Welcome to my Cribb

No Munchkins Allowed

2011-11-25T22:59:00.003-05:00

My husband and I have made a permanent decision to not have children. How freeing! I even tried to talk myself out of our permanent solution to make sure that this is the right decision. The ONLY reason I could think of for having kids is to have someone to take care of us when we're old. But what's to say that our children will outlive us or be available when we need them? To me, that reason in itself is not strong enough to merit a new life!

We are/I am not the "normal" childfree couple. I was looking online to see if others felt like me, and came across some sites that were critical of (bordering on hateful to) parents, Christians, breastfeeding moms, and more. I am not against any of that!!! I think parents are great, and love to see a mom in my office reading a book to her child, or encouraging a mom to breastfeed for her and her baby's health. Heck, I even love to watch 19 Kids and Counting. Their commitment to their family and their faith is admirable. But should we have a child....because they're cute? because everyone else is doing it? it's what we're "supposed" to do? Nah. Some people just cannot fathom why we want to stay childfree, so here is a summary.

Environmental - the Earth's population is exploding and we are using up our resources too quickly. Babies need diapers and stuff and food for their whole lives. I could use cloth diapers, but if I never have to change diapers, even better!
Occupational - I love my job. I've never met a mom who wasn't torn between her job and her kids. Why put myself in that situation if I don't have to?
Emotional - Children are a blessing, but they can also be very stressful!
Marital - My husband and I can agree to disagree on certain issues that won't ever affect us since we won't have kids. Working out agreements is a good thing, but there are just certain things we won't ever have to worry about (like video games/TV, curfew/bedtime, etc).
Physical - I never have to be pregnant. Enough said.
Helpful - As a wife, there is a lot of work to do at home (children or not!). As a Christian, there is a lot of work to do for God's Kingdom. I am seriously not perfect and still improving in this area, but being childfree really is freeing to help other children who are already here and do the other things that God wants me to.

As you can hopefully see, this was not a hasty decision, but a prayed-over, thought-out decision. This is not just a matter of trying to take the easy way out. I do not judge those who have children or want to have children. We all have our own lives. I do wish that people would more carefully consider the decision to have children (or not!) before taking on this monumental, life-long challenge. It is the child who suffers when the parents are not prepared for the responsibility.

There will always be those who say, "You'll change your mind." Well, I know that God is the only one who knows the plans for my life, and the only one with the power to change minds. If He tells us something different in the future, I'll do my best to follow. But for now, I am free.

-- Also see http://childfreechristian.blogspot.com/ --

El Inmortal

2011-05-16T18:18:00.004-04:00

Watch this video. Especially if you speak Spanish. It's one of my new favorites by Manny Montes, a Christian Reggaeton artist. His music is as good if not better than mainstream Reggaeton, plus the message is awesome. This particular song is about Jesus's death - how he gave up his life for ALL of us. It's unfortunate how some of the people mentioned in this song are judged by Christians instead of loved as Jesus loves them. Here's part of the song translated (though it flows better in Spanish!)

He died for Pentecostals and for Catholics

He died for addicts, for prostitutes and for alcoholics

He died for believers and for athiests

He died for Americans, Africans, and Europeans

He died for Michael Jordan, Ricky Martin, and for Tyson

He died for Eminem, Jennifer Lopez, Michael Jackson

He died for Madonna, Christina Aguilera, and Britney

He died for Fidel Castro, Hugo Chavez, and for Hitler

He died for Picasso, for Diana the Princess

He died for Albert Einstein and for the Mother Teresa

He died for Tego, for Hector, for Don Omar, Daddy Yankee

He died for Saddam Hussin, and for Osama Bin Laden

He died for the Pope, for Bush and for Don King

He died for Tito Trinidad, Bill Gates, and for Benny Hinn

He died for homosexuals and for evangelists

He died for missionaries and he died for terrorists

He died for murderers, crooks, and governors

He died for the mafia, pastors, and for rapists

He died for those who reject him and for those who receive him

I accept him, and you? Tell me your decision.

Acts 11:17 And since God gave these Gentiles the same gift he gave us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to stand in God’s way?

40 Days of Prayer

2011-03-20T15:58:00.003-04:00

...otherwise sometimes known as Lent. I decided instead of fasting in the literal sense that I would give up caffeine for 40 days.

The whole point is that I'm sacrificing something to dedicate myself to God, and relying on him to get me through. Have I been tempted? Yep. Have I been exhausted? Yep. Have I cheated? Nope. But it's definitely not through my own power. I'm not that strong. I know it sounds dumb, but caffeine is a drug, and I was "using " it every day. It's been harder than I thought to give it up.

At a Bible study the other night, the leader said something that I can't get out of my mind. How often do I "cheat" when it comes to things God wants me to do? When I should rely on him? How often does He give me a thought and I think "that's a good idea" and never do it? How often do I use things - caffeine, TV, internet, eating, facebook (the list goes on) to distract myself from what I am missing out on? While it's good that I haven't given in to caffeine for 11 days, that's nothing compared to what I can do through Christ who strengthens me. By not relying on God in ALL things, I'm really cheating myself and others out of the full life that God has for me.

"Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will." -Romans 12:1-2

The New Inklings

2011-02-01T21:46:00.006-05:00

The New Inklings is a blog about religion, or the lack thereof. Each week, one of the Inklings will post about a particular topic from their perspective, be it Christian or Agnostic. Later in the week, the other will post their viewpoint on the same topic.

Discussion and learning without judgement and arguing - love it!

New Year, New Posts

2011-01-30T08:31:00.002-05:00

I stopped blogging for a while because I had nothing to say. Good thing the blog doesn't erase from inactivity, because now I have some things to say again. I was reading old posts and I listed some highlights of 2009 looking forward to 2010. I'm a month late, but whatever, here it is...

*My first nephew, Maddox, was born

*Cleaned and organized all the closets in my house

*Switched jobs from Office Services Specialist to Nutritionist

*Learned more than I ever thought I would about breastfeeding and babies

*Started to learn Arabic, then kinda crapped out because it is HARD. Maybe in 2011 I'll get motivated again with that.

*My best friend, Carissa, moved back here

*Trip to Puerto Rico to celebrate our 5th wedding anniversary

*Decided for sure we're happy without our own kids

*Got involved with the Spanish Church of the Nazarene which has been amazing all around

Wow, that was more than I expected! Of course not everything was perfect, but those are some majorly awesome things...

Reflection

2011-01-23T08:24:00.004-05:00

"Thank you God for using a broken, sometimes rotten, sometimes horrible situation to somehow glorify You. You make everything beautiful and glorious." - My friend Laura S.

Wow. So true. Plenty of examples in my life and situations I've seen or been through. Sometimes God even uses stuff that's not rotten or horrible, but unexpected. Hanging out with my Muslim friends and seeing their dedication to God and their faith has challenged and encouraged me in my own. Reber and I are part of a Spanish-speaking church and God helps us to understand everything that he wants us to - even when the words fail, we get the message. Because of this church, he has surrounded us with friends right here in our community that live and work close to us.

I appreciate all my church experiences in the past - from Mennonite to modern to house church. God has shown me many things in each situation, through both good and not so good experiences. But we're all a work in progress, right?!

Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. - James 1:4

Sugar milk

2010-06-30T20:09:00.003-04:00

After all the opposition, the Board of Education tabled the great chocolate milk debate. They await new federal guidelines on child nutrition.

But the discussion in Florida is far from over, Padgett said. "It's the trend of the future. It's the weight of the future."

At Pinellas Central (School), 10-year-old Hong Ho beamed when asked about her choice of white milk.

"Chocolate milk has, like, lots of fats and calories," she explained.

Friend and classmate Linh Le, also 10, shook her head as she sipped from her brown carton.

"I drink chocolate milk at school because I always drink plain milk in the morning," Linh said.

The two lifted their cartons to compare nutritional labels.

White milk: 110 calories, 12 grams of sugar. Chocolate milk: 150 calories, 26 grams of sugar.

"This has a lot of sugar!" Linh exclaimed.

"That," said Ho, "is why I don't drink chocolate milk."

See the rest of this article here.

Viva la revolucion...of food!

2010-04-15T19:21:00.003-04:00

Jamie Oliver (the chef) has a show on ABC on Friday nights. He's taking on the American school lunch system and it's totally awesome to watch. Also, check out this blog. It's one of my new favorites - the low down and dirty on school lunches (sorry I couldn't get the link to work).

Gross, right!? Check it out...

fedupwithschoollunch.blogspot.com

Reber's Blog

2010-03-13T18:00:00.000-05:00

My husband started a blog - check it out!

Just For Fun

2010-03-09T20:02:00.002-05:00

Borrowed this one from my friend Laura's blog...

1. What would you like to have in your hands right now? Some lotion - they're so dry!

2. What was the last thing you ate? Stovetop (real!) p0pcorn

3. What is your favorite moment on a tv show? The whole show Important Things with Demetri Martin and when the Steelers make an awesome play

4. Have you ever ridden in a limo? yeah! To McDonald's in 4th grade for Accelerated Reader

5. How many pregnant women do you know? Not counting the hundreds of pregnant ladies on the WIC program, 4

6. Three things you did this past weekend. Went to Richmond for the Alice in Chains concert, visited a little with my dad who drove a Uhaul from Florida, visited the OneTribe store.

7. What did your family do for vacations when you were young? Long Beach, NC and Pittsburgh to see extended family

8. Do you mind if guests show up unannounced? no, we have a bunch of cool neighbors who are always stopping by

9. When will you next travel by plane? In May to Puerto Rico woohoo!!

10. What did the last text message you received say? Don't remember - I don't text!

11. When was the last time you got dressed up? Every day I get semi-dressed-up for work (blah)

12. What do you miss when you are away from home? my kitties

13. What are you completely and totally over hearing about, reading about and discussing ad naseum? the Oscars. Who gives a crap?

14. What are three things you are looking forward to? Puerto Rico la isla mas bonita, my new job, hanging out more at Our Community Place

15. What is the newest thing you own? my knee brace and crutches

16. If I do anything well it's: cook

17. Do you use a planner? I always try to at the beginning of the month but then forget to look at it!

18. What is your all time favorite tv comedy? The Cosby Show

19. What is your current obsession? Soapmaking

20. Do you balance your checkbook or wing it? Wing it (don't tell my grandpa!!) I used to balance it but it took a lot of time and I'm really careful with what I spend so it never bounces.

21. What is your favorite store bought cookie? Soft Batch Chocolate Chip

22. High school was: lame

23. Describe your dream kitchen. Don't get me started. Those pull out drawers, a nice pantry, energy efficient appliances...the list could go on.

24. What would you really like to purchase? a new pepper grinder. The fifty cent one I got from the thrift store is no good.

25. What magazines do you read? Siempre Mujer (a women's magazine in Spanish)

Pierogies!!

2010-03-06T17:00:00.000-05:00

Here's an easy and delicious dinner!

1 lb. bulk sausage

1 or 2 boxes frozen pierogies

1-2 onions

1-2 bell peppers

Cook sausage and peppers in skillet. Add pierogies and cook until browned. This is a favorite of my house church-goers!!

Napoli and a Birthday

2010-03-03T21:19:00.003-05:00

Happy 22nd birthday to my brother today! I loved being 22 so hopefully it's a great year for him too.

If you're ever around Harrisonburg, Napoli is a great restaurant!! It used to be Luigi's on Rt. 42. Their stuff is reasonably priced and consistently delicious! I especially love the Piatto Della Nona and the Steak and Cheese Deluxe. YUM CITY :)

"What the crap are you watching?"

2010-02-19T17:54:00.002-05:00

That's what I said to Reber when he turned on the curling competition in the Olympics. He thought it was funny when the American and Japanese women would deliver the stone and I have to admit, it was pretty irresistible. Then we started watching it and trying to figure out what the heck they were doing and it's really interesting!!

I even read the whole Wikipedia article on it. I know, I can't even believe it myself :)

Boo for Silk Soymilk

2010-01-22T20:45:00.000-05:00

I hate agribusiness. Don't get me wrong...farmers are great. Just not the politics and giant corporations that stand in our way of eating real food. I recently watched Food, Inc. and it made me want to cry. And now this.

On Getting Kicked Out of Facebook

2010-01-20T20:20:00.002-05:00

This weekend, a hacker got into my Facebook account and tried to scam my friends, and Facebook kicked me off. I didn't feel like going through the appeal process and sending them my personal information, so I'm done.

I was initially a little frustrated, but about 2 seconds later, I felt relieved. Facebook is good for some things, but sometimes it can be a complete waste of life. Farmville is especially good at wasting my life. I had been contemplating how much of my time it takes and how I don't really stay that connected with anyone. It's really not that weird being away from my Facebook "friends" (all of whom I like but none of whom I talk to often).

This whole ordeal is really a blessing in disguise. God helped me to do what I couldn't do myself, and the last couple days I've been super productive and thankful for all the things I've been missing here in my real life. Bring it on.

Looking back at 2009

2009-12-31T19:30:00.002-05:00

Happy New Year! I love our family tradition of eating Chinese food and watching a season of a TV show on DVD. This year it's Arrested Development (took me a little while to get into that show but now I love it). Seems like everyone's complaining about 2009 but it wasn't THAT bad!! Here are some noteworthy things from this year...

*I learned how to decorate cakes, even with fondant.

*I'm starting to learn Russian

*Reber is excited about his planted aquarium (it really is beautiful).

*Trip to Rochester, NY for a friend's wedding party...enjoyed my first taste of garbage plates and salt potatoes.

*Got to hang out with my brother more this year than I have in a while.

*Got a new petsitting job now and then with some great people and their amazing animals.

*New floor in our kitchen and downstairs bathroom.

*When the economy goes bad, my job gets more secure!

Happy 2010!!

WOW

2009-10-22T10:54:00.001-04:00

That's all I have to say about this.

Crockpot refried beans

2009-10-21T11:20:00.002-04:00

These are MUCH cheaper than the ones from the can!

Cook a pound of beans with a bunch of water - maybe 10 cups or so - on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-8 hours with a tablespoon or two of salt. Optionally, add a chopped onion, green pepper, a little olive oil, and oja de aguacate (avocado leaves - a couple of those. You can buy them in any Mexican grocery store).

Ladle out some of the water and set aside. Remove the avocado leaves (they're like bay leaves). Mash the beans with a potato masher or process in the food processor. That's it! This makes a lot of beans - you can put them in individual containers and freeze. They're just as easy to pull out of the freezer as the cans are easy to pull out of the pantry!

Cake City!

2009-09-13T08:05:00.003-04:00

That's what my house has been lately because I've been taking a cake decorating class at Michael's. I started because two friends wanted to sign up and I thought, "What the heck?" Now I'm in level 2 and they didn't continue past level 1 (for school and other reasons). The class is really fun and who knew I could do this stuff?

This is the first layer cake I've ever made and the first time I used a decorating bag.

Yummy...mocha fudge filling.

Here is the final Level 1 cake that required at least 5 roses.

Once I get my colors right (red and black are the hardest...go figure since those are probably the ones I'll use most), I'll make some rock metal cakes and football cakes. Also, I am very unofficially open for business so if you need a cake let me know and we can work something out :)

Kiddie Pool/Sandbox

2009-08-28T20:22:00.002-04:00

So I'm not a mom yet, but isn't this the most genius idea ever?

I copied this from the blog Passionate Homemaking. What a great idea to use this plastic bin as a kiddie pool...it's cheap and you can snap on the cover so you don't have to keep changing the water AND when your kids outgrow it, you can use it for storage!! And bonus - you can switch it to a sandbox easily if you feel like it.

OUCH!

2009-08-01T13:58:00.002-04:00

I'm stealing this topic from my friend Laura's blog because I think it's interesting. What do you think?? This is my comment on hers...

I do understand the supposed risks so I wouldn’t call anyone wacko who doesn't vaccinate their kids, but I don’t think that I want to let Jenny McCarthy sway the medical decisions I make for my child either. I thought it was pretty interesting on this chart that very few of them actually contained any mercury. I think when I’m making these decisions for my own kids that I will be careful to only let them be vaccinated with the brands that use no mercury because I don’t trust that stuff.

I checked out both Immunization schedules from 1983 and 2008. I do think that it’s sort of incredible how much it has changed. I also know that diseases are powerful and can evolve (why we get a flu shot every year – or at least I do and I hardly EVER get sick). I noticed that Rotavirus is one that was added and I don’t know much about it so I looked it up. 60,000 people are admitted to hospitals in the US each year and 37 die from rotavirus. Most people in the world have had it by age 5 and the first time is really bad and causes severe diarrhea, then the following times their body has built up enough antibodies to be asymptomatic even though they may be infected. A little boy on WIC died from it soon after I started my job and I still remember his mom calling me on the phone crying and it was horrible. I personally don’t want my kid to have severe diarrhea or put other kids at risk for severe illness and possible death.

http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vac-gen/why.htm
This link explains “the other side” pretty well in plain language. Parents who refuse vaccinations are relying on the kids who are vaccinated to prevent the outbreak of disease.

BUT I do understand proceeding with caution and doing your research is very important, just know where you are getting the information from a reputable source and remember that overall, the disease itself is probably way more of an enemy than the vaccine, otherwise the health community wouldn’t be interested in eradicating it.

Fajita Wraps

2009-07-26T20:33:00.000-04:00

Hers's a recipe that I created. It is pretty healthy and completely delicious and got two thumbs up from the hubs.

In the slow cooker, combine:

1-2 chopped bell peppers

1-2 chopped onions

1 chopped yellow squash (I promise you won't taste it in the end - I got one free from a coworker)

1 can Ro-tel (or similar) diced tomatoes w/ green chiles

1 can drained diced tomatoes or some diced fresh ones

Some combo of fajita seasoning, Tabasco chipotle hot sauce (DE-licious), taco seasoning, etc.

Some kind of cubed boneless skinless meat (beef, pork, chicken, whatever)

Cook everything on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-8 hours

Before serving, add 1/2 block of cream cheese (low fat is good but don't use nonfat) and stir to melt. Serve on tortillas. YUMMY!

It's a Wonderful Life

2009-07-25T20:23:00.002-04:00

Reber's work schedule has changed to weekdays...YAAAYYY!! We had our second Saturday together and it's already so great. We went out to breakfast, to the library, to the farmers market, to the Cat's Cradle open house, and then to our friend's house to visit and dig up some vines to plant. Whew, full day but it still felt so long. It's so exciting to enjoy our our city and each other.

On another good note, my always-low iron was boosted by a bunch of iron pills, red meat, and clams that I ate so I finally got to donate blood!! I feel fine and I'm so glad to have been able to donate. I prayed about it the night before and came up with 12.6 iron (you need 12.5 to donate). Now THAT is a perfect example of answered prayer!

Sharp Shopper Goodies

2009-07-13T09:36:00.000-04:00

HAHA!! This is raisin bran from Israel, but it sure tastes delicious.

What have I been doing lately??

2009-07-11T09:03:00.007-04:00

Hangin' out with these kiddos!! Aren't they ridiculously cute? They're so much fun and they all especially love Reber.

What's for dinner - Rabbit

2009-06-21T11:27:00.002-04:00

So I bought a rabbit from the farmer's market yesterday. No, not a live one, it was already ready to cook, just like you would buy a chicken from the store. I love buying stuff at the farmer's market b/c it's all local and you can ask the farmers/growers what they've fed their animals, how they treat their soil, etc. I also ran into an old friend and bought some of his delicious fresh parsley which can be used in place of cilantro if you have a husband like mine who doesn't like it.

Anyway, here's how I'm attempting to cook the rabbit:

2 onions, sliced
4 pounds roasting rabbit, skinned
1 clove garlic, sliced
2 bay leaves
1 whole clove
1 cup hot water
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup cold water

Basically, you throw most of this into the slow cooker and cook it, then add the flour and water to make a "pan" gravy. I might leave out the clove because I'm not sure if I have one...

Mmmmm....I hope!!

What's New

2009-05-25T10:30:00.005-04:00

So I really do have a life, even if I'm not good at keeping up with my blog...

Let's start with Wednesday, because that's about as far back as I can remember. We had church here at the house on the back patio with some STEAK (and yes, of course I made a salad). We opened our Bibles but never got to the "study" part because we kept on talking and laughing and telling stories. Sometimes those times are equally or even more important than "studying."

Thursday we went to Artiles, a new Cuban restaurant, with the neighbors. It was to celebrate her birthday a MONTH ago. The restaurant had AWESOME food and the people were really friendly. Not a huge buffet selection but that's ok because everything tasted so good. Mmmm...I love those fried plantains.

Friday I took the day OFF and hung out at home with Reber who had a stomach bug. Still much better than working.

Saturday my neighbor, Karina, and I went with her church to Our Community Place to cook and eat lunch with the people there. That is one amazing place with a bunch of good people.

We also had another cookout with my neighbors and coworkers in the afternoon. Everybody enjoyed hamburgers and grilled corn, face painting, and a tres leches cake fiasco that was still delicious. It totally fell apart!

Here is my neighbor painting the kids' faces. She is so talented at everything and always has good ideas. The kids were so excited that they kept crowding around her and she hardly had space to work sometimes!

Here are the kids with their finished faces:

I LOVE all these kids - they're so adorable and funny. Plus we discovered that our shared backyard space is perfect for kids to run around and play. I always say "I don't have a yard," but really I do!

Sunday I cleaned the basement like a madwoman because I want to have a yard sale sometime in the coming weeks.

And now it's Monday. Time to savor the extra day off, get a few things done, and take a break!

A couple random pics

2009-05-23T09:07:00.005-04:00

Confession: I am officially the worst picture-taker EVER. I take my camera places and then never end up using it. I am afraid to change the batteries because last time I did, it deleted all the pictures. But this morning, I got up some courage and went on iPhoto and here they are in all their glory:

Here are Madalyn and Buddy. Oh my gosh I love her name. She's the daughter of our friends Aaron and Laura. Laura is the best picture-taker I know, so forgive me for this one but I think it's cute.

Here is my ridiculous cat being ridiculous. He's always into something. Pardon the kitchen mess...I'm always doing about a billion things at a time in there. And see that bread maker? I scored that for 10 bucks at a yard sale!!

And finally, one that I can't take credit for because Reber took this one, but isn't it pretty where we live? I love our neighborhood because it's full of life and kids are always playing.

Well, there you have it - hopefully more to come soon!

Lessons from a Road Trip

2009-05-10T14:27:00.002-04:00

Last week, we drove to NC to help our friends Aaron and Laura move. That was down and back to Greenville in 24 hours, and was really fun! Here are some lessons from the road:

- When one lane is closed on a major highway, GET OVER WHEN IT SAYS THE LANE IS ENDING!!! If everyone would just move over to the un-closed lane, everyone could keep going at a slower but steady pace. But since some people decide to be jerkfaces and try to get in front of everyone, it ruins the whole thing and makes it stop and go for miles. That is my non-scientific observation, anyway.

- My car has an adjustable seatbelt! This is the best news ever because I am always trying to push the seatbelt over because I'm short and it digs into my neck. Reber, being the wonderful husband that he is, noticed that I was always tugging at it and when I mentioned my frustration, he reached across and adjusted the seatbelt. This also means that I'm an idiot because I've owned this car since July 2006.

- The Mayflower is the best restaurant ever in the history of the world. It feels like you're at a seafood restaurant at the beach when you walk through the door. The menu is extensive AND reasonably priced AND you get a ton of food AND it's delicious!! Unfortunately, these are only in NC but I'm going back every chance I get!

- I still love my car and the 40 miles/gallon we got on the trip.

Yay for a road trip : )

Yard Sale Extravaganza

2009-05-02T08:36:00.002-04:00

If you don't live in Harrisonburg, you've probably never seen anything like the Belmont Estates Yard Sale. Basically, it's a huge subdivision of really nice houses, and twice a year they have a community yard sale. I wish I had taken my camera. Driving around is like trying to get out of a concert. There are people and cars EVERYWHERE.

Why do I go to all this trouble, you ask? Duh, the deals! Today I spent about $60. In the stores, the stuff I bought would've been at least $350-400. I got a brand new hammock still in the box, a bread machine, bunches of clothes, a handheld game for my dad, a couple little household items, AND, the piece de restistance, a big painting in a nice frame. Original price was $120 (the tag was still on the back) and I paid $15!!! Woohoo!!

In celebration of Earth Day

2009-04-22T20:54:00.002-04:00

Who doesn't love Sunchips? And the best thing, did you know that in 2010, they are making FULLY COMPOSTABLE CHIP BAGS?? I'm seriously excited about this because I just ordered a composter (more to come on that later...). Plus already they are made with whole grains and 33% of their energy is solar.

Foodie Survey

2009-04-11T12:20:00.000-04:00

This was kinda fun...

On Kids and Eating

2009-04-11T11:50:00.000-04:00

This was written by John Rosemond in the Daily News Record on Saturday, April 4. Sometimes he can be a little harsh, but I liked this scenario that he gave today. Kids come over to our house a lot - and 2 specifically are picky. Their mom says they don't eat anything but cheeseburgers, chicken nuggets, etc. but they eat great at our house.

Growing up, my family didn't let us eat separate things. We ate what the family was eating, or not. There were usually a couple parts to the meal, so if I hated what was being served, I could have veggies and maybe potatoes or something. And guess what, my brother and I are some very un-picky eaters.

I just find this interesting...

"Mom and Dad are eating roast beef, mashed potatoes, and green beans, but 11-year-old Che is eating a hot dog and french fries and 6-year-old Fidel is eating a grilled cheese sandwich and the only brand of potato chips he will deign to consume.

This may look like democracy, but as we painfully discovered, it is the tyranny of the Children's Republic. Furthermore, someone ought to tell the parents in question that a family shares the same food at family meals. That is one of the things that makes them a family.

"But John," the guilty protest, "my child doesn't like roast beef and green beans!"

That, my dear, is because you serve him a hot dog instead. I'll bet there are no children in Darfur who suffer from roast beef anorexia."

Best Gift Ever

2009-04-08T07:30:00.000-04:00

I gave this to Reber a couple years ago for his birthday and I was so proud of it (and still am). It doesn't look that special upon first glance, but it actually took some thought and effort. Maybe I even like it more than he does, but too bad.

The papers are Chinese for our names (supposedly!) and I got them from this guy at Pike's Place market in Seattle. He didn't speak English and I had to repeat Reber's name like 3 times because I guess he'd never heard of it. Anyway, that was really special because Reber's always wanted to go to Seattle but hasn't been yet - I was there for a death in the family so not under the best circumstances anyway.

So I wanted to do something special and give them as a gift, but custom framing can be out the wazoo expensive. I went to the Frame Factory right up the road (a locally-owned store :) and asked what were my options. The lady suggested a custom mat with a frame that they had in the store. She went to a corner with the discount frames and pulled out this one - exactly perfect for what I needed and it was on clearance PLUS I had a 10% off coupon so the whole entire thing only ended up costing around $50. I just love this thing.

Finally - Pictures from our newly designed room!

2009-04-05T11:23:00.006-04:00

Here is the color - it's called "castle" and is a little darker in real life. We went into the store and picked the first color we liked. Reber and I always pick colors like that.

That is my favorite poster. Everything in our room is pretty muted except that lamp (from my grandma - love that thing) and the poster, so they draw your eye to them. Plus I like flowers but not really frilly girly ones so these are perfect.

St. Patrick's Day funny

2009-03-19T20:26:00.001-04:00

Sorry I don't have a picture of this, but here's what my wonderful husband said to me first thing St. Patrick's Day morning:

"You look like one of those Irish pagan people who's all into fairies and shit."

Haha. Though my green pants are really rockin...

YUCK, check this out

2009-03-12T19:40:00.002-04:00

Sorry I've been MIA for a little while...if you know me, you know that I eat off the floor and generally am not scared of germs but something has had me under the weather on and off for a couple weeks. But I've also been eating lots of fresh, cheap fruit courtesy of the Russian market Save and Prosper, which is pretty much the opposite of the food you'll find on this website...

THIS IS WHY YOU'RE FAT

This site is awesomely gross!! It looks like food that Aaron and Reber would eat.

Except for this...I would actually eat this but probably with only one type of meat at a time...and no sausage.

These people are awesome

2009-03-01T14:47:00.002-05:00

Central India Christian Mission rocks! Check them out here. Here in America, Christians tend to be reserved and lukewarm about their faith. They don't want to step on people's toes. But in India and the surrounding nations like Nepal and Bangladesh, many Christians are being severely persecuted for their faith. The people in this organization challenge and inspire me because they are not afraid. They know that God is guiding their steps and they care about other people so much that they risk their well-being and their lives so that others may know the freedom and grace of Jesus. Plus, if you read the Bible, Jesus stepped on a lot of toes!!

They run hospitals that are better than the government hospitals. Actually, the doctors from the government hospitals send their family to the CICM ones!

Another cool part of the program is their child sponsorship program. For $15/month, you can provide a child's needs including food, clothing, vitamins, school supplies and fees, personal care items, sleeping bags, and mosquito nets. Notice that this is HALF the price of most child sponsorship programs. That's because the money goes straight to the children and you don't pay for them to put those heart-wrenching ads on TV that some other organizations do.

So get on it! We have all we need even if sometimes it doesn't feel like much.

Why I love my car...

2009-02-20T20:22:00.002-05:00

Last week, I went to Pittsburgh to visit my grandma, who recently had her hip replaced (and is doing so great!!). I drove all the way there and almost all the way back before filling up my gas tank in Toms Brook. I got a whopping 41.7 miles per gallon. Woohoo!!

Free Coffee!

2009-02-14T06:17:00.001-05:00

McDonald's in our area has free coffee from 5-9 a.m. for the whole month of February and you don't even have to buy anything else! You just drive up and tell them you'd like a free coffee. You can even get iced coffees if that's your thing.

Personally, I think BK has MUCH better coffee than McDonald's, but I'll take whatever I can get if it's FREE!!

Take 5 Tuesday

2009-02-10T07:00:00.000-05:00

5 things that have interested you lately

- Indian food

- Sweet Acidophilus milk

- Meeting and talking with Ricky's mom

- Organizing/simplifying the house

- Reber - he's cool!

5 things you've researched lately

- Indian food

- Celiac disease

- That's about it

5 things you're looking forward to this year

- My 25th birthday

- Our 4th wedding anniversary

- Our church growing and changing in a positive way

- The start of football again in the fall

- Becoming a foster parent

5 things you've watched recently

- The Super Bowl!

- Food Network

- Clean House

- Bridezillas (my guilty pleasure...that show is a pure waste of time!)

- My exercise DVD

Meet the coolest kid ever

2009-02-08T15:21:00.003-05:00

Meet Ricky, the kid who comes over every Tuesday and plays guitar with Reber. Recently, he also loves the microphone and makes up his own songs. He was born oxygen-deprived and is a little miracle. When we met him, he was really shy and didn't talk much. Sometimes he's still a little hard to understand but his personality has really started to shine through and he talks with us all the time now. He especially loves Reber and they are always joking around. I'm so proud of both of them!!

We Did It!!!!

2009-02-02T17:55:00.004-05:00

No more crap from Cowboys fans for us....the Steelers are America's team!! Go Steeler Nation!! That's enough gloating for me. I'm such a girl though, because I always feel bad for the losing team (unless it's the Ravens). I know they get paid millions but they're still people. But I sure love my STEELERS and will always be ecstatic when they win a thrilling game like that.

Oh and check out these cookies that my brother brought to share with us. They were Fed-Exed from Pittsburgh and were delicious.

This is one bandwagon you should jump on

2009-01-30T06:00:00.000-05:00

Reusable shopping bags!! They're great because you can pile a bunch of groceries in each one so you have fewer bags to carry and they're much more comfortable. They don't dig into your arms like when you get a bunch of heavy plastic bags. Plus, they don't end up making our earth look like this...

The estimated cost of plastic bags to retailers is $4 billion annually, so by not using the bags, you will be doing your small part to help the economy.

Plastic bags don't biodegrade. The break up into smaller and smaller toxic bits contaminating soil and waterways and enter the food web when animals ingest these toxins.

In 2001, Ireland consumed 1.2 million plastic bags. A plastic bag consumption tax, implemented in 2002, reduced consumption by 90%. Approximately 18 million liters of oil have been saved since the tax implementation.

So go to your favorite store and spend that dollar on the canvas bag. Or check on ebay if you want to get something more interesting. I even found Steelers bags at the Kmart in Pittsburgh for $2!!

Facts from www.resuablebags.com.

Caramel Dip

2009-01-28T06:00:00.000-05:00

Wow, this stuff is good. I made some pumpkin cookies and doubled the recipe but forgot to double the sugar!! So instead of trying to make a frosting and icing each one (major pain in the butt), I just made this caramel dip for each person to put on their own cookie and wow, is it delicious. This recipe is adapted from allrecipes.com. This would also be amazing with apple slices.

20 individually wrapped caramels

1/4 cup water

1 (8-oz) pkg cream cheese

1/2 cup brown sugar

Melt caramels with water in microwave. Stir to make sure there are no chunks. Whip cream cheese with brown sugar in separate bowl. Stir cream cheese mixture with caramels, and voila, deliciousness.

YESSSSSS!

2009-01-25T10:35:00.002-05:00

Do you ever feel like that when you go grocery shopping? I did today...with stops at CVS, Food Lion, and Kroger, I got all kinds of good crap! I won't bore you with all the details of my groceries, but here are the highlights...

4-12 packs of pepsi

4 bags Lays chips

3 dozen eggs

Milk, ice cream, cream cheese

Bunch of Hormel chili

Lots of other random grocery items

So basically my total bill for all 3 places should've been about $84, but the grand total was only $35.50!! Woohoo, that's less than half!!

Food Lion is not my favorite store by any means, and their products are usually pretty expensive, but one of the ways I save is their printable coupons. Just go to this site to register and sign up for their weekly emails. Today I used coupons for $1 off Food Lion brand ice cream, peanut butter, ketchup, cereal and potato chips. Combine that with MVP savings and the stuff is really cheap.

Also, Kroger usually has the cheapest milk of any store, and they often mark it down when it is getting sorta close to the sell by date. Sometimes you can get gallons for only $2!! Sometimes Reber drinks tons of milk and sometimes not, but if we aren't using it fast enough, I just make homemade pudding or biscuits and gravy.

Happy Shopping!

MLK Day

2009-01-19T12:00:00.000-05:00

"Faith is taking the first step, even when you don't see the whole staircase."

I am taking a moment today to appreciate Martin Luther King, Jr. Virginia also celebrates Lee/Jackson day on Friday, and while I appreciate the day off from work, I think it's crap that they tacked that onto the same holiday weekend that honors MLK. I like to remember him because of the strength that he showed and the difference that he made in so many people's lives. He was no chicken. I know that the only person we should aspire to be like is Jesus, but I think MLK sure set a good example. He reminds us to take that first step in faith. I love the following quote, showing his practical side...

"It may be true that the law cannot make a man love me, but it can stop him from lynching me, and I think that's pretty important."

You missed a good show...

2009-01-18T16:04:00.004-05:00

...right here in Harrisonburg! On Thursday night we went to Court Square Theater to see Michael Burks, who plays the blues. It...was....AWESOME!! Very classic elements but not old-school, intense but not overwhelming. We were in the 2nd row and I only bought the tickets about a week before the show. Admittedly, we went more because Reber wanted to go, but I think that deep down there is not a person on earth who doesn't love the blues.

Football Hotties

2009-01-11T19:48:00.004-05:00

Haha, I feel funny writing that title. In celebration of a Steelers win today and a great football season in general, I'm doing a football post. However, I know most of my readers (except Reber and Aaron) are women, so most of you don't give a crap about football (even though you should).

*Disclaimers: I love my husband very much and think he is hot. However, he doesn't qualify for this because he doesn't play in the NFL (although he was good at football). Also, I never watch certain teams like the Raiders, so obviously this list is just from the players I see on a regular basis. So without further ado, here are my picks for hottest NFL players.

#1 - Willie Parker - Steelers running back - this is the best pic I could find on Photobucket

#2 - Philip Rivers - Chargers QB

#3 - LaDainian Tomlinson - Chargers Running Back

I couldn't get the picture I wanted for this one, so here are some:

www.ladainiantomlinson.com Best feature: eyes

He's also in the Campbell's chunky commercials.

#4 - Brett Favre - Jets QB

Yes, I know he is "old," but he was the first guy I thought was cute in the NFL. Though he is much better without the gray beard stubble. But basically a classic, good-looking guy.

Dollar Tree Delights

2009-01-10T14:57:00.003-05:00

Have you been to Dollar Tree lately? Today I got:

Dijon mustard

Jar of minced garlic

Rockstar energy drink - triple size

2 woven baskets to organize our medicines

Scented oil warmer

1 pkg real bacon bits

A coupon organizer

And apparently something else I can't remember

...for $8.26!! I would've paid at least double for all that stuff at Wal-Mart, and they have the best dijon mustard. You can also get Nature's Own Whitewheat bread for $1!! Some of the stuff is crappy quality and some stuff is not a good value because it's a smaller size, but if you look you can get some good stuff at.

NOTE: They do NOT take Mastercard but do take Visa and Discover I think he said. Moral of the story, take some cash with you just in case.

Go read this...

2009-01-04T18:22:00.002-05:00

Here is a kid who is gonna make you feel like crap...in the best way possible. Check it out.

My New Year's Resolution

2009-01-02T16:35:00.004-05:00

I never make a New Year's Resolution. I think they're stupid. Nobody ever follows through with them and who can even remember it by the time March rolls around? But for some reason, this year I have one. It is not specific, as we learned in Social Work classes that our goals should be, but is more of a general philosophy. So without further ado, here it is:

Stay calm. Be cool. Kick ass.

So I guess that's actually 3, but oh well.

Stay calm - I sometimes have problems with anxiety and freak out. There is nothing to freak out about, so I want to do it less.

Be cool - I am the oldest 24-year-old I know. I am responsible and work hard. I think about my long-term health. What the heck! I'm only 24! I need to live a little! So I got my nose pierced today.

Kick ass - This is not literal. I am the biggest wuss you will ever meet. What I mean is that I want to be courageous and not such a chicken. I need to meet my neighbors. I need to tell people that I am a Christian. I need to not worry about what other people think.

So there you have it. What are your goals for 2009?

Happy New Year's Eve!

2008-12-31T15:03:00.003-05:00

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...

2008-12-24T09:02:00.001-05:00

...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

2008-12-23T15:18:00.003-05:00

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

2008-12-21T08:42:00.004-05:00

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

2008-12-16T15:08:00.000-05:00

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

2008-12-14T14:46:00.004-05:00

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!

2008-12-08T21:18:00.003-05:00

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

2008-12-01T20:39:00.002-05:00

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!

2008-11-27T06:00:00.001-05:00

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

2008-11-25T15:43:00.000-05:00

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!!

2008-11-24T15:15:00.000-05:00

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?

2008-11-22T15:07:00.003-05:00

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!

2008-11-19T08:00:00.000-05:00

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...

2008-11-17T08:00:00.001-05:00

...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

2008-11-16T09:32:00.004-05:00

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...

2008-11-16T08:12:00.001-05:00

...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

2008-11-12T17:00:00.000-05:00

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

2008-11-11T11:23:00.000-05:00

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

2008-11-11T00:00:00.002-05:00

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)

2008-11-08T09:36:00.002-05:00

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!

2008-11-05T16:41:00.002-05:00

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

2008-11-04T05:40:00.003-05:00

...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)

2008-11-03T05:33:00.002-05:00

"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)

2008-10-29T06:00:00.001-04:00

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!!

2008-10-28T06:49:00.003-04:00

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)

2008-10-27T17:57:00.004-04:00

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)

2008-10-24T19:26:00.003-04:00

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

2008-10-21T06:00:00.000-04:00

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

2008-10-20T15:43:00.001-04:00

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

2008-10-19T06:00:00.003-04:00

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

2008-10-19T06:00:00.002-04:00

"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

2008-10-18T11:33:00.003-04:00

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

2008-10-17T06:00:00.006-04:00

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

2008-10-16T06:00:00.009-04:00

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...

2008-10-14T21:49:00.005-04:00

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

2008-10-12T16:00:00.003-04:00

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

2008-10-12T14:00:00.005-04:00

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!