Saturday, May 11, 2013
Winning!
Well life is about to change yet again - I got the job! I cried happy tears and did the happy dance, then the husband and I went out to dinner and ice cream to celebrate it was magical. So today I went shopping a little for work clothes at the Goodwill (yes I love a good bargain) and to charlotte russe where I got a grey maxi skirt. The most versatile color of all maxi skirts I presume.
I'm so excited to shop a little more for classic pieces I can mix and match!
Cheers!
I'm so excited to shop a little more for classic pieces I can mix and match!
Cheers!
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
Interview
Well on Monday - the officially start day of the full time babysitting gig I have- I got a call for an interview. Murphy's Law...I should of seen it coming but I didn't. So yesterday was a day of trying to get a hold of one of my two friends and ask them to watch the kid I babysit while I go to the interview. And in order to get a hold of her I had to contact a "middle man" for her number and Facebook stalk her - not my proudest moments but it worked. And today I have an interview. I haven't been to formal interview in over 8 years so last night's "let's find an outfit" hour was quite the task but I nailed an outfit and organized my friend to come watch the kid and at 3pm today I have my interview at the community college. I'm a big girl now!
Meanwhile the husband is in the field (yes I've done all of this without him home) and but he comes home tomorrow. Him going to the field every other week is beginning to drain on me. At first it was fun because I would get a girls night in all by myself to make brownies and watch a chick flick. Now it's more like "crap what am I going to eat since I can't make a full dinner?" It's all good.
Two days ago we bought meat from a local company and yes the guy sold the meat out of his trunk- typical. Let's hope it is worth the money we spent.
Well I better get going before this kid tears down the child gate on the stairs. Cheers.
Interview
Well on Monday - the officially start day of the full time babysitting gig I have- I got a call for an interview. Murphy's Law...I should of seen it coming but I didn't. So yesterday was a day of trying to get a hold of one of my two friends and ask them to watch the kid I babysit while I go to the interview. And in order to get a hold of her I had to contact a "middle man" for her number and Facebook stalk her - not my proudest moments but it worked. And today I have an interview. I haven't been to formal interview in over 8 years so last night's "let's find an outfit" hour was quite the task but I nailed an outfit and organized my friend to come watch the kid and at 3pm today I have my interview at the community college. I'm a big girl now!
Meanwhile the husband is in the field (yes I've done all of this without him home) and but he comes home tomorrow. Him going to the field every other week is beginning to drain on me. At first it was fun because I would get a girls night in all by myself to make brownies and watch a chick flick. Now it's more like "crap what am I going to eat since I can't make a full dinner?" It's all good.
Two days ago we bought meat from a local company and yes the guy sold the meat out of his trunk- typical. Let's hope it is worth the money we spent.
Well I better get going before this kid tears down the child gate on the stairs. Cheers.
Meanwhile the husband is in the field (yes I've done all of this without him home) and but he comes home tomorrow. Him going to the field every other week is beginning to drain on me. At first it was fun because I would get a girls night in all by myself to make brownies and watch a chick flick. Now it's more like "crap what am I going to eat since I can't make a full dinner?" It's all good.
Two days ago we bought meat from a local company and yes the guy sold the meat out of his trunk- typical. Let's hope it is worth the money we spent.
Well I better get going before this kid tears down the child gate on the stairs. Cheers.
Monday, April 29, 2013
Doomed on Friday
I guess I need to vent this hoping it will help ease my depression but I highly doubt it.
My job search is closing in on 5 months now. Never in my life have I gone this long without a job. Never. But moving to a military town brought a lot of competition for jobs - which I was not prepared for. I've been applying online to jobs of and not of my choosing but it was for extra money to pay off school loans and basically temporary until we start a family next year so who was I to be picky? And even when I thought applying online was getting me no where I went out to physically put applications in...only to be told to apply online. Suck.
Well two months ago my husband got me a babysitting job and I have been watching the kid a few times over the past month but this Friday I start full time babysitting and by full time I mean 7am - 5pm Monday - Friday. The little boy is about 18mths old I assume and like all kids that age has the attention span of a gnat. Now I've been babysitting for 14 years now and I've had my share of battles. Changing the diaper of a 4yr old, playing with a spoiled 6yr old who went to bed at 8:30 and their TV didn't work, having a child choke on ice cream even when his siblings told me he could have it, not getting paid once, watching a 1yr old with the worst separation anxiety I've ever seen I had to call the parents to come back and get her (non-stop crying for over an hour). You would think that since I've been doing it so long I've have it down pat and be the best darn babysitter out there but truth is I hate it. Every job I've taken has never been taken with joy. It was taken with "I'm getting paid to watch TV or play with dolls or get some physical exercise" but never have I said "oh man I'm so excited about watching these kids I'd do it for free!" (with the exception of my niece and nephew of course) Nope. So this babysitting job is no different.
I have been dreading the day I start full time. I've been job searching my heart out with no avail. And as the day draws closer I'm filled with such depression because I feel like I've failed the job search. I've prayed to Jesus for a change of heart but I have yet to experience that. I just have no idea how to entertain an 18mth old who doesn't like the word "no" and whose schedule I don't know. Whose had the same babysitter since being born, whose never seen stairs but knows how to climb them in the blink of an eye, who puts up a fuss when we come in from outside but if I set him down outside he runs off and wont listen to me. I don't know what to do with him besides follow him around the bottom part of our townhouse and tell him "no" every time he pulls the door stop out of the wall, opens all the cabinet doors in the kitchen, reaches for the xbox controller and remote etc. It's THE most boring job (babysitting or otherwise) I've ever had. Lord help me.
I do feel 10% better but the depression will undoubtedly rise as the days continue.
Cheers.
My job search is closing in on 5 months now. Never in my life have I gone this long without a job. Never. But moving to a military town brought a lot of competition for jobs - which I was not prepared for. I've been applying online to jobs of and not of my choosing but it was for extra money to pay off school loans and basically temporary until we start a family next year so who was I to be picky? And even when I thought applying online was getting me no where I went out to physically put applications in...only to be told to apply online. Suck.
Well two months ago my husband got me a babysitting job and I have been watching the kid a few times over the past month but this Friday I start full time babysitting and by full time I mean 7am - 5pm Monday - Friday. The little boy is about 18mths old I assume and like all kids that age has the attention span of a gnat. Now I've been babysitting for 14 years now and I've had my share of battles. Changing the diaper of a 4yr old, playing with a spoiled 6yr old who went to bed at 8:30 and their TV didn't work, having a child choke on ice cream even when his siblings told me he could have it, not getting paid once, watching a 1yr old with the worst separation anxiety I've ever seen I had to call the parents to come back and get her (non-stop crying for over an hour). You would think that since I've been doing it so long I've have it down pat and be the best darn babysitter out there but truth is I hate it. Every job I've taken has never been taken with joy. It was taken with "I'm getting paid to watch TV or play with dolls or get some physical exercise" but never have I said "oh man I'm so excited about watching these kids I'd do it for free!" (with the exception of my niece and nephew of course) Nope. So this babysitting job is no different.
I have been dreading the day I start full time. I've been job searching my heart out with no avail. And as the day draws closer I'm filled with such depression because I feel like I've failed the job search. I've prayed to Jesus for a change of heart but I have yet to experience that. I just have no idea how to entertain an 18mth old who doesn't like the word "no" and whose schedule I don't know. Whose had the same babysitter since being born, whose never seen stairs but knows how to climb them in the blink of an eye, who puts up a fuss when we come in from outside but if I set him down outside he runs off and wont listen to me. I don't know what to do with him besides follow him around the bottom part of our townhouse and tell him "no" every time he pulls the door stop out of the wall, opens all the cabinet doors in the kitchen, reaches for the xbox controller and remote etc. It's THE most boring job (babysitting or otherwise) I've ever had. Lord help me.
I do feel 10% better but the depression will undoubtedly rise as the days continue.
Cheers.
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
Successful Recipes
Yes it has been a very long time - what else is new? I am still looking for a job hard core and military life continues to rear it's ugly head. At the moment I am alone for 4 days while the husband is in the field doing training exercises. There has been rumors of another deployment and he will go to a 6 week long training exercise this summer. As Don Gibson once say "OH...lonesome me".
Meanwhile since my last post I've added more recipes to my recipe folder thanks to Pinterest and my mom. Mom has collected recipes over the years - ones you can't find anywhere else because they were created by a friend or printed once in a magazine 20 yrs ago. And now recipes include so many fancy ingredients their not...ahem...appetizing to make because the effort to find special flours, sauces, seasonings etc is to much.
Since my last post here are some winning recipes I've made.
Breakfast:
Homemade Blueberry Poptarts
Totally easy and a total win. I could eat a dozen!
Dinners:
Breaded Pork Chops and Homemade Noodles
Chops: Mix egg yolks and water. Dip pork chops in it and then in Italian bread crumbs. Fry up in olive oil.
Italian Brown Sugar Chicken aka "Real Good Chicken" and Mashed Potatoes
Venison Salisbury Steak and Mashed Potatoes
This recipe calls for regular beef but I substituted and got BIG brownie points with the husband.
Pretzel Chicken Tenders and Fries
The husband was skeptical of this but when he had leftovers for lunch the next day (cold) he fell in love and requested no other breaded chicken besides this. I guess it's time to invest in a food processor as my coffee grinder shouldn't be made to grind up pretzels anymore. I am ashamed.
Sweet and Sour/Pineapple Chicken over rice
The easiest recipe I've found for a Chinese inspired dish. I might even get the husband to like this one, but I would triple it as I could eat a ton of it!
Other recipes are from my mother and I'm choosing not to share them. But let me tell you - they are winners!
In the news of dinner disasters I have sworn off homemade pizza for a long time. The last 3 recipes I've made have failed me miserably. I made pizza perfectly back in my home state but somehow moving and getting married has apparently changed that!
I have also sworn off the popular Hasselback Potatoes. I tried them and they never "fanned" out, nor did they cook all the way even when extending the cooking time twice. The next day I took left overs and put them in the microwave and that STILL did not cook them fully. #clueless
Anyway, I better get back to my movie Sabrina with the great Audrey Hepburn. 3 more days until the husband is home... cheers.
Meanwhile since my last post I've added more recipes to my recipe folder thanks to Pinterest and my mom. Mom has collected recipes over the years - ones you can't find anywhere else because they were created by a friend or printed once in a magazine 20 yrs ago. And now recipes include so many fancy ingredients their not...ahem...appetizing to make because the effort to find special flours, sauces, seasonings etc is to much.
Since my last post here are some winning recipes I've made.
Breakfast:
Homemade Blueberry Poptarts
Totally easy and a total win. I could eat a dozen!
Dinners:
Breaded Pork Chops and Homemade Noodles
Chops: Mix egg yolks and water. Dip pork chops in it and then in Italian bread crumbs. Fry up in olive oil.
Italian Brown Sugar Chicken aka "Real Good Chicken" and Mashed Potatoes
Venison Salisbury Steak and Mashed Potatoes
This recipe calls for regular beef but I substituted and got BIG brownie points with the husband.
Pretzel Chicken Tenders and Fries
The husband was skeptical of this but when he had leftovers for lunch the next day (cold) he fell in love and requested no other breaded chicken besides this. I guess it's time to invest in a food processor as my coffee grinder shouldn't be made to grind up pretzels anymore. I am ashamed.
Sweet and Sour/Pineapple Chicken over rice
The easiest recipe I've found for a Chinese inspired dish. I might even get the husband to like this one, but I would triple it as I could eat a ton of it!
Other recipes are from my mother and I'm choosing not to share them. But let me tell you - they are winners!
In the news of dinner disasters I have sworn off homemade pizza for a long time. The last 3 recipes I've made have failed me miserably. I made pizza perfectly back in my home state but somehow moving and getting married has apparently changed that!
I have also sworn off the popular Hasselback Potatoes. I tried them and they never "fanned" out, nor did they cook all the way even when extending the cooking time twice. The next day I took left overs and put them in the microwave and that STILL did not cook them fully. #clueless
Anyway, I better get back to my movie Sabrina with the great Audrey Hepburn. 3 more days until the husband is home... cheers.
Thursday, March 7, 2013
America the...FAT
I can't be quiet about this one. I usually don't shop at Walmart because there are other places - local places, less crowded places I'd rather spend my money for food. But today while planning meals and writing out the grocery list I wanted to see if Walmart's ad had anything worth going there for. (I don't normally do this but my mom mentioned they have good fresh rolls for sloppy joes so that is what I was looking for). But I stumbled upon this instead...
Does anyone else see the problem here? 2 1/2 pages (jam packed might I add) of processed breakfast food. And one page (less then jam packed) of salad/"Healther" items. And when is the last time you put potatoes on your salad? - that is a stretch Walmart - even for you. You couldn't find a picture of a tomato to put there instead? Or even some apples or dried cranberries?
Lets play "I Spy" for a second.
~I spy sugar induced waffles - it's no wonder kids today wind up with diabetes
~I spy processed bread filled with "breakfast items" - is it that hard to wake up a half hour early to fry up some eggs and put it on a piece of toast?
~I spy salad dressing. Don't get me wrong Ranch is my go-to salad dressing if there is no vinagrette in the house but when your trying to reach a whole nation and teach healthy options on your "Healthy Page" I'm not sure that is the right choice to educate them.
~And last but not least I spy "The Biggest Looser Celery". REALLY!?!? Is this somehow superior to plain old regular celery? What makes it so special? Bob on the wrapper? Is THAT what makes you buy it? Well kudos to you for buying celery and giving Bob more money but news flash - that's not going to make your thinner.
It's days like this I'm glad I didn't follow my passion years ago to go to college for Marketing because I would of probably been swamped in a marketing world like this selling crappy products (to a world who supposedly knows better) by slapping some fancy coloring, wording and famous people/shows on the front.
This has me so worked up I'm shaking. Really America you claim you know better and yet you fall for ads and fill up your carts with this crap? You tell yourself you'll do better next time..."everything in moderation"... but what is "moderation"? To me it's once every quarter of the year or half a year.
Now I'm no poster child for healthy - I have a major sweet tooth and I've had my share of fast food when on a road trip or family is in town. I love pie but I only have pie on my birthday or a special occasion like an anniversary. I love alfredo sauce but I choose to make my own (maybe twice a year) than buy it or get it at a restaurant. I love brownies but I make them myself and I make half a batch and share it with my husband - once every few weeks. I love juice but we only buy it once a month and always water it down. Usually we opt for plain ole water and only buy soda when we have company.
Then there is the other side of the spectrum - staying active! Going to the mailbox and back does not constitute as a workout. Washing dishes by hand does use calories but not enough to burn off that processed salad you picked up at the drive through and just ate. Even looking at those workout regimens on Pinterest doesn't equal working out.
I'll get off my soap box now because all this talk about food has made me hungry but I'll leave you with this. Be smart America - be healthy America and by golly stop going to McDonalds so we can put them out of business!
Does anyone else see the problem here? 2 1/2 pages (jam packed might I add) of processed breakfast food. And one page (less then jam packed) of salad/"Healther" items. And when is the last time you put potatoes on your salad? - that is a stretch Walmart - even for you. You couldn't find a picture of a tomato to put there instead? Or even some apples or dried cranberries?
Lets play "I Spy" for a second.
~I spy sugar induced waffles - it's no wonder kids today wind up with diabetes
~I spy processed bread filled with "breakfast items" - is it that hard to wake up a half hour early to fry up some eggs and put it on a piece of toast?
~I spy salad dressing. Don't get me wrong Ranch is my go-to salad dressing if there is no vinagrette in the house but when your trying to reach a whole nation and teach healthy options on your "Healthy Page" I'm not sure that is the right choice to educate them.
~And last but not least I spy "The Biggest Looser Celery". REALLY!?!? Is this somehow superior to plain old regular celery? What makes it so special? Bob on the wrapper? Is THAT what makes you buy it? Well kudos to you for buying celery and giving Bob more money but news flash - that's not going to make your thinner.
It's days like this I'm glad I didn't follow my passion years ago to go to college for Marketing because I would of probably been swamped in a marketing world like this selling crappy products (to a world who supposedly knows better) by slapping some fancy coloring, wording and famous people/shows on the front.
This has me so worked up I'm shaking. Really America you claim you know better and yet you fall for ads and fill up your carts with this crap? You tell yourself you'll do better next time..."everything in moderation"... but what is "moderation"? To me it's once every quarter of the year or half a year.
Now I'm no poster child for healthy - I have a major sweet tooth and I've had my share of fast food when on a road trip or family is in town. I love pie but I only have pie on my birthday or a special occasion like an anniversary. I love alfredo sauce but I choose to make my own (maybe twice a year) than buy it or get it at a restaurant. I love brownies but I make them myself and I make half a batch and share it with my husband - once every few weeks. I love juice but we only buy it once a month and always water it down. Usually we opt for plain ole water and only buy soda when we have company.
Then there is the other side of the spectrum - staying active! Going to the mailbox and back does not constitute as a workout. Washing dishes by hand does use calories but not enough to burn off that processed salad you picked up at the drive through and just ate. Even looking at those workout regimens on Pinterest doesn't equal working out.
I'll get off my soap box now because all this talk about food has made me hungry but I'll leave you with this. Be smart America - be healthy America and by golly stop going to McDonalds so we can put them out of business!
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