Easter's On the Way!

Easter is nearing! Spring is almost here!

I'm considering offering to host an  Easter lunch for my hubby's family. Last year it seemed as if there was a lot of hurt and confusion as to who was invited to what so if we host that means I'm committed to inviting a large amount of people into our small apartment. I know not everyone would come but I want everyone to feel welcome.

On my break today I started brainstorming recipe ideas for either an Easter brunch or lunch. To jump start my thinking, I text ed my family and friends and asked (the obviously poorly phrased):

What foods do you think of when you think of Easter?

The responses:

My little sister: Reese eggs! (Yum-O!)
And after clarification: Ham and Au Gratin Potatoes or Potato Salad

Lyric: Deviled eggs, mac n cheese, black eyed peas

K10: Eggs, ham, white cake

Banana: Eggs. Marshmallows. Pastel sweets
To which I replied: Sounds great. We'll have scrambled eggs, marshmallows and lavendar cake.

I guess I should have clarified that I was looking for menu ideas.

What are your favorite Easter dishes? Would you rather cook/eat a lunch or brunch?

Pretty Pots

My mother is an avid gardner so for Christmas I thought it would be nice to make her some pretty pots. I found inspiration on Pinterest. I got the idea HERE, and the below picture is  one of her examples.

I bought pots in three different sizes and sprayed them inside and out with clear acrylic sealer so that the pots can be used outdoors. I started with the smallest post and used outdoor modpode to glue the fabric on. I then pleated the fabic at the tops and bottoms of the pots so that it would lay flat. I mopodged the completed pots to make the fabric hard and water resistant. I also made sure that the pots' drainage holes remained uncovered.  I think they turned out cute!

 

The smallest pot was the hardest for me because there was so  much  extra fabric and it was causing what was glued down to wrinke. The second one I sat in my lap and rolled the fabric aorund it on a diagonal. I ran out of fabric 2about 3 centimeters early so I just cut a strip out of th extra fabric and overlapped it. For the third pot, I tried sittong it on the table. I modpodged a section and then wrapped the fabric, and went around section by section. This seemed to work the best. at the end I cut off  the surplus fabric at the top and then what was left around the inside of the pot. By the time I'd done the third pot I'd really gotten the hand of it and wished I had more pots to do!

Busy, Busy!

You can tell that my life has gotten busier, now that the snow is melted, because although I have made it my goal to post every day I always mess up on the weekend!

Friday I was just busy with work and doing things around the house.

Yesterday we went car shopping to try and replace my outlander and went to Mike's grandfather's/aunt and uncle's house. We chilled on the porch drinking sweet tea out of mason jars! It was great. We found a few cars we wouldn't mind buying but nothing that we really wanted.

Today I had to work at the grocery store and ended up staying over an hour. I came home, called my father and wished him a happy father's day, ate a boston butt my husband cooked, did laundry, clipped a tiny amount of coupons out of the paper and laughed over the comics. I love the one that poked fun at Oprah, and the Family Circus was really cute too.

Before heading home I scored a good deal at Giant Eagle

Hamburger Helper is usually $2 each.
This week the sale is $1 each. If you buy 5 you get a coupon for $3 off any brand of beef, chicken or tuna.

I bought six and used two coupons for a total of $3 off.
6-3=$3 +$3 Meat coupon= essentially free!!

PS: Do you have any good dessert recipes that don't use the oven?

OH! And please don't forget to vote!https://www.mkmakeovercontest.com/US/EN/Gallery/?Id=53f2b265-c360-4b5d-9187-c3555c67e994

Things My Mother Taught Me*

1. How to Bag Groceries
My mother was always very picky about how the baggers at grocery stores bagged her groceries. Something are no brainers- like bread and eggs seperated from everything else, but other things she insisted on seemd strange to me at the time, or, judging by the heavy sighs, to the cashiers as well. However, if I pack everyone's groceries as I would pack my mother's most customers seem to be fairly satisified and occasionally complement me on my bagging job. Others either insist I shove everything into one bag or glare at me and mumur something along the lines of kids can't do anything right, when I fail to bag their groceries- plastic in paper in plastic, two items maximum per bag- without being asked.
2. To Always Do My Best
Dealing with the public and ringing groceries several days a week as never been my dream job, and certainitly won't be a career for me, but while I'm there I suck it up, smile, and do my best to ring fast, pack well, be courteous, and remember 8000 codes. This belief was instilled in me from my mom always insisting that I do my best, even if it was something I didn't care of or didn't excel at.
3. Be Nice to Everyone
My mom was like the mom in Bambi. I frequently heard "If you can't say anything nice then don't say anyything at all." I learned that everyone deserves respect and should be treated nicely. As for the rude customers who think the grocery store revolves around  them and that I can balance their 12 pack on my head while ringing and baggin their groceries, I "kill um with kindess". This belief gets a bit tricky when it comes to dealing with my mother in law because she  calls almost everyday, and if we don't pick up she will continue to call on the hour, and will alternate between our house phone and cells. She always asks (both of us) the same questions, several times, in the same conversation. She even told my husband that she does that because she doesn't listen to our response. As far as being mean to her goes- I want to explode and tell her everything she does that drives us both crazy. The worst thing I've done so far is hang up on her. Like I said, "If you can't say anything nice, then don't say anything at all" :)
4. Volunteering
My mom instilled in me, at an early age, a desire to volunteer and help others. As a Girl Scout I picked up trash, helped out a camp,served at nursing homes, held food drives, worked with children at Head Start and helped with Hurrican Katrina relief. I volunteered a lot in college too- helping with the Children's Shelter, Girl's Home, baking cupcakes for the soup kitchen, cleaning at a woman's shelter and a varieety of other things. Helping others is missing from my life right now, and I miss it. I'm looking for something to get involved with in my area, but I keep coming up short. There seems to be a shortage of nonprofits in my town, as well as the next one over, there doesn't seem to be a soup kitchen and the food bank is also about 45 minuts away and has a confusing volunteer system. The only flyer I've seen is for a lunch buddy program, but I tend to work during hte lunch hour. Any suggestions for programs to check into? Perhaps something that I can do with my inconsisten work
schedule?

*This was inspired by a Mama Kat prompt

Happy Birthday Little Sister!

Today, August 4th, is my little sister's birthday. We call her Monkey Beth. Don't ask.

She turns 18 today! I guess she's not so little anymore.I can't believe that she graduated highschool this year! I still remember when she said "geen" for green. She's heading off to USC-B. Which is in Beaufort, SC. I'm sad that I'm not at home to make her banana chocolate chip cookies.

Time for a trip down memory lane:

We're both so young here. She's the fashionable one in the black hat.

We used to take modeling lessons at the YMCA

We're both beach bums at heart. I think she caught this fish.

This is the "grandgirls"

This was taken a year or two ago.

She's on the left. I'm the one that looks 16.

Graduation Day!

Happy Birthday Monkey Beth!!!

Cast of Characters

I blog about the people in my life all of the time. Sometimes I feel like I just mention them haphazardly and leave you to figure out who the heck I'm talking about. So I thought I would do a run down of who everyone is:

Mr. Groom:

He was born and raised in Pennsylvania, but acts more like a southern gentleman than any man I know. Maybe, its because he's traveled a lot, maybe its because he was in the Army. He's a sports ADDICT, and loves to make people laugh. If we believed in reincarnation I'd say he was a stand-up comedian in a past life. He is a certified teacher and has a degree in Sociology. Currently, he's teaching English in South Korea.

"Lyric"

We met my freshman year of college and roomed together last year. We are both rooming with K10  this year. She's very artistic and wants to be a teacher. I call her Lyric because thats what some Facebook app said her name would be if she was born today

"Hot Glue/MOH/bestie"

I met this hot lady my junior year of high school and we've gottten closer every year. She goes to my college's "brother college". She is the Maid of Honor in my wedding. She loves penguins and Disney and has a boyfriend who does a kickbut impression of Captain Jack Sparrow. I call her Hot Glue because of an inside joke a few summers ago that I can't quite remember. And no alcohol was involved during the joke's conception. Go figure.

"K10"

K10 is Lyric's Red Devil Little Sister and our future roomate. I'm so glad the two of them got paired together because, although I've only known her for less a year (oh! I just realized that), we've become really close and I can't imagine being without her friendship.

Mother

Mommy dearest. She's my mom and for that reason I love her, but she doesn't make being around her very easy.

Father

My dad's a hunting and fishing kinda guy. He's a part of the local Duck Unlimited group and has a "Duckaholic" sticker on the back of his gold Expedition. I guess "aholics" run in the family. For the most part, he's a better cook than my mom, but don't tell her I said that.

Sister

She's younger than me but a whole lot tougher. You don't want to get into a wrestling match with this gal. Beach lover, softball player, IGA clerk. She's headed to USC-B.

An Example of How Irrational My Mother Can Be (1 of 1 million+)

Here's the background:

1. For years my mom has told me that if I keep my grades up in college she will let me drive our outlander, at no cost. She  has also promised a new  to me car at my college graduation.

2. My mother is upset that I'm finishing college in 3.5 years. If I had not studied abroad I would have finished this semester, in 3 years. "I don't know why you can't ever be normal!" She acts like it took me 6 years to get a four year degree. Wouldn't you be proud that your daughter could finish early?

Here is the main example:

My fiance and I are trying to plan out our finances. He brought up the point of "my car". I decided to ask my mom,  that since she was paying for most of my wedding if she wanted me just to keep the red outlander. Here was my thinking- even recently shes talked about getting me a new car, the outlander is already paid for, if i keep it my family still has one car for everyperson that drives and I have the outlander all of the  time anyway. Essentially, she would not lose anything on this deal.

Her response:

Well, I know I'm not getting you a new car because you didnt go the full four years. (Like I dropped out or something). And I don't know if we'll let you keep the outlander because I need a dress to wear to your wedding.

Umm...okay? How does letting me keep the car I've been driving for 4 years affect your ablity to get a new dress for my wedding? Surely, you're not going to sell the car and buy a dress? The car is paid for, so you're not making payments...

Her response: Well. We just have a lot to pay for, so I don't know if we can buy you a car.

Oh boy. Mom I don't think you were listening. I dont want a new car. I'm asking if I can just keep my car.

Her response: Well, what will I drive?

What do you drive now?

Her: The silver car.

Is something wrong with it?

Her: No.

Well, if you want I guess I could drive that one if you want the outlander.

Her: No. The silver car is mine. I'm going to drive it.

So, basically, the outlander will just sit in the driveway?

Her: Well.....I guess.

Have mercy.

5 Question Friday with My Little Life

Once again, this are from My Little Life

1. What is your worst memory of your siblings?


I was sitting on a barstool. My younger sister wanted my seat. She bit my hand and latched on. Then she picked up her feet and hung from my arm. She must've been about 4.


2. What was YOUR naughtiest childhood memory? (Must be something YOU did, no pawning it off on someone else!)

The thing that first comes to mind is kickiny friends older brother in the balls when he came to pick her up.

3. Where do you like to go to relax?

The beach, the pool, the lake....basically by the water



4. What was the last thing you won?
100 save the dates from Vistaprint




5. If you could be on a game show, which would you choose?

Ummmmm Smarter than a 5th grader

Crazy Momma

My mother is crazy. She's driving me that way.

1. She's opposed to anything but a Christmas themed wedding in December.
2. She's opppsed to having the wedding anywhere but Hartsville because its too long of a drive. But she's okay with driving to the beach for a wedding.
3. She's opposed to having the reception in a better location because its 15 minutes down the road and its too far.
4. Her only alternate location she'd consider for the reception is the church fellowship hall. This is not a good idea because they don't allow alcohol. If I'm going to be around my mom for an entire weekend I'm going to need alcohol.
5. She thinks we shouldn't have music at the reception because "less is more".

Suggestions for parental control?

Come on People- It's 2009.

Apparently news of engagement has stirred up some, shall we say, tension in my family. My fiance has never met my dad (my dad turned down all invitations to meet him). From that you can infer that he didn't ask my dad permission to marry me. And that apparently was a very very bad thing to do.

I Can Sense the Family Drama and I'm Still in Scotland

Ok, so I wrote before that I've recently gotten engaged to my boyfriend of 2 years. I haven't had the chance to tell my family yet because well, todays the first day they've called me since its happened. And I didnt tell them today because over Skype just didnt seem like a good idea, and because well, I'm sick and just wanted to get off the phone as quickly as possible

I leave for home at 3:30 tomorrow morning. So, I'm going to be telling them soon. But part of me is dreading it. For several reasons. Reason Number One: My dad has never even met my fiance. But this is my dads fault not my fiances. My dad has refused all invitations to meet him and never extended any. Simply on the basis that the believes my fiance is too old for me.

Reason Number Two is a newer reason. In todays phone call my mother mentioned that there had been a debate within her family about whether or not I should recieve Christmas gifts, since they were buying for just the grandchildren. I am a grandchild. I am not a child. This is where the debate lays. I want to say that while it's nice to get presents its not a big deal to me either way. In fact, I didnt even know about this debate until after the fact. My mother argued because she believed I should recieve gifts. Her reasoning wasn't to bring attention to the fact that I am in fact a grand, but to convince everyone I am still a child. Thanks mom. I'd rather not have the presents and be acknowledged as an adult.

While telling me about the debate, my mother made her opinion of me quite clear. In fact, she said, "You are still a child. You are still a child. You are still a child." I think she was trying to brainwash me. Boy, will she be in for a shock when I tell her I'm getting married.

Reason Number Three: I'm just not sure of the best way to bring this up. In the car on the way home from the airport, call a family meeting  (which my family doesnt do), wait until the ring arrives and be like "suprise", nonchalantly "by the way Mike asked me to marry him"". Opinions?