Owner: Rocks In My Dryer URL:http://rocksinmydryer.typepad.com/ Join Date: Tue, 29 Aug 2006 22:31:19 -0500 Rating:1 Site Description: The sleep-deprived ramblings of a busy, saved-by-grace mom who does NOT have her act together. Site statistics:Click here
Who Needs Cardio When You Have Jack Bauer? 2007-01-02 23:52:55 I forgot to mention earlier that the biggest part of my 2007 weight-loss plan is FINALLY to join with the rest of America and begin watching 24. Hubs and I rented the first season on DVD and began watching it over the holidays.
OH. MY. WORD. That has to be the most intense television ever made. I remarked to Hubs that we can sit on the couch and watch this show and have our heartrate elevated to cardio levels. Seriously.
Feel free to leave a comment if you're a 24-lover, but don't you dare give anything away. We're only on season one, episode nine! Read more:Needs
, Cardio
, Bauer
, Jack Bauer
Works For Me: A Big Box of Kleenex and a Sudafed Cocktail 2007-01-03 07:01:00 I'm down with a nasty cold today and am a little too Sudafed-drunk to think of a clever tip to share. So I'll pass today, but please, share your own WFMW tips below. Any tips on how to kick a cold to the curb would be much appreciated.
WFMW guidelines can be found here.
Note: I've been told that some of you are having trouble viewing the Mr. Linky columns properly. If you're having this problem, just leave a comment and let me know. I'll try to get it figured out. Thanks.
Read more:Works
Tomorrow Is the Big Day! 2007-01-03 19:24:59 You've waited patiently while Chilhead and I have taunted you mercilessly about the Big Thing arriving January 4th. Even Jules has gotten in on the game! (You can read Chilihead's clues here, here and here).
Your wait is almost over! At precisely 12:01 am, central time, TONIGHT (or tomorrow, however you want to look at it), you can see the big announcement here or at Chili's.
And here's hoping we haven't built it up so much that you show up and say, "Is that all?"
See you at midnight.
It's Here! 2007-01-04 07:01:00 I receive a fair amount of e-mails with general blogging questions, usually from beginning bloggers who just need some simple questions answered. I was there myself, just a year ago. Chilihead and I noticed there didn't seem to be a place for beginners to go to find out the general ins-and-outs of blogging. There are plenty of advanced sites with much techno-speak, but not much for the beginner.
And so, without any further ado, Chilihead and I proudly announce the launch of....
BLOGGING BASICS 101
It's an easy-to-use (we hope), question-and-answer type blog for people just getting started in the blogging world. We'll update a few times a week with new questions, though there's plenty there to browse through already.
We hope you enjoy it--we've been having fun working on it together. Go check it out!
A Few Loose Ends... 2007-01-05 02:01:00 Thank you so much for such a great "launch day" for Blogging Basics 101 (heretofore known as BB101, because Blogging Basics 101 is too long to type, and also because I've always wanted to use the word heretofore.) Bear with us as Chilihead and I hammer out a few kinks, like the RSS feed. Check back often, because we'll be answering questions very often (and by "we", I mean "mostly Chilihead", because she's the techno-whiz. But I will stand behind her and cheer very loudly.) Really, though, your comments and e-mails of encouragement meant a great deal to us both, and a special thanks to those of you who posted about our new venture on your own blogs. Y'all are the best!
Second thing, I have an idea for another themed Works-For--Me Wednesday this next week. It seems like all over Bloggityville, people are blogging about wanting to shed some holiday weight. I can manage healthy eating throughout the day, usually, Read more:Loose
Ew. Just...Ew. 2007-01-05 07:29:00 In the category of Sentences I Actually Heard Today and Hope Never To Hear Again, here's this one from eight-year-old Stephen:
"Cool, Mom, LOOK! It's half a bat!"
Yes, that's bat as in "winged mammal", not "wooden sports equipment".
And yes, half of one.
Don't ask.
Weekend Wisdom 2007-01-06 15:41:00 The sweetest lives are those to duty wed,
Whose deeds both great and small
Are close-knit strands of unbroken thread
Where love enobles all.--Elizabeth Barrett Browning Read more:Weekend
, Wisdom
Just Making Sure You Heard... 2007-01-07 15:40:00 Don't forget, this week we're having another themed Works-For-Me Wednesday. It's the healthy eating edition! Hooray for...um, asparagus and tofu? Anyway, get your weigh-loss-friendly recipes ready to share with the rest of us. Read more:Heard
Product Review: The Complete Book Of Baby Names 2007-01-09 05:41:05 Stay with me to the end of this post...there's going to be a give-away!
There may not be much I can do well in this life, but y'all, I know how to NAME A BABY. I was so unbelievably choosey about my kids' names that I nearly sent poor Hubs to the madhouse. Each name--first and middle--had to have meaning attached. Layers of meaning, preferably. The initials couldn't spell anything weird, and the name had to look just perfect on paper. My OCD was its finest, exacerbated by pregnancy hormones--delightful, I'm telling you.
So I was tickled pink to try out The Complete Book Of Baby Names
for Sourcebook, Inc. I'm a tough customer where baby name books are concerned, and this one didn't let me down. What I like about it is that it's not only a thorough listing of names, but it has nice long chapters "coaching" parents on the fine art of naming a baby, including discussion on various topics like hyphenated names, family na
Now THIS Is Multi-Tasking 2007-01-08 08:59:00 I just tried to post a really cool video for you to see, but something's wrong with it; I think it will work better if you go watch it over at YouTube. You have to see this (it's long, but I promise it's worth it to stay through the end, and bring your kids to the computer--they'll love it). Read more:Multi
Works For Me: Eating Well 2007-01-10 07:01:00 I've told you that I'm trying to shed a few pounds this year, as is my Hubs, and I confess that I don't know much about healthy cooking. I'm from the South--we dip it in butter, roll it in white flour, and fry the heck out of it. And then we cover it in cheese.
So, I'm counting on you to share some healthy recipes with us all, in this themed edition of Works
-For-Me Wednesday: Eating Well.
My tip? It's not exactly a recipe, but it's working for me right now. I take a whole-wheat pita, cut it in half, and cut it in strips. I heat it in the microwave (or oven, if you want it crispy) until warm. When it comes out, I spray with it with canola cooking spray and sprinkle dry ranch dressing mix on it. It sort of feels like I'm eating chips, or bread. Sort of. If you're doing Weight Watchers, this is only 1 point (if you use half a pita).
For more recipes, Christy at The Abundant Life has started an eating healthy
We Have Five Winners! 2007-01-10 04:55:27 Good night Nancy, y'all know how to show up for a free drawing, don't you? 113 comments? From some of your comments, I could just see you jumping up and down, waving your hands--sheesh, no pressure there. I was glad it was a random drawing!
The winners have been chosen (I'm not posting them here because they don't all have blogs of their own; they've been e-mailed privately). If I don't hear back from them within a couple of days I'll move down to another random name on the list.
Your funny naming dilemmas had me chuckling all day, and they reminded me of our own little dilemma when I was pregant with Corrie. The older two boys (then 8 and 6) came with us to our ultrasound, decided she resembled a little dinosaur in there (??) and dubbed her Godzilla. I was scared to death it would stick. It didn't, but it must have had some sort of impact--her current two-year-old temper tantrums certainly cause people to flee in horror Read more:Winners
Last Call... 2007-01-09 20:45:00 ...for healthy recipes! Remember that tomorrow is the Eating Well edition of Works-For-Me Wednesday. That's "eating well" as in "getting healthy", not "eating well" as in "covered with alfredo sauce". Get your healthy recipes ready to share with the rest of us. Read more:Last Call
Get Rich Quick At Home. Or At Least Comfortably Middle Class. 2007-01-11 08:01:00 A reader wrote to me yesterday with an interesting question--so interesting, in fact, that I thought I'd throw it out to all of you and see what you have to say. Here's an excerpt of her question:My question for you is, are you aware of any REAL jobs that you can do at home? I don't feel comfortable getting into the industry of selling products like Tupperware or Pampered Chef, etc. (especially since we just moved to a new state and that would take me out of the home). I am awesome at data entry, etc. But all the sites out there look like scams. I have looked at adding ads to my blog, but frankly, I don't really get that many hits a day. Ah, the age-old question: how can a momma make money at home? It's fairly easy to save money at home (if said momma can manage to stay the heck out of Target, *uncomfortable squirm*). But making money? That's a toughie. There's not an easy answer; otherwise, we'd all be rollin' in the dough.
This rea Read more:Quick
Nothing Like Technical Difficulties To Keep Life Interesting 2007-01-11 15:22:23 After a bit of a rocky start, the technical difficulties at Blogging Basics 101 appear to be hammered out (we're crossing our fingers and toes and eyes and knees and elbows). Going "live" always brings out a few unforeseen bugs, unfortunately. But now the RSS feed is up and running, so please go add us to your list. And if you don't know what an RSS feed is, well then, by George, I'd say that just shows that you need this site (it will be an addressed topic, very soon)!
Thanks for your patience. Read more:Nothing
, Technical
, Technical Difficulties
The Momma Code 2007-01-12 08:30:00 A few months ago, out on a walk with my kids, I met a woman in our neighborhood who, it turned out, lives almost directly behind us. Kerry has two little boys; the youngest is only a couple of weeks older than my daughter Corrie. She and her husband had only moved to the area recently, and we were both glad to meet another mom in the neighborhood. We talked about schools and pediatricians and all the other stuff moms are required to discuss on their first meeting--then we traded phone numbers and went back to our respective houses.
I called Kerry a couple of weeks later to meet up for lunch at a Burger King with a play place. We had a nice--albeit loud--visit while our two year olds played. Actually, her two year old played;, my two year old (who has three big brothers, and therefore thinks that all human interaction involves fists) attempted to drop-kick, body-slam and otherwise tackle my friend's little boy the entire time. I was mortified Read more:Momma
A Grammar Blog! Life Is Good! 2007-01-13 22:36:39 Go check out Grammar
Girl here--you can even listen to podcasts! ("You mean you'd actually listen to someone talking about grammar?" Hubs asked skeptically. After 13 years, you'd think he'd know that oh-yes-indeedy-I-would.)
Thanks to Jennifer for the link.
Old Man Winter Has An Axe To Grind 2007-01-13 20:46:54 If winter comes, can Spring be far behind?--Percy Bysshe ShelleyI hope not, because we could use a little Spring right about now. It has iced (not "snowed", it has actually "iced") nearly non-stop since yesterday afternoon, and the roads are like an ice rink. Hubs and the boys are about to get out and see what essentials remain at the grocery store. Our power has flickered a couple of times, and my boys have spent the morning in the back yard sliding on their sleds and smashing into lawn furniture. It's a good day.
This weather shows no sign of letting up soon, so I've pre-posted a few things in case we lose power.
Stay warm, wherever you are! Read more:Grind
, Old Man
May the YouTube Be With You 2007-01-14 19:52:57 We're snowbound and a little stir-crazy (though we are praising God from-Whom-all-blessings-flow that we still have power, since many in our city don't). The snow drifts outside have turned to glaciers--SOLID ice. In between sledding jaunts, my boys have thawed out in front of YouTube
, discovering the joys of a good Star Wars parody. With some help, they've compiled a list of favorites.
First, there's Store Wars, set entirely in a supermarket (starring Cuke Skywalker and Obi Wan Canoli--seriously, who thinks up this stuff?)
Then there's the classic Weird Al Yankovic version, here.
This one makes my middle son laugh 'til he can't breathe. After watching 379 times, I can't say I think it's that funny anymore, but then, I'm not eight.
Do you know of any more? With no break in the weather in sight, we may have some loooong days to fill...
On Eating Well And Losing Weight And Being Hungry Enough To Eat a Plate Full of Nails 2007-01-15 11:07:00 We're now 15 days into the Year O' Eating Healthy in the Dryer household, and so far, so good. I've managed to lose five pounds so far, without even giving much thought to exercise yet. Baby steps, people. (And no, that nice little photo to the right isn't me, it's a file photo, so stop trying to scrunch up your eyes to read the numbers on the scale. You're totally busted.)
By the way, why is it that when a person first loses weight, they dismiss it by saying, "Oh, it's just water weight." Like that's a bad thing that the weight is made of water. I don't care if it's made of brain tissue, I just want it off my body.
For one of our meals this weekend, we ate turkey burgers on whole wheat buns, with sweet potato french fries. It was was surprisingly non-horrible, and considerably healthier than the alternative. I thought about putting tofu on the burger, just so I could include it in this blog post, but then I decided Read more:Weight
, Hungry
, Enough
, Plate
Ice, Ice Baby 2007-01-16 00:57:53 Here's the shrub just outside my front door:
In an effort to wear them out, I had my boys work on shoveling the glacier sidewalk. After fifteen minutes of hacking away at it, their efforts looked like this (don't ask me what they thought they'd accomplish with the brooms):
All that stuff on the ground is not snow, it's solid ice. When you step on it, your foot doesn't crunch down to the ground, like you'd expect. Instead, there's no give--kind of like stepping onto an ice rink. Though it's hard to tell from this picture, my beloved Razorback flag is frozen solid in this position:
We are SOCKED in, with no meltage in sight. School is already canceled for tomorrow. Many, many people in my state are without power, though thankfully my family is toasty warm and wearing out the DVD player.
And today, my five year old tried to convince me that the best cure for his headache would be a bowl of Cheetos. That
For Kelli 2007-01-16 09:28:00 When we bloggin' babes get behind a cause, we GET BEHIND A CAUSE. My warm and funny and big-hearted friend BooMama is spear-heading a lovely gesture, and you can be a part of it. Go read the details here.
And if that's not enough bloggy love for you, the ever-talented Susie at Bluebird Blogs is getting in on it too. Go here to see what she's up to--this would be a perfect time to sign up for that new blog design you've been wanting.
What a wonderful place this Bloggityville is.
Reason #729 Why I Love Having Boys 2007-01-16 19:29:00 Today five-year-old Joseph greedily swigged several gulps of root beer, sat back in his chair, and sighed happily as he announced, "Now I can't wait for the burp!" Read more:Reason
, Having
Works For Me: Cloth Napkins 2007-01-17 05:45:00
Before I get started, let me point you in this direction if you missed it earlier.
Moving right along....
Here's a fun little thing I've done for years. Instead of barreling through paper napkins (since goodness knows this family generates enough trash already), I made these simple little cloth napkins out of gingham. There's no sewing involved--just cut 11x11 squares of gingham (available anywhere you can by fabric, and it's usually very inexpensive). Fringe the edges by pulling out horizontal strands starting at the top of the cloth; you only need to pull out 5-6 strands. That's it!
I was even able to find a cheap little basket at Hobby Lobby to store them in on our table's center. We use them for regular, everyday napkin needs--when they become stained with spaghetti sauce they are cheap and easy to replace. It saves a few trees and makes regular meals seem a little more special.
If you have a tip you'd like to share wi Read more:Works
, Cloth
, Napkins
I Need Your Help! 2007-01-18 07:44:00
We've been iced in since Friday afternoon. Let me repeat that for emphasis: Friday afternoon. We've ventured out a couple of times, but with little success--the roads are horrible.
And I don't mean to sound like a complainer--we've had plenty of fun times. The boys have had a ball sledding across our ice-covered backyard, and we've done lots of movie-watching and game-playing. We are enormously grateful to have kept our electricity, especially since so many people near us have not. But after six days of utter "togetherness", well, nerves are wearing a little thin around here. And our brains are atrophying. My friend Jules called to give me a pep talk and reminded me of that Erma Bomback essay in which she discusses how, after three snowed-in days with her kids, she was ready to organize a dog-sled team to get them back to school. Jules and I had a good laugh. Then I stopped laughing and eyed my dog ca
Found a Hidden Treasure? 2007-01-18 07:01:00 My friend Jules at Everyday Mommy is hosting "The HiddenTreasure
Award". It's designed specifically to recognize bloggers who are writing excellent material but aren't yet receiving much traffic. Head over to Jules' place to read the details here, and nominate your favorite "hidden treasure"!
Well, THAT Was Fun.... 2007-01-19 07:01:00 Y'all sure know how to make a big world seem little. We had a ball all day yesterday watching all your comments pour in--it surely broke up the monotony of an otherwise bleary day. We stopped our tally at bedtime last night, at which point there were a staggering 889 comments. Thank you so much for playing along! I was starting to feel a little like the announcer at the Miss America pageant, shouting "Alabama! Wisconsin! Maryland!" while the boys furiously wrote it all down.
Several of you asked to see our finished map; I'm afraid it would be a little anti-climactic. Since we were homebound, we couldn't get out to find a big world wall map that would've been perfect for something like this. Instead, we were stuck with our teeny tiny atlas that certainly didn't leave room for all your locations. So we just took a Sharpie marker and outlined each state as it first rolled in; remarkably, we heard from every singl
You Know It's Bad When I Resort To Cleaning Out Drawers 2007-01-20 09:36:00 Nary a creative thought this weekend. Nope, not a one.
Thinking I might as well use this snowbound time for something productive, I was inspired by the Organizing Junkie herself to completely clean out my desk drawers.
Y'all, it was bad. I found coupons that had expired in 2004, and a free pizza award my son won in kindergarten. He's in the third grade now.
So I ruthlessly tossed whatever I could, emptied the drawers, VACUUMED THEM OUT (yes, it was that dirty, and I'm that bored), and then I neatly re-loaded them. Because Laura coaches us that before/after pictures are an important inspiration, I shall share them below. Because I know you must be riveted to find out what my, um, desk drawers look like, right? Trust me, after seven days snowbound, it's interesting.
I give you drawer #1, which was in the worst shape of them all, at first. It is now the drawer that is 100% off limits to anyone but ME. Okay, maybe Read more:Resort
, Cleaning
Shhhh.... 2007-01-21 07:21:20 ...somebody is turning 36 today! Hop on over to her blog and wish her a happy birthday.
Here's to you, my friend! I'm blessed to know you.
Happily Ever After. I Hope. 2007-01-22 11:38:00 I confess, I'm a royal watcher.
I vividly remember watching Diana marry Charles. My mouth hung open in breathless wonder as my nine-year-old little brain concocted a way I might be able to go to England when I grew up and snag Prince Edward for myself. I was an ambitious little tart.
I was heartsick at the hateful drama that ensued, complete with accusations and taped phone calls and snitching butlers. I remember, equally vividly, staying up late with my six-week-old firstborn, watching Diana's funeral. My mouth hung open this time, too, though now it was in shock and horror at such a senseless tragedy.
And I wondered, why was the world--why was I--so interested in it all? They're just people, after all (albeit with great clothes). Perhaps it's seeing the everyday notions of romance and heartbreak played out on such a grand scale. I suppose there is something in us that longs for the happy ending.
And so NOW, with m
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