Here's what's for dinner tonight:
Hearty Italian Sandwiches
makes 8 servings
1 1/2 lbs. ground beef
1 1/2 lbs. bulk Italian Sausage
2 large onions, chopped
2 large green peppers, chopped
2 large sweet red peppers, choppes
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
Shredded Monterey Jack cheese
8 sandwich rolls
1. In skillet brown beef & sausage. Drain.
2. Place one-third onions and pepeprs in slow cooker. Top w/half of meat mixture. Repeat layers. Sprinkle w/salt & pepper.
3. Cover. Cook on low 6 hours or until vegetables are tender.
4. With a slotted spoon, serve about 1 cup mixture on each roll. Top w/cheese.
Note: For some extra flavor, add a spoonful of salsa to ea. roll efore topping w/cheese. I plan to put them open-faced on a baking sheet and toast them for a few minutes in the oven. mmm.
Recipe courtesy of Fix It and Forget About It Cookbook, Feasting with your slow cooker
I'm going to serve these with canteloupe.
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Sunday, June 17, 2007
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Sock It!
Try this tip from Heloise: "I like to put on old socks, spray a bit of cleaning fluid on them, and slide my feet along the baseboard, sticking my toes into corners to get at that hard-to-reach dust. It's good exercise - and the cleaning gets done."
Get real, Heloise! The only "fun" way to clean the floors is to hire someone else to do it!
Try this tip from Heloise: "I like to put on old socks, spray a bit of cleaning fluid on them, and slide my feet along the baseboard, sticking my toes into corners to get at that hard-to-reach dust. It's good exercise - and the cleaning gets done."
Get real, Heloise! The only "fun" way to clean the floors is to hire someone else to do it!
OPINION:
It has ALWAYS been my opinion that The Des Moines Register needs some serious competition. I think it would improve the overall quality (and by quality I mean unbiased journalism that is relevant to readers) of the content. Today I called for classified ad rates for a SMALL for-sale-by-owner or Open House listing. Minimum cost? $150...and that's not statewide coverage. Bring on the competition!
It has ALWAYS been my opinion that The Des Moines Register needs some serious competition. I think it would improve the overall quality (and by quality I mean unbiased journalism that is relevant to readers) of the content. Today I called for classified ad rates for a SMALL for-sale-by-owner or Open House listing. Minimum cost? $150...and that's not statewide coverage. Bring on the competition!
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
We made an offer on a house last night...and it was accepted! Now we really need a buyer for our house...and a new house for the seller. Please if you know anyone looking for a well-maintained, under $200K, 3-bedroom home in a great neighborhood and school district...with a kick-butt kitchen, garage, deck and yard....please send em my way!
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
I spent over 30 minutes this morning digging for receipts I had set aside for returns at Kohl's and Target. I searched and searched...nothing. Finally I gave up, heading to Target with the one return I DID have a receipt for.
Except when I got there, turns out I had the wrong receipt. But I thankfully encountered a helpful sales associate who told me that if she swiped the debit card I paid with and then scan the item I was returning, they can tell in their system if I had purchased it w/in the last 90 days. So I could do my returns w/out the receipts! And credit it nicely back onto my debit card. Nice! ...but scary how intelligent their spend-tracking is! So, Target...if you know exactly what I'm buying - where are my diaper coupons then? Sheesh!
Except when I got there, turns out I had the wrong receipt. But I thankfully encountered a helpful sales associate who told me that if she swiped the debit card I paid with and then scan the item I was returning, they can tell in their system if I had purchased it w/in the last 90 days. So I could do my returns w/out the receipts! And credit it nicely back onto my debit card. Nice! ...but scary how intelligent their spend-tracking is! So, Target...if you know exactly what I'm buying - where are my diaper coupons then? Sheesh!
Darn you, Pillsbury! Why do you have to make things sound sooo good?
Nutrition Information
2 . Divide brownie batter evenly among muffin cups, filling each 2/3 full. Press 1 candy into batter in each cup so half of candy shows above batter.
Quick Peanut Butter Cup-Brownie Cupcakes
Prep Time: 10 min ; Start to Finish: 1 hr 35 min
Makes: 10 cupcakes
Prep Time: 10 min ; Start to Finish: 1 hr 35 min
Makes: 10 cupcakes
Nutrition InformationCombine two classic treats--brownies and peanut butter cups--into a show-stopping dessert made easily with a roll of Pillsbury® brownie batter from the refrigerated section.
1 roll (16.5 oz) Pillsbury® refrigerated traditional chocolate fudge brownies
10 miniature chocolate-covered peanut butter cup candies, unwrapped
1 . Heat oven to 350°F. Place paper baking cup in each of 10 regular-size muffin cups.
2 . Divide brownie batter evenly among muffin cups, filling each 2/3 full. Press 1 candy into batter in each cup so half of candy shows above batter.
3 . Bake 23 to 28 minutes or until brownies are set. DO NOT OVERBAKE. Cool 30 minutes before serving.
Sunday, June 10, 2007
Confession.....I love celebrity gossip. (oh, the shame!). And one of my new favorite stops when I have a minute or two is http://www.babble.com/CS/blogs/famecrawler/default.aspx
Check it out...you'll be hooked in no time. But for the record...I also try to stay current on real news. =-)
Check it out...you'll be hooked in no time. But for the record...I also try to stay current on real news. =-)
My kids don't have access to a video iPod...but if they did I would so go here:
free Sesame Street downloads available on iTunes. Dr. office waiting rooms? Waiting to get the minivan's oil changed? Temper tantrum when you've just entered the grocery store? SOLVED! Lazy parenting? perhaps...but did I mention problem solved?
free Sesame Street downloads available on iTunes. Dr. office waiting rooms? Waiting to get the minivan's oil changed? Temper tantrum when you've just entered the grocery store? SOLVED! Lazy parenting? perhaps...but did I mention problem solved?
Saturday, June 09, 2007
Attention scrappers! I have found the perfect method for storing and transporting fibers, brads, eyelets, tags and more small storage worthy items....for a FRACTION of the cost. And once again..the solution is found at the home improvement store.
The holder box comes with carrying handle, but it works just as well on its side with the organizers facing out for easy retrieval:
Each organizer comes with twenty dividers, and you can divide the organizer into 29 compartments (you’ll need 22 dividers for that, though):
The holder has guide rails for each organizer, so they are not free stacked on top of each other:
Check this out! The Black & Decker Workmate series Small Parts Box. Now tell me this isn't perfect...and now...the price...around TEN BUCKS! Can you believe it?!@#
The holder box comes with carrying handle, but it works just as well on its side with the organizers facing out for easy retrieval:Each organizer comes with twenty dividers, and you can divide the organizer into 29 compartments (you’ll need 22 dividers for that, though):The holder has guide rails for each organizer, so they are not free stacked on top of each other:
Scrapbook with MS Word…
Jun 9th, 2007 by etceteraetcetera
paper piecing
Use clip art images as templates to create paper-pieced page accents (above). On the program menu, select Insert, then Picture and Clip Art to add an image to a document. Size the image by dragging your mouse at the corner. (Do not make your image larger than a standard 8 1/2 x 11 page for compatibility with standard printers.) Print a copy, cut it apart and use the pieces as templates when tracing on colored paper.
twisted text
Curve, twist, bend and loop text for titles using Word Art. Choose Insert, Picture, Word Art and select a style you like. Type your text and click OK to create the art. Use the tools on the Word Art toolbar to change its colors, bend it into shape, and then print it. Note: This technique works best with short titles or sentences. The effect does not work well on long paragraphs of journaling.
fill-in page titles
Print an outline of any font for a fill-in title with a few simple steps. First, choose the landscape paper orientation (under File, Page Setup) and type a page title. Next choose Format, Font to select the font style, then color and size you wish. Under the same menu, click Outline. Print the title and fill in letters with chalk, pens or other media for a custom effect.
watermark images
Use Word’s picture editing tool to enlarge and wash out an image ã for use as a page accent. Add your image to a Word document (Insert, Picture, Clip Art), select it and, from the Picture toolbar, choose Color, Washout (in some versions you’ll choose Image Control, Watermark instead). Use a single watermark image to accent a page, or repeat for a background.
download clip art images
Use the Microsoft Design Gallery online (dgl.microsoft.com) to expand your clip art collection. Find specific images by typing a keyword and selecting the type of image you want. Click any image displayed to see a larger-sized preview and click the “Search by Style” link to locate other images drawn in a similar style. On a PC, the clip art should download automatically. For Macintosh users, it can be a little more difficult. Use Office 2001 or later versions for successful downloading on a Mac.
custom journaling blocks
The tricky part about computer journaling can be making sure the text fits the amount of space you have on your page. Make a custom-sized journaling block to take out the guesswork. First draw a text box to fit the amount of space you have (Insert, Text Box, then click and drag to create it). Type your journaling inside the box. Increase the line spacing a little to get a less computer-generated look or to fill the box more evenly. To do this, highlight the text and choose Format, Font and click the Character Spacing tab. From the Spacing dropdown list, choose Expanded, then type in the number you wish to expand the text by.
wrap-around text frames
Make text wrap around a photo or other image with this technique. Draw four text boxes (Insert, Text Box) and position one on each side of the image around a space the size of your photo. Use Format, Text Direction to rotate the text in the two “side” boxes. Type text into each box so it wraps around the photo space. You may have to use your space bar or center the text in the box to get it to wrap evenly. Use the Fill Color and Line Color tools to color the boxes and, when printed, mount your photo in your text frame. A word of warning: some patience and practice is required for success with this more-complicated technique.
creating border collages
Create your own border art by scanning one or more photos or clip art images and adding them to a Word document. To import a photo or image of your own, it must first be saved on a disk or on your computer as a JPEG file.
Choose Insert, Picture, From File, then locate the image and click Insert. Size and crop images using the Picture toolbar tools, then overlap them to form a long strip to use as a page border. For 12 x 12 pages, create a custom paper size (File, Page Setup, then select paper size) before assembling your collage. Print using a sheet of light cardstock trimmed to fit your printer’s paper path. While most printers can handle longer 11 x 17 sheets, the width must be 8 1/2 inches or less.
create a calendar
Calendar pages are handy to record milestones for any age or to document of the events in a hectic month. Create one or more month-per-page calendars by downloading Word’s Calendar Wizard. Find this on the Microsoft Web site at http://search.officeupdate.microsoft.com/TemplateGallery/ct133.asp. You can also go to File, New, Other Documents, Calendar Wizard for more information. It’s simple to use and will create calendar pages for just about any time in the last (or next) hundred years. See below for an example.
handmade stickers
You’ll never be lost for stickers you love when you create them yourself in Word. Purchase sticker paper at craft or office supply stores from companies such as Avery, Epson or Fuji. It is also easy to find and purchase sticker paper online from a variety of sites (try invent-it.com or paper-paper.com). To make the stickers, choose Tools, Envelopes and Labels, Labels tab. Click Options to select your paper’s special code number and click OK, then New Document. Insert clip art to each sticker outline before printing them.
Jun 9th, 2007 by etceteraetcetera
paper piecing
Use clip art images as templates to create paper-pieced page accents (above). On the program menu, select Insert, then Picture and Clip Art to add an image to a document. Size the image by dragging your mouse at the corner. (Do not make your image larger than a standard 8 1/2 x 11 page for compatibility with standard printers.) Print a copy, cut it apart and use the pieces as templates when tracing on colored paper.
twisted text
Curve, twist, bend and loop text for titles using Word Art. Choose Insert, Picture, Word Art and select a style you like. Type your text and click OK to create the art. Use the tools on the Word Art toolbar to change its colors, bend it into shape, and then print it. Note: This technique works best with short titles or sentences. The effect does not work well on long paragraphs of journaling.
fill-in page titles
Print an outline of any font for a fill-in title with a few simple steps. First, choose the landscape paper orientation (under File, Page Setup) and type a page title. Next choose Format, Font to select the font style, then color and size you wish. Under the same menu, click Outline. Print the title and fill in letters with chalk, pens or other media for a custom effect.
watermark images
Use Word’s picture editing tool to enlarge and wash out an image ã for use as a page accent. Add your image to a Word document (Insert, Picture, Clip Art), select it and, from the Picture toolbar, choose Color, Washout (in some versions you’ll choose Image Control, Watermark instead). Use a single watermark image to accent a page, or repeat for a background.
download clip art images
Use the Microsoft Design Gallery online (dgl.microsoft.com) to expand your clip art collection. Find specific images by typing a keyword and selecting the type of image you want. Click any image displayed to see a larger-sized preview and click the “Search by Style” link to locate other images drawn in a similar style. On a PC, the clip art should download automatically. For Macintosh users, it can be a little more difficult. Use Office 2001 or later versions for successful downloading on a Mac.
custom journaling blocks
The tricky part about computer journaling can be making sure the text fits the amount of space you have on your page. Make a custom-sized journaling block to take out the guesswork. First draw a text box to fit the amount of space you have (Insert, Text Box, then click and drag to create it). Type your journaling inside the box. Increase the line spacing a little to get a less computer-generated look or to fill the box more evenly. To do this, highlight the text and choose Format, Font and click the Character Spacing tab. From the Spacing dropdown list, choose Expanded, then type in the number you wish to expand the text by.
wrap-around text frames
Make text wrap around a photo or other image with this technique. Draw four text boxes (Insert, Text Box) and position one on each side of the image around a space the size of your photo. Use Format, Text Direction to rotate the text in the two “side” boxes. Type text into each box so it wraps around the photo space. You may have to use your space bar or center the text in the box to get it to wrap evenly. Use the Fill Color and Line Color tools to color the boxes and, when printed, mount your photo in your text frame. A word of warning: some patience and practice is required for success with this more-complicated technique.
creating border collages
Create your own border art by scanning one or more photos or clip art images and adding them to a Word document. To import a photo or image of your own, it must first be saved on a disk or on your computer as a JPEG file.
Choose Insert, Picture, From File, then locate the image and click Insert. Size and crop images using the Picture toolbar tools, then overlap them to form a long strip to use as a page border. For 12 x 12 pages, create a custom paper size (File, Page Setup, then select paper size) before assembling your collage. Print using a sheet of light cardstock trimmed to fit your printer’s paper path. While most printers can handle longer 11 x 17 sheets, the width must be 8 1/2 inches or less.
create a calendar
Calendar pages are handy to record milestones for any age or to document of the events in a hectic month. Create one or more month-per-page calendars by downloading Word’s Calendar Wizard. Find this on the Microsoft Web site at http://search.officeupdate.microsoft.com/TemplateGallery/ct133.asp. You can also go to File, New, Other Documents, Calendar Wizard for more information. It’s simple to use and will create calendar pages for just about any time in the last (or next) hundred years. See below for an example.
handmade stickers
You’ll never be lost for stickers you love when you create them yourself in Word. Purchase sticker paper at craft or office supply stores from companies such as Avery, Epson or Fuji. It is also easy to find and purchase sticker paper online from a variety of sites (try invent-it.com or paper-paper.com). To make the stickers, choose Tools, Envelopes and Labels, Labels tab. Click Options to select your paper’s special code number and click OK, then New Document. Insert clip art to each sticker outline before printing them.
Friday, June 08, 2007
If I include photos of the outside of the house, the yard, the exterior of the garage/workshop, the kitchen, the living room and the dining room...do I need any other room photos on the For Sale By Owner information sheet for the info tube? I want people to have a reason to come inside to see more...but I'm not sure if I've included enough of what people want to know. Opinions? (scroll down for pics of the kitchen and dining room...I posted those at an earlier date).
Thursday, June 07, 2007
SHWEW! What a day! Today was carpet stretching/cleaning day...yet another step toward the for sale by owner sign in the front yard. The carpet guy arrived at 8:30 a.m. He has some sort of fancy machinery in his carpet-cleaning magic van that he runs into the house via hoses....fine...but today the humidity felt like 10,000 lbs. sitting on top of me...and because he needed the door open so his hoses could run into the living room...well...it was pregnancy HELL today!
That, combined with Bailey & I trying to keep Lauren corraled in the basement and out of the carpet guy's way and OFF the clean carpet...ugh. We finally gave up and took her across the street to the neighbor's trampoline...she and Bailey had a BLAST!
When we returned, here's what we found....NO STAINS! Tomorrow night the furniture comes back inside. I highly recommend the carpet service we used. Commander Carpet Care (www.commandercarpetcare.com). They were professional, friendly, competent, helpful and the bill EXACTLY matched the quote we were given. Very reasonable.
Because we had to move virtually everything for the carpet cleaners, I had the computer unplugged all day. (WITHDRAWAL!!!) Not the best timing, considering I had just posted roughly 10 billion items on Craig's List (http://desmoines.craigslist.org/bab/) just the day before. So already behind on replying to interested buyers.
But no time to hook up the computer, because off we go to Bailey's softball game...the first of many in the end of season tournament.
But after getting back online tonight and going through the 60+ emails I received today, I began reading today's posts from some of my favorite blogs. To my surprise, I found that I had won a $10 gift certificate to Heather Ann Designs (http://www.heatheranndesigns.com/). And just for playing a fun baby-name-guessing game on my virtual friend's blog. Thanks, Heather!
Tomorrow brings an even busier day filled with more cleaning so I can get the final room pics I need for the house flyer. Wish me luck!
Wednesday, June 06, 2007
While searching Flickr for baby boy nursery decor ideas, I stumbled upon this picture. 
Are they JOKING?! Now I'd like to believe that the name is at least pronounced differently than it appears...but does it really even matter? The poor baby's name is spelled to look like DEE-MON. I guess no matter what name we pick for our baby boy - or nor matter what color we paint his room...we come out winners.
Tuesday, June 05, 2007
I'm purging baby girl clothes this week. Lots and LOTS of adorable baby girl clothes! I'm posting them on the Des Moines Craig's List under baby items...so check em out! I posted a bunch tonight - but there'll be more all week long. Everything from newborn up to 24 months. Lots of brand names, like Baby Gap, Children's Place, Carter's, Oshkosh, Tommy Hilfiger and more. Check it out...help me purge so we can make room for BABY BOY CLOTHES!!!
Here's a sample of what I've posted so far...go check it out!
Here's a sample of what I've posted so far...go check it out!
Sometimes doing the right thing is SOOO much harder than doing the wrong thing, isn't it? Today I post something sad for me and my family. Today I am setting into action a reality we have tried to deny over and over again. Today we begin trying to find a better family for our dog, Sadie. Sure, we could just dump her back at the shelter, which is what we are supposed to do, but because we love her, we want to find the perfect home for her...not just hope someone appropriate finds her at a shelter - just feels way too cruel. Read on to fully understand the situation...jpg)
Dog Information:
Name: Sadie
Sex: Spay Female
Breed: Border Collie Mix
Color: Black with white patches on chest
Age: Approximately 2.5 yrs
Hair: Medium
Personality:
Sadie is an active, fun-loving, SMART female Border Collie mix. Very family-oriented and full of energy. Loves to run, go on walks, play, fetch her rope and receive affection. She is eager to please her owners!
Location: Urbandale, Iowa
Tricks:
* Sit, Lie Down, Stay
* Shake, fetches rope
Sadie’s Story:
Sadie is a GREAT dog. We adopted her when she was a puppy and she was labeled as a “lab mix” but it quickly became clear she is more Border Collie than any other breed. We love her so much that we know she deserves a family better-suited for her. Consistent with her breed, she is a high-energy dog who loves to run and jump (think Frisbee-catching, obstacle course type of dog). But with a rapidly-growing family, we just don’t have the time/energy to give her what she needs…which is a lot of playing, running….mental stimulation. Also consistent with her breed, she is VERY SMART! She is very good with the kids….”herds” the little ones sometimes…but has never shown aggression toward the kids. She does bark when strangers come to the door (especially the Schwan man)…but that’s where it ends with her.
With other dogs she is definitely submissive – no pack leader here.
She has been spayed and after her rabies shot this month she is up-to-date on everything, including bordatella (kennel cough).
Instead of turning her back into the shelter, it is our desire to find the perfect home for her. Because we care for her, we want to do everything on our part to find her a family that would be a really good fit.
If you would like to meet Sadie to see if she would be a good fit for your family, please leave me a comment and we'll arrange a visit.
Yes, indeed - doing what is best can really suck. =-(
Dog Information:
Name: Sadie
Sex: Spay Female
Breed: Border Collie Mix
Color: Black with white patches on chest
Age: Approximately 2.5 yrs
Hair: Medium
Personality:
Sadie is an active, fun-loving, SMART female Border Collie mix. Very family-oriented and full of energy. Loves to run, go on walks, play, fetch her rope and receive affection. She is eager to please her owners!
Location: Urbandale, Iowa
Tricks:
* Sit, Lie Down, Stay
* Shake, fetches rope
Sadie’s Story:
Sadie is a GREAT dog. We adopted her when she was a puppy and she was labeled as a “lab mix” but it quickly became clear she is more Border Collie than any other breed. We love her so much that we know she deserves a family better-suited for her. Consistent with her breed, she is a high-energy dog who loves to run and jump (think Frisbee-catching, obstacle course type of dog). But with a rapidly-growing family, we just don’t have the time/energy to give her what she needs…which is a lot of playing, running….mental stimulation. Also consistent with her breed, she is VERY SMART! She is very good with the kids….”herds” the little ones sometimes…but has never shown aggression toward the kids. She does bark when strangers come to the door (especially the Schwan man)…but that’s where it ends with her.
With other dogs she is definitely submissive – no pack leader here.
She has been spayed and after her rabies shot this month she is up-to-date on everything, including bordatella (kennel cough).
Instead of turning her back into the shelter, it is our desire to find the perfect home for her. Because we care for her, we want to do everything on our part to find her a family that would be a really good fit.
If you would like to meet Sadie to see if she would be a good fit for your family, please leave me a comment and we'll arrange a visit.
Yes, indeed - doing what is best can really suck. =-(
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