Exercise Blog?

Ok, so the budget blog idea stunk. I don't want to post about the budgeting we are not doing very well. However, Preston did buy a RV...but his father and I convinced him to wait until next year, so I got the lucky job of "unbuying" it. SO, I guess we are still keeping our budget. Anyways, my friend is starting a group/contest for weight loss and I'm kind bummed I can't join. Why can't I? I have no weight to lose! HOWEVER, I am incredibly out of shape. I have flab everywhere and I have pathetic endurance levels, but that is not what the group is about. I thought about joining anyways. I guess I could lose a few pounds..but I'd gain it all back in muscle when I started working out. We'll see. I may have to find another way to motivate myself. My biggest obstacle will be sugar. I can't kick it. I've never been able to even go 24 hours. I wish they had diets camps for moms...kinda like detox. I need to be detoxed so I can start fresh. I'm so weak.
Enough Whining. We are all fine. We went out today after the big snow dump and Penny fell into a huge puddle, face first. She was fully soaked, and fully mad. Luckily it was right in front of the house. I'm still having fun sewing. I learned a new trick, which I am sure is basic for most sewer but it's so fun to learn new things and feel like you are getting better. I am still just making dresses for my girls...I hope to move on sometime to other items but I get overwhelmed by sewing easily, so I am learning a little at a time and perfecting those techniques first.
I'm excited.

Budget Blog?

I can never think of things to blog about....maybe this can be my budget blog. I recently went to Costco and saw a Vitamix demo and fell in love. Now, I don't feel like I jump on the band wagon of all these fancy appliances(I never got a bread mexer becuase I think they are stupid) so I feel justified in wanting this awesome blender type machine. I came home and raved about it to Preston and he didn't care, so I borrowed one from a friend for 24 hours and made 5 different things to show Preston. I made juice, and I didn't have to have any liquid. I just blended up grapes, straberries, spinach, a carrot, and I left the core in the apple and blended that up too! It made a thick juice and Preston was unimpressed with the taste. However, my demo was not about the taste, but the ability of it to blend the crap out of it all! Then I made strawberry icecream with a whole tomato in it! The kids loved it. Then I made muffins...I will stick to my kitchen aid. It is not an excellent muffin mix blender. Then I made lemon ice. Just crushed a pile of icecubes and added a little lemon and sugar and everyone loved that Then I ground some quinoa and made a cake. Not bad. Some of you may think that that is what a blender is suppose to do. But I have had a string for crappy blenders that you have to shove spoons in to help it blend OR i have a magic bullet and I have to add a tonne of juice for my smoothies to blend. I still like my magic bullet, but I hate chunks and seeds and the bullet doesnt' always get it all.
What does any of this have to do with budgeting?
Well, a Vitamix is over 500 bucks...not in the family budget. So, I made a deal. If I can budget the crap out of my grocerys, clothes, and other fmaily expesnes, and get our Visa paid off, I can buy one. So, maybe a year....yah, our visa is that high. So, I used coupons off the cereal box this week...Yay!
Stay tuned for other budgeting skills that I hope to develop!

Christmas

My boy is so big. He is 7 now, and I took him last night to Zellers midnight madness sale. It started at 6 and we were there in a line up at 5:45. It was a big mash of people at a starting line and at 6 pm, people ran. I didn`t really think there was a reason to. ANyways, we went there to get some luggage on for $30 for a set of 4...only to realize it was one of the hourly deals that didn`t go on sale till 8pm. SO, we shopped around for an hour and got bored and went to the Zellers restaurant and had some burgers and cake. It was fun to just hang out with him. He is still very much a child, asking me to spin him around in the basket with wheels we were using unstead of a cart. But also, you can talk with him. He asks good questons. While we waited for our food he told me how they are learning measurements in school and his apple juice box at the table was 200ml. He knew that 5 apple juice boxes made a litre. Then I started asking him how many people could have a 200ml drink from our 4L jug of milk at home and he got the answer. He is my little math whiz. ANyways, it was really nice to leave Penny at home, who takes all my time and energy, and just chat with my boy. Well, we went over to the luggage dept and 7:45 and the line was HUGE!!! We decided agaisnt it at that point because I was so done being at Zellers, and I wanted a larger suitcase anyways. We still got some good deals, just not what I went for.
We re almost done Christmas shopping. I am headed to Marks Work Wearhouse today to finish Prestons list. I think we had our own Black Friday shopping here this weekend. Some really big sales this weekend so I`m taking advantage.

October's gone.

Well, we got through a nice October. The weather here was actually great. We had weather in the teens most days and I think the normal daytime high is 5-7degrees. So, we were thrilled to be able to go to the park a little more often than not. With 4 kids, it is nice to be able to go outdoors and let them run around. Kayla and CLayton are at the point that they can go to the park by themselves. I can't see them from it, but I know all the people that back onto the park, all the kids the frequent it, and it is on our street so they don't have to cross any roadways. It has been so handy to let them go and lots of other kids their age live in the street and go to the park on their own so they spend a lot of time with friends. I only got called down to the park once this year becuase Kayla likes to climb trees but can't always get down. I have now told her no tree climbing unless I am there..even then I hate it. Halloween was a blast. Our ward had a trunk-or-treat and it started out with a dance and some kids games. I thought it was great to dance around the gym with my kids. Especially Adeline, she loves a good beat and had fun...after she got used to the dark gym with the scary lights. There were so many trunks, and again, Kayla and Clayton went off on their own to trick or treat and I took Adeline from trunk to trunk while Preston sat with Penny and handed out Candy. Adleine was super confused at first, but it only took her about 5 or 6 cars till she was saying 'next one' and pulling me along. This weekend was yucky. Penny started to throw up at 1am and didn't stop till 4 am, then Adeline started up at 6am and tossed her cookies the rest of the morning. Kayla started up at 9 that night and luckly she would just barf on the towel I gave her and go back to sleep. Jordan also started that night, which surprised me becuase he is never around us, or rarely eating at home so I'm surprised he caught it. I thought I was getting sick last night, so I skipped dinner. I think I was just way over tired and yucky from cleaning up puke 18 times in 2 days. I ate some Froot Loops this AM and I feel fine. I am looking forward to making chocolates with my MIL this month, and doing some fun crafty stuff for Christmas. I 'll post it later.
I have a lot of friends who have started running marathons. I am kind of interested in the idea...only the 10k's. I don't care to try to run 22k's. I'd rather just try to beat my personal best in the 10ks everytime. However, I am having trouble getting out of the house on my own on a regular basis. Maybe I need to set a schedule. ALso, I need to get motivated. Preston and I have been taking the 200 sit up challenge, We are going to mexico in Feb and I am aiming for a 6 pack. Ok, maybe not a 6 pack, but the hottest bod on the boat(for a 30 year old woman with 4 kids and who has no time to herself-I'm being realistic)
ANyways, hopefully, I will update all the things I have mentioned here so you can see my progress. Thanks for listening!

MULTI GRAIN WAFFLES

So I LOVE these waffles. Probably not because they are the best waffles in the world..but because they are healthy and don't taste it. And I'm really afraid that I will throw out my bag of corn flour when it is empty, and loose the recipe forever. So I am writing it here...for me and you. So, they are very soft waffles, not crispy..just incase you love crispy waffles. But they are so sweet and my whole family loves them and they are so much better for you than pancakes so I have made a gigantic mix of it so I can easily make them whenever I want.

1 1/2 C yogurt - I USE VANILLA YOGURT AND IT ADDS SOOO MUCH FLAVOUR. I guess you
could use any flavoured yogurt.
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla - I omit this ingredient becuase I use the vanilla yogurt.
1/4 C oil - of course you can use apple sauce
1/2 C corn flour
1/4 C whole wheat flour
1/4 C flax seed meal - I buy flaxseed and put it in my blender - healthier still!
1/2 t salt
1/2 t baking soda
1 tsp. powder

I makes 8 waffles in my waffle iron. Now, I have made this recipe twice and it has turned out slighty different each time. First time, the waffles were really dark, this time they were light and more fragile. I guess you need to measure the yogurt properly for the right consistancy. Soooo yummy. I know most of you wont try it...but it is here, for when I throw out the flour bag and wonder where my recipe went.

My last baby

So I am surprised at how I am reacting to Penny growing up. I in NO WAY want another child(which is good as Preston has been snipped) but I do notice I'm feeling mildly sad about it all being over. These past weeks, I thought I would have to stop breastfeeding Penny, she is 1 now, as she was STILL waking up 3 times a night, and sometimes she would whine for several hours even after I nursed her. So, I was reading a book and one example was a couple who had the same problem and had to stop breastfeeding to break that night time habit of waking and nursing. However, I noticed with Penny, that it seems to be going ok to try to give her some water, her soother and lay her back down without picking her up at all. last night, she woke up at 1:30 but she went back to sleep when I gave her her soother, and then she didn`t wake up till 7 sò I didn`t have to get up to feed her all night long. Hooray. Now, it has only been 3 nights where things have been going better but I am totally sold on Kamilles(my SIL) opinion that feeding a kid in the middle of the night can kick start their metabolism and wake them up more...I think that is what she said. Anyways, I am so glad I dont have to stop breastfeeding because I am not ready. I enjoy it so much and so does Penny. She is my clingiest, whiniest kid(in part my fault because I carry her everywhere)but she is opening up to people a bit and she is super cute and fun. I cant take her in the back yard though becuase she bolts for the garden and just starts stuffing her face with soil. At first, I let her do it, because I thought she would realize how gross it is and spit it out. But she just keeps eating it and stuffing more in, its crazy! So really, we can't play in the backyard. So, we go to the park where she puts rocks in her mouth. Atleast she spits those out though. As I've said before, I am constantly torn between wanting to get past a stage because it is so tough(like toddlers) and knowing I'm going to miss it because it is so fun and cute. I feel like a schitzo because I can't describe it. Like when I am at home..sometimes I want someone to take the kids away for the day so I can relax. Then, an hour later I'm bored and want to know what they are doing, or be able to do something for them. Am I the only one??

growing in Calgary

SO we are learning a lot about growing plants in Calgary, especially produce. Actaully, that is all I am really interested in. I could care less about flowers. I'll put some out, but I don't really care what is what. Anyways, we tried green peppers this year. A couple times. Preston even bought a heat lamp and no luck. We were aware that they like a lot of heat and sunlight and we didn't get much here until the end of June. Even then, we have been below seasonal so not enough heat for peppers. Tomatos we love and had great success in Kitchener the year before but here we again don't get enough heat and humidity. We don't have a green house so we grew them in the front window where the sun shines and that seemed to help. I also covered some of them in plastic in the beginning stages to keep in the moisture. Anyways, my issue with planting them is it often tells you to put 4 or 5 seeds in and them after they have grown a few inches, to keep the two strongest and pull of the others. I know this is a very different situation, but what if Kate plus 8 found out she was pregnant with 6 babies and the doctors said 'ok, we are going to terminate 4 of them so pick the two strongest" I know they are only tomatoes, but look at my picture. If I had done what they told me, I wouldn't have that cute little tomato today. It was loved and nurtured and it still grew and though it wont be a lawyer or a doctor, it was still able to produce a cute little tomato:)
So, we also planted corn and onions and I learned a tip. Soak the seeds for 24 hours and themn plant - gives them a good head start. I didn't do that with the corn and it is not growing because we put it out in the field and left it hoping it would grow without watering it. We see our peas, beans and potatos and carrots growing and look forward to the harvest!