The Keurig Coffee Maker!

We have a Keurig at work and I LOVE IT! It makes the most perfect cup of coffee.  I usually drink Wild Mountain Blueberry by Green Mountain and it's so blueberry tasting.  I can't drink other coffees now. I found a giveaway on the Keeping the Kingdom First blog and thought I would share it with my readers.  HERE is the link to the contest.  It ends on May 1st so not much time left to get in your entries. Hurry over!

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Origin of a Name..

I was looking through some winery blogs today and discovered the origin of my last name.


The most widely-planted red wine grape in France is Carignan (sometimes spelled Carignane in the US, a.k.a. Carignano in Italy,Mazeulo in the Rioja or Cariñena in the rest of Spain). It is most frequently used for blending. On it's own, it is used to make inexpensive wine for everyday consumption. Carignan mostly produces wines that have high color, acidity, and tannin, without displaying much distinct flavor or personality and with very little unique appeal. (Learn more)


I've often wondered the origin of my last name.  Now, I know! 

So to sum up, I am a boring, everyday personality with very little unique appeal! 
(I hope not) LOL!

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Make a Baby Romper (Onsie) from a T-Shirt!

I am linking up to Cheaply Going Green's blog with this tutorial.

Make a baby/toddler Romper/Onsie from a t-shirt.  She has simple instructions with TONS of pictures.  Hope you find this as cool an idea as I did. I'm going to try and make a couple!

CLICK HERE to head over to her blog!

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Fluff Talk Thursday!

Cloth diapers! Earth Day! What a wonderful combination! 
Do you know how long a disposable diaper takes to completely degrade in a land fill?500 years! Yes, I said 500.  Did you know that? I can't imagine what people are going to think thousands of years from now.  
Do you know how long an average cloth diaper takes to degrade in a land fill? 0 years! I say 0 years because you can reuse them most times through multiple children.  Cloth diapers today are so simple to use and are extremely well made!
What cloth diapers have I tried and what do I think about them? (This is going to take a while.)
My first cloth diaper I ever tried was gDiapers but, I must admit they were not "cloth" they were still disposable diapers.  Well, not really disposable in the traditional sense of the word. gDiapers are hybrid cloth diapers.  They have a cloth diaper outside cover that is washable with an inside waterproof liner that houses a  disposable "pad".  These diapers really lead me down the path to modern cloth diapers I use today!

Next I made my own fitted diapers from adorable flannels. Love those and still use those today! I attempted a few covers on my own however, they did not fit very long and I found that they were made much better from a few WAHM I found on Etsy and eBay! I used these type of diapers for almost 5 months before I decided to try some pocket diapers.

My first pocket diaper was bumGenius.  I bought them from diapers.com and pretty much got them "free"! I was impressed with them, really, I was! I only had a couple so I would rotate them through my own made fitted and sometimes would use them as covers over the fitted ones. They worked great.  

Next I ventured into prefolds because I thought they were more simple and frankly, I wanted to see how they worked out.  Loved them too.  They are one of my favorite systems for out and about because they are more compact taking up much less space in my ever shrinking diaper bag! I purchased my prefolds on diaper swappers and got an awesome deal.  Mostly I use them folded in thirds and laid into whatever cover matches my daughters outfit for the day. I can usually get by with one cover since she really messes off the prefold.  Sometimes I need a bit more reassurance in the prefold's ability to hold in a particularly messy poop so, I Snappi it on then use a cover.

I discovered many other cloth diapers through entering contests on various blogs, winning a few.  I won FuzziBunz, GroBaby, Kissaluvs Marvels, Softbums and some Etsy made cloth diapers.  My favorite concept in cloth diapers it the GroBaby system however, it does not seem to hold in the messes for me and I have yet have to opportunity to use a cover more than once before washing it.  

My absolute favorite diaper is the Softbums diaper system.  they have an incredibly absorbent and soft snap in liner that is sort of double the absorbency when folded down in the front to fit your little one.  My favorite part of this system is that it is completely adjustable and usable form birth to potty training.  I have made this diaper small enough to successfully fit onto one of my daughters baby dolls that is slightly smaller than an average newborn.  The amazing drawstring adjustable elastics in the legs and cross over velcro make them so simple to use.  Also, they are super trim and fit under everything my daughter wears especially jeans! My only wish is to purchase more so I can fully use this system when out and about.  I just don't have enough liners to make it through a day out or I would! 
Now that I have briefed you on what is good about cloth diapers, head out and save the planet this Earth Day 2010 and consider changing your baby's diapers to cloth.  The planet and your babies bum will thank you! :o)

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Motherhood Monday 4/18

I've been following J. Leigh Designz blog for about a month or so. Recently, I started to follow her Motherhood Monday! This week, Jennifer asks about shower etiquette.  bring children that are not specifically invited on the invitation. You can view her post here.

My thoughts are:

As a Mom?

Everyone knows I have two young children. Since having children, when I am invited to a Bridal or Baby Shower I bring my kids.  It never dawned on me that they were "not" invited.  I guess I just assumed that even though they were specifically named on the invitation, they were welcome to go.  I guess I have always just thought no one would care that they were there.  They are pretty quiet for the most part and very well behaved.  I guess I always thought that everyone expected me to take them.  They are really young and there is really no one to watch them.  If the bridal or baby shower is on my side of the family, I would be able to leave them with my in-laws.  However, I know my family does not get to see them as often as I wish so, I take them.  I know my family would want to see them.  Likewise, a "party" on my husband's side leaves me without childcare.  I guess I have always thought everyone knew that.  Maybe they do? I'll continue to take them to bridal and baby showers because if I am close enough to the person that it is for or there family then I would expect they know that me kids go everywhere with "ME"!

As a Host?
I don't really care who brings who. My teenaged/twentyish nieces and nephews always bring a friend, boyfriend or girlfriend to functions I am hosting.  They don't usually ask and they are not usually specifically invited but, I don't care. My thoughts are the more the merrier.  I guess because I don't care who brings extra guests to my parties, I have never thought anything about bringing extra guests to other parties. This is not to say I would bring my kids to a party that is not appropriate for them.  I would never take them on a couples night out or to an adult only party.  Baby showers and bridal showers are not always adult parties. Yes, these showers are suppose to be about the honoree however, I've found most of the brides and mommy-to-bes LOVE having babies and little ones at there parties but maybe that's just the family I live in. I have truly NEVER had anyone upset at me for bringing them. However, I have had them get upset because I didn't bring them.

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Crispy Oven-Roasted Rosemary Chicken with Potatoes

Prep Time:
20 Min

Cook Time:
1 Hr

Ready In:
1 Hr 20 Min

Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 1/8 cup olive oil
• 2 1/2 pounds chicken pieces
• 1 pinch kosher salt to taste
• 2 pounds potatoes, cut into 1-inch chunks
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 1/2 tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves, chopped
• 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Prepare a large baking dish with cooking spray.
2. Pour the olive oil into a large skillet over medium heat. Brown the chicken pieces in the hot oil 7 to 10 minutes; season with salt while cooking; set aside and return the skillet to heat. Heat the potatoes in the skillet until lightly browned. Arrange potatoes and chicken in the prepared baking dish; season with salt and drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil; sprinkle with about half of the chopped rosemary.
3. Roast in the preheated oven 15 minutes. Turn each piece of chicken over and stir the potatoes. Sprinkle the remaining rosemary and the red wine vinegar over the dish; cook another 15 minutes.

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Giveaway Finds Week Ending 4/17

Here is what Mumma Tutu found during

Week Ending April 17, 2010

These Links will bring you to my blog posting 

from which, you may click to enter the giveaway 

should you so choose!
_________________________________________________________

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5QF'er Posting My Answers!

Found a cute blog follow today called Five Questions Friday at My Little Life!

Questions for today are:
1. Who would you want to play you in a movie of your life?
2. Did you ever go to summer camp?
3. What sends you running and screaming in the other direction?
4. What is something you do that drives your spouse nuts?
5. What is currently your favorite song?

So, here goes:

1. Who would play me in the movie of my life?
• My life is so interesting enough to make a movie.  No, really it is! I think I would want someone hot, skinny and sexy to play me like maybe Jennifer Aniston (spelling) but, once the producers saw me, I'd get Rosanne Barr! Ahh, she's alright I guess.  At least she would have my attitude!
2. Summer Camp? Did I "get" to go?
• Unfortunately (or fortunately whichever) I never went to summer camp.  My block was my summer camp. My parent's did really believe in all that send your kids away crap or maybe they were just too cheap? I always thought I missed out on something but, I would have probably been the outcast anyway which makes me happy my parent's didn't do such a thing to me!
3. What makes me run around screaming and ranting and sweating and heebie jeebering?
• Spiders... Need I say more!? Okay, not just spiders but really any creepy crawly with 8 or more legs! OK, yah spiders! Also, the treat that the person who killed it for me might actually try to put it's dead, smooshed carcass anywhere near me! God, I HATE spiders!
4. Do I really need to answer this question about what drives my husband crazy? Can't I just tell you what he does that drives me batty?
• I think everything I do and don't do drives him nuts.  If I wash the dishes, I didn't wash the floor. You know what I mean? Nothing seems to make him happy, I just ignore the signals... kind of... and that "what-did-you-do-all-day" question of his drives me batty! I got 2 kids running around this house like a band of hooligans tearing the place apart.  When it's "his day" with the kids and "my break", he does the laundry while "I" watch the kids and keep them entertained.  He goes shopping for things (anything) while "I" stay home and entertain the kids.  Hmmmm, I wonder why he can get so much done!?
5. What is my favorite song at the moment?
• Currently, my favorite song is pretty famous but not sung by anyone famous "yet".  I love listening to my 21 month old daughter sitting in her crib singing "Some Where Over The Rainbow". It's the most beautiful way to wake up in the morning.  She has such an adorably sweet voice.  If you could only hear it! Oh wait, you can sort of since I uploaded her and my son singing to this blog a while back!

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