5 Albums I Will Never Throw Away

Messy Messy Fail - Who knew that caramels could burn  so quickly?  I was melting four cubes of caramel in a coffee cup to drizzle over my beautiful turtle pie when all of a sudden smoke is BILLOWING out of the microwave oven.  Whoops!  Note to self - next time try only 15 seconds at a time.

Tidy Victory - With a little quick thinking and a jar of leftover caramel sauce in the fridge, the pie turned out beautifully.  It did not quite match the pictures in the post where I found the recipe - I thought it would turn out a little LIGHTER and FLUFFIER - but it was still good.  Kudos to the pecan crust, yum!

As I am sure many of you out there can relate, we are always trying to get rid of stuff.  Especially all of the stuff that has accumulated in our basement.  Especially the giant box of CD's (albums!) that we still have collected since those shiny disks first came out in the late 80's.  I still remember my first CD - I believe my dad (of course he was into all of the latest technology) brought me home the first NKOTB album from BJ's Wholesale Club.  I was astonished at this thing, no more listening to the radio with my tape ready to record when my favorite songs came on!

I've been slowly going through my giant box of CD's (albums!) and trying to downsize by copying disks with single songs that I really like to my hard drive so I can toss the disk.  However, there are some CD's (albums!) that I just absolutely CANNOT throw away.  I've made reference to some of these in Facebook posts, but now I'd like to share my official list.  The following is a list of 5 CD's (albums!) that I will NEVER throw away:

<One> Weezer - Weezer (Blue Album) - the single "Say It Ain't So" was my mid to late high school years anthem.  Pure rock and roll that still tugs at my heart whenever I hear it.

<Two> Radiohead - The Bends - I had one of those 12-disk CD players in my bedroom and this album never left the mix.  I really can't explain why I love this album so much, all I know is I can listen to the whole thing without skipping a track.  Perhaps it had something to do with the high school looking-for-my-corner-of-the-sky years, but this album just really spoke to me and still does to this day.

<Three> Lauryn Hill - The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill - received this for Christmas one year and it stayed it my Discman (whoa remember that contraption?) for several months.  I was so struck by the soul and emotion that dripped from her voice.  I just recently listened to the single "Zion" from the album about when she had her son and I cried.  What a beautiful song.

<Four> Madonna - Ray of Light - my dance album!  When I needed to lighten the mood, Madonna made it happen for me with this record.

<Five> Jay-Z - Vol. 2 Hard Knock Life - I did not typically listen to rap music, however, this was not typical rap music.  I loved the loops and samples he used (I thought using the music from Annie was pure genius) and his lyrics were so honest.  I had a friend from the youth symphony I was a member of in high school, two peas in a pod we were, and we would drive around BLASTING this album.  Boy did we think we were cool.

These are certainly not THE ONLY albums that will remain in my house - Ten by Pearl Jam, Siamese Dream by Smashing Pumpkins, Aenima by Tool, Dookie by Greenday and Jagged Little Pill by Alanis Morissette will never see the inside of a garbage bag as long as I'm living.  These albums are so solidly connected to moments and times in my life - that's the power of music.

Nothing else can bring back memories and emotions the way music can.  I often listen to our local classical radio station and the wave of happiness that comes over me when I hear a piece I had played previously in youth symphony or in college at music school is so unbelievably strong.  There is just nothing like the joy and emotion that music can bring, no matter the genre or style.

What are your CD's you cannot let go of?

Katie

Oh hey, Friday! - What To Do On a Snow Day

Messy Messy Fail - Puzzle pieces, puzzle pieces, puzzle pieces EVERYWHERE!  The toddler really enjoys putting puzzles together, however, he doesn't always put them back.  Gotta come up with a way to organize the 987234987234 puzzles we have!

Tidy Victory - I just realized last night that I have managed to keep the spice cabinet ORGANIZED from when I originally cleaned it out a few weeks back.  Holy cow!

On our local news, it was reported that we should expect negative digit readings for our temperature this morning, with even lower readings for the wind chill.  Schools starting closing last night even.  Our district will often close due to extremely low temperature because so many of our students walk.

"The Call" usually comes in the morning around 5:30 AM, and when I hadn't heard the phone ring at 5:50 I was ready to get up and start preparing for our cold journey to daycare and work when "The Call" came - snow day!  Most of the districts around us (except my poor husband's, sorry dear!) ended up closing due to the low temps and wind chill, although it did not get quite as cold as expected.  So what did I do?  Well duh, I went back to sleep!

What should I do on my unexpected day off?  Here is a list of 5 things that you should try if you are ever so fortunate!

<One> Baracade yourself in the house - why should you leave when it's this cold out?  I HIGHLY recommend this one especially if the weather is truly nasty.  They cancel school for a reason, so follow suit and stay inside.

<Two> Bundle the kids up and take them to daycare anyways - only if it's safe temperature and weather wise.  We are fortunate enough to have a daycare provider just a few minutes away who still takes the kids even on a snow day.  Most importantly, since tomorrow is Valentine's day, the toddler had his valentines ready to go, so I wanted him to go and hand them out to his friends.

<Three> Go to work anyways - although we suspected we may not have school today, I did not have the forethought to bring home some things I needed to work on over our winter break next week.  So there I was, only truck in the parking lot save a few other people who just couldn't stay away, collecting the oboe parts from the full orchestra pieces to transpose at home.

<Four> Go shopping - as in go to Joanne's looking for some fun musical fabric to purchase for the orchestra's display case in the front hall of the high school and end up buying fairy garden items because they are 40% off plus another 20% with coupon!  Just because there is a couple feet of snow on the ground doesn't mean you can't plan your new fairy garden for the summer!

<Five> Make plans for the weekend - meet fun co-workers out for a chick dinner and movie - CHECK, washing baklavas, I mean baccarats, I mean BALACLAVAS for our Valentine's day snowmobile adventure tomorrow - CHECK.

Sometimes it's just so nice to have an unexpected change of plans, so when it happens take advantage of your opportunity and ENJOY IT!

Stay warm everyone, Happy Valentine's Day AND Presidents' Day!



Katie

Oh hey, Friday! - 5 of My Favorite Blogs

Messy Messy Fail - I really enjoy decorating for the season/holiday, and after Christmas I put up snowmen (I collect them), yet they have yet to be displayed.  Therefore, my shelves are naked.

Tidy Victory - the toddler's potty training is making huge gains lately, at the expense of washing 5-10 pair of underpants a day, but I think that's a HUGE gain!   Even if it takes chips and Bison dip as our positive reinforcement (we brush our teeth twice a day!).

I wish I had kept better track of this, but I THINK I starting looking at blogs about halfway through my pregnancy with the baby.  Let's say that was the fall of 2013.  

I am a traveling teacher, sometimes switching between buildings three times a day.  I remember just being EXHAUSTED at the end of the day when I was preggo, carrying all that extra weight around and still attempting to climb the two GINORMOUS flights of stairs to my orchestra room on the second floor of the high school.  So after a very long day, I'd prop my feet up on the couch and start searching for some easy reading online.  

The very first blog I came across that I immediately enjoyed was with Kate and her blog - The Small Things Blog.  This blog has evolved over the years from being mainly about hair & makeup to more posts about her family, crafty things and just everyday life as a newer stay-at-home mom with a one-year-old and a new one on the way.   I was intrigued by her hairstyle TUTORIALS (I love saying that word out loud, is that weird?) and descriptions of makeup colors and such.  I loved it!

I continued searching for more reading material and have since come across several that I enjoy checking on as regular a basis as I can muster, which is sometimes only once a week.  So, here is my list of my five favorite blogs that help me de-stress from the week:

1.   The Pioneer Woman - my all time favorite read.  Filled with her delicious recipes with AMAZING pictures as well as tales from her life on the ranch in the middle of nowhere.  I watch her cooking show religiously and love everything that she wears, especially her amazing earrings!  I also love her passion for home teaching and everything that she shares about her experience with it.

2.   The Small Things Blog - really easy, light reading with great hair and makeup tips (especially for us fair-skinned gals)  She also posts videos once a month or so about new beauty products and/or products she likes or dislikes (for valid reasons of course!)

3.   The Farmer's Wife - witty witty witty!  Basic blog about her family's life on the farm, makes me smile every time!

4.  Iheartorganizing - my go to for organizing inspiration.  She features a lot of large scale projects that I would most likely NEVER try, but it's still fun to read about how she does it!

5.  Scary Mommy - I just cannot stop laughing.  Warning - you MUST have a sense of humor to read this or you WILL be offended, so lighten up!

Honorable mentions - Momastery - her one post about being grateful will always stay with me; Coordinately Yours - I wish everything in my house could be white like hers, has some really nice gift ideas;  The Rosie Report - really fun to read while I was pregnant because that was ALL I had on my mind at the time for obvious reasons.  

Thinking of starting your own blog?  The common thread that all bloggers have is their desire to SHARE their passion with others, so if you feel the same way, do your research and GO FOR IT!  Whether it's just a fun hobby like mine or your livelihood, you'll never know how it goes unless you try.  

Enjoy the weekend, we hope to be out snowmobiling!

Katie

Oh hey, Friday! - 5 of My Favorite Holiday Viewings

Messy Messy Fail - our house cleaner started the Christmas take down process, however I have yet to finish it.  I swear my mom used to leave Christmas up until Valentine's day........

Tidy Victory - I went on an organizational binge to tidy up our CD's and DVD's crammed into the shelving of the entertainment center.  Now the toddler is no longer tempted to play frisbee with the disks that were scattered about!

As we are watching our final viewing of Frosty the Snowman, one of my favorites, I was inspired to make a list of my five favorite holiday programs/movies that are especially fun to watch during the festive season.  We were able to record several of these on our DVR for our kids to watch (or maybe it was more for us?) and they bring back so many memories.

<Five> A Charlie Brown Christmas - these lovely characters just make me smile and my toddler giggle whenever Snoopy makes that weird squawky noise and Woodstock gets flustered.

<Four> A Christmas Story - not only does this movie have some of the most memorable characters and adventures (the Bumpus hounds!) but has a somewhat local tie!  Many of these scenes were shot at a house in the nearby city of Cleveland, OH, and my husband and I were able to visit last summer.  So crazy walking through the house where Ralphie opened up his pink bunny suit!

<Three> Frosty the Snowman - apparently the toddler's new favorite, he cries for Frosty almost every night.  Happy birthday!

<Two> National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation - my husbands favorite, he even has a Fargo hat so he looks like Cousin Eddie when he's out shoveling!

<One> How the Grinch Stole Christmas (the cartoon!) - nothing makes me giggle more then listening to the narrator tell the story of a creature with a lonely heart who is moved by the Christmas spirit.

Honorable mentions - Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (Bumble & Yukon Cornelius, "His beak blinks like a blinking beacon!"), Home Alone (I never laughed so hard the first time I saw that movie in the theater), Twas the Night Before Christmas, Elf (we ate syrup on everything before we saw this movie), The Grinch Who Stole Christmas (Jim Carrey WAS the Grinch) and finally a Nightmare Before Christmas (the toddler would sing "Here comes Halloween, Halloween, Halloween!" in the different voices).

Remember  people - it's good to keep the television turned off, but a classic show to share with the whole family is a-okay in my book!

What are your favorite holiday programs?  Check these out next year with your loved ones!


Katie

Oh hey, Friday! - 5+ Ways You Know You Had a Smashingly Successful Holiday

Messy Messy Fail - had some friends come over for a brunch and I didn't let the Cinnamon Roll Cake bake long enough - slightly mushy in the middle still!  However we had no problem eating it still.

Tidy Victory - we got the house cleaned up so you could actually see the dining room and kitchen table tops - that's the REAL reason we invite people over, i.e. forced clean up. :)

In celebration of such a lovely holiday season this year, I shall make a list of 5+ ways that you know you had a smashingly successful holiday.  I will include pictures where appropriate.

<One>   Your kids enjoy watching their new toys CHARGE UP as much as they love playing with them.

"Buddy, what are you doing in the bathroom?"

"Mom Mom, I'm waiting for his eyes to turn green."

<Two>  Your husband is EXCITED to go shopping with you to purchase/return/exchange gifts (sans kids).

<Three>  You didn't feel like a complete sloth when you realized you literally stayed in your pajamas ALL DAY LONG.  How easy to get ready for bed now!

<Four>   You gained AT LEAST 7.5 pounds.

<Five>   Christmas threw up (see previous post A Teacher's Christmas Vacation Goals, goal number 4) in your finished basement and you are at peace with that.

I know you are jealous of our groovy rug.  "It came with the frame." - The Burbs

<Six>   You've been eating Christmas dinner leftovers since Christmas and they still taste PHENOMENAL.

<Seven>  You've been eating Christmas cookies since Christmas and they still taste PHENOMENAL.

<Seven.five>  You are already planning your Christmas card for next year! :)

I hope everyone had a lovely holiday with your friends & families and welcome to the new year - 2015 here we go!

New year - new jams!

Katie

Oh hey, Friday - Favorite Apple Sauce Recipe

Messy Messy Fail - suitcases are still not unpacked from Thanksgiving - arugggghhh!

Tidy Victory - our house cleaner paid us a visit (so this actually isn't my personal victory but more a household victory, however I was totally the one who found her!)

Check out this list!

<One>  Citrus - Two oranges and one lemon, zested and juiced

<Two>  Fruit - 6 lbs. of assorted apples

<Three> Sweet - 1/2 cup of light brown sugar, packed

<Four> Fat - 4 tablespoons of unsalted butter

<Five> Spicy - 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon and 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

This is the list of five things to make the most amazing, delicious, flavorful applesauce by Ina Garten.  Every fall I take the boys apple picking in one of our several local orchards.  Not only is it a fun activity for the whole family - i.e. picking and throwing apples, climbing into the apple crates - but it's healthy and SOOOOOOOO much cheaper than buying them already picked or at the store.  I don't know about where you live, but here in the Southern Tier let me tell you it was about $20.00 for a bushel, and I find that quite impressive.  

Anyways, I digress.......let's make some applesauce!

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Put the zest and juice of the two oranges and lemon into a bowl.  Core, peel and slice the apples but be sure to reserve a few peels of some of your red apples. 
Place the apples in the citrus juice and toss.  
Next pour the apples, juice and reserved peels into a non-reactive Dutch oven (what is that?!?!?!) or an enameled iron pot.  
Add the brown sugar, butter and spices to the pot with the apples.  Give a nice toss and cover the pot.  

Bake in the oven for about 1 1/2 hours or until the apples are quite soft.  

Don't forget to remove the reserved peel.  

Mix with a whisk until smooth or blend in a blender for a really smooth consistency.  

Serve at whatever temperature you prefer.  

To see the original recipe, click here.

Feel free to play around with the amount of the juice from the orange you add - it adds such a level of freshness to the applesauce.  

The toddler loved helping me measure and dump in the spices, which also helped convince him to try it since he "made" it.  He was also in charge of transferring sliced up apples into the bowl of citrus juices.

I literally just used whatever apples I had handy and it came out great.  The baby certainly didn't complain, and even the toddler took a few bites!

Try it out and confirm how delish it is!

Katie

Oh hey, Friday - The Snow is Here!

Yay for the first time I am linking up - woo hoo!

Where I come from, we typically get a good amount of snow. Our average usually ranges around 97 inches of the white stuff a year, give or take.  So, what to do when it snows out......

<Number One>  Make Nutella Hot Chocolate - found this recipe for Nutella hot chocolate on Pinterest when I was pregnant with my second boy and BOY OH BOY did I gain some weight.  I highly recommend as a treat.  Warning - very rich and delicious!

 

<Number Two>  Go Skiing - when you live in a part of the country where we average at least three solid months of snow WITH hills, you must learn to ski (or snowboard).  I believe the younger you learn the better.  Such a great opportunity to go outside and enjoy snowy weather.  Plus they make such cute ski jackets these days.

<Number Three>  Go Snowmobiling - I know this is a bit more expensive and difficult to get into, but if you can DO IT, it's so worth it!  I am by no means an athletic/coordinated/in-shape person, but if I can do it, you can do it.  There is nothing more beautiful than driving through a trail under snow dusted evergreens as the sunlight trickles through the branches.

Yep, that's me on my amazing sled.  Notice my outfit matches the vehicle.

<Number Four>  Go Sledding - we own a cheap tie-dyed plastic toboggan that our oldest received from Santa (wink wink) last Christmas, that's all you need.  Oh and a hill would be helpful, too.

<Number Five>  Go Shovel (or snow blow) - as mentioned in my previous list item I am by no means an athletic/coordinated/in-shape person, but nothing like a good shoveling workout.  I am forced to shovel because I do not know how to control our snow blower, someone thinks I might break it or myself.

So THAT my friends is what you do when it snows out.  Do

you have any more ideas?

For all those in my Western area of the state who got dumped with the white stuff - hang in there, stay warm & stay safe!

Katie