It's just 5 days before Christmas so Joe and I had a pretty laid back Sunday planned. We slept in, caught up on my fav TV show "Nashville" and then tuned into the Pats game. When we took the dogs out this morning we noticed that 2 of our hens had escaped! We stopped letting them free range completely when we got the new chickens in October, and now we keep them confined to a run that we added onto the existing coop. The run is just some chicken wire held up with metal posts and has a tarp for a roof, but it's meant to give them more room than just the coop to roam while still keeping them safe and warm for the winter. Every night we peel back a corner of the tarp and shut the coop door with the ladies safely inside. The runner is somewhat safe, but with no floor a predator could dig into it pretty easily so they sleep in the coop. Yesterday morning we noticed an entire wall of the run had been pushed in and a big hole was dug right in front of the coop door. Nothing had gotten in, because we have a buried wall of bricks 1 foot deep all the way around the coop...but we knew we had a problem. We (by we I mean Joe with absolutely no help from me) re-built the run and reinforced the walls with extra ties to the posts to keep everything nice and tight.
Needless to say, when we saw that two hens had escaped this morning we were pretty surprised. Joe picked them up, put them back in their runner and we looked the whole runner over to try to figure out how they got out. We couldn't see any weak spots or gaps so we left them in there and went about our day. During the football game when we saw the chickens were out again we were like, screw it we'll just let them roam around the yard and tuck them into the coop later.
My friend came over so we could half watch the game and half bake Christmas cookies. We were sitting in the kitchen talking and making my fav peanut butter cookies when she said, "Aw, there's a cute neighborhood dog in your yard...uh oh he's near a chicken...OH SHIT THAT'S A FOX! THAT FOX IS EATING YOUR CHICKEN!" In broad daylight nonetheless! (Normally we only worry about them at night since most predators, including foxes, are nocturnal.) Joe kicked into protector mode and went charging out into the yard. The fox ran off, but the damage had been done. Thankfully two of the chickens that aren't escape artists were still peacefully in the coop unharmed, but the other two were not so lucky. When Joe went charging outside, the fox left the chicken he had in his grasp but we could see that he had already gotten one of the hens and he retrieved her body as he left. Our other hen was pretty badly injured, but alive. We couldn't see any blood and her neck was clearly intact so Joe picked her up gently and took her back to the coop...but she hasn't shut her mouth so we think her jaw is broken and she might be dead in the morning :(
Meanwhile, during this whole ordeal the fox never went far and we kept seeing him wandering the outskirts of the yard. I know he will try to break into the coop again tonight, and even thought I doubt he will get in it's a very stressful situation for the hens. When we found the hole he made 2 nights ago we found all their eggs smashed in the coop no doubt because they were panicking and fluttering around in the coop while a predator was trying to get into their house. We have a motion sensor light out there meant to deter coyotes but evidently it doesn't work on foxes...
Being a chicken owner is definitely not for the faint of heart! This is the 5th and maybe 6th hens we have lost to predators in 6 months. Hopefully we can keep the rest safe through the winter, and maybe in the spring we will have to build a giant fortress around the coop to keep the ladies in and the bad guys out.
Sunday, December 20, 2015
Thursday, December 17, 2015
If you don't have anything nice to say...
If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all! My parents taught me that when I was a kid and sometimes I think I'm the only one. Yes, this is America and you are free to speak your mind but that doesn't mean that you need to or should do so....especially when what you have to say is just plain rude.
I've noticed people tend to get REAL BRAVE with what they say on the internet and post things they probably wouldn't say in real life. Think about what you post on your Facebook page....then think about all your 1000 or 200 or however many friends, and then think about saying the words you post to each person on your friend list individually. They may not all agree with you, and they don't have to, but did you offend anyone? Probably...and maybe you don't care...but that's kind of rude to your friend don't you think?
Now, I'm all for differing opinions. Maybe you're opposed to tax increases because you want to keep the money you make and you don't trust politicians to make good decisions with your money. Maybe your friend makes enough money to be comfortable and is OK with paying 2% more in taxes if it means we feed a few more hungry kids. It's fine to express that you disagree with a tax hike (or agree with one). It's not really OK to say you disagree with a tax hike, without any justification, and say anyone who disagrees with you is a complete idiot and should just get the hell out of America. That's not a cool thing to say.
I've also noticed that in casual face-to-face conversations a lot of people seem to assume that I have the same opinions or experiences as them. (Because we look the same or because we work at the same place or live in the same town...we must be basically the same right?) They'll say really discriminatory or rude things about other people (or sometimes about my experiences or beliefs they are unaware of) and expect me to agree with them. I'll give you an example: I have 2 tattoos, but they're never visible at work. Someone at work went on a rant to me about how tattoos are unprofessional and disgusting and why would anyone ever want to ruin their bodies like that and on and on. They assumed I didn't have tattoos...but I do. And like many things, it's OK for that person not to like tattoos but why do they feel the need to judge those that have them? I'm not making you get one so how does something on my body affect you? Tattoos are just one small example, this has happened to me many times in other situations.
Sometimes I'm judgmental too; I'm not saying I'm a perfect person. But, I do try my best to be open-minded and understand what other people are going through. Another thing I heard a lot growing up was, "Don't judge someone until you've walked a mile in their shoes." I think that's something everyone should live by too. Let's all try to make the world a slightly nicer place by trying not to judge others, and if you really can't help it at least try to do so in silence.
I've noticed people tend to get REAL BRAVE with what they say on the internet and post things they probably wouldn't say in real life. Think about what you post on your Facebook page....then think about all your 1000 or 200 or however many friends, and then think about saying the words you post to each person on your friend list individually. They may not all agree with you, and they don't have to, but did you offend anyone? Probably...and maybe you don't care...but that's kind of rude to your friend don't you think?
Now, I'm all for differing opinions. Maybe you're opposed to tax increases because you want to keep the money you make and you don't trust politicians to make good decisions with your money. Maybe your friend makes enough money to be comfortable and is OK with paying 2% more in taxes if it means we feed a few more hungry kids. It's fine to express that you disagree with a tax hike (or agree with one). It's not really OK to say you disagree with a tax hike, without any justification, and say anyone who disagrees with you is a complete idiot and should just get the hell out of America. That's not a cool thing to say.
I've also noticed that in casual face-to-face conversations a lot of people seem to assume that I have the same opinions or experiences as them. (Because we look the same or because we work at the same place or live in the same town...we must be basically the same right?) They'll say really discriminatory or rude things about other people (or sometimes about my experiences or beliefs they are unaware of) and expect me to agree with them. I'll give you an example: I have 2 tattoos, but they're never visible at work. Someone at work went on a rant to me about how tattoos are unprofessional and disgusting and why would anyone ever want to ruin their bodies like that and on and on. They assumed I didn't have tattoos...but I do. And like many things, it's OK for that person not to like tattoos but why do they feel the need to judge those that have them? I'm not making you get one so how does something on my body affect you? Tattoos are just one small example, this has happened to me many times in other situations.
Sometimes I'm judgmental too; I'm not saying I'm a perfect person. But, I do try my best to be open-minded and understand what other people are going through. Another thing I heard a lot growing up was, "Don't judge someone until you've walked a mile in their shoes." I think that's something everyone should live by too. Let's all try to make the world a slightly nicer place by trying not to judge others, and if you really can't help it at least try to do so in silence.
Wednesday, December 9, 2015
2 Hens-a-laying
Farm fresh eggs are back at the Martin Madhouse! Those of you who know Joe & I well or are regular readers of the blog know that we set up a coop and got 4 hens last spring. Sadly...they became a coyote's dinner in July. (Remember that crazy post?) Fortunately, the same farmer in Ellington we got our chickens from in April did another sale in October so we were able to get 4 new 18 week old hens! In the colder months, hens don't always lay eggs so when late November rolled around and we still hadn't seen any we were getting antsy.
You can do things to encourage your chickens to keep up egg production all winter long, like putting a light in their coop to mimic daylight. You want them to get about 12 hours of light, but you don't want to keep the light on all night because that might keep them awake and they won't get enough sleep. We rigged a little lightbulb up in the ceiling of the coop and put it on a timer so they get light from 5-8 am and 4-8 pm to help them out. You also need to make sure your chickens have constant access to water, regardless if they're laying or not. You can get a heated chicken waterer for about $80, or you can get a big heated dog bowl for about $18. Once we saw the water freeze overnight for the first time, we swapped in the heated bowl and it seems to be working out just fine. We did all this prep work about a month ago and still the days went on eggless.
You might read this blog and think, hm...chickens are kind of cool and I like eggs...maybe I'll get some chickens! Well, fresh eggs are definitely cool but chickens really aren't. They're super dirty birds and not necessarily the most friendly (although ours seem pretty docile so far). Having to go out in the freezing cold and clean up chicken poop and fill their food and water when you're not getting eggs out of the deal is NOT COOL. But finally, FINALLY last Friday there it was...an egg! Saturday 2 eggs, Sunday back down to one, Monday and Tuesday back to 2! I'm pretty confident that 2 out of our 4 little hens are happily laying eggs daily now. This makes me a very happy chicken farmer!
Hopefully we'll have all four laying within a week or so and we'll be back up to full egg production. When we are, if you're nice to us, there's a strong change that you will get some eggs laid with love by the Martin Hens!
You can do things to encourage your chickens to keep up egg production all winter long, like putting a light in their coop to mimic daylight. You want them to get about 12 hours of light, but you don't want to keep the light on all night because that might keep them awake and they won't get enough sleep. We rigged a little lightbulb up in the ceiling of the coop and put it on a timer so they get light from 5-8 am and 4-8 pm to help them out. You also need to make sure your chickens have constant access to water, regardless if they're laying or not. You can get a heated chicken waterer for about $80, or you can get a big heated dog bowl for about $18. Once we saw the water freeze overnight for the first time, we swapped in the heated bowl and it seems to be working out just fine. We did all this prep work about a month ago and still the days went on eggless.
You might read this blog and think, hm...chickens are kind of cool and I like eggs...maybe I'll get some chickens! Well, fresh eggs are definitely cool but chickens really aren't. They're super dirty birds and not necessarily the most friendly (although ours seem pretty docile so far). Having to go out in the freezing cold and clean up chicken poop and fill their food and water when you're not getting eggs out of the deal is NOT COOL. But finally, FINALLY last Friday there it was...an egg! Saturday 2 eggs, Sunday back down to one, Monday and Tuesday back to 2! I'm pretty confident that 2 out of our 4 little hens are happily laying eggs daily now. This makes me a very happy chicken farmer!
Hopefully we'll have all four laying within a week or so and we'll be back up to full egg production. When we are, if you're nice to us, there's a strong change that you will get some eggs laid with love by the Martin Hens!
Sunday, December 6, 2015
Christmas? More list STRESSmas
The waitresses said it best in their song Christmas Wrapping, "BAH HUMBUG, no that's too strong...cuz it is my favorite holiday...but all this year's been a busy blur don't think I have the energy to add to my already mad rush just cuz it's tis the season"
Those who know me know how much I LOVE CHRISTMAS! I love the decorations and the festivities, but most of all I love the giving spirit of Christmas. When I was a kid, it was amazing, so many people gave me gifts and I didn't have to do anything! As an adult, the season is much more stressful. Rather than counting down to Santa's arrival, I am trying to figure out how to bake cookies for the half dozen parties I have to go to (some of them are legit obligations, others I actually enjoy), what gifts everyone on my list will enjoy (and won't send me to the poor house), and how to spread our precious holiday time amongst different family and friends. I understand the Waitresses sentiment now, and people seem a lot less giving around this season viewed through the eyes of an adult rather than a child. People get downright feisty over everything from the gifts you give them to the amount of time you spend (or don't spend) with them. It's impossible to make everyone happy, and if you try too hard you will certainly make yourself miserable in the process.
Joe and I seem to be busy constantly. This is mostly self inflicted, and most of our commitments are social rather than work obligations, but I also work two jobs (the National Guard is a time commitment!) and go to grad school. I have final papers due from now through mid-December, we have puppy class with Otto every week, I volunteer one night a week...and when you add in holiday decorating, shopping, and party prep on top of that it's more daunting than enjoyable. I remember I used to love Christmas because it seemed like a day when everything stopped. My parents didn't talk about work for a day, no one asked us about our homework, we just got to spend time with our family and play with all our new toys...what more could a kid want? Now I know that nothing really ever stops. Even if I'm not at work, my emails and work issues are never completely removed from my mind. (I used to work a job when I was actually either in the office or on call on Christmas day...thank goodness those days are over!) No one chauffeurs me an hour to and from my Grandma's house on Christmas anymore while I listen to a new CD from Santa in the back seat. This year Joe and I will spend closer to 7 hours of Christmas day in the car going to my Grandma's and the nice thing to do would be to split up the driving.
The point is, like most things in life, the holidays get harder as you get older. It's great to make your own adult decisions but it can be hard when you have to choose between family gatherings and you feel like no matter what someone is upset. You spend hours of time and hundreds of dollars buying gifts and someone is always disappointed with what you got them. It's almost enough to make you want to skip Christmas! But don't fall into that temptation. If you have too many places to go, be glad there are so many people that love you and want to see you. If you have too many gifts to buy...just don't! The people who love you might be annoyed, but at the end of the day no one loves you because of the gifts you buy them. I like Christmas because I think it brings out the best in people, it encourages a giving spirit, and general good cheer. Be giving of your time and your love during the holiday season. Remember when your Aunt Mildred asks for the 15th time why you haven't popped out 5 babies yet and you think you might lose it that "Family is family in church or in prison, you get what you get and you don't get to pick 'em. They might smoke like chimneys but they'd give you their kidneys." And when you're feeling rushed or overwhelmed this season, listen to these two songs to get you through:
Christmas Wrapping
Family is Family
Those who know me know how much I LOVE CHRISTMAS! I love the decorations and the festivities, but most of all I love the giving spirit of Christmas. When I was a kid, it was amazing, so many people gave me gifts and I didn't have to do anything! As an adult, the season is much more stressful. Rather than counting down to Santa's arrival, I am trying to figure out how to bake cookies for the half dozen parties I have to go to (some of them are legit obligations, others I actually enjoy), what gifts everyone on my list will enjoy (and won't send me to the poor house), and how to spread our precious holiday time amongst different family and friends. I understand the Waitresses sentiment now, and people seem a lot less giving around this season viewed through the eyes of an adult rather than a child. People get downright feisty over everything from the gifts you give them to the amount of time you spend (or don't spend) with them. It's impossible to make everyone happy, and if you try too hard you will certainly make yourself miserable in the process.
Joe and I seem to be busy constantly. This is mostly self inflicted, and most of our commitments are social rather than work obligations, but I also work two jobs (the National Guard is a time commitment!) and go to grad school. I have final papers due from now through mid-December, we have puppy class with Otto every week, I volunteer one night a week...and when you add in holiday decorating, shopping, and party prep on top of that it's more daunting than enjoyable. I remember I used to love Christmas because it seemed like a day when everything stopped. My parents didn't talk about work for a day, no one asked us about our homework, we just got to spend time with our family and play with all our new toys...what more could a kid want? Now I know that nothing really ever stops. Even if I'm not at work, my emails and work issues are never completely removed from my mind. (I used to work a job when I was actually either in the office or on call on Christmas day...thank goodness those days are over!) No one chauffeurs me an hour to and from my Grandma's house on Christmas anymore while I listen to a new CD from Santa in the back seat. This year Joe and I will spend closer to 7 hours of Christmas day in the car going to my Grandma's and the nice thing to do would be to split up the driving.
The point is, like most things in life, the holidays get harder as you get older. It's great to make your own adult decisions but it can be hard when you have to choose between family gatherings and you feel like no matter what someone is upset. You spend hours of time and hundreds of dollars buying gifts and someone is always disappointed with what you got them. It's almost enough to make you want to skip Christmas! But don't fall into that temptation. If you have too many places to go, be glad there are so many people that love you and want to see you. If you have too many gifts to buy...just don't! The people who love you might be annoyed, but at the end of the day no one loves you because of the gifts you buy them. I like Christmas because I think it brings out the best in people, it encourages a giving spirit, and general good cheer. Be giving of your time and your love during the holiday season. Remember when your Aunt Mildred asks for the 15th time why you haven't popped out 5 babies yet and you think you might lose it that "Family is family in church or in prison, you get what you get and you don't get to pick 'em. They might smoke like chimneys but they'd give you their kidneys." And when you're feeling rushed or overwhelmed this season, listen to these two songs to get you through:
Christmas Wrapping
Family is Family
Sunday, November 29, 2015
Staycation, a week of nothing
Joe and I took the last week off of work to do...NOTHING! Originally we were supposed to use all the rest of our vacation days on an actual vacation in October, but I had to cancel at the last minute for a work conflict (super lame...boo adulthood). So, we found ourselves with a few extra vacation days to burn before the end of the year and decided to just relax at home rather than try to plan a whole new trip. I had big plans for the week: we would hit the gym every day, we'd do a bunch of house projects, I'd get ahead on my schoolwork....in actuality we became fused to our couch. We watched all six Star Wars movies, and When Harry Met Sally, and the entire first season of Fixer Upper on HGTV (and a bunch of other random stuff I can't remember). Most importantly, we relaxed, and we even slept past 7am a couple times!
We didn't go to the gym once, but we did de-wallpaper the last bedroom upstairs and paint it. I didn't get ahead on my schoolwork, but I did get everything done that was due this week. You can't tell after a week of making a mess in it, but I actually cleaned the entire house top to bottom in every nook and cranny the first day we were home. We got all our Christmas decorations up, I made some great meals, we knocked off an entire case of wine, and I only felt slightly guilty about not checking my work email (I literally haven't checked it once!). We laughed a lot, we relaxed and we had a great week on our little staycation, I highly recommend it!
Vacations are great, I love drinking a pina colada with my toes in the sand as much as anyone, but there's plenty to enjoy at home too. Vacation's not about the beach, it's just about escaping your responsibilities for a week. We were able to get a few things done around the house that we've been pushing off, get in plenty of relaxation and lots of play time with the pups all without ever leaving the comfort of home! To me, it was more relaxing than a vacation because I didn't have to stress out over travelling, boarding the dogs, and how much money we were spending (no matter how much we make, I think I will always feel guilty spending money on a vacation rather than paying down debt or improving our house). So, even if all you can do is clear one weekend to do nothing, do it. Take a few days to really relax, appreciate what you have, and enjoy doing nothing!
We didn't go to the gym once, but we did de-wallpaper the last bedroom upstairs and paint it. I didn't get ahead on my schoolwork, but I did get everything done that was due this week. You can't tell after a week of making a mess in it, but I actually cleaned the entire house top to bottom in every nook and cranny the first day we were home. We got all our Christmas decorations up, I made some great meals, we knocked off an entire case of wine, and I only felt slightly guilty about not checking my work email (I literally haven't checked it once!). We laughed a lot, we relaxed and we had a great week on our little staycation, I highly recommend it!
Vacations are great, I love drinking a pina colada with my toes in the sand as much as anyone, but there's plenty to enjoy at home too. Vacation's not about the beach, it's just about escaping your responsibilities for a week. We were able to get a few things done around the house that we've been pushing off, get in plenty of relaxation and lots of play time with the pups all without ever leaving the comfort of home! To me, it was more relaxing than a vacation because I didn't have to stress out over travelling, boarding the dogs, and how much money we were spending (no matter how much we make, I think I will always feel guilty spending money on a vacation rather than paying down debt or improving our house). So, even if all you can do is clear one weekend to do nothing, do it. Take a few days to really relax, appreciate what you have, and enjoy doing nothing!
Wednesday, October 28, 2015
I hate Halloween
Ok, maybe hate is a strong word but I definitely don't like Halloween and it's not something I look forward to. My mom also admits she does not like Halloween. When we were wee children she of course dressed us up in cute costumes, and she always decorated the house and dutifully handed out Halloween to the 100+ kids that showed up at our door. (That is not an exaggeration, I grew up in cookie cutter suburbia with hundreds of houses on 1/4 acre lots and an apartment complex at the end of the street...there were over 100 kids that came most years.) My sister and I matched for at least our first 5 Halloweens. Usually my mom made our costumes out of sweatsuits with some felt sewed to them (one year we were skunks...SKUNKS...black sweatsuits with a white felt strips sewed down the back and little tails). My first Halloween my parents were not planning to dress me up and take me out but then at the 11th hour they realized I WOULD NEVER BE CUTER so they dressed me up as Goldilocks by gluing 3 little Teddy bears to my onesie and making me a wand and crown...I don't think Goldilocks had a wand or crown so that part made me look more like Glinda the good witch but either way I was adorable. Arguably my best year was when I was this clown:
I was so adorable that my Aunt Vanessa hung a 3x5 ft. poster version of this exact picture in her apartment for years. But somewhere along the way I lost my enthusiasm for Halloween. By the time I was in high school my mom no longer allowed me to trick-or-treat. She thought Halloween was a kids holiday and high school kids only got into trouble when they went out on Halloween...she was half right. So I only needed a costume for school events and/or parties.
I called my mom before writing this (mostly to get a copy of the above picture) and I asked her why she hates Halloween. She responded that she doesn't hate Halloween but she doesn't really like it and she decided it's mostly due to a lack of creativity/art talent. She was never particularly good or creative with costumes, and when she said that I instantly related.
I cannot design or come up with a clever costume to save my life, which means my only option is to buy a costume. But, I think it's ridiculous to spend over $100 on an outfit that I am going to wear for one night and most likely ruin in the process. In high school and college I remember feeling enormously pressured to dress slutty on Halloween (we've all seen Mean Girls) so that boys would pay attention to me...thank God I am at least past that point! So this year the whole family, dogs and all, are doing a Star Wars theme...we're all wearing pajamas and I spent less than $100 on all four costumes. That is a Halloween I can get behind!
I also decided I really hate pumpkin carving. We had friends over recently for pumpkin carving and a fire (so fall, so New England) and I carved a pumpkin for the first time in probably 10 years. I don't remember ever liking it but it seemed like a cool festive thing to do so I gave it another chance. I hated it, the pumpkin goop was gross and out of 5 pumpkins carved, mine looked the absolute worst. (It was supposed to be Casper...apparently it just looks like a cross.) The only thing I actually like about Halloween is eating candy...and I don't need a holiday for that! I like dressing up the dogs now that we have them, but I hate dressing up myself. I'd rather just hang out with my friends in my normal clothes than have to go through the effort and expense of coming up with a costume.
Sorry Halloween lovers...I just don't get it...Halloween is the worst of all holidays, especially since we don't even get a day off of work!
Monday, October 26, 2015
Serious Question...how do you discipline a dog?
Joe and I are having some great sneak peaks at parenting by having dogs. Coby has been a little jealous of Otto and all the attention he is getting...so last week he acted out a little...by destroying the comforter on our bed:
I was at work when this happened, so Joe is the one who discovered this and he was not calm in his reaction. I only know what he told be but apparently he yelled at Coby a lot, the dog got scared and ran away from him (falling down half the stairs when he fled) and then Joe tied him up outside to think about what he had done. I thought, oh our poor baby is feeling jealous and he is acting out to get attention. I will give him some attention and then hopefully he won't act out....I took him to Petco when I got home and we got treats and a new toy. He hasn't acted out since but we're not sure who's strategy worked...
Also, Otto has not been an angel lately either. He discovered his voice and at times the constant yapping is very trying on my patience no matter how cute he is. I have accepted the fact that we need to take him to an obedience class. (I feel the need to note here that before we had dogs I totally judged my friends dogs and I was like "OMG their dog is NOT well trained...they need to do something about that." And even when we got Coby he was already trained and a perfect angel--minus his furious and uncontrollable humping of other dogs-- but now that I have a puppy that we have to train from the ground up...I am sorry for judging!) It is SO HARD to discipline that adorable little face. One day Otto bit my nipple...hard bite...no bra...and it was sooo painful and grabbed him and slammed him down on his back and yelled at him. But then he gave me little puppy eyes like "Mom why are you mad I thought we were playing" and I felt awful and cuddled him for like 10 minutes. He's also in the habit of making a huge mess of his water bowl and still hasn't quite mastered going to the bathroom outside:
I was at work when this happened, so Joe is the one who discovered this and he was not calm in his reaction. I only know what he told be but apparently he yelled at Coby a lot, the dog got scared and ran away from him (falling down half the stairs when he fled) and then Joe tied him up outside to think about what he had done. I thought, oh our poor baby is feeling jealous and he is acting out to get attention. I will give him some attention and then hopefully he won't act out....I took him to Petco when I got home and we got treats and a new toy. He hasn't acted out since but we're not sure who's strategy worked...
Also, Otto has not been an angel lately either. He discovered his voice and at times the constant yapping is very trying on my patience no matter how cute he is. I have accepted the fact that we need to take him to an obedience class. (I feel the need to note here that before we had dogs I totally judged my friends dogs and I was like "OMG their dog is NOT well trained...they need to do something about that." And even when we got Coby he was already trained and a perfect angel--minus his furious and uncontrollable humping of other dogs-- but now that I have a puppy that we have to train from the ground up...I am sorry for judging!) It is SO HARD to discipline that adorable little face. One day Otto bit my nipple...hard bite...no bra...and it was sooo painful and grabbed him and slammed him down on his back and yelled at him. But then he gave me little puppy eyes like "Mom why are you mad I thought we were playing" and I felt awful and cuddled him for like 10 minutes. He's also in the habit of making a huge mess of his water bowl and still hasn't quite mastered going to the bathroom outside:
As you can see, I cannot discipline him and he can do no wrong. This is not boding well for parenthood...though I think it makes a big difference with humans that speak but still I can't imagine myself yelling at a three year old. So we are taking Otto to obedience classes soon (haven't actually signed up yet but found a reasonably priced class right at Petco) and I hope it works! I am great with positive reinforcement (You peed outside! Here's a treat!) but I don't know how to stop his bad behaviors like barking and dumping out his water bowl on the floor and chewing the couch. Any suggestions for us in the meantime?
Tuesday, October 13, 2015
I love college...
It is no secret that the 4 years I spent at Bryant were pretty much the best years of my life. They weren't particularly productive years and I made by far my worst decisions during that time; but I learned so much about myself during that time and when I wasn't busy regretting the night before I was having the absolute time of my life. I don't know if going to Bryant made the difference or if I would have had a similar experience at any college but I know I wouldn't trade those four years for anything...even if I knew what Joe and I would be paying in student loans every month I think I still would have done it exactly the same.
This weekend we are going to our 5 year reunion...I can't believe it's been that long since we entered the real world. There are still mornings I wake up and think, "nope...too tired/hungover, not making it to class today" quickly followed up by, "shit...I'm an adult...I can't just skip work." My best friends are all from Bryant, my husband...is a guy I met at Bryant (but thankfully did not start dating until after we graduated and I got some things out of my system). But it's funny to me how many people from my class that I don't know, despite relatively small class sizes at Bryant. I was so focused on my own group (rugby...duh!) that I didn't care to get to know anyone outside that circle. Talking to friends or even co-workers, someone from my year at Bryant will come up in conversation and it will always go something like "Oh come on you must know them, they were friends with so and so? they lived on your floor sophomore year?" and usually the answer is "Seriously unless they played rugby...nope."
Of course I got to know some of my neighbors and people in my classes...and I recognize an awful lot of faces but the only people I really got to know were rugby players and my roommates. I only hung out with rugby girls, I only dated rugby guys (good thing things worked out with Joe because I was running out of options there).
Today, almost all of my best friends are people I met at Bryant...but I was a bitch to some of them when we were in school because they weren't part of my rugby group. By the same token some people I played alongside on the rugby field, I hope to never see again. It's made me stop and think twice about the people I am friends with and how I treat the people around me. I always say I wouldn't change any of my past decisions because they made me who I am today, but I wish I could take back the way I treated some people in college. Other than that...I can't WAIT to go back this weekend and pretend to be a 21 year old college student all over again...seriously we're starting the tailgate at 9:30....
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| Look at me on graduation morning...that's clearly someone who had a good 4 years. |
Of course I got to know some of my neighbors and people in my classes...and I recognize an awful lot of faces but the only people I really got to know were rugby players and my roommates. I only hung out with rugby girls, I only dated rugby guys (good thing things worked out with Joe because I was running out of options there).
Today, almost all of my best friends are people I met at Bryant...but I was a bitch to some of them when we were in school because they weren't part of my rugby group. By the same token some people I played alongside on the rugby field, I hope to never see again. It's made me stop and think twice about the people I am friends with and how I treat the people around me. I always say I wouldn't change any of my past decisions because they made me who I am today, but I wish I could take back the way I treated some people in college. Other than that...I can't WAIT to go back this weekend and pretend to be a 21 year old college student all over again...seriously we're starting the tailgate at 9:30....
Monday, October 12, 2015
Joseph Martin's Series of Unfortunate Events
Today began just like any other, Joe got home from work around 5:30 in the morning, nudged me awake with a kiss and he fell asleep as I got out of bed to take out the dogs and check on the chickens (new chicken post coming soon). I went off to work and Joe woke up just after noon, we texted back and forth about groceries and some other boring married people stuff and then he went out to run some errands. Then a little after 2, I got the following text:
My first thought was: "I CAN'T BELIEVE HE GOT PULLED OVER FOR *allegedly* BEING ON HIS PHONE!" This happened to me several months ago and he would NOT let me live it down so I was pretty pumped he got pulled over for the same thing and I could rub it in his face (please note that we both vehemently deny texting and driving, but I use it for my GPS and sometimes yes it's in my hand...back off Johnny Law!)
My second thought was, ugh of course our insurance is up to date...log into app, screen shot current card, send to Joe. Then I told him not to let them tow his car because I couldn't believe his registration had expired (the car is in my name so I tend to pay attention to these things and we hadn't received any notice in the mail). I logged into the CT DMV and sure enough, expired. I told Joe to just ask the officer for 10 minutes and I could renew it online but the cop was having none of it. On top of his insurance card not being in the car, and his registration being expired, his emissions test was past due...three strikes. In trying to renew his registration I discovered that I couldn't because his car tax is also overdue...for the town we lived in 2 years ago but the bill was dated for this summer. Talk about a disaster!
So the tow truck came, it's a $90 base charge and good thing he was only 3 miles from home so the total was about $110...but only if he could pay in cash. Credit cards and checks aren't accepted, it's cash or the impound lot. The tow truck driver was nice enough to make a detour to the ATM for Joe so that we could just get the car towed home and not pay more to get it checked into and out of impound.
Cut to: me leaving work early because I now have to take the dog to the vet (regularly scheduled appointment for puppy shots but it was on Joe's schedule), of course Joe had not managed to hit the grocery store before getting pulled over so now we have no food and I can't go to the grocery store because he took my car at work. (If you've read my previous post about always having a full pantry you know we actually have plenty of food and could probably make it for 3 weeks without hitting the store...but it's not the food I want right now dammit!)
So tomorrow we have to fix this mess...we can't get a new registration without getting an emissions test and we can't get an emissions test without driving the car to a shop....which is illegal to do without a registration...you see our dilemma? We also have to drive to the Enfield town hall and find out why they are trying to charge us car taxes 2 years after we moved...and potentially pay $300 in taxes on top of the $110 for towing and the $100 for the registration. On the plus side I'm taking a personal day so at least we'll get to hang out! When your day goes like this what can you really do other than laugh...
**Sideote: This cop was just doing his job, we have lots of relatives that work in law enforcement and we have nothing but respect for what they do!
Monday, September 21, 2015
Chicken Parm Burgers!!
Last week, ground chicken was on mega sale at the grocery and Joe is a frugally minded guy so he asked me if I could work with the same ingredient to make different meals all week...challenge accepted! He bought 4, 1lb packages of ground chicken and I made: Shepard's pie, buffalo chicken burgers, zucchini lasagna and our personal favorite and brand new creation: chicken parm burgers!! According to Joe, they were the best meal I have ever made and that is saying a lot. I don't know if this was an original idea or if I saw a recipe a few months back and sort of forgot about it/turned it into my own but I didn't follow any kind of recipe when I made these. I also don't measure ingredients when I cook, I just put things in until they're the right texture/taste/consistency but I'm going to try to put the recipe here so that you too can have delicious chicken parm burgers:
1 lb ground chicken
1/2 onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced (very important to use fresh garlic)
1 egg
3/4 cup italian bread crumbs (this one I'm not sure on I just sprinkle them in until it all makes a burger consistency)
crushed red pepper (I used a tablespoon, use more or less depending on how spicy you like it)
1 cup marinara sauce (I used Prego)
Divide the meat into 3 evenly portioned meatballs, for each meatball take about 2/3rds to make a nest and fill the next with a tablespoon of red sauce
Use the other 3rd of the meatball to make a flat pancake that you put on top of the nest and pinch the edges together to seal it. I thought this would result in a squirty, messy, oozy sauce situation when you bit into the burger but it didn't, it just kind of cooked in and gave the burger the perfect flavor and moisture. I cooked them in a non-stick frying pan for about 5 minutes on each side and topped them with a little more sauce and parmesean cheese. For the bun, I used bulkie rolls but I turned them into garlic bread with the help of some butter, garlic powder and my toaster oven, the result was this:
I'm not a great photographer, so it tasted better than it looks. This is definitely not a healthy recipe, but it is a delicious one. Joe even said I should start my own restaurant and serve just this sandwich...so try it out and let me know if you agree! And if you don't think it's that good you probably did it wrong so you'll have to come over for dinner sometime and try mine :)
1 lb ground chicken
1/2 onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced (very important to use fresh garlic)
1 egg
3/4 cup italian bread crumbs (this one I'm not sure on I just sprinkle them in until it all makes a burger consistency)
crushed red pepper (I used a tablespoon, use more or less depending on how spicy you like it)
1 cup marinara sauce (I used Prego)
Divide the meat into 3 evenly portioned meatballs, for each meatball take about 2/3rds to make a nest and fill the next with a tablespoon of red sauce
Use the other 3rd of the meatball to make a flat pancake that you put on top of the nest and pinch the edges together to seal it. I thought this would result in a squirty, messy, oozy sauce situation when you bit into the burger but it didn't, it just kind of cooked in and gave the burger the perfect flavor and moisture. I cooked them in a non-stick frying pan for about 5 minutes on each side and topped them with a little more sauce and parmesean cheese. For the bun, I used bulkie rolls but I turned them into garlic bread with the help of some butter, garlic powder and my toaster oven, the result was this:
Thursday, September 17, 2015
Healthy alternatives to pizza and wings now that FOOTBALL IS BACK!!!
We are in week two of the NFL season and football is back in full swing! Football is a religion in the Martin household, and we pretty much watch every Monday and Thursday night game regardless of who is playing and of course ALL DAY on Sunday. I love football because it means I have an excuse to kick back and relax, crack a beer (or 6) and stuff my face with game food. Game food traditionally means a steak and cheese, giant pizza and wings, nachos, or some other kind of meat-filled fat-fuelled meal. Although this is a delicious tradition, my body doesn't bounce back the way it used to from boozy feasts. So this year I am on a mission to enjoy football in all it's glory with healthier but still delicious meals (sticking with the 6 pack though).
Week 1, I tried my first healthy football meal. We had friends over and it was something I never made before which is always a little nerve-wracking but I figured if it was really gross we'd just order a pizza and try again next week. I found the recipe for a crockpot quinoa enchilada bake via a Google search that led me Here. I'm happy to report that it was delicious and everyone (even Joe!) agreed!! I took the original recipe and tweaked it a little, I used a 12 oz can of corn instead of frozen corn and I didn't measure the onion or pepper I just sliced a whole one of each and threw it in there. I also couldn't find a 19 oz can of enchilada sauce so I used 2 10 oz cans, and the enchilada sauce was the only thing we couldn't seem to find an organic version of but 90% organic is still pretty good. Also I garnished with TONS of cilantro because it's my fave and I meant to get some avocados too but I forgot and I think it was still delicious without the avocado.
I still killed a 6-pack on Sunday, but didn't wake up on Monday feeling horrible about what I ate or weighing 3 lbs more than the day before and I didn't feel like I missed anything by eating a healthier food selection. The Martins will be trying new healthy football meals throughout the season and I'll report back to you guys on the good recipes I find. Cheers and GO PATS!!!
Thursday, August 27, 2015
Guide to Fall for "Basic" New Englanders
The kids are heading back to school here in CT, the nights are pleasantly cool, NFL preseason is in full swing and labor day is just over a week away...this can only mean one thing: Fall is coming.
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| image credit: nerdapproved.com |
Fall is a favorite season amongst New Englanders and we really feel we own the season of fall since we have a corner on the foliage market. But we all know some basics that can take their fall game a little too far on social media, and as a basic who has made some of these mistakes, I feel inclined to offer a Guide to Fall for Basic New Englanders:
DO: Get your pumpkin spice on, enjoy a Pumpkin Spice latte or two, they're delicious and you earned it. Better yet, make it a pumpkin spice K-cup, at about 500 less calories a cup you can enjoy them with much less guilt and more frequently. Drink some pumpkin beer and bite into a pumpkin donut, there's some delicious pumpkin treats to enjoy in fall and you should take advantage.
DO NOT: Overdo it. There are over 80 different pumpkin spice flavored treats out there and not all of them are meant to be (Popsugar ate them so you don't have to). Pumpkin spice peeps? Too far, too far.
DO: Get outside and enjoy some foliage! Peep those leaves, or spend half your weekend raking them if you're a homeowner with a decent sized yard like me. Better yet, invest in a good leaf blower, it's worth the time you'll save. Feel free to put up some foliage pics on all your accounts to make your non-New England friends jealous of your leaf life.
DO NOT: Rake leaves without gloves and then complain endlessly about the blisters you got...you live in New England and you knew better. Also, keep your foliage pictures to a reasonable level. We get it, you saw some cool leaves, we see them too, we don't need 80 different instagrams from your weekend hike. Just pick the best and roll with it.
DO: Wear flannel as much as humanly possible. Flannel is comfortable, it's practical, and it's cute! You can never have too much flannel, and if you're lucky you'll find a flannel themed fall party to attend.
DO NOT: Mistake flannel pajama pants for real pants. I know you're enthusiastic about fall and flannel, but that still doesn't make it cool to wear your pajama pants in public. Stick with flannel on top and pair it with some jeans...it's a classic look and you can't go wrong.
DO: Enjoy football season! There is no better excuse to eat deliciously unhealthy food and drink beer all afternoon in the comfort of your team apparel. You can do so from the comfort of your couch with your pets or the comfort of a bar booth with some friends, but either way get your football on.
DO NOT: Antagonize fans of other teams. You're better than that...seriously bring up deflategate one more time...you see where I'm going with this? Every team has something negative that can be said about it and every fan has heard it before, enough already.
DO: Go apple picking, enjoy a cider donut, run through a corn maize, enjoy all your local apple orchard has to offer.
DO NOT: Spam everyone with pictures. Much like foliage, we get it, we're doing it too and you don't have to post 100 pictures from the orchard in your flannel to prove to us that you had a great time.
DO: Enjoy a local fair, get together with some friends for some good old fashioned fun while supporting your local economy.
DO NOT: Invest $40 trying to win the ring toss game so you can take home a goldfish...if you really want a goldfish that bad just spend $5 at the pet store. It's more cost effective and far less frustrating.
And there you have it, so bust our your football jerseys and your flannel because it's time to enjoy fall.
DO: Get outside and enjoy some foliage! Peep those leaves, or spend half your weekend raking them if you're a homeowner with a decent sized yard like me. Better yet, invest in a good leaf blower, it's worth the time you'll save. Feel free to put up some foliage pics on all your accounts to make your non-New England friends jealous of your leaf life.
DO NOT: Rake leaves without gloves and then complain endlessly about the blisters you got...you live in New England and you knew better. Also, keep your foliage pictures to a reasonable level. We get it, you saw some cool leaves, we see them too, we don't need 80 different instagrams from your weekend hike. Just pick the best and roll with it.
DO: Wear flannel as much as humanly possible. Flannel is comfortable, it's practical, and it's cute! You can never have too much flannel, and if you're lucky you'll find a flannel themed fall party to attend.
DO NOT: Mistake flannel pajama pants for real pants. I know you're enthusiastic about fall and flannel, but that still doesn't make it cool to wear your pajama pants in public. Stick with flannel on top and pair it with some jeans...it's a classic look and you can't go wrong.
DO: Enjoy football season! There is no better excuse to eat deliciously unhealthy food and drink beer all afternoon in the comfort of your team apparel. You can do so from the comfort of your couch with your pets or the comfort of a bar booth with some friends, but either way get your football on.
DO NOT: Antagonize fans of other teams. You're better than that...seriously bring up deflategate one more time...you see where I'm going with this? Every team has something negative that can be said about it and every fan has heard it before, enough already.
DO: Go apple picking, enjoy a cider donut, run through a corn maize, enjoy all your local apple orchard has to offer.
DO NOT: Spam everyone with pictures. Much like foliage, we get it, we're doing it too and you don't have to post 100 pictures from the orchard in your flannel to prove to us that you had a great time.
DO: Enjoy a local fair, get together with some friends for some good old fashioned fun while supporting your local economy.
DO NOT: Invest $40 trying to win the ring toss game so you can take home a goldfish...if you really want a goldfish that bad just spend $5 at the pet store. It's more cost effective and far less frustrating.
And there you have it, so bust our your football jerseys and your flannel because it's time to enjoy fall.
Monday, August 24, 2015
You can never have too much food in your house
Joe and I have very different philosophies when it comes to grocery shopping: he thinks you wait until something is gone to replace it and I think you should replace something as soon as your supply is remotely low. There are things we all know better than to run out of, toilet paper being at the top of the list, but there are plenty of other things you will always find in the Martin pantry.
At all times we have no less than 2 boxes of pasta and 2 jars of sauce, a frozen pizza, frozen chicken, no less than 4 cans of soup, no less than 8 cans of tuna, tostitos, cereal, triscuits, 2 emergency bottles of BBQ sauce, and a minimum of 10 rolls of toilet paper...you get the idea. Am I a doomsday prepper? No, but you never know when you're going to have dinner or cocktail guests on short notice and I like to be prepared. (We didn't even get to the liquor cabinet, but know that if you're ever in need of a drink...there will be options for you at the Martins.) Along that same vain we always have a stash of disposable utensils, cups and plates. Joe does 90% of our grocery shopping and he get's annoyed with me if I put plastic forks on the grocery list and he finds another box in there when he's putting them away. The box in the cabinet is my emergency stash! If we're having people over and I know about it I get a box of utensils for that party...I never dip into my cabinet supply unless we have spontaneous guests and then I need to go out and replace it immediately the next day.
Joe on the other hand, never notices something is running low until it's gone and doesn't believe in having a backup supply. For example, I always like to have a backup box of Ziploc bags because we use them every day. Joe went to the grocery store this morning, and then used the last Ziploc bag this afternoon because he literally just does not notice to how much of something is left until it's gone. Good thing we have tupperware containers that he could use for his sandwich and that wasn't an emergency trip to the store before his night shift, but...if you always keep a spare box and get a new stash as soon as the spare box gets opened you will never run out of anything!! That's why as soon as we drop below 4 cans of soup, it goes on the list and I never wait for it to get to zero (and the same goes for all our other pantry staples).
Obviously this doesn't work for fresh foods like veggies and fruits and if I'm being honest we still end up at the grocery store at least 3 days a week for some fresh foods we forgot to get or ran out of. But what Joe thinks of as hoarding groceries I think of as being prepared for guests, a storm, being too lazy to grocery shop for a couple days, ya know whatever comes along. Nothing makes me happier than a fully stocked pantry and someday Joe will be on the same page...
At all times we have no less than 2 boxes of pasta and 2 jars of sauce, a frozen pizza, frozen chicken, no less than 4 cans of soup, no less than 8 cans of tuna, tostitos, cereal, triscuits, 2 emergency bottles of BBQ sauce, and a minimum of 10 rolls of toilet paper...you get the idea. Am I a doomsday prepper? No, but you never know when you're going to have dinner or cocktail guests on short notice and I like to be prepared. (We didn't even get to the liquor cabinet, but know that if you're ever in need of a drink...there will be options for you at the Martins.) Along that same vain we always have a stash of disposable utensils, cups and plates. Joe does 90% of our grocery shopping and he get's annoyed with me if I put plastic forks on the grocery list and he finds another box in there when he's putting them away. The box in the cabinet is my emergency stash! If we're having people over and I know about it I get a box of utensils for that party...I never dip into my cabinet supply unless we have spontaneous guests and then I need to go out and replace it immediately the next day.
Joe on the other hand, never notices something is running low until it's gone and doesn't believe in having a backup supply. For example, I always like to have a backup box of Ziploc bags because we use them every day. Joe went to the grocery store this morning, and then used the last Ziploc bag this afternoon because he literally just does not notice to how much of something is left until it's gone. Good thing we have tupperware containers that he could use for his sandwich and that wasn't an emergency trip to the store before his night shift, but...if you always keep a spare box and get a new stash as soon as the spare box gets opened you will never run out of anything!! That's why as soon as we drop below 4 cans of soup, it goes on the list and I never wait for it to get to zero (and the same goes for all our other pantry staples).
Obviously this doesn't work for fresh foods like veggies and fruits and if I'm being honest we still end up at the grocery store at least 3 days a week for some fresh foods we forgot to get or ran out of. But what Joe thinks of as hoarding groceries I think of as being prepared for guests, a storm, being too lazy to grocery shop for a couple days, ya know whatever comes along. Nothing makes me happier than a fully stocked pantry and someday Joe will be on the same page...
Sunday, August 23, 2015
The Weekday Diet
My weight yo-yo's by up to five pounds every week due to a little thing I like to call the weekday diet and it goes like this: the weekends are crazy. We never have a routine and we're never home on the weekends. We eat pizza, french fries, ice cream, you name it...and we tend to drink our weight in beer usually leading to some weekend bloat/weight gain. But weekdays are a whole different story. During the week I have a routine. I get up in the morning and have a cup of coffee while I watch the news and play with the dogs. Joe and I both eat the exact same things for breakfast everyday, and since we don't currently have chickens/eggs, he has a bowl of cereal and I have a Kashi bar at my desk and that's it. I don't snack throughout the day and for lunch I either have dinner leftovers or a homemade grilled chicken salad. For dinner I make something healthy pretty much every night primarily consisting of lean proteins and vegetables. During the week, we cut that weekend bloat and by Friday we're back to the weight we were the previous Friday...only to gain it back throughout the weekend and repeat the cycle all over again.
I don't know what it is about the weekend that means self-control goes straight out the window but things I would never dream of eating during the week I don't think twice about on the weekend. I would never dream of eating a Kashi bar for breakfast on a Saturday, I need either a bagel or something with bacon. For lunch...definitely not a salad. We've got time to cook! Let's grill up cheeseburgers...and you can't eat a cheeseburger by itself please pass the chips. Dinner is an event, since we're always with family or a big group of friends we cook together and we make a big feast: lasagna, BBQ chicken, homemade pizzas, you name it but dinner for a crowd is generally not the most healthy and filled with carbs.
So here we are on Sunday night, I had a bagel for breakfast, tons of cheese and crackers for snacks, a buffalo chicken wrap for lunch and when Joe and I got home I fully planned to cook a healthy chicken dinner...until it was time to cook and I just wasn't feeling it. So as I write this, I have a pizza in the oven and we made plans to meet up with friends for ice cream later...because once you've gone off the rails you might as well embrace it. But don't worry...tomorrow it will be kashi bars and grilled chicken salad so that I have the room to pack 5 pounds back on next weekend and still fit in my pants!
I don't know what it is about the weekend that means self-control goes straight out the window but things I would never dream of eating during the week I don't think twice about on the weekend. I would never dream of eating a Kashi bar for breakfast on a Saturday, I need either a bagel or something with bacon. For lunch...definitely not a salad. We've got time to cook! Let's grill up cheeseburgers...and you can't eat a cheeseburger by itself please pass the chips. Dinner is an event, since we're always with family or a big group of friends we cook together and we make a big feast: lasagna, BBQ chicken, homemade pizzas, you name it but dinner for a crowd is generally not the most healthy and filled with carbs.
So here we are on Sunday night, I had a bagel for breakfast, tons of cheese and crackers for snacks, a buffalo chicken wrap for lunch and when Joe and I got home I fully planned to cook a healthy chicken dinner...until it was time to cook and I just wasn't feeling it. So as I write this, I have a pizza in the oven and we made plans to meet up with friends for ice cream later...because once you've gone off the rails you might as well embrace it. But don't worry...tomorrow it will be kashi bars and grilled chicken salad so that I have the room to pack 5 pounds back on next weekend and still fit in my pants!
Monday, August 17, 2015
Blue Apron Follow-Up
About a month ago I posted that I decided to try Blue Apron and now I am a month in and I have to say, I really love it. The meals we've had in the last month are: stuffed peppers, Vietnamese chicken wings, summer soba salad, curry lamb burgers, chicken milanese, cod w/ miso soba noodles, steaks and potatoes, mexican chicken tortas (sandwiches), crispy catfish, pork chops, tandoori chicken, and rigatoni puttanesca. 2 out of 12 meals were vegetarian and 10 out of 12 were things I never would have cooked without Blue Apron.
The convenience of not having to plan any meals or buy the ingredients is phenomenal. I do have to say that I wish there was a 2 meal per week option instead of 3 but there isn't. In the summertime we're gone pretty much every weekend which eliminates Friday-Sunday nights, the delivery comes anytime between 4 and 8 on Monday so sometimes it comes in time to cook it but if the Blue Apron box isn't on the porch by 6 we order something. That leaves exactly 3 nights a week we're home to cook assuming no social plans and I'm gone at least one night a week doing volunteer stuff so it's very tight to get all 3 meals made. Sometimes I pick the one that will make the best leftovers and cook 2 meals in one night and just package the second meal for next day lunches. On the bright side, you can skip a week very easily just by logging into your account and viewing your delivery schedule and there's no limits or rules on how much you can skip so we might just go with an every other week situation. On the whole, the recipes have been awesome, the ingredients are fresh and it's a nice change from the grilled chicken salad, zucchini noodles, and homemade pizza pattern we had fallen into!
Again, it's $60/week or $20/meal for two people which is a little more than a standard grocery trip but cheaper than a meal out and still convenient. The meals are healthy and average 600-700 calories per serving but usually I eat closer to 1/3rd of the total food and Joe eat's 2/3rds of the food which works out to about what we should each be consuming for dinner. If you are stuck in a food rut or find yourself going out to dinner more than you should, I would definitely recommend Blue Apron as a way to spice up your diet and force yourself to eat at home more.
Sunday, August 16, 2015
No longer the life of the party
Those of you who have known me for a long time know that I was a quite the party animal in college. I thought the worst thing on the face of the Earth was staying in on a Friday or Saturday night. I would never say no to a drinking challenge (or any challenge) and I was the loudest, craziest person at most of our parties. But, I've kind of 180'd over the last few years.
This weekend I was with a group of my college rugby friends up in NH for the weekend and it was the 7th year in a row we've all gone up to the same house and had beer olympics and lit off fireworks and drank late into the night. But it's a lot different now than when we first started. I can't drink like I did when I was 21, nor do I want to try anymore, so I was almost dreading beer olympics. Turns out, I wasn't the only one who was apprehensive so we substituted some of the shotgunning and chugging themed events for more casual events like cornhole where you just have a drink in your hand.
When we started this 7 years ago I would be up drinking until 3 am, nap for a few hours and then be the first one up again in the morning to go waterskiing and start back up with my drinking. This year I was so proud of myself for staying awake past midnight on Friday night (and I made it until 2 am, I was very proud) but I was still the first person to go to sleep. When we got up the next day, we all got off to a slow start. We spent over an hour making breakfast and then sitting around the table talking before we really got into the day. We didn't make any morning boat runs for skiing or wakeboarding and didn't make it into the lake at all until almost noon. Beer olympics lasted for about 2 hours instead of 5 hours of competitive drinking.
Everyone has slowed down and matured a little but I think the change is most drastic in me because I was such a wild child and now I am perfectly content spending my weekend watching netflix or going to the bike path with my dogs. I know my friends are sometimes a little disappointed in how "lame" I've become but my life has just changed so much. I was the first one to get married and my life is just really settled now, our lives are all in really different places and we all have different goals. But one thing that hasn't changed is my love for this group of friends, and I couldn't imagine not getting together with them every year for our annual lake weekend and Friendsgiving traditions.
Sorry I was the first one asleep and I could only handle a scaled-back version of beer olympics but thanks for putting up with me and still loving me friends! Things are only going to keep changing more over the years but it's nice to know that there are some things that will always be the same.
This weekend I was with a group of my college rugby friends up in NH for the weekend and it was the 7th year in a row we've all gone up to the same house and had beer olympics and lit off fireworks and drank late into the night. But it's a lot different now than when we first started. I can't drink like I did when I was 21, nor do I want to try anymore, so I was almost dreading beer olympics. Turns out, I wasn't the only one who was apprehensive so we substituted some of the shotgunning and chugging themed events for more casual events like cornhole where you just have a drink in your hand.
When we started this 7 years ago I would be up drinking until 3 am, nap for a few hours and then be the first one up again in the morning to go waterskiing and start back up with my drinking. This year I was so proud of myself for staying awake past midnight on Friday night (and I made it until 2 am, I was very proud) but I was still the first person to go to sleep. When we got up the next day, we all got off to a slow start. We spent over an hour making breakfast and then sitting around the table talking before we really got into the day. We didn't make any morning boat runs for skiing or wakeboarding and didn't make it into the lake at all until almost noon. Beer olympics lasted for about 2 hours instead of 5 hours of competitive drinking.
Everyone has slowed down and matured a little but I think the change is most drastic in me because I was such a wild child and now I am perfectly content spending my weekend watching netflix or going to the bike path with my dogs. I know my friends are sometimes a little disappointed in how "lame" I've become but my life has just changed so much. I was the first one to get married and my life is just really settled now, our lives are all in really different places and we all have different goals. But one thing that hasn't changed is my love for this group of friends, and I couldn't imagine not getting together with them every year for our annual lake weekend and Friendsgiving traditions.
Sorry I was the first one asleep and I could only handle a scaled-back version of beer olympics but thanks for putting up with me and still loving me friends! Things are only going to keep changing more over the years but it's nice to know that there are some things that will always be the same.
Sunday, August 9, 2015
I'm not a regular Aunt, I'm a cool Aunt
I'm from a pretty small family, I have no cousins at all on my dad's side and only 4 cousins on my mom's side. Growing up, my cousins lived an hour away from us but we still only saw them a handful of times a year: Christmas, Thanksgiving, and a family BBQ or two. They're my family and I love them, but we've never been very close. I remember growing up when other kids would go on big family vacations with their cousins and family friends, I'd always get so jealous that I was stuck on vacation hanging out with just my little sister...and my big brother if I was lucky.
Joe's family is huge, he's the youngest of 6 and his mom is one of 9. He's got more than 20 cousins and we have 11 nieces and nephews on his side of the family (2 so far on mine). There's always a helping hand when you need it and someone's always having a party. We get together with his immediate family pretty regularly; but with 6 adults and their spouses and kids all hanging out together it can be hectic and we don't necessarily get a lot of quality time with each person.
This weekend we were lucky enough to spend 2 days and nights with just Joe's mom, his brother and his wife and their three sons down on the cape. Like I said, we see the boys a lot but rarely (never?) spend one-on-one time with them. The energy level of a 7 year old, 4 year old, and 1 year old boy was more than I anticipated, and at times overwhelming, but we had so much fun with them. With 5 adults and 3 kids, we had to take 2 cars everywhere but by Saturday afternoon the boys wanted to ride in our car instead of with their parents and it made me feel like we achieved "fun Aunt and Uncle" status which I loved. We went go-karting and I figured they'd all be fighting over who got to go with Uncle Joe and who got stuck with Aunt Nicole but when the oldest said, "I want to go with Aunt Nicole!" I can't lie I was PUMPED.
As a kid I definitely had my favorite aunts and uncles, the "cool" ones...I realize now that what all my cool aunts and uncles had in common was no children of their own. They had no idea what to do with us. They didn't enforce any rules because they just didn't know what they were and they talked to us like we were adults because they didn't know any other way. They snuck us ice cream for breakfast and took us out for fun adventures because they didn't have to deal with us all the time so they could set the bar high and maintain it one or two weekends a year.
So in 6 months we'll have to do a winter weekend adventure with the boys, and hopefully try to get in some more quality time with all the rest of our nieces and nephews as well! I'm already planning fun winter activities: sledding, snowman making, cookie baking (eating really), the CT science center, the sky's the limit! Being the cool Aunt and Uncle is the best...gotta make sure we maintain our status :)
Joe's family is huge, he's the youngest of 6 and his mom is one of 9. He's got more than 20 cousins and we have 11 nieces and nephews on his side of the family (2 so far on mine). There's always a helping hand when you need it and someone's always having a party. We get together with his immediate family pretty regularly; but with 6 adults and their spouses and kids all hanging out together it can be hectic and we don't necessarily get a lot of quality time with each person.
This weekend we were lucky enough to spend 2 days and nights with just Joe's mom, his brother and his wife and their three sons down on the cape. Like I said, we see the boys a lot but rarely (never?) spend one-on-one time with them. The energy level of a 7 year old, 4 year old, and 1 year old boy was more than I anticipated, and at times overwhelming, but we had so much fun with them. With 5 adults and 3 kids, we had to take 2 cars everywhere but by Saturday afternoon the boys wanted to ride in our car instead of with their parents and it made me feel like we achieved "fun Aunt and Uncle" status which I loved. We went go-karting and I figured they'd all be fighting over who got to go with Uncle Joe and who got stuck with Aunt Nicole but when the oldest said, "I want to go with Aunt Nicole!" I can't lie I was PUMPED.
As a kid I definitely had my favorite aunts and uncles, the "cool" ones...I realize now that what all my cool aunts and uncles had in common was no children of their own. They had no idea what to do with us. They didn't enforce any rules because they just didn't know what they were and they talked to us like we were adults because they didn't know any other way. They snuck us ice cream for breakfast and took us out for fun adventures because they didn't have to deal with us all the time so they could set the bar high and maintain it one or two weekends a year.
So in 6 months we'll have to do a winter weekend adventure with the boys, and hopefully try to get in some more quality time with all the rest of our nieces and nephews as well! I'm already planning fun winter activities: sledding, snowman making, cookie baking (eating really), the CT science center, the sky's the limit! Being the cool Aunt and Uncle is the best...gotta make sure we maintain our status :)
Thursday, August 6, 2015
My last 10 Google searches
Most people are terrified of anyone seeing their Google history and finding out the weird stuff they search for. I look for some weird stuff but not *that* weird and I'm also not embarrassed about my weird searches so I decided to share my last 10 google searches with you:
1. How much should I feed my 2 lb puppy
I JUST DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH TO FEED HIM! The vet says let him eat as much as he wants but if his stomach feels too full when you pick him up then cut back...I think he feels like an over-inflated balloon when I pick him up so we should cut back...but I also don't want to deprive him. Puppy parenting is hard work.
2. Flavor Flav
In the car on the way home from dinner last night Joe said, "You know that rapper with the clock?" and I said "...Flavor Flav?" and he said, "Yeah...what's he famous for like does he have any songs I would know?" I have no idea where this thought came from but then I needed to know...according to Wikipedia he was a member of the rap group Public Enemy and invented the role of "hype man"...now you know
3. bananarepublic.con
I just fat fingered bananarepublic.com so Google turned it into a search. 25% off all online orders yesterday! I got 2 new sweaters for fall...
4. copper stallion
Was meeeting a friend from Boston halfway between our houses for dinner (Sturbridge) and trying to find a good place. Turned out Copper Stallion was closed for the week (I guess even restaurant owners need a vacation) so we went to a place called Bentley Pub. I didn't have to Google that one because Joe informed me about it via text.
5. Highland park market
This is our local grocery store, and I was trying to figure out if it opened early enough that I could stop and re-stock on my Kashi bars on the way to work. It doesn't open until 8am...I drive past it at 7:15 so I was FORCED to stop at Dunkin for breakfast instead.
6. dog loud stomach noises
Coby's stomach was gurgling SO LOUD yesterday morning that I was worried he might explode. He was acting perfectly normal, I took him outside and he didn't even poop but I was pretty worried about the cause of this noise (did the puppy give him worms?!) but he's fine now...I think he was just hungry.
7. ronda rousey
Really no explanation necessary necessary here...she kicks ass and I want to know all the things about her.
8. patriots lanyard
FOOTBALL SEASON IS COMING PEOPLE, I must show off my team pride at work.
9. patriots leggings
See above...but not for work, just for life.
10. captain america leggings
Fall in general is coming, I need some new fall clothes but I don't want to be a totally lame adult that buys ALL my clothes from Banana Republic (90% is fine though).
So...would you ever let anyone see your last 10 Google searches?
1. How much should I feed my 2 lb puppy
I JUST DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH TO FEED HIM! The vet says let him eat as much as he wants but if his stomach feels too full when you pick him up then cut back...I think he feels like an over-inflated balloon when I pick him up so we should cut back...but I also don't want to deprive him. Puppy parenting is hard work.
2. Flavor Flav
In the car on the way home from dinner last night Joe said, "You know that rapper with the clock?" and I said "...Flavor Flav?" and he said, "Yeah...what's he famous for like does he have any songs I would know?" I have no idea where this thought came from but then I needed to know...according to Wikipedia he was a member of the rap group Public Enemy and invented the role of "hype man"...now you know
3. bananarepublic.con
I just fat fingered bananarepublic.com so Google turned it into a search. 25% off all online orders yesterday! I got 2 new sweaters for fall...
4. copper stallion
Was meeeting a friend from Boston halfway between our houses for dinner (Sturbridge) and trying to find a good place. Turned out Copper Stallion was closed for the week (I guess even restaurant owners need a vacation) so we went to a place called Bentley Pub. I didn't have to Google that one because Joe informed me about it via text.
5. Highland park market
This is our local grocery store, and I was trying to figure out if it opened early enough that I could stop and re-stock on my Kashi bars on the way to work. It doesn't open until 8am...I drive past it at 7:15 so I was FORCED to stop at Dunkin for breakfast instead.
6. dog loud stomach noises
Coby's stomach was gurgling SO LOUD yesterday morning that I was worried he might explode. He was acting perfectly normal, I took him outside and he didn't even poop but I was pretty worried about the cause of this noise (did the puppy give him worms?!) but he's fine now...I think he was just hungry.
7. ronda rousey
Really no explanation necessary necessary here...she kicks ass and I want to know all the things about her.
8. patriots lanyard
FOOTBALL SEASON IS COMING PEOPLE, I must show off my team pride at work.
9. patriots leggings
See above...but not for work, just for life.
10. captain america leggings
Fall in general is coming, I need some new fall clothes but I don't want to be a totally lame adult that buys ALL my clothes from Banana Republic (90% is fine though).
So...would you ever let anyone see your last 10 Google searches?
Tuesday, August 4, 2015
Puppy Cam!
When we first got Otto I toyed with the idea of setting up a puppy cam so I could watch him from work during the day. The first few days he was so small and sleepy that he didn't care about being in his crate, he just plopped right down in bed. But as the days have gone on he cries a little when I put him in his crate and cries if we don't let him out of his crate the second we walk in the door. I wondered...does he cry in there all day? Does he sleep? I was reluctant to set up the camera because what if he DOES cry all day? There's really nothing I can do about it, I have to work. I've been going home every day at lunch to feed him and let him run around for about 20 minutes but that's the most I can do for him.
This afternoon I finally caved and set up a live stream, and I'm so glad I did! I downloaded an app called livestream to both my ipad and my iphone. I set up the ipad in filming position and set up my phone to watch it all (without broadcasting it to the entire internet). I watched for 5 minutes from the driveway before I even left and was pleasantly surprised to see that he stopped crying the moment I walked out the door (he's just trying to manipulate me!) and slept almost the entire time.
I also discovered he prefers to cuddle with his stuffed Armadillo over sleeping in his puppy bed and he's not drinking the water I leave for him every day he's rolling around in it and spilling it all over his pee pad! I only let myself check the video stream every 15 minutes for about a minute, because mostly he was just sleeping so it wasn't that exciting but also I can barely stay within my monthly data limits as it is. So while this will definitely not be an every day thing, I'm happy I tried it out so that I know my pup is happy and sleepy when I'm not here. Maybe next time I'll be nice enough to blast the link out to all of you so that you can enjoy some cute puppy cam action too :)
This afternoon I finally caved and set up a live stream, and I'm so glad I did! I downloaded an app called livestream to both my ipad and my iphone. I set up the ipad in filming position and set up my phone to watch it all (without broadcasting it to the entire internet). I watched for 5 minutes from the driveway before I even left and was pleasantly surprised to see that he stopped crying the moment I walked out the door (he's just trying to manipulate me!) and slept almost the entire time.
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| He woke up about 20 minutes before Joe got home, perfect timing! |
Monday, August 3, 2015
Quit Complaining!
I complain far more than I should for a happily married woman with a beautiful home and 2 perfect pups! And it seems to me that the better off people are the more they complain; we as a society focus far more on what we don't have than what we do.
For instance, if you were to ask me how my weekend was I would say: "It sucked, I had drill." Drill isn't exactly my favorite way to spend a weekend, but it's something I volunteered for...no one made me sign up for the National Guard. It also puts a little extra money in my pocket...not a lot, a little, but hey it's something! Not to mention the fact that I spent a lot of quality time in with my dogs, had a good workout on Sunday and didn't have the "Sunday Scaries" that accompany a hangover and realization that you have accomplished nothing after a weekend of partying.
I've noticed my co-workers all have similar complaints about their weekends, "We went fishing which was great BUT...." "We went shopping and got an awesome deal on new furniture BUT..." [Insert complaint here]. It's like we're all trying to find something to complain about. Is it because we feel guilty after everyone else complains if we say "Oh...sorry you all had crappy weekends but my weekend was great and I have no complaints." NOBODY LIKES THAT GUY! But...no one likes Debbie Downer either. The person that is constantly complaining about being too busy, too tired, too broke, that get's old fast. Everyone could use more time, sleep and money but the bottom line is our lives are all a result of the choices we make...and they're pretty nice lives.
I might be tired, but I have a nice bed to sleep in (and 3 spare beds for any friends that might be in need of one). I might wish I had more money, but I pay my bills on time every month and I own a house and a car that I love. Every day might not always be perfect, but I come home every night to a loving husband who puts back together any pieces that might have fallen apart during the day. And there are a lot of people in this world who don't have any of that. There are over a million victims of human trafficking worldwide. There are children with no beds to sleep in and no food to eat right here in the USA. There are people in countries around the world that go to bed in fear of the war and terrorism that has overtaken their country.
Whenever I feel the urge to complain, I'm going to remind myself of these people who have so much less than I do and who would switch places with me in an instant. I am going to feel grateful for what I have and happy about the life I live...and you should too! I don't want to get too crazy, I am going to start small and see if I can make it an entire week...just 7 days...without making a single complaint and we'll go from there. I'll let you know how it goes! And you should try it too!
For instance, if you were to ask me how my weekend was I would say: "It sucked, I had drill." Drill isn't exactly my favorite way to spend a weekend, but it's something I volunteered for...no one made me sign up for the National Guard. It also puts a little extra money in my pocket...not a lot, a little, but hey it's something! Not to mention the fact that I spent a lot of quality time in with my dogs, had a good workout on Sunday and didn't have the "Sunday Scaries" that accompany a hangover and realization that you have accomplished nothing after a weekend of partying.
I've noticed my co-workers all have similar complaints about their weekends, "We went fishing which was great BUT...." "We went shopping and got an awesome deal on new furniture BUT..." [Insert complaint here]. It's like we're all trying to find something to complain about. Is it because we feel guilty after everyone else complains if we say "Oh...sorry you all had crappy weekends but my weekend was great and I have no complaints." NOBODY LIKES THAT GUY! But...no one likes Debbie Downer either. The person that is constantly complaining about being too busy, too tired, too broke, that get's old fast. Everyone could use more time, sleep and money but the bottom line is our lives are all a result of the choices we make...and they're pretty nice lives.
I might be tired, but I have a nice bed to sleep in (and 3 spare beds for any friends that might be in need of one). I might wish I had more money, but I pay my bills on time every month and I own a house and a car that I love. Every day might not always be perfect, but I come home every night to a loving husband who puts back together any pieces that might have fallen apart during the day. And there are a lot of people in this world who don't have any of that. There are over a million victims of human trafficking worldwide. There are children with no beds to sleep in and no food to eat right here in the USA. There are people in countries around the world that go to bed in fear of the war and terrorism that has overtaken their country.
Whenever I feel the urge to complain, I'm going to remind myself of these people who have so much less than I do and who would switch places with me in an instant. I am going to feel grateful for what I have and happy about the life I live...and you should too! I don't want to get too crazy, I am going to start small and see if I can make it an entire week...just 7 days...without making a single complaint and we'll go from there. I'll let you know how it goes! And you should try it too!
Friday, July 31, 2015
Can everyone please stay home more?
Joe and I seem to be busy....constantly. This is our own doing, of course we have to go to work every day whether we like it or not but our nights and weekends are filled with happy hours, dinner with friends, rugby practice, volunteering, and on the nights that we are actually both home together we spend most of our time doing chores. The laundry needs to be done, the floors need to be cleaned, the toilets need to be scrubbed...we almost never have a night to just completely relax. But the nights that we do manage to clear our schedules and ignore our chores are my absolute favorite...so why don't we do it more?
For one, I have serious fear of missing out. If I skipped a party with my friends and it ended up being one filled with great memories, I know I would regret it. At the same time, when I come home on Sunday after a weekend with my friends feeling hungover and exhausted knowing a pile of laundry and a dirty house are waiting for me at home...I tend to regret that too. It's a real catch 22.
But it's also really important to me to maintain the friendships I have. I have very few close friend where we live in CT, and my closest girlfriends from college live in the Boston area. It's hard to keep up with everyone and make it to all their big events and have girls weekends to catch up with each other when we all have other friends and families and homes to maintain, but at the same time I know I want to have these friendships in 10, 20, 30 years so the effort to get together is important and necessary. Joe and I spend at least 1 weekend a month off on an adventure with our college friends and another weekend every month doing something with our families.
We haven't even gotten to my commitment to the National Guard 1 weekend every month. This weekend just so happens to be my guard weekend which means I am working 12 straight days without a break (every month people). Joe is off at our friends' wedding on the cape which I have to skip for my military commitment. But this means not only do I have to miss out on all the fun but I have to work all day Saturday and Sunday AND I have to take care of both dogs, do all the laundry and all the cleaning that Joe normally helps out with when I am at drill. Next week we already have after work plans lined up every day but Monday. When I was closer to 21 I would have just said I'll sleep when I'm dead, but now that I'm closer to 30 than 21 all this running around makes me exhausted all the time!
When we got Coby I thought, great, this means we have an excuse to come home every night and not stay over places any more...but that proved not to be the case. When we got Otto last weekend I actually panicked because we have weekend plans every weekend for the next month and I wasn't sure if he'd be welcome on all our adventures, but we can't leave him so we'd be forced to cancel if we couldn't bring him. I love being home, but I hate missing out. So to all my friends, let's just Facetime with our dogs to catch up and all stay home a little more :)
For one, I have serious fear of missing out. If I skipped a party with my friends and it ended up being one filled with great memories, I know I would regret it. At the same time, when I come home on Sunday after a weekend with my friends feeling hungover and exhausted knowing a pile of laundry and a dirty house are waiting for me at home...I tend to regret that too. It's a real catch 22.
But it's also really important to me to maintain the friendships I have. I have very few close friend where we live in CT, and my closest girlfriends from college live in the Boston area. It's hard to keep up with everyone and make it to all their big events and have girls weekends to catch up with each other when we all have other friends and families and homes to maintain, but at the same time I know I want to have these friendships in 10, 20, 30 years so the effort to get together is important and necessary. Joe and I spend at least 1 weekend a month off on an adventure with our college friends and another weekend every month doing something with our families.
We haven't even gotten to my commitment to the National Guard 1 weekend every month. This weekend just so happens to be my guard weekend which means I am working 12 straight days without a break (every month people). Joe is off at our friends' wedding on the cape which I have to skip for my military commitment. But this means not only do I have to miss out on all the fun but I have to work all day Saturday and Sunday AND I have to take care of both dogs, do all the laundry and all the cleaning that Joe normally helps out with when I am at drill. Next week we already have after work plans lined up every day but Monday. When I was closer to 21 I would have just said I'll sleep when I'm dead, but now that I'm closer to 30 than 21 all this running around makes me exhausted all the time!
When we got Coby I thought, great, this means we have an excuse to come home every night and not stay over places any more...but that proved not to be the case. When we got Otto last weekend I actually panicked because we have weekend plans every weekend for the next month and I wasn't sure if he'd be welcome on all our adventures, but we can't leave him so we'd be forced to cancel if we couldn't bring him. I love being home, but I hate missing out. So to all my friends, let's just Facetime with our dogs to catch up and all stay home a little more :)
Wednesday, July 29, 2015
We have a baby...a furry one
So after our first trip to the vet on Tuesday our suspicions were confirmed that Otto was way to young to leave his momma...he's only 3-4 weeks old! Fortunately, despite his young age he seems to be pretty healthy but he's only 1.5 lbs so the vet said we have to treat him like we would treat a premature baby. He mostly just eats and sleeps, but we have to feed him every 4 hours (now with some extra vitamins and fattening stuff mixed in) which means midnight bottle feedings and coming home every day at lunch for a bottle too. Usually he wakes up between midnight at 1am and cries/barks a little to tell me he's hungry. He sleeps in our room in a laundry basket so I always wake up right away and take him in the other room to feed him. Of course, Joe doesn't wake up at all and sleeps like a baby through the whole thing. He loves to feed him his after-work bottle, but no way is he getting up in the middle of the night...seems like some pretty good foreshadowing for parenting an actual child!
Usually I sleep pretty soundly through the night but ever since Otto came around I wake up pretty much every hour and shine a little flashlight on him to make sure he's OK. Usually he's just sleeping like he should be but if I can't see his chest moving I have to reach out and touch him to make sure he's still alive. At work, I worry about him all day. He's home and crated (he's so small that the crate gives him plenty of recreation room but protects him from Coby or doing something like eating wires) but he's just so small and young I feel like something bad could happen at any time. He's only ever home for 4 hours at a time in the crate but it feels so long and it makes me feel so guilty!! I just keep thinking that mothers of human children must feel this amplified by 10. The worry, the guilt, just hoping everything turns out well for your little one, it feels overwhelming with a puppy let alone a baby!
And then there's our first born, Coby. I was always worried that if we got a second dog we would never love him/her as much as Coby because he will always be our first pup. But we've only had Coby since he was 5, we didn't go through puppyhood with him so even though he's our first, we never went through this formative bonding time with him. I think it's good dog #2 was a puppy because we get to catch up on the 2 years of bonding we've already had with Coby in a shorter period of time and it will even out. We've tried very hard to keep Coby on his same routine and show him plenty of attention too so he doesn't feel too displaced by and jealous of Otto (again, moms of humans this must be a real struggle for you). Slowly but surely Coby is showing more interest in his little brother. The vet knows Coby pretty well and when we took Otto in for his initial check-up she predicted they will become great friends so that was reassuring!
Much like human parenting, puppy parenting can be tough but it's so worth it! There is nothing better than a relaxing night at home with all my boys and they all make me want to rush home every day to see their happy faces :)
Usually I sleep pretty soundly through the night but ever since Otto came around I wake up pretty much every hour and shine a little flashlight on him to make sure he's OK. Usually he's just sleeping like he should be but if I can't see his chest moving I have to reach out and touch him to make sure he's still alive. At work, I worry about him all day. He's home and crated (he's so small that the crate gives him plenty of recreation room but protects him from Coby or doing something like eating wires) but he's just so small and young I feel like something bad could happen at any time. He's only ever home for 4 hours at a time in the crate but it feels so long and it makes me feel so guilty!! I just keep thinking that mothers of human children must feel this amplified by 10. The worry, the guilt, just hoping everything turns out well for your little one, it feels overwhelming with a puppy let alone a baby!
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| Otto tried to suckle Coby at first... |
Much like human parenting, puppy parenting can be tough but it's so worth it! There is nothing better than a relaxing night at home with all my boys and they all make me want to rush home every day to see their happy faces :)
Monday, July 27, 2015
We Surprised Ourselves with a Dog!
We had no intention of getting a dog this past Sunday, but somehow we did! Saturday we were at our pirate themed birthday party having a great time, when we got a message that there was a puppy in need of a home so at 11pm after a few cocktails I said "OF COURSE WE WANT THAT PUPPY!" Joe and I had a sober conversation about it the next morning and decided to stick by our decision. I have been wanting a second dog for a looong time and this just seemed perfect! So at 1pm on Sunday we picked up a little boy miniature poodle!
Now since this was spontaneous, we didn't have a name ready. My suggestion was Snowball but Joe thought that was a girl name, he wanted Gus but I thought that was a name for a big dog. We literally googled "cool dog names" and Joe read the list to me in the car as we drove to pick up the pup. We both liked Ace, Brady was a contender but it seemed too cliche for Patriots fans, he kept reading down the list and when he got to Otto we both said, in unison, "Otto, I like that." Boom, the dog is named Otto.
When we picked him up he was much smaller than expected, we picked him up from our friend who had already gotten him from the breeder. He was supposedly 8 weeks but weighs no more than 3 lbs and we found out upon pick-up that he can't even eat solid foods he must be bottle fed...puppy formula! Didn't even know there was such a thing. We had gone to the store in the morning to get puppy pads, a collar (which he might grow into in about a month) and puppy food, but we had to go back to get the formula and a bottle...and a tag now that he had a a name!
After doing a little research we found out that the fact that he has no teeth (literally nothing just gums) means he's really only about 3 weeks old...too young to be away from his mom but here we are! We're taking him to the vet tomorrow to get him checked up an de-wormed but he's too young to even get his shots so we'll have to go back again next month for that. But so far he has been a very good dog: very quiet, sleeps a lot, takes his bottle most of the time AND HE IS ADORABLE.
Coby...thinks Otto is an alien.
Definitely a little confusion and jealousy from Coby but it's only been 1 day. He slept downstairs on the couch like always but Otto slept in a laundry basket in our room. At 1am Otto was wimpering pretty bad and I figured he was hungry so I took him in the other room to give him a bottle (serious parenting practice here ladies and gents) and Coby was sitting at the bottom of the stairs, and had his head cocked looking up at me like, "What is this creature that is getting all your attention, Mom?" Otto is really curious about Coby but Coby runs away from Otto every time he gets close enough to touch him.
Anyway, one day into puppy parenting and no complaints! Sitting here on the couch surrounded by all my boys and loving every second of it :)
Saturday, July 25, 2015
7 year olds or 27 year olds?
This afternoon I am going to a birthday party for 2 of my friends, Sh'vawn is turning 27 and Sarah is turning 26. Their husbands started planning a surprise party for them months ago, but boys being boys the girls found out almost immediately so the surprise part was out the window. Sarah and her husband own a pool and since their birthdays are in July, a pool party was the pretty obvious choice. Even though the girls knew about the party, I still didn't think they should have to deal with planning anything on their birthdays and I knew the boys would be just fine handling the food and booze but didn't think they'd get on board with planning any kind of theme so I told them to leave that part to me! Sarah send me some suggestions a few months ago:
Cowboy boots and bathing suits (wild wild west)
Luau
Survivor (any opportunity to bring out the buffs)
Beer Olympics
Fiestã (with lots of piñatas of course)
Pirates
Halfway to Tu Bishvat (Jewish holiday that falls on Jan 25th this year!)
Luau
Survivor (any opportunity to bring out the buffs)
Beer Olympics
Fiestã (with lots of piñatas of course)
Pirates
Halfway to Tu Bishvat (Jewish holiday that falls on Jan 25th this year!)
Idk where the Jewish holiday came from since none of us are Jewish, but aside from that and beer olympics, any of these could be themes for 7 year old parties! The only "demands" they had was Sarah really wanted a pinata and Sh'vawn really wanted an ice cream cake...easy enough! So I went with the pirate theme and in my shopping found that pretty much all the pirate party supplies were definitely marketed towards children...or in some instances even came in child sizes. So I decided really the only difference between the 7 year old's party and the 27 year old's is the 1. the keg (although maybe some kid parties have these for the adults) and 2. the pinata full of nips rather than candy.
And yes, that exact shark pinata will be in attendance...full of mini rums. But the more us 27 year olds drink. the closer our behavior comes to that of a 7 year old. We become a little crazier, a little more energetic (in the beginning) and a liiiittle out of control/hard to handle. We might even throw a temper tantrum (but hopefully not). Embracing your inner child is a great thing, and you're never too old or too cool for theme parties! So get out there and enjoy your weekend...and make sure you do something a 7 year old would do :)
Thursday, July 23, 2015
Unsolicited Relationship Advice
There are two things my husband does without fail every single day: tells me he loves me, and makes me laugh. (There are a few other things he does every day like eat and sleep, but you get it.) I cannot explain to you how important these things are. Every morning before he leaves for work, he grabs me around the waste, kisses me like he means it, looks in my eyes and says "I love you" in a way which is sincere, not just a habit.
You're probably thinking...great for you, I'm just going to go throw up now. But doesn't everyone strive for that? I can't understand why people settle for anything less. I know people who work late because they don't want to go home and see their spouse, or people who get in such intense fights that they go days without speaking...WHAT?! Your partner should be the person who supports you in everything, who loves you unconditionally, and who you enjoy spending time with no matter how much time you get together. I literally tear out of work at 4:30 every day and rush straight home to give Joe a kiss...and usually he and the dog both run to the door to greet me. It's one of the best moments of the day, and maybe not everyone's partner runs to the door to greet them, but how awful must it be if you dread returning home rather than look forward to it. Sorry, but you're doing it wrong and you really need to make a change if that describes you.
Strive for something like this:
You're probably thinking...great for you, I'm just going to go throw up now. But doesn't everyone strive for that? I can't understand why people settle for anything less. I know people who work late because they don't want to go home and see their spouse, or people who get in such intense fights that they go days without speaking...WHAT?! Your partner should be the person who supports you in everything, who loves you unconditionally, and who you enjoy spending time with no matter how much time you get together. I literally tear out of work at 4:30 every day and rush straight home to give Joe a kiss...and usually he and the dog both run to the door to greet me. It's one of the best moments of the day, and maybe not everyone's partner runs to the door to greet them, but how awful must it be if you dread returning home rather than look forward to it. Sorry, but you're doing it wrong and you really need to make a change if that describes you.
Strive for something like this:
Someone who wants to make your day better, someone who understands your needs, and someone who's mind you can almost read (I knew if he was putting on pants he assumed we were going out). Maybe you prefer a man who wears pants all the time, but I'll take the guy in boxers who greets me at the door with my favorite cocktail in his hand after a long day :)
I'll also include his best joke of the week here for you (this is when we were in the ER on Sunday):
Doctor: I'm diagnosing you with cellulitis
Joe; Can she just go to the gym to get rid of that?
The doctor didn't laugh but I did, really hard. The moral of the story here is: stop putting up with people that don't deserve you and don't stay in a relationship that doesn't truly make you happy! At the very least, you deserve someone who loves you and makes you laugh.
Tuesday, July 21, 2015
The ER patched me up...but our chickens died
Sunday morning I woke up with some pain in my calf, I figured it was just a pulled muscle and didn't think much of it. Later in the day I noticed a red spot on the back of my calf about the size of a silver dollar and thought maybe I got bit my something. The red spot kept growing and getting darker, it looked almost like a bruise and there was a dull burning that accompanied it. By 7:00 pretty much everything from my knee down was on pins and needles and I got nervous maybe it was a blood clot so Joe and I decided to make a trip to the ER to get it checked out.
After they ruled out a blood clot, they diagnosed me with cellulitis which I guess is a pretty common bacterial infection of the skin but it spreads rapidly throughout your tissue and can be pretty painful. They gave me medication for lime disease just in case and a prescription for antibiotics, drew a circle around it and told me to come back if it got bigger than the circle. By the time we filled my prescription at CVS and got back home it was after midnight.
We had left our chickens out when we went to the hospital, they still had about 2 hours of roaming left and were tucked into our back woods with no desire to come out when we left. There have been a few nights when one or two didn't come home and they always showed back up the next morning so we didn't think much of leaving them out for an extra hour or two...midnight was a little later than we thought we'd be. When we got home I went straight up to bed and Joe went straight out to the coop to make sure the girls were tucked in safe and sound...but they weren't there. He got a flashlight and saw that there were feathers strewn all over the yard and paths of feathers going into the woods. Something (probably coyotes) ate all of our chickens. He came inside to tell me and I ended up crying myself to sleep. Chickens, to me, aren't pets in the way my dog is. They're outdoor animals and they're there to serve a purpose (eggs) rather than being for companionship; but the idea of them being dragged off and eaten when they were supposed to be sleeping was a pretty awful thought. I had hoped that one or two made it off somewhere or escaped and would come back the next day, but it has been 2 days and no such luck.
So for now...no more eggs :( We're looking into getting new chickens; it's not really the right time of year but we found some chicks available on craigslist that we're going to look into. I told Joe that we should build a big shelter around the coop and keep the chickens in there and protected all the time, never let them just roam free anymore. He responded...just because there are sharks in the ocean doesn't mean we're not going to swim.
Farewell Susie, Ruth, Penny and Rose...hope you ladies are resting easy.
I decided to try Blue Apron...
A few months ago I had what I thought was a great business idea; delivering fresh-made meals to people's houses that they just have to pop in the oven and voila they can feed their family a healthy, homemade meal with minimal effort. Many people told me this service already exists and it's called Blue Apron, so I decided to check them out. Blue Apron does not make your meals for you, but it does all the grocery shopping and meal planning for you. You pick the delivery day and they deliver the ingredients for 3 meals complete with the recipes and cooking instructions right to your front door (in a refrigerated box so you don't have to worry about being home to get the delivery). It's $20/meal (for 2) which is probably more than we'd spend in a grocery store but definitely less than we'd spend in a restaurant so I decided to sign up and give it a try!
My first delivery came around 4:00 on Monday (it was guaranteed to be delivered by 8pm but I was excited it came early enough for me to make one of the meals for Monday's dinner). The ingredients were all fresh and labeled so I could easily look at the recipe cards and tell which ingredients went with which meals. The package even came with 2 giant ice packs that are reusable! Very exciting, Blue Apron should mention this as part of their marketing because I was almost as excited about the free ice packs as I was about the food.
The first meal I tried was the summer soba salad, it took me about a half hour to prepare all the ingredients, cook the noodles and put everything together. It was a delicious meal and definitely nothing I would have ever tried to make on my own. I was worried about the portion sizes being too small with some of these meals (tomorrow is stuffed peppers and you literally get 1 pepper each with no sides...definitely not enough food for Joe!) but there was tons of pasta to go around here. I ate less than 1/3rd of the dish and was full so I have plenty left for lunch tomorrow!
We'll see how the next few meals go but after meal #1 with Blue Apron I am pretty impressed with the service and definitely think it's worth the cost!
Thursday, July 16, 2015
Nachos are a breakfast food
When Joe is working nights, we only see each other for about an hour in the morning when I eat breakfast and he eats dinner and an hour after work when he eats breakfast and I eat dinner. We try to make the most of our times and eating meals together is important to me...but when it's dinner for one of us and breakfast for the other it can be tough to figure out what to eat. Enter, BREAKFAST NACHOS:
There's nothing really too complicated here, I used all the normal nacho ingredients (shredded cheese, salsa, japanenos, sour cream, I also like to add a little bbq sauce because I eat it on everything) but I substituted the chicken/beef for...you guessed it...scrambled eggs! It was delicious and you can eat it for breakfast OR dinner! For a lower fat version, you can just use egg whites and substitute greek yogurt instead of the sour cream (that's what I did...pictured above).
Wednesday, July 15, 2015
Free Range(ish) Chickens
Our chickens are free range...ish. We keep them cooped up (get it, GET IT?!) during the day when we're at work and then my husband, Joe let's them out around 4 when he gets home and they come back to the coop on their own around dusk. We keep them in their coop mainly to protect them from things like this:
(yes that's a bear roaming our yard in suburban Connecticut) and also so that we can go wrangle them back to our yard when our neighbors from the abutting condo complex come to warn us that our chickens are wandering in the streets. For the first few months they would be sleeping soundly in their nesting boxes within the coop when we went out to check on them around 9pm. The last few weeks they have been roosting/sleeping on the top of their coop (they like to roost on the highest point...no idea why) so my husband goes out around 9, picks them up one by one and "scoots" them into the coop. Tonight he's is working the night shift which happens pretty often and usually without much warning, so for the first time I had to go out and "scoot" the ladies into their coop. It was a scene. For starters they weren't sleeping peacefully like my husband said they would be, they were awake and they were looking at me. They were also laying right next to each other almost overlapping their wings so it was very difficult to grab one without disturbing the others. After about 2 minutes of hemming and hawing and poking at them just enough to really rile them up; I grabbed one. Not a tight enough grip, she flapped her wings right out of my hands almost immediately and landed on the ground right in front of the coop door. Then I really did just have to scoot her in and she went pretty peacefully. The next three were increasingly difficult and the last one kept turning around in a circle following my movements so that I couldn't grab her from behind and it's pretty hard to grab a hen that's staring straight at you...I couldn't even figure out where to grab her! Finally I nabbed her from behind and after she flapped out and around the coop for a minute, she wandered in the door on her own. This entire endeavor probably lasted 15 minutes and was enough for me to break a serious sweat and get a foot cramp from the stress of it all...I hope Joe is off the night shift soon or else our hens might not be free ranging at all for a while!
(yes that's a bear roaming our yard in suburban Connecticut) and also so that we can go wrangle them back to our yard when our neighbors from the abutting condo complex come to warn us that our chickens are wandering in the streets. For the first few months they would be sleeping soundly in their nesting boxes within the coop when we went out to check on them around 9pm. The last few weeks they have been roosting/sleeping on the top of their coop (they like to roost on the highest point...no idea why) so my husband goes out around 9, picks them up one by one and "scoots" them into the coop. Tonight he's is working the night shift which happens pretty often and usually without much warning, so for the first time I had to go out and "scoot" the ladies into their coop. It was a scene. For starters they weren't sleeping peacefully like my husband said they would be, they were awake and they were looking at me. They were also laying right next to each other almost overlapping their wings so it was very difficult to grab one without disturbing the others. After about 2 minutes of hemming and hawing and poking at them just enough to really rile them up; I grabbed one. Not a tight enough grip, she flapped her wings right out of my hands almost immediately and landed on the ground right in front of the coop door. Then I really did just have to scoot her in and she went pretty peacefully. The next three were increasingly difficult and the last one kept turning around in a circle following my movements so that I couldn't grab her from behind and it's pretty hard to grab a hen that's staring straight at you...I couldn't even figure out where to grab her! Finally I nabbed her from behind and after she flapped out and around the coop for a minute, she wandered in the door on her own. This entire endeavor probably lasted 15 minutes and was enough for me to break a serious sweat and get a foot cramp from the stress of it all...I hope Joe is off the night shift soon or else our hens might not be free ranging at all for a while!
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