Your weekend update

Interrupting my regularly programmed Monday Confessional this week to bring you a special weekend update! 

On the agenda: 

- Nephew Sam's birthday party Friday night. Check.

- Cousin Linley and her boyfriend Mike over for dinner and games Saturday night. Check.

- Church and general day of lazy slothfulness Sunday. Double check.

The highlights:

- Not having to make dinner Friday night because it was served at the birthday party. Always a plus.

- Getting my house clean and tidy for company on Saturday, leaving me with a clean house and no dirty laundry headed into a new week. Awesome!

- Getting to know Mike a little better and playing cards and Settlers of Catan (our favorite board game).

- A long luxurious Sunday afternoon nap. Refreshing.

- Family movie night with the kids, watching Popeye with Robin Williams and seeing my husband's face as he discovered it was a musical. Oh ho ho, quite humorous :)

- Making a new cookie recipe; zucchini butterscotch chip with coconut, and seeing them go over well with the family. 

- Amazing Race premiere! Woohoo!!

The lowlights:

- Spending my Saturday cooking and cleaning. I'm glad it got done but I wouldn't call it "fun".

- Planning a game night that coincided with the Oregon Duck game airing on the radio. Let's just say that at one point Linley and I ditched the boys and had ourselves a personal fashion show in my bedroom where I tried on my newest Target purchases and we came up with different ensemble options. Yes we were that desperate. 

- Being awoken from my Sunday afternoon nap by some obnoxiously loud children playing an intense game of Lego Batman on the Wii. Let's just say that heads rolled! Okay, not really. I told them they were rude. And then I baked them cookies.

- Baking half of the cookie dough before discovering I'd left out one of the more crucial ingredients: 2 cups of oatmeal. Ah ha! Now my very sloppy batter made sense! As Kendall best described them, they were like butterscotch chip zucchini pancakes. Don't worry, once corrected the rest of the cookies were stellar.

- Turning on the TV at 9 pm to watch the Amazing Race only to discover it was a special 1 1/2 hour premiere, starting at 8:30 pm.... Nooooo!

And thus concludes your weekend update. By "special" I meant completely non-consequential. Please stay tuned next Monday for the return of "Monday Confessional" and a look into the trouble that comes from lighting your living room carpet on fire when you are a mere youth and then trying to lie about it. 

Cwocodiles out the window

While driving into the city yesterday morning for Blake's very belated two year check up at the Doctor's (his birthday was in March - yes I am ashamed) Blake decided to spot and announce animals out the car window.

These were the confirmed sightings:

- "aminals"

- a farm

- chickens

- cows

- goats

- a dog

- horsies

The following sightings remain unconfirmed:

- a "cwocodile"

- "cows dwiving a car"

As to that last one, I think he's seen the movie "Barnyard" a few times too many.

And here he is at the Doctor's office, getting measured...

Happy and innocent. Clueless to the fact that he's about to get a shot. It pretty much went downhill from here folks.

Now, next on my agenda: schedule his two year pictures!

Generic or namebrand?

Spellbinding thought, I know. What's your preference?! :)

Yesterday was my bi-monthly grocery trek into town and since I do a little something called Project Life, where I take a picture a day to capture a year in the life of my family, I had my camera in my purse with me. It has come in handy many a time, like when I want to snap cute pictures like this...

or this.

That would be my most awesome, handsome, adorable and single baby brother Jamin, playing with his two youngest nephews after an outdoor church service. He's good with kids ladies! ;)

Back to the grocery store however, I was working really hard to stay within my grocery budget for once and gave myself a little pep talk to ignore the brand and go for the best deal. I finally delved into the bulk section, something I've never really done before because, "hello, my name is Jodi and I don't like change". I'm pretty much same stores, same direction inside store, same items... you get the drift. 

But guess what? Bulk bins are FUN! I know I saved money, but we'll never know exactly how much because figuring that out would require me to do math. Umm no.

hello cute little bulk bags!

FYI: those pastel mints in the front? My favorite treat IN THE WORLD (besides Cadbury cream eggs). That bag started out a good 1/3 larger than that, enough for a two week pay period you might assume. But based on my consumption today alone, it might last till Saturday if I'm lucky. 

Moving on. 

I did realize that there are a couple of items that I am a complete brand snob about and I will now showcase them for you, because remember? Spellbinding? hehehe...

Item #1: There is no other in the world for me. Yes I know it is not the healthiest choice. Or even a healthy choice. So be it. I love you JIF!

 Item #2: If there is one thing in the world I hate more than single ply toilet paper, it's toilet paper that leaves white fluff behind. On your behind. Ha! The solution? Charmin Ultra strong - double rolls. Try it. 

Item #3: Tillamook cheese. From Tillamook, Oregon. People there is a major difference in cheddar cheeses out there, be aware!

There. I don't think three items to be a brand snob about is too shabby!

Although while I was taking pictures, I realized there are a few items from New Zealand that I am picky about too (and can't live without)...

Kraft Vegemite, Whitlock's tomato chutney, and Cerebos tomato relish. Yum, yum, and yum. My grandparents just brought me a fresh stock so I'm good for a couple more years, enough time for one or another of my family to travel and get some more. I know I could probably find them in some store like World Market but it would cost an arm and a leg and possibly be made in China. Not the real deal folks. Also included in this picture should be chocolate from NZ but that is sadly long gone by now. 

And thus concludes my grocery showcase. Tomorrow: cleaning supplies. 

Kidding!

A birthday and other matters

In other words, welcome to my rather random post.

Yesterday was my Mum's birthday. I call her Mum because we're from New Zealand and over there the word "Mom" is super weird. In case you wondered. 

I also call her Mrs. MacGyver, because she is literally the female version of Richard Dean Anderson's character in that popular early 90's show. It's quite a plus to have her in the family :)

Tuesday night Kelly and I took her out to dinner and a movie to celebrate and we ate our weight in breadsticks and alfredo sauce from The Olive Garden. Yum yum.

Then I ordered the gingerbread pumpkin cheesecake "to go" because I am incapable of eating out and not having dessert (and I'm incapable of resisting pumpkin cheesecake altogether), so I took it with me to the theaters and after nibbling at it during the show I finished it off for breakfast the next morning. It was divine. 

Also yesterday morning Kendall decided to "reshape" her eyeglasses by placing them in our bathroom sink filled with hot water (unbeknownst to me) and when I found and retrieved them one side of the frame literally "fell" off, leading Kendall to tell everyone I broke them. Good thing I just had cheesecake or that would have been a mighty poor start to my day.

Where did she learn this trick you ask? That would be her Granddad MacGyver, my mother's father. The apple didn't fall far from the tree.

Then, since our life is full of one little mishap after the other, Blake locked me out of my bedroom. For the second time this week. He doesn't lock himself in, which would have been handier so I could have at least tried to talk him through unlocking it, he just locks it and walks out, shutting the door behind him. Rascal! 

On the bright side Russell is now ready to graduate to intermediate level in breaking and entering.

Unfortunately I did not inherit any MacGyver skills at all. You better believe if Russell hadn't been home I would have called Mum STAT.  

My lovely and most awesome mother, Carol. And Olive Garden leftovers, mmmm!

Happy birthday once again Mum. I love you more than my pumpkin cheesecake!

What I Wore Wednesday No. 10

Welcome to another stirring edition of What I Wore Wednesday! 

Okay, so it's not stirring, but welcome anyway! Russ was away most of this past week so I kept myself busy being out and about. Fun times, fun times :)

Wed: hanging out at Tricia's (and now you've seen part of her bedroom :)

top: Shade

jeans: Gap from Goodwill

yellow flats: Old Navy

scarf: Kmart

Thursday: Mom's Notes meeting, grocery store run

gray top: Downeast Basics

cami underneath: Diviine Modestee

long cardigan: Target

jeans: Old Navy from Goodwill

hidden wedges: Walmart

Friday: errands, Jana's house to hang out

black turtleneck: Target

jeans: Old Navy - thrifted

same yellow flats as Wed: Old Navy

scarf: Maurices

Saturday: special church conference then "Thirty-One" party at a friends

sweater top, belt and jeans: all from the Goodwill

pointed toe boots: Walmart

necklace: ??

Sunday: church, again!

top, denim skirt, and brown wedges: the Goodwill & another local thrift store

wooden bracelet: Maurices

Monday: OH YES I am posting this picture! Keeping it real folks!!

(I shall not bother with the outfit details however. 

Well okay, the cute apron: made by a friend)

Tuesday: night out with my sister and Mum 

yellow top: Ross

jeans: Gap from Goodwill

sweater: Old Navy - yard sale

sandals: Target

earrings and necklace: from my husband

In conclusion: yes I love the Goodwill, how did you guess?

Like always I'm linking to other "What I wore" posts at The Pleated Poppy.