Friday Favorites

Here are some of my favorite things about summer...

• i don't have to make any more school lunches! ( i know i still have to feed the kids, but there's just something about having to make lunches every day that drives me batty.)
• we get to sleep late(r)!
• no homework
• less of a routine (in reality, i only like this for part of the summer. by the end, i'm actually craving the routine!)
• my kids fighting (i might as well like this, because it's going to happen more since they'll be together more!)
• the kids having more time to just be kids
• the week that the kids spend with Granny and Pops!! (i'm just being honest!)

That's all that I can come up with right now. What are some things you like about summer?

Earth Day

In honor of Earth Day, I'm going to mention a few things that we've been doing to be better to our planet, and a few things I really want to do. I've been wanting to write about recycling for a while now, but I just keep putting it off. Now seems like the time to do it. We've been recycling for a few years, and we've done it off and on since we got married. In Alaska, we could have just put it all in a tub they provided, and set it out by the road once a week, but we didn't. Drove my mom crazy!! We like to wait until we have to do the hauling, apparently. :) When we moved to the 'Boro, we tried to be consistent with recycling, but we weren't too great at it. Plus, our local dump only took a few things, and then I was left with the rest to just throw away. It really started to bother me that we were throwing all that cardboard away,(and aluminum cans and something else I can't remember). So, finally I decided that I would take over, and take them to Sam's, which has bins for everything. It's not close or super convenient, but it makes me feel better. And it's teaching the kids, because they're learning not to throw away something that can be recycled. It also helps with our trash... A LOT. I love looking at all the trash cans in our neighborhood, and noticing that ours is one of the few that isn't overflowing. (we usually have two or three bags of trash for the week.) Then I think about all the stuff in their cans that could be recycled, and wonder if I should offer to take their recycling too! (i'm not to that point yet, but i've seriously considered how much i could fit in the van!) Anyway, it's been good for us, and good for our environment. And it's super easy to do. I know it takes a little time, but it's so worth it.

We've made other little changes that help us to be more eco-friendly as well. Things like changing our old light bulbs to the new ones that are supposed to be better, longer lasting and save on energy costs. I don't recommend getting cheap ones though, because those haven't lasted very long at all. We'll end up spending more to replace them with good ones, that will actually last longer.

We've always tried to be aware of turning lights off, not leaving water running while you're brushing your teeth, and other simple stuff like that.

Some stuff that I would really like to do is learn more about composting. We also would love to have a garden. A rain barrel is something I've been thinking about as well. I could go on, but you get the idea.

I know there are many other ways to go 'green'. Any suggestions?

Baseball drama

I didn't expect so much drama in baseball this year. I don't know why I think sports are drama free, but I do. And I'm wrong. There always seems to be drama, no matter what the sport, or age of the kids playing it. It happens because adults are involved. I guess I forget that from season to season. This year is no different. Except that we're on the team everyone loves to hate, apparently. (i'm exaggerating slightly. maybe.) Brady has played baseball for several years now. So long that I've lost count. We've had some good coaches and some not so good coaches. Some have had great attitudes, but not a lot of knowledge. Others should really not have been coaching at all. This year we have great coaches. They're teaching the kids fundamentals. Things that they'll remember and use for years. They also have a great attitude, and talk to the kids about being a good sport. And we're winning. A lot. And not by just a little. That's why we're the problem. We have five travel team players on our team. Travel ball is just another level of talent and competition. Other parents feel that's not fair to their kids. I'm not going to argue that point, because we've been on the other team, and know how it feels. While I understand their point of view, I'm happy that Brady is finely on a team that wins. I guess it's selfish, but no one likes to lose all the time. But it's not just that his team wins most (not all) of their games. Brady has learned more this year, then all the other years combined. He's also had the chance to pitch in a game. That's something that other coaches never do. They don't give anyone else a chance other than their own kid. On most teams, if you don't already know how to play a position, then you have no chance of actually playing it. This year is different. So, I guess we'll just put up with the drama, and do our best to ignore it. After all, this is about our kids playing a game. So, I hope parents on both sides just shut-up and let the kids play.

I am not a morning person!

(no comments Keith!)

Anyway, I'm really NOT a morning person. That's my excuse for not blogging this week. I have things to say, just not the energy to put my thoughts together into something that makes sense. So, it's all Keith's fault really. We've been getting up at 5:30 to workout. He's been doing P90x forever it seems like, and I join him from time to time. I was getting up with him every morning, until I hurt my shoulder. Now I just do the cardio.

So there's my excuse. Think whatever you want of me, but I'll never be a morning person. Getting up that early just wipes me out. So one day soon, I might be able to put together a thought that might actually interest someone. We'll see...

Friday Favorites

So, I really wanted to remember Friday Favorites two weeks in a row again, but I'm really struggling to come up with something today.
Here's a list of a few favorites right now...

• watching my boys play sports, even if it does make for a crazy life sometimes
• my backyard, and the shade provided by our trees
• seeing the first hummingbird (of the year)

That's it for today, I guess. Maybe I'll have something more interesting next week. Also, I have more funny pictures of the kids. We've had a blast playing with the giant magnifying glass. I think we have pictures of Granny and Pops playing with it as well, although they might not want those on the blog!! :)

getting up at five thirty +
my boys acting like toddlers+
a double header at the ball field(four hours!)=
one tired and grouchy mama

I'm just sayin'...

Cheddar Chicken

I made this recipe(found in Real Simple magazine) recently, and it was an instant hit! We eat a lot of chicken around here, so finding a new and super easy way to fix it is wonderful.

Cheddar Chicken

16 buttery crackers (i used ritz), crushed (about 3/4 cup)
6 oz sharp cheddar, grated
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
salt and pepper
4 -6oz boneless, skinless chicken breasts
4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

(they had it paired with wild rice pilaf and steamed green beans)

Heat oven to 350. In a bowl, combine the crackers, cheese, garlic, and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper.
Dip the chicken in the butter, then in the cracker mixture, pressing gently to help it adhere, and place on a foil-lined baking sheet.
Sprinkle any remaining cracker mixture on the chicken and drizzle with any remaining butter. Bake until the chicken is golden brown and cooked through, 25-30 minutes. Serve with the pilaf and green beans, if using.

See? That was so easy, and so yummy!