Always looking for sunshine, figuratively and lite Always looking for sunshine, figuratively and literally. Sometimes we don’t have to look very far and it finds us. ☀️
It didn’t take much to get me to @mikespastasand It didn’t take much to get me to @mikespastasandwichshoppe when a friend texted me a screenshot of their cheese butter. Up until last week I had never even heard of cheese butter but just two days later, I’m driving an hour round trip to get some. 😂 I was never one to succumb to peer pressure (I didn’t have my first drink until I was 21!), but when it comes to food finds, I am very easily intrigued. After all, that’s how I’ve discovered some of my favorite bites over the years … lardo from @butlerandtheboard, a spicy Italian sausage, and my love of chicharron. If you haven’t visited Mike’s in Nutley, it’s worth a visit. While there, I also got a small tray of meatballs (a bargain at $10!) and a delicious mortadella sandwich that is worth a round trip. ✨
The long, dreary and grey months of the Winter nee The long, dreary and grey months of the Winter need a little bit of color, so here you go. 😍 Love this chest of drawers. Discovered it buried in a local shop and bought it specifically for the green color (one of my favorites). Vintage Coke crate was a $10 score from a garage sale place on Facebook some ten years ago. And the assorted markers in Roy G Biv order (natch) that aren’t used anymore because my kids have sadly left that phase. 🙃
Weekend Photos in Review, old school still photo s Weekend Photos in Review, old school still photo style, hope you had a good one! ✨
A friend was taking a trip to Ireland and asked if A friend was taking a trip to Ireland and asked if I wanted her to bring me back anything. Would you believe me if I told you I asked for salt? I love picking up different varieties, whether we’re traveling or I’m just visiting a new shop. Maddie grabbed me a super cute one from her trip to Paris last year, and the Magic Unicorn Salt I get locally is another favorite. What’s yours?
One of us hops like a bunny down the steps, has a One of us hops like a bunny down the steps, has a serious case of FOMO on the daily, gets hiccups more than anyone we know and has perpetual bed head. She’s quite the unique roommate but may be exactly what our home needed. 💛
I haven’t had a bagel in ages, but when I saw th I haven’t had a bagel in ages, but when I saw that @njdotcom had picked six bagel shops at the “best in the state,” and one was reasonably local, all the sudden I needed one. I was never one to fall prey to peer pressure, but I’m very definitely a marketer’s dream. 😂 Alfa Bagels is on Route 10 in Randolph and has a good assortment of bagels, including all the usual suspects, but with a few others like rainbow, Asiago and French Toast throw in for good measure. Their bagels always seem to have a nice chew, which I appreciate and I love their sesame one. My go-to order lately is a double toasted flagel with lox spread and tomato. Their lox spread is a little ho hum, but the bagel is delish. Check them out next time you’ve got a craving (or get motivated by a local news story 😝). What’s your bagel order?
✌🏻 ✌🏻
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Food and Life

Weekend Photos in Review

March 18, 2012 · Narrative

Shamrock shake
A generous boss gave out six packs of cupcakes from a local bakery, green bagels, and Shamrock shakes for St. Patrick’s Day. A fun start to the weekend.

Green bagels at work

cupcake delivery

Beauregard's finery

Cup runneth over
The kids were slightly horrified to see this car in a local parking lot. Then we discussed the reasons why someone’s car might look like this. I’ll turn anything into a teaching moment if I can. ;)

Big moment
I gave the kids $25 each on Friday and took them to the bank to open up their own passbook savings accounts. I wanted them to have an account that they could control, adding and subtracting to it as they want; this way they could see their money grow, and when Mom says “no” about buying something they deem a “must-have,” they can choose to spend their own money on it. We made a few rules (for example, when they get money, they have to put half of it in another account I have for them, and the other half goes in these new accounts), and they are more than a little excited to have this bit of extra control. Although it’s old-fashioned, I am super partial to the passbook savings account because it’s an easy way for them to see their balance grow (or not) as the case might be.

Cleats for two
Both kids start the spring soccer season in a few weeks. We took advantage of a local shoe store’s sale — a 20% discount if you bring them an old pair of shoes (that they will, in turn, donate). Love Mom & Pop’s!

Rear view sunset

Going, going,,,

J Crew display
The kids went to a movie with Mystic’s daughter on Friday night, and while they were there, I ran a few errands. I love J. Crew’s new window display. The pinwheels are made up of folded magazine pages.

Skinny Caramel Macchiato
First time having a Skinny Caramel Macchiato. I’m a few days shy of being a month of Diet Coke-free, and it hasn’t gotten any easier. I liked the Macchiato, but too much milk for me. I still prefer the iced coffees and frappuccinos.

Backseat photographers
The kids took over the the camera for Friday’s sunset. You know, ’cause I was driving.

Friday sunset

Parmesan Biscuit and Chicken Casserole

st. patrick's dinner prep
St. Patrick’s Day dinner prep. Corned Beef and Cabbage, Irish Dubliner and Guinness Fondue, Colcannon, Super-Sized Pigs in a Blanket (for the kids) and Triple Layer Fudgy Minty Oreo Brownies.

And while I cooked and cooked and cooked, this was going on…
chill time

quickly replaced

tired

Triple layer fudgy minty oreo brownies

happy face

Unfortunately this is how our Saturday evening ended.
poor monkey

She had been very out of it all day. By the time everyone left after our St. Patrick’s Day dinner, she wasn’t any better. And then started burning up. She had a super-high fever that wasn’t budging. I don’t take visits to the hospital lightly, but after a cool bath, extra fluids, cold washcloths, and medicine weren’t bringing it down (and, in fact, it was getting higher), we headed over to the ER. As we were checking in, her blood pressure was concerningly high.

monitoring
It hovered nearly the entire time around 150, but at its highest, it was 175. There is nothing more scary than being in the hospital with your children, feeling helpless. That moment when you have to be strong for them, but inside you’re breaking. I can’t imagine how my sister felt when Sophie shattered her elbow last year. Seeing the nurses and doctors in a flurry of activity over Madeline, but not wanting to alarm her wasn’t making me feel any better. They had her hooked up to the monitors for over two hours, but luckily all is ok. Today (Sunday), she is a completely different child and, thank goodness, back to her old self. That girl knows how to scare me like no other.

As we were leaving, well past midnight, Mystic was telling her how brave she was and what a big girl she was. She shook her head and said, “No, I wasn’t, I cried,” breaking my heart all over again. Today we talked about that more. I wanted to make sure she knows it’s ok to cry. She tries so hard to be perfect, I explained that she could cry, and I would be strong for her. That she was a big girl, but it was ok to be scared.

maxwell

young love
Over the past few months, Maxwell has developed a little relationship with Rosie, the dog belonging to our back yard neighbors. As soon as either Max or Rosie is outside, they bark, looking for the other. Once they’re both out there, they bark back and forth, conversating and catching up. Although it might be mildly annoying to the neighbors, it doesn’t happen too often and is too cute to watch.

bonding
After our too-exciting Saturday evening, the kids and I did lots of chill time today. They both love Restaurant: Impossible, so we hung out and caught up on a few episodes.

sunday end

On tap for the rest of this week…
– winner announced tomorrow for the OXO giveaway. Did you enter? You still have time.
– recipe for Parmesan Biscuit and Chicken Casserole.
– recipe for Triple Layer Fudgy Mint Oreo Brownies
– a post about pride, sponsored by the folks at Electrolux
– and the fifth post? to be determined

Until then…

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Posted In: Narrative · Tagged: Caramel Macchiato, Diet Coke, J. Crew, passbook savings account, Restaurant: Impossible, Starbucks

Comments

  1. Claire says

    March 18, 2012 at 10:08 pm

    So sorry your sweet girl was sick! That is no fun…but glad she’s okay.

    Reply
  2. Kate says

    March 18, 2012 at 10:59 pm

    Wow! That must have been fun. Good for you! :)

    Reply
  3. Sarah Caron says

    March 18, 2012 at 11:11 pm

    What an up and down weekend. Hope everyone is on the mend and that you have an uneventful week.

    Reply
  4. Joanne says

    March 19, 2012 at 6:24 am

    Oh my god, poor Maddie! I’M going to cry just thinking about her in the hospital!! Give her many hugs for me.

    I can’t wait for that minty oreo full recipe. It’s going to make my life, I can feel it.

    Reply
  5. Kris #40 says

    March 19, 2012 at 8:16 am

    Super weekend – besides your ER trip. Glad your girlie is feeling better. My sister was in the er too Saturday – they kept her over until Sunday. If she had called to tell me she was there – would have probably bumped into you

    Reply
  6. Betsy says

    March 20, 2012 at 5:36 pm

    Love the pic of her at the bank. Great smile. You are teaching them such good lessons.

    Reply

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Always looking for sunshine, figuratively and lite Always looking for sunshine, figuratively and literally. Sometimes we don’t have to look very far and it finds us. ☀️
It didn’t take much to get me to @mikespastasand It didn’t take much to get me to @mikespastasandwichshoppe when a friend texted me a screenshot of their cheese butter. Up until last week I had never even heard of cheese butter but just two days later, I’m driving an hour round trip to get some. 😂 I was never one to succumb to peer pressure (I didn’t have my first drink until I was 21!), but when it comes to food finds, I am very easily intrigued. After all, that’s how I’ve discovered some of my favorite bites over the years … lardo from @butlerandtheboard, a spicy Italian sausage, and my love of chicharron. If you haven’t visited Mike’s in Nutley, it’s worth a visit. While there, I also got a small tray of meatballs (a bargain at $10!) and a delicious mortadella sandwich that is worth a round trip. ✨
The long, dreary and grey months of the Winter nee The long, dreary and grey months of the Winter need a little bit of color, so here you go. 😍 Love this chest of drawers. Discovered it buried in a local shop and bought it specifically for the green color (one of my favorites). Vintage Coke crate was a $10 score from a garage sale place on Facebook some ten years ago. And the assorted markers in Roy G Biv order (natch) that aren’t used anymore because my kids have sadly left that phase. 🙃
Weekend Photos in Review, old school still photo s Weekend Photos in Review, old school still photo style, hope you had a good one! ✨

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Always looking for sunshine, figuratively and lite Always looking for sunshine, figuratively and literally. Sometimes we don’t have to look very far and it finds us. ☀️
It didn’t take much to get me to @mikespastasand It didn’t take much to get me to @mikespastasandwichshoppe when a friend texted me a screenshot of their cheese butter. Up until last week I had never even heard of cheese butter but just two days later, I’m driving an hour round trip to get some. 😂 I was never one to succumb to peer pressure (I didn’t have my first drink until I was 21!), but when it comes to food finds, I am very easily intrigued. After all, that’s how I’ve discovered some of my favorite bites over the years … lardo from @butlerandtheboard, a spicy Italian sausage, and my love of chicharron. If you haven’t visited Mike’s in Nutley, it’s worth a visit. While there, I also got a small tray of meatballs (a bargain at $10!) and a delicious mortadella sandwich that is worth a round trip. ✨
The long, dreary and grey months of the Winter nee The long, dreary and grey months of the Winter need a little bit of color, so here you go. 😍 Love this chest of drawers. Discovered it buried in a local shop and bought it specifically for the green color (one of my favorites). Vintage Coke crate was a $10 score from a garage sale place on Facebook some ten years ago. And the assorted markers in Roy G Biv order (natch) that aren’t used anymore because my kids have sadly left that phase. 🙃
Weekend Photos in Review, old school still photo s Weekend Photos in Review, old school still photo style, hope you had a good one! ✨
A friend was taking a trip to Ireland and asked if A friend was taking a trip to Ireland and asked if I wanted her to bring me back anything. Would you believe me if I told you I asked for salt? I love picking up different varieties, whether we’re traveling or I’m just visiting a new shop. Maddie grabbed me a super cute one from her trip to Paris last year, and the Magic Unicorn Salt I get locally is another favorite. What’s yours?
One of us hops like a bunny down the steps, has a One of us hops like a bunny down the steps, has a serious case of FOMO on the daily, gets hiccups more than anyone we know and has perpetual bed head. She’s quite the unique roommate but may be exactly what our home needed. 💛
I haven’t had a bagel in ages, but when I saw th I haven’t had a bagel in ages, but when I saw that @njdotcom had picked six bagel shops at the “best in the state,” and one was reasonably local, all the sudden I needed one. I was never one to fall prey to peer pressure, but I’m very definitely a marketer’s dream. 😂 Alfa Bagels is on Route 10 in Randolph and has a good assortment of bagels, including all the usual suspects, but with a few others like rainbow, Asiago and French Toast throw in for good measure. Their bagels always seem to have a nice chew, which I appreciate and I love their sesame one. My go-to order lately is a double toasted flagel with lox spread and tomato. Their lox spread is a little ho hum, but the bagel is delish. Check them out next time you’ve got a craving (or get motivated by a local news story 😝). What’s your bagel order?
✌🏻 ✌🏻

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