Happy New Year's Eve!

Reber used to hate New Year's Eve.  I never understood why because it seemed like the perfect holiday for him.  Now we have our own traditions that we both enjoy which include eating Chinese food (yes, we only get it once or twice a year) and watching a whole season of TV on DVD.  Past years have included Da Ali G Show and Weeds.  This year will be Arrested Development, which we've never seen but borrowed from my brother.  

I think God is using this to teach us to guard our time together as a family.  Not that there's anything wrong with going out or spending time with other people, and we need to do that sometimes, but sometimes we need to have our own traditions too and stick to them.  We have been invited to New Year's Eve events by FOUR different people and I've had to say no to them all.  All are people that I enjoy being with, but I am working on creating balance in this area of my life.

Does anyone else deal with this issue?  What are your New Year's Eve plans?

Why I love my job today...

...because I don't have to go!!  I only worked 2 days this week and then 2 1/2 more days next week and then I'm off for another long New Year's weekend.  I'm pretty sure it's due to the budget cuts.  I am happy to have a job, but we get no raise this year OR next year.  Then in June 2010 we tentatively get 2%.  Plus they keep cutting our people so while we are working twice as hard, we get the same pay.  So I think they are giving us this extra time off just to appease us, but that's ok, it's working for me today!!

Time for some relaxing, looking at Christmas lights tonight, and watching a Christmas Story.

Take 5 Tuesday - Christmas Edition

1.  5 Things on your Christmas list

  - A Kitchenaid mixer - already got it!

  - Steelers jacket - wasn't on my list specifically but I love it!

  - A cast-iron reversible skillet/grill

  - A bigger kitchen

  - Some relaxing time off

2.  5 things on your tree

  - Colored lights - I prefer white but this tree was free and pre-lit.

  - Flounder ornament from the Little Mermaid

  - A Bart Simpson ornament

  - Strands of red beads

  - "Our First Christmas" ornament

3. 5 of your Christmas traditions

  - We decorate the day after Thanksgiving b/c it's our only day off together.

  - Watch A Christmas Story

  - Drive around on Christmas Eve and look at lights

  - Make and eat craploads of cookies

  - That's about it.  Just enjoy Christmas!

4.  5 things you like about Chistmas

  - Jesus

  - Food

  - Decorations

  - Extra days off work

  - Time to enjoy family and friends

5.  5 things you don't like about Christmas

  - Christmas cards - I like them but they waste a lot of paper.  I'm only sending them to people who I won't see this Christmas.

  - The "hustle and bustle."   Slow down!

  - Work will be even busier when I get back.  Just because it's Christmas doesn't mean people stop having babies.

  - The whole Happy Holidays/Merry Christmas argument.  It's pointless and makes Christians look bad.  Just say what you wanna say and accept the fact that some people think differently than you.  

  - And to copy Laura, consumerism.

What's for dinner - Mix all the crap in my fridge together and make it delicious

We just got back from an awesome trip to Pittsburgh to visit my family.  My grandpa turns 80 tomorrow and we had a party for him.

I am not very good at cleaning out the fridge before going out of town, so here's what I need to use up:

-Some chunks of cooked turkey

-A block of fat-free mozzarella cheese

-Some leftover pinto beans

-Milk

Sounds like a casserole in the making.  Reber is not a huge fan of casseroles but as long as it has ham and cheese, he will pretty much eat anything.  Here's the game plan:

Make a cheese sauce:

Mix equal parts butter and flour.  Add a couple cups of milk, stirring constantly.  Once mixture starts to thicken and bubble, add cheese.  This step takes a little patience but is really easy.

Mix together:

Turkey chunks

Some ham cubes

Beans (don't have much flavor until you season them so they will go fine...)

Any frozen veggie blend (bonus if it has broccoli because the cheese sauce gets all through it)

Cheese sauce

Top with:

Shredded cheese mixed with bread crumbs and whatever seasonings you like.

Bake at 350 degrees until heated.  See, homemade stuff is easy!

Take 5 Tuesday

Laura said we should try this so here's mine...

1. List your 5 favorite kinds of tea.

I don't really like tea that much so I'll list coffees.

  - Any coffee with very vanilla soymilk

  - At Sheetz, mix together dark roast, Columbian, and Vanilla Nut Cream.  Mmmmm...

  - French roast

  - BK Joe

  - That's it.  I guess I only have 4 favorite coffees.  If I have to drink tea I like peppermint.

2.  List your 5 least favorite kinds of tea.

This is stupid so I'm not gonna do it.  I don't like tea.

3.  5 places you've been recently.

  - Pueblo Grande Restaurant

  - Work

  - The Clocktower Tavern in Staunton

  - Church

  - Home - my favorite place!

4.  5 things you don't like, that most people do

  - Oreo's

  - Chocolate pudding

  - Shopping for clothes

  - The smell of freshly cut grass or evergreen trees

  - Dr. Phil

5.  5 things you like that most people don't

  - NFL football.  I know a lot of people like this but for a girl I'm pretty obsessed.

  - Washing dishes

  - Shopping for groceries

  - Working in foodservice

  - METAL!!

What's for dinner - Martini Chicken

Here's what I'm cooking for dinner tonight.  It is way more delicious than I thought when I first read the recipe.  It doesn't really taste like a martini, but you do have to like olives.  And thanks to an over-the-counter miracle pill called Prelief, I can eat it!

The original recipe comes from allrecipes.com but I never follow any recipe exactly.

MARTINI CHICKEN

A little olive oil

Some type of chicken or turkey.  I am cooking a big turkey breast in the crockpot and then using chunks of that for the recipe.

Black peper

2 Tbsp butter

1 onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, chopped, or dried chopped garlic is ok too.

1/4 to 1/2 cup gin

Spash dry vermouth

1 tsp lemon juice

1/4 cup sliced green olives with pimentos

Just saute everything together until the sauce has reduced.

*Note:  You can substitute dry vermouth for any recipe that calls for white wine.  It is pretty inexpensive and the bottle looks classy on the counter.  I bought it for some dumb reason and it's pretty gross by itself but great for for cooking.

Welcome Back!

Hey dudes,

I'm finally back in action with a new computer and the internet.  We decided not to try to recover our old hard drive since we don't do anything that important anyway and it cost $250.  We keep pics on a thumb drive anyway.

Well, I don't feel like doing a whole post right now and I'm still learning how to use this MacBook so hang in there.  For now, go check out the funniest website of all time.

www.engrish.com - be prepared...you will probably spend hours on here.

Blog Time Out

Hey everyone, I am on a blog break for a while because our computer fried itself when our power went out last week. Right now I'm on the neighbor's laptop. So hang tight until our new MacBook arrives and I'll be back!

Happy Thanksgiving!

As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words but to live by them. - John F. Kennedy

Black Friday CVS deals

If you don't have a CVS Extra Care card you need to go sign up for one. Right. Now. Here's a link to the Black Friday Deals that actually start on Thanksgiving Day, complete with links to printable coupons that will actually let you make money. Seriously. And yes, I will be there on Thanksgiving Day because it will be way less busy and we never go home that early in the morning.

If you don't have a card yet or any ECB's, you can do multiple transactions. Just buy a thing or two, then use those bucks toward the next transaction. The cashiers are always really nice about doing this.

Pickles!!

Making your own pickles is easy and cheap. It hardly even counts as cooking it's so easy. I get cucumbers 3/$1 at Save and Prosper, the Russian market. This week they were huge so I paid 5o cents each. Look how big this thing is (it's next to a sheet of paper to show you the size)!

All you need is jars, and probably you can just use old mayo jars if you don't want to go buy the expensive canning kind. So here's what you do:

Mix together in a saucepan:

1 cup distilled white vinegar
1 tablespoon salt
2 cups white sugar

Up to 1 tablespoon each mustard seed and celery seed, depending on your taste

Boil that mixture for a few minutes until the sugar is completely dissolved. While that cooks, slice up some cucumbers and fill your jars with them, like this:

When your vinegar mixture is done, just pour it into the jars over the cucumbers, screw on the lid and stick them in the fridge! I don't know how long they last because no matter how many I make, they are always gone pretty fast, but it seems like they should last a good long while. This batch was made with 2 smaller cucumbers and 1-1/2 bigger ones. If you buy the spices at Sharp Shopper for 89 cents, the grand total is less than 50 cents a jar for delicious, homemade pickles!!

Who's excited about the new Mudvayne CD?

I AM!!! I would've rushed out and bought it, but a little birdie told me we might be getting it for Christmas so I am impatiently waiting. I listened to the 3 songs on their Myspace and, as always, they rock my face off. I know everyone loves LD50 (as do I), but I am already in love with The NEW GAME. It's a good blend of old and new Mudvayne.

From their Myspace: THE NEW GAME is an electrical storm of musical fury, a lesson in controlled chaos that tempers hard rock, heavy metal, prog rock and sadistic splatters of melody into an onslaught of metallic highs and emotional lows, rushing surges and pronounced blows. The album ups the ante for Mudvayne, one of the most creative and distinctive bands in the aggressive music world with sales exceeding 5 million units worldwide. The band--CHAD GRAY (vocals), GREG TRIBBETT (guitars), RYAN MARTINIE (bass) and MATT MCDONOUGH (drums)--produced THE NEW GAME with Dave Fortman (Evanescence), capturing the wily charisma and hyper-kinetic energy of a band who survived their seven-year itch by embedding their claws into the heart of their music.

So probably most of you reading this are not into my genre of music, but if you like rock at all you should check it out. As for me, I'm turning it up to 11.

Enough with the gas complaints!

OK, check out this quote that I read in the paper last week regarding gas prices when they were higher. "When you have to go to work, you have to go to work. When you have to take your kids places, you take them places. You do what you have to do to cut back in other places." This is all well and good, except that the lady who said it was driving a 2008 Toyota Highlander (the non-hybrid)!!! Are you kidding me?!?! Most people who complain about gas prices had a choice when they bought their vehicle. If they chose a gas-guzzler - too bad. Especially a 2008 model gas-guzzler. That means she even bought it when the prices were sky high. If this lady could truly afford a Highlander, she probably didn't have to cut back like she said, and if she couldn't afford it, she shouldn't have bought it in the first place.

Only under 3 circumstances do gas price complaints seem legitimate to me.
1 - People who truly cannot afford gas and/or a family member or friend gave them a ridiculously good price on a less efficient car.
2 - People who need a larger vehicle for work reasons.
3 - People who have more than 3 kids.

And there is my rant about gasoline. That's why I have a Hess credit card which gives me a 5% discount and drive a Corolla and bought a house 3 miles from work!! I am just as happy as anyone that the prices are starting to drop, but these decisions have helped the fluctuations not have such a huge impact. You can leave a mean comment if I've stepped on your toes because I probably have, but I just think that we as Americans have some serious entitlement issues. And don't tell me I will buy a bigger vehicle when I have kids because I won't. We never had a mini-van or SUV growing up and we managed fine. Maybe we should just be thankful for what we have. Gas prices in Amsterdam hit over $10/gallon this year, and many developed countries still pay over $5/gallon on a regular basis. And don't tell me to go live there (Aaron, because that's what you would tell me) because I'm not the one complaining.

At the risk of a TMI error...

...I am wondering if anyone out there has ever dealt with bladder pain or interstitial cystitis. I had stomach surgery back in August which was the best decision I've ever made and my stomach is PERFECT now!!! However, since June I have been dealing with moderate-severe bladder pain and have been seeing a urologist. It's pretty funny being 24 years old and going to the urologist because everyone in there is like 80!!

So today I start my elimination diet with the help of the dietitian at work. This will help me to find things in my diet that trigger pain in my bladder. Nothing but plain rice, potatoes, and homemade crackers for 48 hours, then I start to add 1 food at a time (kinda like when you start babies on food one at a time to make sure they don't have allergies). You all who know me know that this is a really hard thing to do because I LOVE to cook and eat and this pretty much has stolen all the joy out of that.

Anyway, the point of this post is to see if anyone has any experience with this stuff and what have you found helpful?

Bugaloo Kids are cute

Have you ever heard of Robeez? I hadn't before today, but are really cute, pretty pricey kids shoes (almost $30 a pair!). One of the ladies who writes a blog I read posted that her cousin just started a new business called Bugaloo Kids. The shoes are pretty much the same as Robeez (soft-sole leather shoes), but for half the price! Each pair is $15 and shipping is free if you buy 3 pairs. This would be a great Christmas gift for some young-uns on your list. And the best part, she donates 5% of profits to International Justice Mission, a human rights agency that secures justice for victims of slavery, sexual exploitation and other forms of violent oppression. So while $15 is still a lot for kids shoes, it's worth it, plus they seem to be made well so hopefully will last a while. Happy Shopping!

Visit this other blog...

...for my post today. It's about how we can always afford to be generous because God will provide.

http://discoverychristianchurchblog.wordpress.com/

Great New Harrisonburg Discoveries

Here's some places you should check out if you live in my area...

1 - Plato's Closet. This is a store where they buy your gently-used brand name clothing and give you cash on the spot (unlike consignment). I've tried twice to take in a couple items and the line is SO long and the people in front of me have multiple laundry baskets full of junk. So unfortunately, I can't tell you about how much they pay or anything...if anyone else knows please comment. As far as buying, they have tons of cool clothes for decent prices (jeans were about $12-15 and shirts were less than $10). This is the perfect place to take your preteen daughter who is obsessed with Hollister or for people like me who want to stay at least semi-cool but not break the bank. Reber found a pair of Timberland boots in his size and in great condition for $16!!

2 - Red Panda Chinese Buffet. Their lunch buffet is $6.75 which is very reasonable considering the amount of expensive things on it. They have a sushi bar for those of you who are into that, salad bar, lots of seafood options, and the traditional stuff too. The ladies working were really nice too. It's located in Harrisonburg Crossing (I know, I know, we all hate that place, but we had to go to the Ntelos store b/c Reber's phone wasn't working).

3 - Pueblo Grade Mexican Restaurant. This is the BEST Mexican restaurant. The service is OUTSTANDING and they have $3.99 lunch specials everyday that give you tons of food. Sometimes they have a Mariachi Band for special occasions. They give you a mild salsa but ask for the spicy one...it's much better : )

I am the Guitar Hero

First of all Happy Birthday to Reber on Sunday. I'm on my last day of a 4-day weekend which has completely rocked (even though my Steelers lost *tear*). One of his gifts from his family was the Guitar Hero Rock Legends pack. We have been tearing it up so far on easy...I even got the Slayer song with 93% correct notes on my second day!! Our social worker told us that the company who makes Guitar Hero is the only company on the stock exchange making money right now. So as Americans, we're not buying as many cars, gallons of gas, food items, or other necessary things........we're buying Guitar Hero.

The game is totally fun but I do have one complaint...Where is Hendrix? Where is AC/DC? Where is Judas Priest? Are these not rock legends? They have AFI with a 2006 song but none of these others? WHAT THE HECK?!?! I also think they should make an entire punk version so the punk doesn't get mixed in with our metal.

That is the end of my Guitar Hero rant. Give us a couple weeks and we'll be up for some tournaments so bring it on!!!

CVS Rocks

Guess how much all this cost....$7.00!! That includes out of pocket (OOP) money and extra care bucks (ECBs) that I used. Not too shabby! Check out my previous CVS post if you wanna know more about how to get in on these deals...

Why you should love your crockpot (Part 4)

Two words - Apple Butter! I never follow a specific recipe and I ususally use a mixture of applesauce and fresh apples. You can find all kinds of recipes by doing a search and find the one that's best for you. I always like a lot more spices in mine than the recipe calls for. The basic ingredients are some form of apples or sauce, sugar, cinnamon, cloves, and salt.

Basically, you just put your ingredients in the crockpot on Low for about 12 hours, then remove the lid and cook until enough moisture has evaporated to give you a nice, medium-thick consistency. People will think you are so awesome but it is so easy!

Don't Make Fun of Canada, eh!

Here is a copy of a recent letter to the editor in my local paper. I am probably breaking copyright laws so don't tell, but it was from the Daily News Record.

“After enduring a whole 37 days of campaigning, Canadians recently voted. There were no exit polls. There were no national news broadcasts about results on the East Coast before the polls on the West Coast closed.

Within an hour of the last poll closing the overall result was obvious — another minority government. The leaders of all the parties gave what were essentially concession speeches — acknowledging that they would need multi-partisan cooperation to address the concerns of the whole country.”

I think the Canadians get it right on this one.

GO VOTE

...you can get free stuff! If you live near a Krispy Kreme you get a free donut, Ben and Jerry's a free ice cream scoop, and Starbucks a free coffee! If you are still trying to figure out who to vote for, here's a little hint ; )

Why you should love your crockpot (Part 3)

"Beans, beans, they're good for your heart..."

I'll let you finish that in your head and laugh. Beans are a great crockpot food and a great way to save tons of money. Some of you may see dried beans and think "What the crap am I supposed to do with these?" EASY. Just rinse them, put them in your crockpot, and cook on low overnight. I also add salt - which is another advantage over canned because you can control the amount. In the morning, just divide the beans into freezer containers and you're all set! Reaching for a container of beans from the freezer is just as easy as reaching for a can of beans from the pantry. Sometimes I add mild beans (like pintos) to dishes (like sloppy joes) and my husband doesn't even notice (and he notices everything!) They are a great way to stretch your food and add tons of nutrition at the same time.

And speaking of that familiar rhyme, did you know that if you eat beans kinda frequently, your body builds up what it needs to digest them and you won't have so much gas? Seriously.

Why you should love your crockpot (Part 2)

This is kinda like part 1, but I wanted to emphasize the awesomeness of cooking a whole chicken. Per pound, a whole chicken costs next to nothing (unless you go to Martin's where everything is expensive). Recently, I have also found split chicken breasts on sale for 88 or 99 cents/lb. and they work great in the slow cooker too.

When I cook a whole chicken, it takes a few hours on low. You can add spices like garlic or whatever you like. Once it is tender and the bones come right out, you just remove it from the crockpot and chunk or shred the meat. I discard the skin and bones (or if you're especially resourceful you can make broth with those) and use plastic containers to freeze it. Then the possibilities are endless!
-Chicken salad
-Fajitas/tacos/burritos/tostadas
-Casseroles of any kind
-Soups
-Anything you would use pre-packaged diced chicken to make for a much lower cost.

FREE TACO!!

I don't really follow baseball too much anymore BUT I do love one thing...free tacos! That's right, Taco Bell is offering a free taco to everyone today from 2-6pm because someone stole a base in the World Series. Check out this link for more details...http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/fan_forum/tacobell/

Why you should love your crockpot (Part 1)

Crockpots are the best. They are a fairly cheap investment and usually last for years. In the summer when you don't want to heat up the house, they are a great alternative to an oven. They also use less energy (think of the size of an oven coil compared to your little crockpot one). So if you don't have one, get one! Almost anything that can be made in an oven can be made in a crockpot with slight modification.

Growing up, we didn't eat a lot of meat. My dad grilled chicken once in a while and my mom made tuna casserole once in a while, but not many roasts or pork chops or stuff like that (acually, I never had a pork chop until I was 17!!!) We ate a lot of ground beef so I'm good at that, but once I was out on my own I wanted to try new things. Let's just say that meat was not my specialty in the beginning. I didn't ruin it, but I just didn't know how to make it delicious. Enter the crockpot, the lifesaver of all meat chunks. You can pretty much cook any kind of meat and it will turn out tender and delicious.

Your votes are needed...and not for the president (although those are too)

Have you voted for the PRO BOWL yet? Go here http://www.nfl.com/probowl/ballot. After you vote, you can enter to win TICKETS. Oh my gosh if I won tickets to the pro bowl I would say "see ya" to Virginia in a heartbeat.

Make sure you vote for Troy Polamalu (you know, the Steeler with the hair) because he is one bad motha on the football field, but actually in real life softspoken and a great guy.

Movie Review: The Wild

We got this last week on Netflix and I have to say it was one of the best "new" animated movies. When I say "new", I'm talking about the ones that have come out since I "grew up", like Madagascar, Open Season, stuff like that. I love every Disney movie from my youth...especially The Little Mermaid and Mulan.

Anyway, first of all, you will not believe the animation in this thing. I kept telling Reber, "That's a real garbage truck, that's a real zoo." Also, when you read the blurb about the movie, you will think you've seen it already because it sounds like Madagascar. They are kinda similar, but I like this one better...It has a better heart-warming story line and makes you laugh the whole way through.

Now let's hope that Disney can come up with some new storylines for the next one...

Caramel Brownies

OK, Laura, I'm posting the brownie recipe already!! My stepmom taught me how to make these. Once you get the hang of it, they're really easy and everyone will want you to make them all the time.

1 can evaporated milk (the small can is enough)
1 box German Chocolate cake mix
3/4 cup margarine or butter, softened well or melted
1 pkg. caramels
1 pkg. chocolate chips

Melt caramels with 1/3 cup evaporated milk. Put aside. Combine cake mix with butter and 1/3 cup milk. Divide batter in half, and spread half of it into a greased 9x13" baking dish. Bake for 6 min. at 350 degrees. Remove from oven and sprinkle chocolate chips on top, then drizzle melted caramel mixture on top of them. Cover with remaining batter (this can be tricky...I flatten it with my hands and lay it on top in sections. If it sticks to your hands really bad, get them wet and it won't stick as much). Bake for another 15 minutes at 350 degrees. Let cool before cutting (sometimes I even put it in the fridge and let it get cold before I cut it so the caramel doesn't get everywhere).

Disclaimer

I know that those of you who read this may or may not be Christians. Either way, that's cool. I just want to give you a heads up that sometimes I will post stuff on here about the Bible or being a Christian. I am not preaching - these are just thoughts or things that have been helpful to me. Feel free to read them or not and I definitely welcome any comments or questions. With that said, read on...

Be Strong and Courageous

"Be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you."
- Deuteronomy 31:6

Recently I've been reading through the Old Testament. Some of it is awesome and some of it is a little dry. But one thing that keeps popping out to me is that phrase - be strong and courageous. Throughout this chapter and into Joshua, God is leading the Israelites to the land he promised their ancestors. Sometimes, a bunch of cities hear how strong the Israelites are and get together to try and conquer them. The other cities seem to WAY outnumber the Israelites, so it's natural for them to be nervous (wouldn't you be scared if you had to go fight in a battle you seemed destined to lose?). But time and time again, the Israelites go in and crush everyone and take over the cities. I'm not a big fan of war (remember, I grew up Mennonite!), but God was using the Israelites to show the world His power and how He takes care of his people.

I like this verse because it reminds me that God still takes care of us. This doesn't mean that we will always have the best of everything, but it means that we will have what we need. It also reminds me that if God can conquer multiple cities with chickens like the Israelites, he can deal with my problems that I stress about.

You're gonna be so jealous of me

So as you know, I have a broken foot. I took off work yesterday because it's so freakin' exhausting! We needed some stuff at Food Lion, especially the 99 cent/lb. chicken breast, so I had Reber drive me there. He is usually great at going to the store by himself, but there were a lot of things that I had to check prices on and see if my coupons were worth it. Anyway, getting to the best part...I got to ride the electric scooter cart!!! That thing is awesome, and FYI, the Food Lion one goes much faster than the Wal-Mart one.

Look at this kid...he is totally cheating...notice his broken HAND!!

CVS

As some of you may know, I love CVS. I can't help it...they're always giving me free stuff! They have this extra care bucks (ECB) program that rewards you for buying certain things, then you can use your ECBs toward future purchases. It takes a little planning, but it can be worth it. Sometimes I even make money!

Here's one scenario that I got last Sunday:
5 - 32oz. Gatorades
1 - Colgate Advanced Toothpaste
1 - Bottle CVS brand Vitamin D pills

I had a coupon for the toothpaste and $10 ECB from last week. My grand total was .04 cents and I got $8 more ECBs. So basically I got all that for $2.04. Not bad, huh?

It takes a little money to begin with, but I usually keep between $5-$15 in ECBs and don't have to spent much out of pocket for the stuff I get. This website is really helpful. Check out the CVS for newbies link. You can even see upcoming weeks' flyers. Happy shopping!

Lucy and Garfield

These are my awesome cats.















This is Lucy. She comes from Stanley, VA and weighs 18 pounds. She gives kisses, hates cat treats, and loves Reber the best.















This is Garfield. He comes from the trailor park behind Lowe's. We think he was abused, so it took him a little bit to get used to us - he even bit Reber when we first got him - but now he is the most loving/loveable cat ever. His favorite foods are tomatoes, taco salad, and croissants.

I have the best cats in the whole world : )

Already some exciting news for my new blog...

Well, I couldn't post for a couple days because I had no Google account. I didn't realize that the confirmation email from Google for my blog password so I just deleted it!! Everything is straightened out now...except for my foot. I broke it yesterday. Reber bought a wood chip tray for his grill/smoker and had set it on the stairs with the bags of wood chips. The tray fell onto the landing and I was walking downstairs without turning the light on (genious) and down I went. After the initial ridiculous amount of pain, I was just laughing the whole time because I still can't believe I broke my foot. I hope everyone I know reads this because it's a really annoying story to try to explain. At least I got to spend some quality time with my neighbor when she took me to Emergicare : )

Disappointment

I spent 62 cents on something I would normally never pay 62 cents for. Jello Pudding. They had it in a big fancy display at Wal-Mart and the flavor was Pumpkin Spice. Being ridiculously obsessed with all things pumpkin, I had to try it. IT'S GROSS!! It tastes all artificial and crappy (and although I usually do my pudding homemade on the stove, I still like the boxed kind). Just wanted to save your 62 cents.

Hello out there in Blogland

Hey Everyone,
Welcome to my blog. Hooray for you because it's gonna be great...hopefully. I started it because have a three-day-weekend (thank you Christopher Columbus - even though you were a crappy navigator and I much prefer MLK Day). My name is Heather, aka Mz. Cribb thanks to my coworker Jody. I was lucky when I got married and ended up with such an awesome last name.

I guess I'll introduce myself a little...I love all the stuff that I mentioned in my header, plus my husband Reber (yes, that's his real name), the Pittsburgh Steelers, my cats Lucy and Garfield, and the Food Network.

I will not be good at posting consistently but hopefully you'll come check this place out now and then. That's it for now but I'll be back soon!