Easiest Cookies in the World.

Oh my gosh Mommy. Oh my gosh.

My personal assistant and I love to make cookies. The measuring and dumping is just so fun. (We sing a song about it. We enjoy it that much.) Sadly, it turns out my life long digestive issues are due to an egg allergy. Surprise! And I am beginning to suspect he has one too. So I am learning how to bake all over again. Lucky for you, I invented a two ingredient cookie recipe that you can whip up in ten minutes flat. Even with your personal assistant helping.

Once a month: May 2013

So for those of you who want meal ideas, and for my own future reference, I thought I would try to post my monthly meal plan and shopping list. I am not going to go all out like I did on the first once a month series because it's too draining. Groceries are not super exciting, and I am exhausted after a day spent shopping and prepping, but I am happy to report that dinner for the next five weeks is

D-O-N-E

done, done, done.

Weekend Project - Homemade All-Purpose Cleaner

I have been brewing (literally) a non-toxic all purpose cleaner.  This process has lasted about a month and I have mixed feelings.

1-2-3

ABC, simple as Do Re Mi!  Yes I have the Jackson Five in my head today.  Remember when your baby was so small and you started to teach numbers?  Your baby looked at you with those wondering eyes, as deep as the sea, knowing that you were the smartest person on the planet.  And then...

The Humpty Dance

This post is not about THAT Humpty Dance, or the other one. It's about making my Personal Assistant his very own Humpty Dumpty doll. So no juicy tidbits here...but I will admit to singing and dancing to a ridiculous made up song while I ironed Humpty's parts, and announced to the Hubster (who was doing his best to ignore me and watch some sport game called "March Madness". Whatever.) Look at me! I'm doing the Humpty Dance!" (I was not doing the Humpty Dance, I am not that cool.)

Earth Day Play Day

I love natural playgrounds. I am crazy about them. They offer so many befits for kids and the environment. As a designer, I also love that they can blend into the landscape, which is perfect in my postage stamp back yard. Read after the jump to see how I transformed a corner of the yard into a natural playscape on the cheap.

Weekend Project - Homemade Glass Cleaner

My first project, after ditching all of  my cleaners, was to never clean again was to find a recipe for homemade glass cleaner.  In the interim, counters could be cleaned with soap and water, but not the glass.  We have windows within our 4-year-old's reach, two sets of sliding glass doors, and a floor-to-ceiling mirror in the dining room.  I NEED something to tackle those fingerprints.

I couldn't be a mom without coffee

Have you ever desired or needed something so much that you made a fool of yourself in front of others?  I'm about to.  You'll have fun because you'll either know what I mean, or, because you'll know that I know I'm an idiot.  Don't worry, I don't begrudge schadenfreude.

"Found" Food

What if I told you that you could make a meal for your family for under $2, would you believe me?

Bad Mother Guppy

Today I am a bad Mom. A really bad, angry, frustrated Mom.

Weekend Project - Cleaning Product Purge

Remember Mr. Yuk?  My husband wears his Mr. Yuk T-shirt ironically, but I still remember the creepiest commercial on TV.   Ever.

Futility

I have no pictures this time.  I only offer my exasperation.  You wouldn't want pictures anyway.

About three times a week I remind my 4-year-old boy to watch the whole time he pees.  The whole time.  Do not get distracted by shiny objects.  Do not dance.  Do not sing.  Do not try to do pilates.  Just pee straight into the toilet and nowhere else.

And about three times a week I clean up a pee-swamp from behind the toilet.

I have instituted rules that have failed immediately:

Serious Sides

 

 

 

 

 

We froze some entrees, yes. But that is not all we can do, oh no that is not all...

Prep your way to happiness, part deux.

As I write this, it has been a week since my grocery trip, and I finally have some room in the freezer to stash a lasagne. Since lasagne from scratch is time consuming, I made two. One for the meal of the day, and one for the freezer.

One thing that makes me happy, and makes my life easier, is this chalk board I painted on the door to our basement. I write the menu for the week so I know just what needs to happen each morning without having to think. Because, let's face it, thinking in the morning is HARD.

There is even room at the bottom for my personal assistant to make some notations about things and stuff. Keeps him busy occasionally.

Weekend Project - Granola

As mentioned in my "About Us" introduction, usually I like recipes that are long and complicated.  Good recipes are like favorite songs, you feel the rhythm in your body and get lost in the details.

However, sometimes I like a good recipe that whips up easily, and is forgiving of "mistakes", especially if it is one I make often.  Jen's recipe for homemade yogurt is something I'm excited to try, since I recently began to make my own granola.  It started as an experiment, "Can I be a person who makes granola?"

Creation

I love making toys and games out of garbage, or scraps, or bits. My son has an inspiration and I try to facilitate. "My Nutcracker man needs a lady robot to play with, mama!" Well, I've got Styrofoam, coffee stirring sticks, and bubble wrap...let's spend the afternoon making a robot in the sunshine because I'm a "great mom"!

When in doubt, blame your mother-in-law.

 

I am a good baker. Really. Truly. I promise. This cake SHOULD have been better. It should NOT have resembled a pancake in the middle.

Conversations at 4am

Or personal assistant woke us up at 4am. He would not settle down. Even when I brought him to the big big bed for a snuggle. Daisy will confirm that the Hubster is the most reasonable guy you could hope to meet. Which makes his interactions with our unreasonable 2 year old so amusing.