Life is Sweet: Homemaking

Showing posts with label Homemaking. Show all posts

Sunday, November 8, 2020

Extended stay and a BIG announcement.

August 16-23

Because Lex and Jase were staying in UT for a few extra days before they flew back to AL, Bill and I decided that we would spend an extra week there, too. Lex and Jase were staying with Britt and Austin, so Bill and I stayed with my parents in Bountiful. We all drove out (Bill, me, my mom and dad) to visit and have dinner with everyone on Monday evening.

For much of the rest of our time there we were... looking.

At houses.

At builders.

At areas.

Bill and I have been talking about where we plan to live... for the rest of our lives.

It's been a conversation we've had for several years.

At first, I felt prompted to look at ID. Twin Falls, to be exact. Not because I had ever been there, which is why the prompting was so... noticeable. We had planned to {eventually} make a trip there to get a feel for it. Then, due to a variety of reasons, our search gradually turned toward UT. (I believe the idea of moving to ID opened us up to the possibility of living in UT... again. There WAS purpose behind the prompting.)

To be closer to the kids, grandkids, and parents.

We had a tentative two-year plan. We weren't looking for RIGHT NOW... just for future options.

I felt prompted to look at the area around the Saratoga Springs Temple. I had read that there was a master-planned community going in around that temple, and I was interested in what was going on, so I looked it up online (this was prior to our trip to UT). There weren't a lot of details, and only two of the four builders that would be building in the community even had floorplans online to look at. So, while we were there, we decided to check out some model homes and look at a few areas (Mapleton was also on the list for a beautiful place to live).

We encouraged our parents to come with us on several occasions.

Tuesday

This was a beautiful Rainey home model in Farmington - unfortunately NOT open on this particular day. We looked through the windows and walked through a couple homes in the process of being built. We weren't looking at this area, we just wanted to see the builder's work. It was a super hot day, so Bill and I treated my parents to a Hawaiian shave ice (right by their house) on our way home. They had never had one before. I encouraged them to get the big one... for dramatic effect.

Yes, we ALL ate ALL of it. My mom had a stomach ache for the rest of the day. (Sorry, Mom.)

Wednesday

We drove out to Daybreak to check out another Rainey model and a Destination Homes model. When we went through the Destination Homes model, I heard the angels singing.

I have loved some of the homes we've seen while visiting Lex and Jase in Alabama, but I didn't think I could find them in the West. They have garages in the back of the house, and have an old fashioned look from the front (but, obviously, are new and beautiful). THIS HOUSE has those features. I was in love.

After touring this beautiful model, we drove to Beacon Pointe (around the Saratoga Springs Temple) to check out the area.

Thursday

We drove to Mapleton to check out that area (I've heard the angels singing there, too haha)... checking out the future possibilities... to get a sense of where we should be.

We went to dinner with the fam that evening. Our seating choice was in the non-air conditioned trolley at the front of the restaurant, or at the little tables by the parking lot in the back. Gratefully, the consensus was to eat outside. It was so yummy.

Friday

We were back out at the Destination Homes model in Daybreak. Britt and the kids met us there because they had a birthday party to attend nearby. I love how these cute kids make themselves right at home ;-)

We asked more questions, found out what lots were available in Beacon Pointe, and scheduled an appointment with the realtor selling that area the following day.

Saturday

We met up with Bill's parents (also looking at the possibility of moving), and looked around some more before our appointment with the realtor. We tried to get them to seriously consider purchasing a lot in Beacon Pointe. We felt super good about that area, and were pretty sure that's where we wanted to be.

Once we met with the realtor, we had talked about what lot we were interested in (only a couple were available that we could build the plan I loved on), gone over what options we were interested in, received an initial quote of what the house would cost, and then we were informed that in order to reserve the lot we wanted, we had 48 hours to put $1000 down, and 45 days to sell our current home.

Say what?

We had a lot to think about, pray about, and consider.

And we had 48 hours to do it.

Grandma and Grandpa S sent us home with gifts for Evie and Nora. They are the sweetest.

Sunday

We said our goodbyes and headed home.

We didn't come to UT looking to find a house.

It wasn't in our plan to move now.

We were only checking out our options, remember?

But it feels right.

It feels like everything has led us in this direction.

So much work ahead, but I keep reminding myself it will be worth it.

Thursday, July 19, 2012

That's... Pinteresting

I love Pinterest.

I have tried many ideas/recipes pinned neatly on my well-organized boards, and feel that, in general, it has made my quest for helpful and creative ideas easier. It almost replaces my old-fashioned filing drawer full of magazine clippings, handouts, and guidebooks. Almost.

I have discovered, however, through trial and error, that some pins are a bit misleading.

Take the Triple Chocolate Chunk Muffins knock-off of Whole Foods Chocolate Chunk VitaTop Muffins (which I've never seen or tasted) pin from here.

The picture looks like this:

This is what mine looked like (sans chocolate chips):

Since there was such a discrepancy between the two, I did some further research online and found two other sites with the same recipe,

here,

and here.

They looked a bit more like mine.

And, let's be truthful, not likely to get many repins, if you know what I mean.

There were also at least a dozen sites using the very same misleading first picture from Pinterest.

Conclusion

I don't believe the first picture is a true depiction of the recipe for the following reasons:

1. The muffins turn out to be much darker with all that cocoa and very little flour

2. The muffins are much more dense and obviously don't rise to a beautiful rounded top

For whatever reason, I have had little success with recipes from Pinterest. That may be why.

Deceptive pictures.

Here are a few links to things I've tried with success:

Overnight Oats
(Quick and easy to grab for breakfast, but I only use a teaspoon of chia seeds)

Bacon-wrapped Cream Cheese Jalapeno Bites
(They aren't really beautiful - like the accurate picture on the link - but they are yum-o. Unless your peppers are super HOT)

Scooter's Spaghetti
(The whole family gave it a thumbs-up)

Crock Pot Rotisserie Chicken

(I made it with boneless, skinless breasts -- it would be better with bone-in skin-on chicken pieces)

Peanut Butter Pie

(I made in half-pint wide-mouth mason jars, using half the amount of filling suggested for each jar - they are super rich, but YUMMY)

Cheesecake in a Jar

(rivals Cheesecake Factory in my opinion)

and Blueberry, Caramel, and White Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

(I think I've already shared this recipe - I use dried cherries and Bakers White Chocolate Bar rather than white chocolate chips, which never really melt - have you noticed?)

Like I mentioned, though, I have had many, MANY failures. I can comfortably say I've had at least twice as many failures as I've had successes.

I still love Pinterest, though, and was highly annoyed when my phone lost it's ability to pin for a few days (especially during the long swim meet on Saturday).

I cautiously proceed.

Thursday, April 21, 2011

Little Red Hen

I really don't have time to post. Really. I have a boatload of stuff to get done, but I'm determined to blog fast, then work really hard to catch up.

{Smiley face}

I woke up this morning with my usual ambitions: to be the best mom/wife, who gets the most done, in a kind and efficient manner. Since today was Thursday, and Lex and Shi have a break between Seminary and school on Thursdays (I'm telling you, school schedules these days are skewed), I decided to make muffins for them (for the second week in a row, might I add). Since I used the rest of the opened church-cannery applesauce (from an ancient batch... you know, kinda brown on top... that Bill is determined NOT to throw out, but to use... I think we have a dozen or more bottles left...) in my muffins last week (yum-o, btw), I decided to make banana muffins today. Not only am I going to be an awesome mom/wife, I'm going to do it with variety and flare. And, as luck would have it, I had these beauties in the freezer:

I know, they look totally disgusting, but my girls were at Seminary (and Mar still soundly sleeping)...
they would never know.

{Smiley face}

After a short defrosting period in the microwave, I slipped those slimy innards out of their brown nasty peels, and mashed away.

Because my ambitions of the morning were to be the BEST mom/wife ever, I decided to swap out some of that super-processed white flour with some whole-grain, fiber-filled, nutritious wheat flour. That I would grind myself. Just like the Little Red Hen.

I whipped out the grinder.

This little baby? Worth it's weight in gold. Thanks, Mom, for the recommendation. Within moments, I had a supply of freshly-ground wheat flour.

(I know... I'm a mess.)

Then the Little Red Hen (that's me), transformed that flour and those frozen bananas into something truly scrumptious.

Not the most beautiful, and slightly overbaked (you would think I would learn to adjust times and temps when using those dark baking pans... it was a little too much effort for this morning), but yummy AND somewhat nutritious.

I think my Rooster and Chicks were happy and satisfied.

Here's the super simple recipe:

Best Ever Banana Muffins (I didn't name them, but I like it)

3 lg. bananas

3/4 cup sugar

1 egg

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 1/2 cups flour (I use half white, half whole wheat)

1/3 cup melted butter

Mash bananas. Add sugar and slightly beaten egg. Add the melted butter. Add the dry ingredients. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes. Adjust your temp (350) and time (15-20 mins) if using dark pans. {Smiley face} Makes 1 dozen (I doubled the batch this morning...FYI, in case you are one of those uber-observant people who might conclude, from the above pictures, that you should get 2 dozen from the recipe.)

Back to my boatload. Which includes taking out the garbage containing those nasty slimy banana peels that are stinking up the house. The smell of overripe brown bananas takes me back to queasy stomachs on long road trips from the years of my youth. Random thought, I know.

Friday, March 4, 2011

S-T-R-E-T-C-H

We have the particular ~~curse~~ blessing of long legs in our family. I believe it comes down the genetic line from my dad, to me, to each (and every one) of my children. Bill and I only differ in height by an inch or two (depending on what shoes we each wear), but I find it quite ~~annoying~~ humorous that every time I go to drive any car after Bill has driven it, I have to do a complete adjustment of the seat and mirrors. I have determined that this is because, even though we are fairly even height-wise, I have longer legs (which means I'm short-waisted too... another ~~curse~~ blessing).

So how do 5 (FIVE) children all inherit this wonderful trait? Shouldn't there be some kind of 50/50 ratio or something? But don't worry, Bill hasn't been left out of the genetic swimming pool... all five kids inherited his teeth.

But we're talking legs today.

Not only do we have to hunt high and low for jeans with tiny waists (for the children, not me -- I also have the ~~curse~~ blessing of age, and a genetic disposition for a thick middle), but they must be unusually long. Like XXL in most cases. I have rarely (if ever) found jeans long enough at a discount store, so a hefty price is often paid to acquire a sufficient inseam.

Even with diligent searching and occasional finding, after a few rounds in the dryer on laundry day, some of those expensive long legged jeans start shrinking (or could it be that the girls keep growing?). So this is what a typical jean load on laundry day looks like around here:

We call it "stretching."

Once the jeans are removed from the washer, I painstakingly stretch each leg (done by stepping on the hem, then pulling upward), then hang them to dry. To the dismay of my children, who perhaps need to appreciate my efforts more, the jeans do not have a Downy-soft feel, due to missing the dryer stage of the laundry process. They are a little scratchy, but after about 10 minutes, they loosen up and feel fine. How do I know? Because I have to stretch my unusually-long-legged jeans too.

Just to make it clear, this is not my favorite laundry-day activity. It is a necessary evil, lest we all look ridiculous in our floods. (I love that Bill just needs the regular lengths, and I can toss his jeans in the dryer any ol' day.)

God, forgive me when I whine.

I have two legs (make that 8 that I currently "stretch" for), the world is mine.

Monday, January 17, 2011

I Have a Dream

My Martin Luther King Day was so eventful.

I sorted laundry, then realized that I was OUT of fabric softener. After Taylor told me his clothes and towels were scratchy (back in his middle school days), and so-and-so's clothes and towels were much softer, since his mother used Downy, I have religiously added the April fresh fabric softener to my loads. And believe me, I have loads of loads. I'm so paranoid about scratchy laundry now that I usually even add a Bounce to the dryer in addition to the Downy. And I still sometimes have scratchy laundry.

I have a dream of ultra-soft towels and fresh-smelling linens and clothing.

So my loads had to wait until I could make it to the store for some Downy, which put me a little behind.

I was also determined to purchase a new iron. I had an iron that I really liked. Then {someone} (the culprit is still unknown) dropped it. Or tipped it off of the ironing board. Regardless, it fell, cracked, and could no longer hold water. I just can't iron without a little steam, so Bill tried his best to fix it. Super glue fixes everything, you know. And if super glue can't do it, duck tape can. Except for cracked irons.

So I purchased a cheap(er) iron. I found it at Costco, and figured if Costco carries it, it has to be good, right? It acts so much like a cheap iron, I have only used it once. And that was aggravating.

See the un-pointy tip? The limited steaming capability? And it took for-ev-er, just to iron a napkin. It was a lightweight, as irons go.

So today I grabbed my Kohl's 30% off coupon, and purchased another iron. Then I ran to Costco to grab the Downy. While there, I spied yet another iron... same brand as the one I just purchased from Kohl's, but it cost less. Could it be the same iron? I wondered. So, trying to be as efficient with my time as possible, I purchased THAT iron, figuring that IF it was the same iron, I wouldn't have to come back into the masses at Costco, and I could swing back by Kohl's to return the other one on the way home. If it WASN'T the same, and I liked the Kohl's iron better, I could just run the Costco one back into the store and do a quick return. I spend a lot of time thinking through this kind of stuff, since I have a dream of being as efficient as possible.

The Kohl's iron was better. The Costco iron, although the same brand, and labeled "Master", was not as awesome as the "Master Pro" I had previously purchased. The return was quick. I congratulated myself on my efficiency, and I can rest easy that I got the best iron for my money.

I could admire the steam awesomeness and pointy tip all day. So once that laundry got going, I ironed the stack of stuff that had piled up over the past 4 months, while watching the Disappeared marathon. Good times.

I heard on the news that someone has done a study - or researched - or surveyed - and today (January 17th, not necessarily Martin Luther King Day) is the "most depressing day of the year." Who could be depressed about laundry and ironing?

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Reality Star

I used to like watching Little People, Big World because I was fascinated that Amy Roloff didn't seem to mind the world seeing her messy house.

My interest has waned as the stars have ever-increasingly added to their net worth, and let the things that initially mattered the most to them fall by the wayside. They now have lots of things (big house, professional organizers, cleaners, decorators, and cars galore), but their marriage relationship is a mess. And whatever happened to college for those two boys? Hopefully the sensible daughter will stay... well, sensible.

Back to reality.

Right now my kitchen looks a lot like the Roloff kitchen at it's worst. I'll spare you the gory pictures.

I am un-showered, mealy, and covered with this, that, and the other. Mostly sugar and flour.

My head hurts from hitting it yesterday on the big steel beam that runs down the middle of our crawl space.

My eyes hurt from wearing my glasses all day.

My legs hurt from endless standing in the kitchen.

Garth Brooks (he's still around?) is crooning on Oprah in the background as my children nap on the couch and floor. I'm trying to remember why I used to LOVE him. These days, the country twang just doesn't appeal to me. It grates on my nerves a bit. Okay, a lot.

I'm gearing up to head back into the kitchen to complete my tasks of the day. Then, hopefully, I will soak in a bath of steaming scented water as candles flicker around. In my freshly-scrubbed tub. Reality at it's (almost) best.

The reality stars of my kitchen at the moment:

Brining turkey. Doesn't look so pretty right now.

Semi-homemade apple pie. Pillsbury made the crust. Turned out a little dark.

Homemade rolls. My kids used to laugh at my rolls. Now they are begging to eat them.

Pie shell waiting for chocolate cream. Or coconut cream. The other shell shrunk like crazy, so I'm contemplating baking ANOTHER one, and using the bad one for the leftover pie filling I know I'll have. Then we can sample tonight. Which is better anyway, because tomorrow we'll all be too stuffed to fully appreciate the desserts.

Pumpkin roll. Waiting for cream cheese filling. I might need to make another one of those too, since they are the favorite of my children. Although this is actually the second one I've baked today... the first one stuck in the pan, making more day-before-Thanksgiving samples.

So, before I can hit the tub, I still need to bake another pie crust, make two varieties of cream fillings, make some kind of jello salad, and decide if I'm going to make another pumpkin roll OR if I should just make a pumpkin pie. THEN clean the kitchen. Maybe coax someone else into mopping the sticky floor. Reality at it's... realest.

Today I am thankful for:

family

a great marriage relationship

a terrific-smelling house

a daughter on her way home

a holiday to give thanks

clean bathtubs

Friday, November 19, 2010

No Time to Post

I can't believe it's almost Thanksgiving. I'm soooooooo not ready.

My vision consists of:

a clean house,

dishwasher purchased and installed,

rested and happy company,

delicious brined/dried/roasted natural turkey,

at least 6 varieties of homemade pies,

Christmas house lights up,

Christmas gifts purchased (wrapped would be a bonus),

and myself showered, dressed, and relaxed.

My logical mind tells me it will be more like:

a vacuumed house,

dishwasher found, but not yet purchased and installed,

company arriving late Wednesday, hopefully not detained due to freeway closures and snow,

a frozen turkey, defrosting in the laundry room sink because I didn't get it in the fridge soon enough

(or maybe it's just that my refrigerator, even on the warmest setting, still freezes stuff),

2 varieties of pies (probably cream) made with refrigerated pie crust

(if I'm lucky I'll get the requested pumpkin roll made),

some house lights up (if Taylor is willing to spend some of his weekend doing it), but possibly none,

a desire to have the Christmas gifts purchased, and a determination to get it done asap,

and myself hot, sweaty, and hoping that dinner lasts longer than 20 minutes, because then it's clean-up time, and most likely we will be hand-washing the dishes.

First on the list of tasks today: laundry.

Here's what Shilo's hamper looked like this morning (after I had already started sorting and had taken out at least a half dozen items already). That girl packs it in.

Then work (those three little hours are getting me so behind), grocery shopping, and carpooling. My fingers are crossed that there's a date night in there somewhere too.

What I'm truly thankful for today:

a refrigerator

a washer and dryer

a car

running water

warm(er) weather (makes recess so much nicer)

Bill's job

a found vehicle for Tay

credit unions

computers

friends who read my posts

friends who blog too

awesome kids

awesomer husband

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Gail Force Winds

I'm still running against the wind, and those winds are blowing, let me tell you. Nothing seems to be going my way, and the resistance is strong (which kind of sounds like something from a Star Wars movie).

30 mph winds

I can't get my house clean and the laundry done. So, even though you won't read this until some later date (I've recently become a fan of writing when it's convenient, then scheduling it to post another day, when I'm too busy), it's 5 am on a Saturday morning, and I'm blogging in between loads. I've been up since 1:44, which is when Mauri came in, tapped me on the shoulder, and asked me to tuck her in. She had already been in bed, but apparently had awakened and needed mom to make things feel right before drifting back to sleep. When we got to her room, she decided she needed to use the bathroom, so I patiently waited, curled up on her bed. When she returned, I pulled up her covers, kissed her head, and shuffled back to bed, where I tossed and turned for an hour (those winds in my mind were blowing like crazy). I hate that. Then I decided to be productive and started the laundry.

50 mph winds

I've been working two jobs, and it's been a bit overwhelming this past week. I have a bad case of peri orbital dermatitis, and mood swings like you can't believe. I personally believe that there's a link. The doctor said there's no known cause (love that), but that it occurs much more often in women (the dermatitis, although I'm sure you could say the same for mood swings). I'm pretty sure the onset has something to do with stress. And hormones. And chemical imbalances. So my two "perfect jobs" on their own would be great, but together, they're pushing me over the edge. Throw in PMS, or PMDD, or OCD and the peri orbital dermatitis, and you have one completely "out of sorts" mamma (the kinder, gentler term we use around here for whacked-out-on-the-verge-of-a-nervous-breakdown).

80 mph winds

In my "out of sorts" state of mind, I sent a somewhat confrontational email to another cheer mom (and I'm feeling not-so-Christlike about it). Oh my, she was not happy. In fact, in her lengthy reply email she returned fire, repetitively using my name like a mother reprimanding her out-of-control child. What a can of worms. I initially felt better getting it off of my chest, but in hindsight, should have handled it another way. Here's to a whole school year of avoiding awkward and uncomfortable situations by dodging this woman, like a teenage girl in a fight with her best friend (although we've certainly never been best friends... or even friends. Friendly, that's it). I think in this situation, I will just go where the wind blows... away from the drama.

(P.S. Since writing this post I have sent an apology to the cheer mom, and expressed my appreciation of her efforts in behalf of the team. Now I can walk -- or be blown -- away with a clear conscience.)

On the bright side, I managed to get some super great pictures of the cheer team by this awesome truck (that totally goes with their theme this year of "HOT"). A cute family in our ward recently acquired it, and believe me, it's been the talk of the town (at least among ward members).

And I have one more great work story to share. As I was texting the sad news of my speeding ticket to my fellow event planner, Julie, I lamented that my hard work of the previous day was for nothing. We had some pretty interesting and complicated circumstances to put up with that day. Her response: "At least it was good for a lifetime of laughs." I'll have to spread the joy and share the story tomorrow.

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Now That's What I'm Talking About

Today I am posting about laundry. Not because I think anyone has any interest in it whatsoever, but because it is such a huge part of life around here. And I mean HUGE.

I have tried for years to do laundry once a week (sorted, washed, folded and put away), all within a one-day (and that's waking hours) time period. I would tell myself that if I only had to do laundry for one day out of the whole week, no matter how horrendous that day was, it would all be worth it. Then I would have 6 lovely laundry-free days to sit back, relax, and not worry about clean clothes. I made sure everyone in the family had enough clothes to make it through a full week: underwear, undershirts, jeans... everything. This grand plan, however, has only come to fruition on rare occasions. Most weeks I end up doing laundry for two or three days (yes, sometimes four), with the final load sitting in the dryer waiting to be folded until laundry day of the following week. It's not that I'm lazy. Just busy. And let me tell you, my family creates a ton of laundry.

I thought as Taylor and Britta left home the laundry would decrease. The laundry-in-a-day would become more realistic. Not so. I have a couple of daughters here at home that have made up the slack and go through 2 to 3 to 4 clothing changes a day. Sleeping attire (no, you don't need a new pair every night), workout clothes, sweats, swimsuits, towels, sports uniforms, jeans, shirts, socks and HOODIES. I swear some weeks I've washed over a dozen hoodies. What's up with that?

So what's a mother to do? What she should have been doing all along. Having those kids wash their own clothes. Starting today. Hallelujah.

As Shilo sorted her laundry this morning she talked about how she's going to be more conservative. Wear clothes more than once. Not go through a million towels in a week. Tomorrow it's Lexee's turn.

And just to clarify, I have gone through periods of time where Taylor and Britta did their own laundry too. I didn't send them off coddled and spoiled. And, as they have returned home to visit I am happy to say that I have not had to do one ounce of their laundry. Now that's what I'm talking about.

Friday, May 14, 2010

Yum-O

A couple of days ago Lexee was practically begging for cinnamon rolls. She was thinking, of course, of those kind that you pop out of the little cardboard can, peel apart, and bake. Then you sparsely cover them with that white stuff from the tiny little plastic cup (also included in that cardboard can) that melts over the top. Fast, cheap, and easy.

I, on the other hand, started craving the homemade bread-y kind, covered with lots of yummy cream cheese/butter/sugar icing. So yesterday I broke down. I mixed the bread, rolled the dough, slathered it with butter, cinnamon and sugar, formed the roll, cut it using my nifty thread trick (Mauri and Shilo were impressed, and wanted to try too), placed the rolls in the pans, let them rise, baked them, and made the icing, with which I topped them off hot from the oven. The house smelled awesome (it's worth it just for that).

My family quickly ate through one pan. We gave one pan away. Lex had two of those big cinnamon rolls for breakfast. We are down to one pan... just right for a great Friday after-school snack. Especially when it is a last-day-of-seminary Friday (really, I shouldn't be so happy).

I am a messy cook/baker/salad maker. (I'll admit it... I am only human after all.) I am a mess in the kitchen no matter what I'm doing (except for maybe cleaning). And, true to form, I left that mess to clean up today. I'm halfway done... just took a little blog break. And that loaf of bread made from the leftover dough? Ugliest loaf of bread ever.
I bet it will taste good.

Friday, May 7, 2010

PBandJ Every Day

Every morning I get up at about 5:30. I peek in Lexee's room to make sure she is NOT still asleep on her bed. Most days, I am pleasantly surprised to see that the bed is empty and the smell of burning hair is wafting from the bathroom. Then I go downstairs and start making sandwiches. Today I thought about how many of those PB&Js I've made over the years. And about how many my children have consumed (because I can't take credit for making ALL of them -- Bill has made his fair share. For several years he kindly let me sleep a little bit longer while he attended to the early-morning-seminary-schedule of Taylor and Britta. I miss those days). I was reminded of a girl I knew as I attended cosmetology school at SLCC. Her name was Allison and she was fresh out of high school. I, of course, was a much more mature 22. One day as we were heading to the cafeteria for lunch, she told me how she had eaten a PB&J sandwich every day for lunch throughout high school. And she loved them. I think I remember her telling me that to this day (over 20 years later) because I could NOT for the life of me understand how someone could eat a PB&J every day and still like them.

In elementary school I brought my lunch from home every day. It usually had an apple or banana, some plain potato chips in a baggie, a dime for milk, and a sandwich. But it wasn't a sandwich made on that soft, ooey-gooey Wonder Bread. It was always made on homemade bread, and usually whole wheat. My sandwiches were small, but thick. And oh-so heavy. And dry. Definitely filling. But I longed for hot lunch. Those green beans soaked in something like butter were so delicious. I only know because most kids hated them, so I would offer to eat them. I would sit with the other cold-lunchers while the hot-lunch kids would wait in a line that wound around the cafeteria. We would pull the lunch items out of our sacks or lunch boxes. I was envious of the Wonder Bread sandwiches and the individual packages of Cheetos. And Twinkies! Oh how I wanted to have Twinkies. Most days I had PB&J, but occasionally my mom made tuna sandwiches. And I hated tuna.

In junior high I started taking hot lunch. At least that's what my mom thought. Most days I used the money (what was it back then, like 80 cents?) to buy a small bag of Cheetos and a package of M&Ms. Once my family moved to Bountiful in the middle of my 9th grade year, I HAD to have the hot lunch offered. My new school didn't even have vending machines. There were no choices -- except between the two daily lunch options served (and nobody brought lunch from home).

In high school I would sometimes eat from the salad bar at school, but most days my friends and I would make a lunch run to someplace like Rennys. With my dollar I could get an order of fries and two ice cream cones. I had a complex about being "too thin," so I would eat to fatten myself up. Unfortunately it didn't work, but it developed eating habits that were (and are) difficult to break now that I no longer have that problem.

So why do I bring this all up? Because I have chosen to send lunch with my kids to school, just like my mom did. I've done it a little backwards. In elementary school I allowed my children to frequently have hot lunch (I don't think they call it that any more). Probably because of my longing as a child. And the cost has been reasonable. When Taylor and Britt hit middle school, I made a deal with them. I would give them $10 a week. They could use that money as "allowance," and take a lunch from home, or they could use it to purchase lunch at school. ($10 was not enough to buy lunch at school every day, since most kids would spend at least $4 a day.) Taylor and Britt, being savvy new teens, chose to keep the money and bring lunch from home. That offer has not been extended to Lex and Shi -- we no longer give an allowance. They just simply take lunch from home, no complaints. Occasionally they will buy, so I keep some money in their lunch accounts, but at $6 a day, they can both see the cost-efficiency of the brown bag. Lexee has even requested two PB&Js each day. I have occasionally thrown in a turkey, ham or pastrami sandwich, when requested, but Lexee only wants PB&J (or maybe PB&honey), nothing more, nothing less. And I now use wheat bread at least 80% of the time. And Twinkies? No way. Those things have no nutritional value whatsoever and are still as pricey as ever. Applesauce, Sun Chips or baked Lays (okay, occasionally Cheetos or Doritos), cheese sticks, 100% juice, and a treat (just not Twinkies).

I have wondered if my kids will think about those sandwiches with contempt, like I do, or with love, like my friend Allison. And I realize now, as a parent, that my mom cared about nutrition and cost effectiveness, just like I do. I appreciate that she made me those lunches. Thanks, Mom.

Friday, April 2, 2010

Cleaning House After a Blizzard

One bathroom is clean. The floor is ready to be mopped. On his way out the door for work this morning Bill said, "I read your blog... so you're excited to clean today?" Uh.... no. I told him I was excited that the results might be longer lasting, but that I really wasn't that excited to spend my day cleaning. I mean, I've done the same cleaning job for over 22 years. I'm just getting plain tired of doing it over and over. I'm starting to tell myself that just one more day before something gets clean really won't matter. And I may as well leave those dinner dishes in the sink, because I'll just have more in the morning... why not just merge the two jobs into one?

Don't get me wrong, there's nothing I like more than a clean, organized home. But it's just dang hard to be motivated to do it ALL THE TIME (which I have come to the conclusion it would take to keep my house at the level of cleanliness I would like). I mentally congratulate myself on how I've grown to be so flexible with my rigorous cleaning schedule. Company motivates me... anyone up for a visit?

Regardless of the fact that no one is coming to visit in the near future, my cleaning clothes are on and some of that dirt is going. Today.

And although getting dirty is always easier (and more fun), it feels great to say good-bye to the grime.

As for my diet...

I couldn't resist our traditional after-the-dentist stop at Dairy Queen with Mauri yesterday. And I had a buy-one-get-one-free coupon for a blizzard. I mean, could I just pass up getting a free blizzard? And boy was it delicious. (And, I reminded myself, a DQ employee once told me that their ice cream is low fat... hmmmm... I choose to believe it.) Today, I'm sure, I will have the resistance needed to pass up the diet-blowing opportunities. Hey, Britt, you can have some of mine.

Blog break over -- where's the mop?