My Newest Cleaning Friend

So I know this is so lame to post about but it truly has worked miracles in my laundry life! Introducing solid foods to my baby has wreaked havoc on my laundry and so my Mom recommended the Clorox Bleach pen. If you haven't tried it, you need to! The fabulous part is I can use it on the white parts of colored outfits and the colored parts stay, well, colored! I just had to recommend it to anyone who hasn't discovered it yet!

Wednesday Weekly

What are some of your favorite "chick flicks"?

cool gift idea

Snapfish is now offering collage posters from $6.99. I experimented with it for just a few minutes last night and thought it was so way cool. I loved the layout they chose for the pictures I selected. If you already have Snapfish albums, it's a matter of moments to create a collage.

I hate being a single parent...

Ok, so not literally a single parent. But it is officially the time of year I dread-the time where I never see my husband! He is a landscaper, and so half the year (winter) I see him a ton, and the other half-never! I feel like I have come a long way over the years in being more understanding and realistic in my expectations. This year I have to be especially realistic because it is his first year on his own, with his own business. That means no mean ugly boss to blame it on when he misses dinner, has to cancel our date, or has worked a ton of overtime in one week! And if I want there to be food to eat...it would be wise not to complain! I honestly appreciate so much that he is working so hard to provide for our family. But...it starts to weigh on you when you have no relief from providing the care for an adorable and fun, nonetheless whiny and teething baby all day every day! And aside from doing things on my own, I honestly just miss my hubby! The few hours that he is home in the evenings is usually spent doing paperwork or passed out from exhaustion! To top it off, he just informed me that he might miss my kid brother's graduation open house this Fri, if he doesn't meet a certain deadline. I'm trying so hard to be understanding, but I don't know if I can hide the diappointment on this one. I know a lot of you are in the same boat. I was just wondering what you do to keep a positive attitude, show your gratitude to your husbands (despite your disappointments), and make some quality time for each other and the family when there seems to be no time!

Baby Name Wizard

My cousin has this link on his site and I think it's really fun. It shows you the popularity of names over the years.

Orange Roughy

Laura-- I tried this recipe quite a few years ago and I think I just haven't made it again because I'm not in a good habit of buying fish. I do remember that we enjoyed it. It's from the Eating for Life book.

Orange Roughy

1/4 cup breadcrumbs
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/4 cup reduced-fat Parmesan cheese, grated
1 egg white
4 potions orange roughy fillets (about 1 1/2 lbs.)
1 Tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped
1 lemon, halved

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly coat a baking sheet with cooking spray. In a pie plate, combine breadcrumbs, Italian seasoning and Parmesan cheese. In a small mixing bowl, whisk the egg white until slightly foamy. Lightly brush both sides of the orange roughy fillets with the egg white and then coat with breadcrumbs. Arrange fillets on the prepared baking sheet and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of parsley. Bake until the orange roughy is opaque throughout, approximately 20 minutes. Top with a squeeze of lemon.

(I think I skipped the parsley.)

I'm Lost without Lost

Okay, I know there are at least a couple of you out there who are LOST fans, and I just have to say, that was a CrAzY season finale! The Others were practically all taken down in like one episode. I wonder what plot they are going to take on next?? And are they starting to do flash-forwards instead of flashbacks? How wild is that? This show is just amazing. Anyway, let me know what your comments are about this. Let's have a little discussion.

Car seats in summer

What do you do to keep your car seats from being burning hot in your car while you're inside the store?

Banana-Walnut Chocolate-Chunk Cookies

You want the most AMAZING oatmeal chocolate-chip cookie ever? Here it is!!! Don't let the title fool you. This is really an oatmeal cookie recipe.

Banana-Walnut Chocolate-Chunk Cookies(Makes about 4 dozen)

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar
1 large egg
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup mashed ripe banana
1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
8 ounces semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Whisk together flours, salt, and baking soda in a small bowl; set aside. Put butter and sugars into the bowl of an electric mixer; mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy. Reduce speed to low. Add egg and vanilla; mix until combined. Mix in banana. Add flour mixture; mix until just combined. Stir in oats, chocolate chunks, and walnuts.

2. Drop dough onto baking sheets using a 1 1/2-inch ice cream scoop. Bake cookies until golden brown, about 10-12 minutes. Let cool on wire racks. Cookies can be stored in airtight containers up to 2 days.

There it is! I like to substitute chopped up Hershey Chocolate bars for the semisweet chocolate.
Thank you "Martha Stewart: Cookie of the Month" September 2006.

Oatmeal Choc Chippers

Not sure where this recipe came from, but they are chewy, delicious, and best of all - EASY! I make them often!

Here goes:

Ingredients:
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup softened margarine or butter
1/4 cup shortening
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon (gotta love the cinnamon!)
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 egg
1 & 1/2 cups quick-cooking oats
1 cup flour
1 cup raisins, choc chips, or nuts if desired (I go for the chocolate all the way!)

Heat oven to 375. Mix all ingredients except oats, flour, and choc chips. Stir in oats, flour, and chips or raisins. Drop dough by rounded teaspoonfuls about 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake until light golden brown, about 10 minutes. Immediately remove from sheet.

Yields about 2 dozen cookies; 110 cal per cookie.

Hmmm, I am craving cookies!

My Oatmeal Cookie Quest

I have another recipe request! I LOVE love love oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. But I'm picky! I'm looking for the kind that are soft and chewy, not crunchy! :) I found a great recipe on allrecipes.com (love that site!) a few years ago, tweaked it and perfected it to my taste, but being me, never transferred it to my cookbook and it has disappeared!!!! I know there are some great recipes out there. Help! Share if you've got a great one!

ps-don't like raisins but i do add nuts sometimes if that matters :)

EVOO

I keep reading about certain olive oils being better than others, but quite frankly I just grab the cheapest and go. I know you want the first press, and I think I read that the greener the better, but can anyone recommend an actual brand?

Go fish!

Okay, while we're on the subject of new recipes...does anyone have any good fish recipes, other than just broiling them and giving them a squirt of lemon? Growing up, the only fish my mom made was tuna noodle casserole and fish sticks. I have never developed an affinity for it, but I'll eat it without a problem whenever someone serves it. I know it's good for us, and I want my kids to think of it as just as common as chicken. To that end, I've announced to my husband that we're going to have seafood night once a week. Now I just need some recipes (as well as kid-friendly fish suggestions)! HELP!

Say Hello to "Scarlett Spice!"

Allow me to introduce the newest "junior" member of "Sugar & Spice"! :)
-Jocelyn

Christensens Give Birth to Baby Girl
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

View pictures at: http://jocelynandsteve.bravehost.com

May 18, 2007
State College, PA – Scarlett True Christensen was born to Steve and Jocelyn Christensen on Friday, May 18, 2007 at 2:28 PM. She weighs 8 pounds 8 ounces and is 22 inches long. "Scarlett evens out the boy/girl ratio and is the perfect addition to our family," says Jocelyn.

Contractions accelerated on Friday morning just after breakfast, and an hour later the couple knew that delivery was imminent. By the time they both reached Mt. Nittany Medical Center, Jocelyn was having contractions every two minutes, and the physicians never left her side, including Nurse Ashley, who assisted in delivering older brother Guy.

After three hours of labor, Jocelyn pushed for a mere seven minutes before Scarlett made her debut. The attending Dr. John O'Shea asserted that "a woman gets points for already having given birth," but he was astounded by how fast this baby came.

"It's a girl!" proclaimed Steve ending nine months of mystery surrounding the gender. Although Steve and Jocelyn chose not to find out the gender, 18 month-old, Guy, predicted from the start that the baby would be a "Girl, girl!"

Scarlett made her presence known immediately with a few healthy cries, but since the shock of birth has worn off, those cries have been replaced by placid breathing and an occasional snore.

The whole family was happily reunited that evening when Guy joined them at the hospital. Guy showed his understanding by looking at Scarlett, then at Jocelyn's stomach, and then back at Scarlett while uttering "Baby, baby." The siblings were the same length at birth and have the same blood type, and it is clear that the two already have a very special bond.

The parents decided to name the baby Scarlett True, because of a longstanding family affinity for the color red, and also to instill in her a desire to stand for truth and to always "Be True." Scarlett shares the name True with her sixth great grandmother Martha True.

Scarlett has quickly made a name for herself around the Labor and Delivery wing. "She has an Anne Geddes face," said Nurse Jo, and "She looks like a movie star." "Movie star, yes, but diva, never! She is so easy to care for." said Jocelyn.

The family will return home on Sunday, ending a long week that began with Steve graduating with an MBA from Penn State. Steve said, "We're going to take it easy for the next few days; life is about to get very interesting."
# # # #

Wednesday Weekly

What is the best costume you ever wore for Halloween?

Bath and Body Works SALE!

Hey ladies! If you are like me then you are always waiting for those yummy anti-bacterial hand soaps to go on sale at Bath and Body Works. Word on the street is they are the lowest they are going to be all year starting this Thursday.

5 for $10!!!!!

I don't know if the sale is everywhere, but it's worth looking into!

Rosemary Chicken Recipe

Chantel, here is a recipe for roast chicken that uses fresh rosemary. It's pretty tasty!

P.S. The chef who wrote the "Chef's Note" isn't me, it's the person who submitted the recipe to the website I got it from. Just for the record.

Roast Chicken with Grapes Recipe

Chef's Note: The grapes not only absorb the juices and flavor of the chicken, the chicken absorbs the sweet juice of the grapes, making this a succulent way of preparing roast chicken. Note the way that the chicken is cooked breast down. This helps the breast stay moist.

1 roasting chicken, about 4 to 5 pounds
1 lemon, sliced
salt and pepper to taste
1 onion, cut into eight wedges
1 large bunch of seedless grapes
several sprigs of fresh rosemary
1 cup of white wine
Olive oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Rub inside of chicken with olive oil. Sprinkle insides with salt and pepper. Remove about a cup's worth of grapes from their vines and cut in half. Insert grapes into cavity. Add one half of the onion wedges into the cavity, along with a couple sprigs of fresh rosemary. You do not need to remove the rosemary from the stalk. Add a half of the lemon slices to the cavity. If you still have more space in the cavity, add more grapes.

Rub olive oil over the outside of the chicken. Place in a casserole dish or roasting pan, breast side down. Sprinkle outside of chicken with salt and pepper. Place sprigs of rosemary and slices of lemon between the wings and the body of the chicken. Arrange the remaining grapes, lemon slices, and rosemary around the sides of the chicken.

Roast at 350 degrees F in the oven for about 20 minutes per pound. Baste with the juices from the chicken and the white wine several times during the cooking. Place a meat thermometer deep into the chicken breast. When meat thermometer temperature reading reaches about 175 degrees, the chicken is done.

Serve with rice, and include the cooked grapes and juices.

I Feel Squashy

Hi guys, I was lost in Blogging Slackers Land but now I am back. Since Chantel asked for information on Rosemary, it reminded me that I have always wanted to start applying squash to our diets, but I have no idea how to go about doing it. What are good kinds of squash for a beginner to buy? Then, once you buy them, what do you do with them? How do you know when they are ripe? Any information on the subject would be greatly appreciated.

Rosemary Recipes?

I have recently found my green thumb, and now have a small spice garden. I have oregano, basil, and rosemary in my garden. I am hoping that some of you might have some great recipes that I could use fresh rosemary. So please send your favorite recipes. Thanks!!!!

Scrapbook storage

I have not scrapbooked since the night I started labor. I think part of why I don't get to it very often is because it seems like it takes a lot of time to get materials out, get organized, and get started. I have a large rubbermaid container with most of my supplies and some ziploc bags that separate stickers from scraps of paper and stuff like that. I have a small Rubbermaid for pens and scissors and last year I finally got a 12 x 12 box for 12 x 12 paper. I have it all tucked in a closet, and it's not accessible. Does anyone have any storage ideas that have worked for them?

I really like the "doing something permanent everyday" idea that was brought up in the housework post and scrapbooking is one of those things you can do, but pulling it out for a few minutes in a day just isn't working for me at this point.

Women's Challenge

So, what happened with our Sugar and Spice team this week ladies :)

Housework Shmousework...

Ok ladies, I need to vent. Let me just preface this post by saying that I love being home with my daughter. I usually am in tears when I have to go back to work after being off awhile, and despite what I am about to say..if I had my choice, I would stay home full-time. However, I have been struggling lately with the monotony of housework and every day tasks. I have found that unfortunately, my mood correlates pretty strongly with the condition that my house is in. So when it's in shambles (and it seems to be more often than not) I feel like ripping my hair out. Since my daughter is only 7 mos, and my husband has been working long hours, it's all up to me. I hate spending all day doing dishes, laundry, and just picking up clutter, only to do it all over again the next day! Don't get me wrong, I'm used to being busy, and having a thousand things on my to-do list. But I think that's the problem. I like checking things OFF the to-do list. So many nights, I lay in bed, and can't think of one single thing I accomplished besides the simple everyday tasks! (By the way, I'm talking about housework here, not caring for my daughter. If I could do anything, I'd just play with her all day and forget the house!) Anyway, last night I totally freaked out on my husband because he fell asleep on an unmade mattress instead of pulling the sheets out of the dryer and making the bed. Should he have helped? Yeah probably, but I also overreacted slightly. Anyway, maybe I just needed to vent. So thanks for listening. But I AM curious how you all find more of a sense of accomplishment in the sometimes drudgery that's a part of our everyday tasks!

p.s. Do you guys feel like this, or am I just a freak??? :)

Finger Foods

I know we have really covered the baby food topic pretty well, but I am basically clueless on finger foods for my 8 month old. She is pretty good at getting the puffs in her mouth, she gums food really well, and she does good with lumpy food. So I have been told to start introducing more finger foods. What are the best foods for her to start with? I know I could be asking my pediatrician, or my sister... But they aren't the most helpful. What are the easiest foods for her to start eating? (i.e. less choking hazard, tastes good, semi-easy to pick up, etc...) Thanks!

Car Travel

Okay ladies, I need you to really crack open your brains for this one.

We are about to embark on a road trip that will total (gulp) 48 hours in the car. I have a four year old girl and an almost two year old boy. Movies - check. Snacks - check. Benedryl - check. But we are inevitably going to encounter times where the kids need new entertainment. Any ideas? PLEASE!

Wednesday Weekly

What is your favorite month?

Actually, what are your top two favorite months?

(How is everyone doing with the WOMAN challenge?)

Why I don't win Mom of the year....

Thought I'd share a story from my day, probably my most embarrassing moment and NOT my proudest moment as a mother. I was in the baby clothing section of Target. Now we all know I love Target, and I love baby clothes. But I didn't realize just how absorbed I was until I heard a voice saying, "Ma'am, that's not your cart." Concentration shattered, I looked up at the first girl I saw, and thought to myself how embarrassing that must be that she took off with someone else's cart. Then again, the voice said, "Ma'am, that's not your cart. Your cart's over there...with your baby in it!" Finally, as I had a heart attack and let out a little shriek, I realized she was talking to ME. I had paused to look at something, and then started pushing someone else's cart, while leaving my cart with my precious daughter behind. I don't think my face has ever been so flaming red with embarrassment, or my knuckles so white from gripping the cart, swearing I wouldn't let go of it again, even for a second. I know it had only been seconds, but how far would I have gone??? It definitely freaked me out. So I was just wondering, has anything similar happened to you guys? Anyone ever left your children behind, or do I really win worst mom of the year??? Make me feel better ladies!

Hand-Foot-and-Mouth Disease

Hey ladies,

So my 3 1/2 year old was not eating very much and even threw away more than half of a fudgesicle. In my family there is never discarded chocolate. Well I became curious and checked her mouth, thinking that she might have hurt her tongue. I was surprised to find little white dots all over her tongue. So 30 minutes later we are at the urgent care finding out that she had hand-foot-and-mouth disease.

Support for nursing moms

Anyone have any recommendations, tips, stores, etc. that they found a good, supportive, shaping nursing bra? I like breastfeeding my baby (who is 7 weeks old today) but hate my humongous boobs. So far all the bras I have tried offer a little bit of support but no shape - so I feel like no matter what I wear I look like I have two big blobs across my chest. I feel like the little brother in "A Christmas Story" whose mom gets him dressed in so many layers of winter clothes and he can't put his arms down. I can't imagine doing this for several more months!!! How do you all cope?

For all Moms suffering from the teething blues...

Have you guys seen these??? A lady I work with told me about them. You put real food in the little mesh bags, snap them shut, and your baby has something to teethe on that not only feels good...it tastes good too! This lady's recommendation was frozen peaches. Her daughter also liked just plain ice cubes in them. They don't actually swallow the food itself, but they will get some of the juice. So make sure it's a food they've been exposed to in their baby food already, or that you're keeping an eye on them for allergic reactions. So far Skyler is a little weirded out by them, but I think they will be a hit, once she "gets it." Word to the wise...the juice can get sticky, so use a bib!

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day, ladies! I hope you all have a wonderful day, and even if there's no breakfast in bed in sight, that your little one(s) let you know how wonderful and important you are to them sometime today!

Venting

My baby is 8 months old and not crawling. Actually from something I saw last night, I think she may have it by the end of next week. This is not a post about crawling, it's a post about a mom who is getting tired of conversations like this:

"So is she crawling yet?"
"No, not yet."
"How old is she?"
"8 months old."
"Oh." (surprised look)

I've come to a place where I try to ignore these encounters, but as you can tell I'm not completely over it otherwise I wouldn't be writing a post about it. I feel strongly that children develop at different times in different ways, and it truly does not worry me that she is not crawling yet. I just get really annoyed sometimes with the judgmental comparisons! I have no problem with the conversation above, it's the surprised look that annoys me! I've got to get over this because I know it will get worse, but I just wanted to vent! Another example: I know that I have friends and family members who couldn't nurse, and they felt the same way when people asked them about not breastfeeding. Good thing motherhood is worth the rudeness from others!

Introducing Tiffany and Megan

Hi everyone! I knew Lindsay, Staci, and Katie Earp growing up in Naperville and I just got invited to join this blog and I'm so excited! I totally have NO IDEA what I'm doing as a new mom...and I love advice from other people--esp. ones in the same boat as me. :)

Anyway, I grew up in Naperville, IL (near Chicago), went to college at BYU (Go Cougars!) where I met a very handsome man who was terrified of me (I won him over). 14 months later we were married, and now almost 2 years later we have a BEAUTIFUL, gigantic 3 month old. I like to laugh because after our first date my husband went home and his roommates asked him, "How'd your date go?" and his response (no joke) was, "We'd make big babies." And we did. ;)

Anyway, I majored in Elementary Education and taught second grade for a year in Heber City, UT while my husband finished school (he majored in Mechanical Engineering). After graduation he got a job working for Boeing in Washington state, so here we are. :) I substitute taught until February when Megan was born, and now I am lucky enough to be a stay-at-home mom and chill with my baby. It's very fun getting to know her little personality and I feel very blessed to have her in my life. I love to sing, I love to read, and I love sports (but cannot play any of them...I'm no good...rough). My dream for the world is that it would turn into a musical just for one day...seriously, how awesome would that be? You're just walking somewhere and then all of a sudden everyone busts out into song and dance? It would pretty much rule. I am shamelessy addicted to American Idol and I love cheesy movies. That's pretty much me. I'm excited to get to know the rest of you!

Team Sugar & Spice

Hi everyone,

Just a reminder to sign up, if you're interested, for the WOMAN Challenge 2007. The only ladies I've got on Team Sugar & Spice at this very moment are Linz, Liz&Meg, and kristi. If you haven't registered yet, you must do that first so that you can get included on the team. The link and directions are here. There are a couple of you who have registered, but I don't know that City and State that you live in, which is required information in order to get you on the team.

If you signed up for a pedometer, it should be coming soon! Mine came in the mail yesterday and I am thrilled!!! Let's get treckin' ladies!

Another fun Book site!

I LOVE to read! I found this site this morning. I tried to read all the Newberrys once and didn't make it through half of them I'm sure but I also found some new favorite books! (I have way too many favorites to name!) I thought this was worthy of sharing with all you bookworms out there!

"Today is the day to come full circle."

"Today is the day to come full circle."

Have you seen the Mother's Day JCPenney commercial? It gives me the goosebumps. It starts with a mom and daughter walking down the street and just kind of shows the "circle of life". I just love it even though it makes me want to cry. Maybe just because I love my mom so incredibly much as well as my daughter. This is my first official Mother's Day as a mom and it just warms my heart. Happy Mother's Day ladies!

Yet another question on baby food...

Alright, I consider this post a great way to gather advice from all you women who have been there and done that. I know we have had quite a few posts on this topic, but I have a 6 month old that dislikes anything besides breast milk. Sunday, I pumped out and tried to get him to take a bottle and he refused all day long and finally i gave in after it have been almost the entire day that he wouldn't touch the bottle. She would scream, arch his back and freak. So....any of you have or had this problem?? Do I just play tough love and decide that he will eat from the bottle when he is hungry enough? This little one is nearly 20 lbs and isn't hurting for food.
Also, he hates any kind of baby food. He gaggs and will spit is all out. We try every night at the same time to give him rice cereal and some kind of fruit or veggie. So far, he will tolerate Pears, but everything else he gaggs and keeps his little mouth as tightly closed as he can. What do I do?? I have been trying for 2 months to get this little guy to eat or drink from anywhere but from me, but he just won't.
I want to go out of town with some girl friends in a couple of weeks and so I gotta get this little guy to be able to take a bottle or something! Any suggestions??

WOMAN Challenge--revisited

Stac, I think I remember that the WOMAN challenge begins on Mother's Day. Is it too late if other people want to join our little team? (If not, and if others are interested, make a comment.) What exactly do we do starting next week? (Maybe I should just read about it!) I'm excited about this extra motivation to WORK MY BODY!

Cystic Fibrosis

Linz asked me to write a post about my daughter and Cystic Fibrosis (CF). I don't really know exactly what to write, so I guess I will just give you the basics. This is an excerpt from the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation website, "Cystic fibrosis is an inherited chronic disease that affects the lungs and digestive system of about 30,000 children and adults in the United States (70,000 worldwide). A defective gene and its protein product cause the body to produce unusually thick, sticky mucus that: clogs the lungs and leads to life-threatening lung infections; and obstructs the pancreas and stops natural enzymes from helping the body break down and absorb food." So basically her lungs get clogged with mucus a lot easier and she doesn't absorb food very well. The defective gene has to come from both parents in order to have CF, so apparently my husband and I are both carriers.

When Reagan was born she spit up a lot of stomach bile and didn't have a bowel movement. After a lot of tests, x-rays, ultrasounds, barium enemas, etc… she underwent surgery. The surgeon was not sure what he would find, but luckily was able to fix her up. She had almost half of her small intestine removed because it had twisted back on itself. Apparently this twisted bowel is sometimes a sign of CF, so they drew some blood and sent it over to genetics to test. There is absolutely no history of CF in either my husband's or my family, so we didn't expect the test to come back positive. Basically that means generations have been carrying the gene, but no one ever married another carrier. Reagan spent 4 weeks in the NICU before coming home.

Day to day life with her is a little different than for a child without CF. Weight gain is a constant struggle with her. As if losing half of her small intestine wasn't enough, CF causes her to not absorb foods adequately. I have to give her pancreatic enzymes mixed in a spoon of applesauce before every meal and snack. That helps to make up for the fact that her pancreas cannot transport her own enzymes into her intestines for absorption.

To help prevent lung infections I give her pulmozyme through a nebulizer once a day (about 15 minutes) and then I percuss her twice a day (about 20 minutes each time). A percussor is a rubber cup-like thing that causes vibrations in her lungs to help break up any mucus build-up. She is also quarantined during the first two winters to prevent her from getting the flu, RSV, or colds.

There was a great article in the October Ensign about a woman with CF. It made me super emotional, but also made me realize what a support the church is to us. Our Bishop has one foyer closed off for us to sit during sacrament meeting, and has asked the congregation to refrain from using it so we can come to church and still remain isolated.

Having a daughter with CF is sometimes really hard for me, because it makes me ultra paranoid about germs. Luckily my daughter is wonderful and makes it all worthwhile! I think one of the hardest things about having a daughter with CF, is explaining to people that she is "normal." CF is not a disability, it is a disease, and it doesn't affect her mental or physical abilities. The other hard thing is trying to explain to people why we are going to have more children. A lot of people (specifically outside the church) think that it is cruel to bring more children into the world when there is a 25% chance that they will have CF. We have prayed about having more children, and we know that we have at least one more child waiting. If the Lord wishes for us to take care of more than one child with CF then we will. Anyways, I think I have babbled long enough. If you have any questions, I will try my best to answer them.

A few interesting facts about CF:

• 1 in every 30 Caucasian-Americans is a symptom-less carrier of CF
• There are more than 10 million carriers in the United States
• 1 in every 400 marriages involves 2 carriers
• More than 30,000 people in the U.S. have CF
• CF is one of the most common genetic disorders of Caucasians
• There is evidence that CF existed as early as 1595

(left) Reagan using her nebulizer (right) Me percussing her

Hope that helps, Linz!

Wednesday Weekly

If you could project yourself into the past, where would you go?

Mom hair

So I just saw a pic of Staci celebrating her son's first birthday... and she looks fabulous!!! A reader had left a comment about her bangs. It got me thinking about hair and how I need a new do. My son is 6 weeks old and I am ready to start thinking about myself again - losing the prego weight, wearing something besides velour pants (aka upscale sweats), and actually doing my hair and a little make up. One predicament - my hair. Time for some hip 'mom' hair. One of these days I will make it to my hair stylist who will help me work it out, but until then, any comments or ideas about mom hair?

Graduation Gifts

I'm looking for good ideas for a high school graduation gift? Do you have any?

I like gifts that are creative and fun yet useful. When I graduated from high school, I could have done without Chicken Soup for the Graduate's Soul or a Class of 2000 beanie baby, ya know? (I hope that doesn't offend anyone.) My favorite gifts were a shower caddy, a suitcase, a little change box labeled "Laundry Fund", and a huge, super-comfy, personalized fleece blanket. I have probably forgotten a few others.

Any ideas for college graduation, too?

Grandparents

Just curious...

What are your kids' names for their grandparents? (Like the ones you created, not "ba" and "doo doo") Do you have different names for different sets of grandparents?

Shhhh!

What tricks have you found for keeping kids quiet in church? We have quiet books, books, quiet toys and snacks for our little one but she likes to "sing" along...when no one's singing and laugh at things...loudly! She listens to us when we tell her to quiet down but only for a moment. Any good ideas for teaching kids to be reverent?

Humor Me

I know this is kind of weird, but maybe you all could humor me??? Does anyone here see numbers, letters, days of the week/months/years as colors? For example, when I think of the number 5 it is always red, it never changes. And when I'm recalling dates and phone numbers I see bands of color, not numbers.

I found out it's genetic and my mom does it too. It's called synthaesthesia and it's a real phenomenon when the senses in the brain are cross-wired...no really! Google it. I guess some people will smell numbers and hear letters too. The information I've read says that 1 out of 30 people have some kind of synthaesthesia

Just wondering.

Sugar and Spice Stats

Here are some S&S stats as of May 3, 2007:

153 average page loads per day (if you need a stat counter for your blog, check out StatCounter)
26 authors (although we don't hear from all of them...miss you, ladies!)
76 posts per month on average (I didn't include January in that calculation.)
18 post categories
The highest number of hits occur on Mondays.
The lowest number of hits occur on Sundays.
264 total posts
99 days of existence

Happy 100th day tomorrow!

Chantel- New Blogger

Hi all you mommies! I am new to the whole blog thing, but was convinced by Linz that it was the place be, so I am excited to share tips with all of you.

My husband and I recently passed our 5 year marriage mark and are excited for the next 5 years. We have two kids, McKayla who is 3 1/2 and Parker who is 17 months.

We live in the San Antonio, Texas area and are adjusting to all the heat and humidity, which we are definitely not used to. We moved here from Utah, where we were studying at BYU. I am orginally from Highland, Utah and my husband is from Rochester, Minnesota.

I recieved my bachelor's degree in Marriage, Family, and Human Development, so I love learning anything about these subjects. I am currently using my degree to help me keep up with my two very active kids as I am a homemaker.
My favorite thing to do is bake, which I try not to do to often because of my love of eating the things I bake. I also enjoying reading a good book and relaxing in the bathtub as my husband watches the kids, an extra special treat.

I love being a mommy and my kids have taught me so much. They opposite personalities keep me on my toes, but their love of life and learning keep me laughing, although I must admit that sometimes it takes me a couple of days to find the humor.

I hope to get to know that rest of you domestic divas through your posts and comments as we share the adventures of raising children!

Wednesday Weekly!!

Oh my gosh...I hosted a lunch today and completely forgot about this until now! Guess it will be fun for Thursday!

What color best defines the mood you're in right now?

PBS Special

Did any of you see the PBS special on Mon and Tues on Mormons? The First Presidency had issued a statement letting us know it was going to be on, however it wasn't done by the Church. Some of the apostles were interviewed, but the majority of the interviews and statements were made by historians, people who had left the church, researchers, professors, etc. I personally didn't care for it at all. I missed Monday, but I saw last night's. I thought that even though it seemed like they were trying to be objective, the overall purpose was to make us look really weird. A lot of times they made statements that were technically true, but they left so much out that it just sounded ridiculous. Anyway, I went to bed feeling awful, and worrying about what people who aren't members of the church must have thought about it. I just wondered if anyone else saw it, and what you thought. Am I way off here???

Water Storage in Tight Spaces

When I started accumulating food storage, I started with what we use most, which was bottles of water (basically, just disregard this post if you don't drink bottled water, as the bottles are definitely not the way to go for long-term storage). We always keep a tray of 24 in the car anyway (we all drink like fish), and since one tray is 3 gallons and 1 pint, I just decided to start buying those when they were on sale (usually $4.30 or less at Target). Since we only need a two week supply per person instead of a whole year, I felt like I'd really accomplished something. About a third of our water supply is stored in cleaned out juice bottles filled to the very top to minimize gross stuff growing on the cap. I dump those and run them through the dishwasher every six months (at conference time, when we also look through our 72 hour kits, eat the expired candy bars, and try to cut out all the unnecessary stuff--candy bars are necessary for us). I don't stress much over the disinfecting process, since those bottles would just be used for cleaning, not drinking. We're in an apartment, so most of it is packed on the bottom of the linen closet and under the sink of our daughters' bathroom, plus I think two or three trays in an armoire we've dubbed our "pantry." We've stuffed it with all our food storage--mostly pastas, canned soups and vegs, dry milk, and our favorite cake and brownie mixes--you know, the essentials. ;) Also, I've decided that our one year old is not allowed to graduate out of her crib until we live someplace with more storage space, as our boxes of #10 cans of wheat from the cannery fit perfectly on their sides under her crib...and there is nowhere else to stash those puppies!

If you're looking to really learn more quickly, there's another girl in my ward (Aubrey) who was also interested in learning about food storage, and since neither of us knew anything about it, we decided to start a food storage group to try to pool our resources. We meet once a month at a set time, and either recruit a teacher or just research our monthly topic individually and come back and compare notes. There are about ten of us in the group, and an average of four come each month--we usually meet at someone's house. So far, topics have included storage containers, how to cook with wheat, water storage, wheat grinding, a food storage recipe exchange, and this month is canning. Since Aubrey and I are the only ones who come consistently, we have the luxury of just picking whatever topic we want to learn about, without consulting with the group and making it a big process.

Sorry for rambling. Oh! One more thing. If you're really tight on space and just don't want to mess with storing all that water, I just bought a Katadyn Combi filter with faucet attachment (you can get it from Amazon or Katadyn.com or in camping stores). It has an amazing filter that purifies the water, and you can use it camping or just attach it to the faucet if your normal water source is available, but contaminated. I also got a Katadyn Exstream water bottle that you can literally dip into a lake (or puddle, if you're desperate) and drink immediately, with no wait time. (Disclaimer: A guy in our ward works for Katadyn, and he taught our group's water storage meeting. Hence, my decision to buy that brand over whatever else might be there--I'm no expert, but I trust him.) Okay. Now I'm really done. Happy storing! :)

Blog cruising

Found this blog today: Children's Book Club