More holidays. More pictures. Part II

Now I am playing catch up since I took a two week (or more) long hiatus from the blog and I've got more pictures from Christmas.

Most guys are excited to get video games, electronics or firearms (Austin would be excited to get the latter) for Christmas, but my husband was eagerly awaiting this Christmas gift:

Yes, that's right: a new vacuum cleaner!!

Austin should consider modeling home appliances for SEARS 

I know what you are thinking...where can I get one of these?  Sears.  Oh wait, you were drooling over my  housekeeping husband!! (don't tell him I said that because he may just stop vacuuming...)

We needed a new vacuum cleaner, especially since Jag is now spending more time in the house.  (He spends the evenings in the house, usually laying by the fireplace...doesn't that sound nice?)  I am not 100% on board with dogs in the house--especially since I have allergies-- but I told Austin that I would agree to it if:

A. The dog stayed off the carpet
B. Austin brushed the dog daily (or close to daily)
C. Austin kept the floors clean

And I am happy to say that I have not had to vacuum or sweep the floors (with the exception of the kitchen) since we've had the dog.  Way to go honey!  You are great!

So, Cailey is happy because the floors are clean and Austin is happy because Jag is happy:

Happy to be inside.

Well, Nate has fallen asleep on me and I'm craving a little cuddling time, so that's it for this post.  But don't worry, I have much more to post.  Maybe tomorrow!  ;)  I will leave you this this photo.  Nate looks so tired, but he was sitting up on his own for long periods of time when Austin took this picture!  My little guy is growing up so fast!

Playing with his Christmas toys!

More holidays. More pictures.

I have been meaning to take the time to update you, but it seems that at the end of the day the list of things that didn't get done (including a blog post) is so long I can't seem to rationalize getting on the computer and getting lost in blog-land.

Oh.  And another reason why I haven't had time to update my blog is because I've fallen in love with a new internet sensation: Pintrest.  I have found that it is so easy to spend an hour or more searching this website and getting great ideas for things I will probably never have time to do (because instead of actually doing these things, I just continue to surf the web for more great ideas...)

Here is my Pinterest pin board (or whatever you call it).  I am mostly using the site to store recipes that I have tried and those that I want to try.  Check it out...I have found some great recipes!  And as I type, I have the chicken enchilada soup cooking in the crockpot.

But enough excuses.  Here's the update:

Nate's first Christmas was fantastic!  We had my family over on Christmas eve for a pizza party, cookie decorating, and a showing of Austin's new favorite animated film (which we have watched 6 times this month) A Christmas Carol.  The weather was so great that the kids took Jag on a walk to the park, played football and even stood in our front yard and serenaded our neighbors with Christmas carols.

Here's our packed house on Christmas Eve

Nate chillin' with Grandpa, getting tons of attention from his Aunts, Emily and Sara-Anne

Lovin' the attention

And this is Christmas morning:

Santa's little helper getting a little nap in before brunch.

Coffee with daddy on Christmas morning!

And my favorite.  Adorable.

We had Austin's family over on Christmas morning for brunch and presents.  Nate was so tired from an exciting, fun-filled Christmas eve that he slept through present-opening.  Though we saved a few gifts for him to open up after his nap:

Opening gifts

Look at the chunk!  He's adorable!  (I'm so sorry if I over-use that term...but it's so true!)

Well, I think that's all I have time for tonight.  I would post more if it wasn't for Pintrest.

And my long "to-do" list.

Thrifty Tuesday

I know that although thrify starts with a "T," it doesn't rhyme with "Tuesday" and the phrase isn't an alliteration.  But I like it anyway.

Since I have been home on maternity leave I have been trying to find ways to save money, however towing a newborn to various grocery stores in the cold with a handful of coupons has not been working.  In fact, I find myself making several trips to HyVee each week, even though I know I am paying quite a bit more at HyVee than I would at Walmart or Aldi's.  But Hy-Vee is just right around the corner from our house and I don't have to fight quite as many people for a parking spot or a grocery cart as I do at Walmart. My desire to find ways to save on our money grocery bill has been renewed by two things: my return to work on a part-time basis, and one of my friends' blog posts.

I remember when I was in college standing in line at the grocery store behind a young family whose grocery bill exceeded $100.  I thought, that will never happen to me...I will never spend that much money on food.   And look at me now!  Austin and I have always had a budget, but lately we haven't really been sticking to it.  We have $400/monthly budgeted towards groceries (not including household items and diapers), but I know we are spending more than that with all my quick grocery runs.  So yesterday I planned meals for the next week (maybe I can stretch it to two weeks) and then today I went grocery shopping.

I have a book with all of my frequently used recipes, so I looked through those and picked a few that I wanted to make this week and this is what I came up with:

Chili
Chicken and Dumplings
Cheesy Rigatoni
Quesadillas
Lasagna
Stuffed Chicken Breasts
Pizza

I went to Aldi's and bought the majority of my groceries and then drove across the road to Walmart to pick up household items.  And I only spent $60.99.  Woohoo!  That's great improvement for me!

A picture of my receipts from my grocery adventure today and the recipe I used to make lunch: Cheesy Rigatoni

While dinner was in the oven, I calculated both the calories and the price of the meal.  The meal cost $4.74 and the cost per serving (it could serve 8, but in the Oates household it will only make 6 servings...) is $0.79.  The whole dish has 1310 calories (plus the pasta noodles...they vary depending on brand and ingredients), which comes to 218 calories (plus the 100+/- calories in the pasta noodles) per serving.  Again, if you can stretch it for 8 servings, you save even more calories!

All my notes

Throw in a loaf of bread with butter and garlic salt (yumm!) and a quick dessert (I didn't make one!  Oops!) and you have a cheap, semi-healthy meal.  Ready in 45 minutes.  15 minutes of prep and 30 minutes in the oven.  Perfect.

Not too bad for a quick lunch-time meal.  

Quick meals leave me with more time to spend with this dude:

He is always drooling.  But even so, isn't he cute?

Of course I took 30 pictures of him sitting in his bumbo.  Just be glad you only have to see two of them! :) 

Funday Monday

This is my last Monday of maternity leave.  And I've decided to make EVERY minute of my dwindling maternity leave count.

Today was great.  Nate went to sleep last night happy.  And I mean really happy!  He was so happy he wouldn't finish nursing; he was all smiles and even when I put him in the swaddler (which he usually fights against) and laid him down for bed he just looked around, wide awake and happy.  Then Nate slept in until 7:30am and was...you guessed it...happy!  He was smiling and cooing.  Adorable.

Then after Austin woke up, Nate and Austin and I shared coffee as we did our quiet time.

He's concentrating on the Lord's Word as read by Austin. (Oh, and that toy by his right hand...AMAZING! He loves it!  Thanks Jamie M.)

Then Nate went down for a nice nap in his room!  (He has been sleeping in our room for the last 3.5 months).
While the Nater-Gator was napping, I was baking.  I made some English Muffin Toasting Bread.  It's gotten me excited to start baking again.  Perhaps I'll make a point to do so during his nap.  The bread recipe is super easy and definitely a keeper:

King Arthur English Muffin Toasting Bread

• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 tablespoon instant yeast
• 1 cup milk
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil or olive oil
• cornmeal, to sprinkle in pan

directions

1) Whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, and instant yeast in a large mixing bowl.

2) Combine the milk, water, and oil in a separate, microwave-safe bowl, and heat to between 120°F and 130°F. Be sure to stir the liquid well before measuring its temperature; you want an accurate reading. If you don't have a thermometer, the liquid will feel quite hot (hotter than lukewarm), but not so hot that it would be uncomfortable as bath water.

3) Pour the hot liquid over the dry ingredients in the mixing bowl.

4) Beat at high speed for 1 minute. The dough will be very soft.

5) Lightly grease an 8 1/2" x 4 1/2" loaf pan, and sprinkle the bottom and sides with cornmeal.

6) Scoop the soft dough into the pan, leveling it in the pan as much as possible.

7) Cover the pan, and let the dough rise till it's just barely crowned over the rim of the pan. When you look at the rim of the pan from eye level, you should see the dough, but it shouldn't be more than, say, 1/4" over the rim. This will take about 45 minutes to 1 hour, if you heated the liquid to the correct temperature and your kitchen isn't very cold. While the dough is rising, preheat the oven to 400°F.

8) Remove the cover, and bake the bread for 22 to 27 minutes, till it's golden brown and its interior temperature is 190°F.

9) Remove the bread from the oven, and after 5 minutes turn it out of the pan onto a rack to cool. Let the bread cool completely before slicing.

And the finished product.  Yummy!  (Austin showed great restraint and asked me to cut the bread for him instead of just digging in...thanks honey!)

And I rounded out my great day with playtime with Nate, P90X and finishing up a few Christmas presents.  I can't show all of them since some of the recipients have internet access and may check out the blog.  And If you get one of these, please be surprised:

Great Grandma Hope and Nate at Thanksgiving

Side view.  It's not perfect, but I'll work on it!

Well, Nate and I are going to end our day with a nice warm bath (for him, that is).  He loves his baths now and I love seeing him have fun.  What a great way to round out a great day.