talk, and even made smart aleck remarks about how bottles don't hurt babies. Maybe not, but why challenge the parents' authority to make decisions for their own child, especially when that decision is clearly the better choice from a medical standpoint? It's beyond me, but I know firsthand that it happens. Pam and Jim stood their ground so well, too. They didn't pretend that breastfeeding is all peaches and cream, but they did show how rewarding it can be. When Pam finally succeeded, I will admit, I teared up a little. I'd like to see how the show explores the issue once she goes back to work.

I don't mean this as a judgment on moms who made different choices, but it's sure nice to see a TV show giving exposure to natural parenting, hopefully helping these practices become more mainstream. I say "Bravo!" to The Office for producing one of the more honest, relatable, and touching birth episodes I've ever watched.

Whole wheat mini bagels: bento and beyond

The other night, I was feeling a bit overwhelmed with the kids and all, so Nate kicked me out of the house for a bit to unwind. I decided to go to Aldi--maybe it doesn't sound like much of a night out, but I had forgotten just how cool that place is!

They had great deals on a lot of things, including whole wheat mini bagels. As I lose more weight, my calorie limit drops lower and lower, so one thing I have done is substitute mini bagels for regular size. I figure I'm cutting calories at least in half. The other cool thing is that you get a whole truckload in a bag, so I've had a chance to try some different ways to eat them. Of course, there is the old breakfast standby, cream cheese and jam. But bagels are great for lunch, too! The minis fit perfectly in Nate's lunchbox, so I whipped him up some open-faced turkey melts. They're just thin sliced turkey and cheddar toasted for a few minutes in the oven. If I were making them for myself, I would have added tomato, Ranch dressing, and red onion, but we'll get to my lunch later. I also packed a tangelo, mini chocolate sandwich cookies, and licorice bites. He ate the whole thing.

For myself and the boys, I came up with another little treat. It's surprisingly filling for its size, and only has about 190 calories. Add a nice garden salad or some fresh fruit, and you have a low-cal, nutritious, and satisfying lunch.

Beefy Bagel Sandwich with Cucumbers

Ingredients:

• 1 whole wheat mini bagel
• 1 tablespoon Neufchatel cheese (or cream cheese--it's not so bad in this small of a quantity)
• About 1/4 teaspoon of salt-free seasoning (I used a generic comparable to Mrs. Dash)
• Thin-sliced beef (e.g. Carl Buddig or Land O' Frost), about half of a 2 oz. package
  
• 4-5 thin cucumber slices
• Thinly sliced red onion to taste

Lightly toast the bagel. Spread Neufchatel cheese on the top half of the bagel, then sprinkle with salt-free seasoning. Arrange beef, cucumber slices, and red onion on the bottom half. Put the halves together and enjoy!

If dieting always tastes this good, I may just waste away to nothing.

Biggest Loser: Halfway there!

Today marks the halfway point for my workplace's Biggest Loser contest. As of this evening at 5, I had lost 18 pounds! I am now lighter than my high school weight (senior year at least), although there is still a long way to go. My goal is closer to my middle school weight.

I did convince Nate to take some progress pics (possibly out of guilt, because it's my birthday and he has yet to get me anything--even a card!), so I'll share them a little later this evening. and I'll share them now. Be warned, after 18 pounds, it still ain't pretty. I think my baby pooch sticks out even worse than before! Also, my back and butt look weird in the profile because I tucked my shirt in to try to capture my general outline. Apparently Nate didn't think to tell me this (or to focus the camera, for that matter). Don't get me started on him. That's an whole other post--nay, a whole other blog. Here are the pics (I included the previous pics side by side for comparison).

Mommy's little neat freak

I bragged on Levi several days ago, so I figure I should be fair and brag on the other two. The next in line, age-wise, is Isaac. He is a cute, cuddly, 34-pound 2-year-old with a real eye for detail. His strength is anything technical. Despite being younger, he usually figures out how toys work before Levi does. He has also figured out many of our electronics, such as the TV, which he nonchalantly turns off whenever someone is watching something he doesn't want to watch. Give him a piece of paper and a pencil (which he holds like a pro), and Ikey will be content to draw for hours--mostly helicopters. His drawings have an incredible amount of detail for his age. No, the outside observer might not recognize them as helicopters, but if you watch him draw, you can clearly see him form the body, tail, and blades. He fills entire papers with tiny drawings. Along the same lines, he seems to be pretty good at "math." With encouragement, he can count into the teens, and he gets especially excited about 20.

He is also a bit of a neat freak. Where he picked that up, I'll never know. He can't tolerate doors being left open, and when he spills, he immediately reaches for the nearest piece of fabric to clean it up (sometimes this is a t-shirt, but it's the thought that counts, right)?

And more than anything in the world, he loves his Mommy. I don't know if it's because he was slightly premature, or because we nursed forever or what, but we are joined at the hip. If I'm sitting, I can almost guarantee that he will crawl into my lap and cuddle or give me a big sloppy kiss.

That's my Ikey!

ETA: He drew a wonderful helicopter this morning, so I updated with a picture.

Instant gratification

In case you saw the first round of "weekly" weight loss progress pics, you way be wondering what happened to the other 7 weeks. The truth is, I never took them (or had Nate take them). I don't know why. Maybe there is a mental block because I am afraid that I won't look any different--or maybe I'm just lazy. Anyway, we are halfway through the contest now, so I really ought to be posting some by the beginning of next week.

Tonight, I got curious about what I might look like after having reached my target weight. I had played around with My Virtual Model before when my mom and I were "trying on" clothes at L.L. Bean's website. It's a pretty helpful little tool. You enter a few details like your height, weight, and frame, then choose facial features, hair, and skin color. The last time I tried it, I came up with a model that vaguely resembled me. I found the site again, and now you can actually add your own face to the model. Now she looks a little more like me, except her face has a strange blue cast from my webcam. It was fun nonetheless. The site allows you to try on clothes from various retailers and see prices, etc. First I tried on a bunch of different outfits, which was so much fun--kind of like paper dolls. Then I dressed her up in something pretty similar to the clothes I usually wear and started playing with her weight. I'll post the three side-by-side for comparison. The first picture is at my beginning weight, the second is where I am now, and the third is my target weight.

I really hope that I actually have made as much of a difference as this shows. In that case, I'm not so afraid to post progress pics. Now if I can only get down to that "after" weight ...

She who cuts her own hair ...

... has a fool for a barber. I heard this saying from a friend at work, and based upon most of my home hair-cutting endeavors, I would say she was right. Knowledge of this doesn't stop me from trying. For one, I am a cheap-wad, and I flinch at paying even $20 for a haircut. Also, going to a salon simply takes too much time. I cut my own bangs in November and got compliments on the look, so I decided to tackle it. With a lot of help from this YouTube video (thanks, JayJay!), I was able to pull off a decent cut. Maybe I'm a fool, but this fool just got $20 richer!

Why "Blue Colored Glasses?"

So I looked at my post from yesterday, and according to the time stamp, I posted it on March 3. Maybe it counts from the time I opened the editor window. That means I'm still in the running for NaBloPoMo! Sweet! I don't have much else to blog about (no bento today since Nate is off tomorrow!), so I thought I would share a draft that I wrote several months ago. Orignally, this was from the time I decided to name my blog "Cornflower Cottage," before Googling it and learning that a blog by the same name already exists--a pretty cool blog, I might add. This explains the name of the blog and a little background about me and my family. When appropriate, I have added necessary updates in brackets.

I had to rethink my previous blog title (Spencerville, Population 4) for several reasons. The most obvious reason is that our family's population is now 5! As much as I love my boys, I am thankful for another female presence in the house. She hasn't changed our "routine" much, as she is a very calm baby.

Also, the name "Spencerville" implied an independent community, which we were when we lived in the country. Since my last posting, we have relocated to town. This puts us closer to both of our workplaces. We also somehow also have a nicer, bigger house and a cheaper mortgage. You really can't beat the cost of living here! The only thing we are giving up is our huge yard, but there are some advantages to that (i.e. mowing takes 20 minutes here).

So why "[Blue-Colored Glasses]?" That has to do with our new (old) home. It's sort of a Victorian cottage, although I don't know if I've ever seen one shaped exactly like this. We have great woodwork, an open staircase, high ceilings, and tall windows that give provide perfect natural light. The outside also has some great details, including half-round siding in the gables and a really cute, quirky paint color--[a blue that is almost neon, really]. This new house is the key to the life we have always wanted. We were able to leave a lot of our clutter behind and start afresh (we're still struggling with that, but it's getting better every day). Moving here also allowed us to save money on the mortgage and energy bills, which means I am able to work very part time and stay home with my kids during the day. Better yet, when the time comes, I will be able to homeschool. [Living in this old house has allowed me to see things in a more hopeful light--you might say, through "blue-colored" glasses.]

I am excited about building this new life, and my goal is to write about it here regularly. First and foremost, this blog is my outlet. If it happens to entertain or inspire someone, that's great. If not, I've still accomplished what I set out to do.

Failed NaBloPoMo ... again ...

Well, this is aggravating. I had really planned to stick with it this month. For me, it is still Wednesday (I almost always stay up until 1 or 2), but I think my time stamp will disagree. Oh well. Maybe next month.

Today, I am going to break tradition and actually post a bento for the second day in a row! I was a bit concerned that they were all starting to look alike. I don't have much creative license within Nate's likes and dislikes. Interestingly, it was one of his preferences that sparked me to do something different. It's been a couple weeks since my last Meijer expedition, so I asked him what he thought of peanut butter and jelly. Ha! Apparently, to him, that is a mere snack. He told me he would just take some pizza rolls. I gave him the pouty face and mentioned that pizza rolls aren't quite a well-rounded meal. We reached a compromise, wherein I was able to use my smallest Lock & Lock and pack him some sides and a dessert. I think it came out cute, and it's idea I may use more often. Again pardon the retro-creepy photo. This mini-bento includes: Carrot and celery sticks; mini Babybel cheese, unwrapped and cut in half; yellow cake topped with strawberries.

Ham & Swiss Quesadilla Bento

I thought it was was about time I posted another bento. Work schedules have been a little crazy in the past few days, but today, baby girl fell asleep in her high chair, giving me some much-needed time to scrub down the kitchen. A nice, clean kitchen inspired me to make Nate a bento.

I need to start making and photographing these earlier in the day. The poor lighting in the evening means I have to play with brightness and contrast, making the photos look really bizarre--like something out of a retro cookbook.

Today's bento includes: Rainbow Chips Deluxe; Mini Babybel cheese; carrot and celery sticks; red grapes; ham and swiss "quesadillas" on whole wheat tortillas. I tried to cut hearts in the tortillas, thinking the pink ham would show through and look cute. In retrospect, I would cut the hearts before assembling the quesadillas and arrange them so that whatever showed through was, in fact, attractive. Chances are, he won't even notice.

Mommy Tools Monday: Stay-Fresh Baby Food Containers

How much does a jar of baby food go for these days? I have heard around 75 cents, although I haven't priced it lately. Ouch! I honestly don't know how people afford to use it all the time. I have used it a handful of times and even have a jar or two stashed for an emergency. However, with the right tools, making homemade baby food is quick and easy, and holds several advantages over store bought:

• It's cheaper. A whole bag of frozen peas costs only $1. That will make about 16 ounces of puree--a huge savings!
• I know exactly what I'm putting into my baby's mouth. I can lightly steam the veggies and fruits, retaining more nutrients than if they were canned. I freeze my food, so it needs no additives or preservatives.
  
• It helps kids develop their palate. Often times, I can just mash or blend things the rest of the family is eating to feed to baby. This way, they are exposed to a wide range of tastes. Also, since it tastes so good, it gives babies a good first impression of veggies. To this day, my older two kids eat just about everything--except, in the case of my oldest, meat. Interestingly, I did not feed him much meat as a baby.
  

Now that I've sung the praises of home made baby food, I should get around to the tool I was supposed to be sharing: Stay-Fresh Baby Food Containers by One Step Ahead. I have made my own food for all three babies, and I wish I'd had these with my first two. I simply bake or steam whatever food I want to puree, run it through the blender, pour into these handy, two-ounce containers, and pop it into the freezer. They are microwave, freezer, and dishwasher safe. For those who are concerned about it, they are also BPA-free. The lids screw on (my mom commented how hard they were to remove before I informed her of this fact), and the containers attach to one another (kind of like Legos). Once I am through making baby food, they will be handy for all sorts of other uses--snacks, Nate's lunches, storing small items, etc. At $9.95 per dozen, you really can't beat the deal!

Oh, and one more bonus tool: for tips on making and freezing baby food, visit http://www.wholesomebabyfood.com/