7 Quick Takes Friday (Take 23)

1.  After writing a post a few days ago about my absolute lack of motivation to get my home in order after our move (which was over a month ago!), I decided I needed a little inspiration… and made a little shopping list that consisted of the ingredients to make my own laundry detergent, oil face cleanser, and supposedly the “best stain remover ever”.  After failing to find more than half the items at my local grocery and retail stores, I went online last night and ordered the rest of the items from Soap.com.  Now the only question is how long they will sit around once they arrive before my motivation returns to actually make these household items.

2. It’s too early to already start making them, but I’ve already started thinking about making and freezing some meals for after the baby is born.  I’ve never frozen meals before, so I don’t really have any frame of reference for this.  Does anybody have good (vegetarian!) recipes that freeze well?  My mom is planning to come a couple days after the baby is born to help for a week or two, but she doesn’t like to cook and I don’t want her to feel obligated to.

3.  I am constantly coming across amazing education resources online, like the Living Math Book List blog.  Using children’s literature to teach math?  Yes please.  And someone has already compiled a list for me?  I’m not in a rush to have my baby grow up, but I am so excited for the day when I can utilize resources like this. 

4.  Can you believe the controversy and rather heated comments this rather innocuous post about dresses over at The Corner with a View received?  I didn’t realize that people felt so strongly about the pants vs. dresses debate.  I always welcome a healthy debate, but some of the commenters were just nasty.   What is it about the internet that makes people feel comfortable bashing complete strangers simply because they disagree with them? 

5.  Last Saturday, the husband and I attended a childbirth class.  It was an eye-opening experience, not because of what we learned in class (although it was really great) but what we learned about the other pregnant couples. They asked very basic questions and seemed very unknowledgeable about pregnancy and the whole process - and most of them are due much sooner than me!  I knew almost nothing about pregnancy and childbirth when I got pregnant (other than how to get pregnant, obviously), so I did everything possible to learn about what my body and baby would be going through in the next nine months.  I probably have about twenty pregnancy, childbirth and breastfeeding books in our bookshelf (thanks to Paperback Swap - I would never have bought them all new!).  Maybe I’m just an overachiever, but I couldn’t imagine going into childbirth without being highly informed.

6.  I forgot to mention that last week was my husband’s 25^th birthday!  While he was at work on his birthday, I made him a homemade “funfetti” cake with cream cheese frosting, which I have dubbed the Great Cake Disaster. Everything that could have gone wrong did.  It took more than double the time to cook than the recipe said it should have, the cake stuck terribly to the pan (I haven’t had that problem since I started using Wilton’s Cake Release), one of the sides crumbled and fell off., and here was barely enough frosting to cover the cake, and on and on and on.  Needless to say, it didn’t look very good.  I added tons of sprinkles on the top to distract from the lumpy disaster.  But the most important thing was that it was ready and in the fridge when the birthday boy came home.  You want to know the funny thing though?  I spent all that time making the cake and he got a free dessert where we went to dinner, so he didn’t even have a piece on his birthday!  He did the next day though (and everyday for the rest of the week) and I am happy to announce that it tasted better than it looked. 

7.  My favorite movie snack is popcorn with jalapeños.  Yes, I know I’m weird, but it is delicious.  I even bring my own jalapeños if the theater doesn’t have them for their nachos.  And no, this is not a pregnancy craving, I discovered this food love when I first started working at a movie theater when I was 15. 

Now I’m heading over to Conversion Diary to check out some more 7 Quick Takes.  Have a wonderful weekend.

Why Can't I Get Anything Done?

I have a confession to make: now that I'm at home full time and not working, I don't get anything done.  I am really ashamed to admit this because I know that there are many busy people that would love to have all the spare time I have and would take advantage of it.  It's not that I purposely sit around doing nothing, but I have a very hard time getting things done when I don't have deadlines or limited periods of time to get things done.  The busier I am, the more I get done.  When I have unlimited time to complete tasks, I am constantly putting things off for later.

Case in point: as of tomorrow, we will be in our apartment for a month, but I have yet to make it into our home.  Boxes still crowd various areas of the apartment, some half unpacked, some yet to be opened.  Many items have made their way out of boxes, but have not found their proper place in our home.  The apartment is cluttered and it is still very unsettled.  Yet I can't seem to find the motivation to put it all away, mainly because I can't seem to find places for everything to go.

Our apartment is smaller than our previous one, but even more problematic is the lack of storage space - the closets are smaller, there are less of them, and there are less cabinets in the kitchen and bathroom.  Additionally, our second bedroom in our old apartment was simply a guest bedroom, so we could fill the closet and dresser with clothes, holiday decoration, and other items that we don't need year round or that we are waiting until we have a house to use (all those beautiful crystal wine glasses and candy dishes!).  But now the second bedroom belongs to our sweet little baby, who needs the dresser and closet for his/her own clothes.  I tried to get rid of all our clutter and unnecessary items before we moved, and I feel I did a pretty good job, which means we can't get rid of anything else.  Does anyone have any ideas for organizing and storing items in a small apartment?  


Don't get me wrong, even though I have reasons why I haven't put everything away, I still should have done it.  It has to be done (preferably before the baby is here or before the pregnancy is so far along that it will be difficult to move items around the apartment) and I know that it can be done.  I just haven't done it.

Although this has obviously become a problem because our apartment is in disarray, it has became an even greater problem because it has been very self-defeating for me.  I feel incredibly useless and lazy, yet instead of using that as inspiration to get going and get things done, it's made me even less motivated to work.  I've started to believe that I'm incapable of getting anything done or that I can successfully be a stay-at-home-wife (and soon mother).  Perhaps there are some crazy pregnancy hormones adding to this issue, but I am loathe to blame this on anything but myself.

This is probably making some of you reading this absolutely crazy.  I know what you are thinking, because it's probably what I would think if I was reading this previously: Why don't you just get up and get it done?  And here is my answer: I don't know.  Not the best answer, but an honest one.  I need some inspiration.  I need some advice.  I need some help.  I really don't like admitting that I need help, that I can't do something on my own, but it's gotten to the point where I feel like I just can't do it alone.  I am here, in a new state, where I barely know anyone, surrounded by the unknown, and it doesn't seem to matter if I make this place home or if my apartment is homey.  Hopefully, as we get closer to the birth of the baby, I'll have a desire to nest and everything will fall in to place.  Hopefully.

No Dinner without Dessert

My husband and I like to make a lot of vegetable stir-fries for dinner.  We went to the farmer’s market on Sunday and picked up some gorgeous, fresh vegetables (including ghost eggplant), so that was a natural choice for tonight’s dinner plate.  My only reservation is that our stir-fries are often lacking a major protein.  Sometimes we use tofu or add beans, and once in a while, we’ll cook chicken to add to my husband’s portion (if you didn’t already catch it, I’m a vegetarian).  But the amazing farmer’s market vegetables were begging to be left untainted by store-bought beans or tofu. 

And then I remembered a recipe I came across a few days ago.  No protein in your meal?  No problem, just make a high-protein dessert!  So we made this amazing Mexican Chocolate Tofu Pudding.  It came out great, with a light consistency reminiscent of a mousse.   If you like Mexican hot chocolate, you’ll appreciate the cinnamon and chili powder, but if that’s not to your liking, I think it would taste great if you left out those ingredients or if you added the spices of your choice.  I can’t recommend it enough. 

Now you have the best excuse to eat your dessert - because it’s just part of a nutritionally balanced dinner.  

7 Quick Takes Friday (Take 22)

1.  On Tuesday, my cousin and his girlfriend found out they are having a girl!  The family is abuzz talking about our new little princess.  We have a small family - my grandparents have three children and three grandchildren, so the addition of two new little ones in so close a time is such a rare and wonderful occurrence.  My aunt only has one son (she’s always spoiled me as her girl), so she is very thrilled to be having a granddaughter.  That little girl is going to wear nothing but the girliest pink and lace if grandma has anything to with it!

2.  Since we announced we were pregnant, everyone in my family has been convinced that I’m having a boy and my cousin’s girlfriend is having a girl.  And they think this is confirmation that they are right on both counts.  For some reason, I also think I’m having a boy.  Do you think that mothers really can tell?

3.  I’ve heard wonderful things about the farmers markets here in North Carolina.  I haven’t been to farmers markets much in the past, because I’ve only lived in places with tiny ones (the kind that you visit once or twice a season just for the experience, not necessarily because they have anything you want).  So it usually doesn’t even cross my mind to go to a farmers market for our food, but this farmers market guide over at Modern Mrs. Darcy reminded me that I’ve been meaning to try it.  Hopefully we find some vegetables that force us to shake up our weekly menu a little bit, we are in desperate need of some variety.

           

4.  My husband and I are going to Colorado in less than a month!  Do you know what that means?  It means that I get to see my mom every other month for the rest of the year!  She was just here last month helping us move, we’ll be out there next month, and she’s planning to come a few days after the baby is born in November (well, if the baby makes his/her Nov 27^th due date, it will be more like early December).  And to top it all off, we are planning to go to Colorado for Christmas so all the family can meet our little one.  I miss all my family, but especially my mom - we talk on the phone almost everyday (often more than once a day), but that’s just not the same.  I can only hope that  I have the same kind of relationship with my kids someday that my mom has with me.

5.  August 15 is usually a Holy Day of Obligation (Feast of the Assumption), but not this year because it falls on a Monday.  That makes me a little sad - I don’t see why it being on a Monday makes any difference.  Will you still be attending Mass on Monday?

6.  My husband doesn’t graduate until May, but he is already in the process of researching and applying for possible jobs.  It sounded a little early to me, but I guess it really isn’t in the academic world.  We pray that he will find a job in Colorado near our families, but we’ll just be thrilled for him to have a job when he graduates.  He found a potential post-doctoral position here in Raleigh, and while it’s not Colorado, it would be nice not to have to move again next year. 

7.  I applied to substitute teach several months ago, but never heard back from the school district.  We were really hoping to have a little extra income from me before the baby was born, but I guess that wasn’t to be.  I’ve put my profile on several tutoring sites in hopes that I’ll get some tutoring jobs (which I could potentially continue a couple evenings a week after the baby is born), so wish me luck.  It’s such an awkward position to be in to be looking for employment while 6 months pregnant, especially since I won’t be working after the baby is born.  Even if I had a full time teaching job, the salary wouldn’t be high enough to warrant paying for daycare (and I really want to stay home anyway).  I know that we’ll get by, but I hate that I am just sitting at home during the day (without much to do until the baby is born) when I could be helping provide for the family financially.  

Please head over to Conversion Diary to get your fill of 7 Quick Takes and discover great blogs!

check 'em out (vol. 2)

In February, I wrote a post listing a few of my favorite blogs, and I thought that it might be time for me to write another.  In the last several months, I've found a lot of really great blogs and other Catholic resources on the internet and they have been an immense help as I've struggled with the loneliness of staying at home all day and moving out of state.

A California Girl & A Boston Boy - What can I say, I love Jennie's blog!  She is the mom to two little girls and her positivity despite the difficulties of motherhood is such an inspiration to me.  How can you not smile watching this video of her daughter dancing?

Betty Beguiles - I'm sure you've already heard of her, who hasn't?  But I had to include her because she is such a wealth of information regarding fashion (an area in which I really need to improve) and womanhood.  I particularly like this post of hers on the importance of encouragement.  I like to think that someday, if I follow her advice, I'll be described as fashionable.  If anyone could do it, it would be Betty Beguiles.

Modern Mrs. Darcy - I cannot say enough good things about this blog!  I was hooked on it from the first time I came across it.  The purpose of the blog is "redefining the accomplished woman", something I think my generation of "20 something" women desperately need.  I love her breadth of topics, from the farmers market to encouraging your husband to Eleanor Roosevelt.

Roman Catholic Cop - I came across this blog just recently, but I really enjoy the male perspective on marriage, faith, and family life.   Most of the blogs I follow are written by women and it's nice to have a male counterbalance to them.


That's only a small selection of the blogs I read regularly (hey, I have a lot of time on my hands waiting for the little one!), but these are the blogs that I really excited about reading new posts.  What are your favorite blogs?  What about other websites?