Leap Year

I just came across some interesting Leap Year info and thought I'd share. 

Leap Year

It is a leap year if the year is exactly divisible by 4 and is not divisible by 100 unless it is divisable by 400.

The calendar year is 365 days long, unless the year is exactly divisible by 4, in which case an extra day is added to February to make the year 366 days long.

If the year is the last year of a century, eg. 1700, 1800, 1900, 2000, then it is only a leap year if it is exactly divisible by 400. Therefore, 1900 wasn't a leap year but 2000 was.

The reason for these rules is to bring the average length of the calendar year into line with the length of the Earth's orbit around the Sun, so that the seasons always occur during the same months each year.

Kraft Cheese Crumbles= Good Baby Snack

Since the topic of baby/toddler foods comes up on here often, I thought I'd share my new find. Yesterday I was in the grocery store and Kraft cheese was on sale for $1. (Such a steal!!) I found a bag of Kraft Cheese Crumbles, that is a mixture of jack, colby and cheddar cheese, cut or "crumbled" into small pieces. I've seen this stuff before, but it wasn't until yesterday that it occured to me how perfect that would be for Cecelia. Being that it was only a dollar a bag, I picked one up to try. Cecelia is loving it. She's a big fan of cheese, and these pieces are a great size for her. Big enough that she can grip them, but not so big that she chokes on them. I don't know if I'll be able to bring myself to buy them when its full price, but if it goes on sale again anytime soon, I will definitely be picking more up.

Do's and Don'ts with Babies

Enjoy a good laugh today!

Wednesday Weekly

What's the worst movie you've ever seen? (now, don't get insulted if someone names your favorite!)

What are you doing tomorrow night????

I'm watching LOST!!!!!! I'm so stinkin' excited, and I'm hoping that they don't disappoint!
I'm excited for some resolution.
I'm excited to solve some of the mysteries.
I'm excited for more suspense and excitement.
I'm excited to be sitting on the edge of my seat for two hours!

Picking the right fruit

This may seem like a silly post. I just bought oranges tonight for the first time this winter. It's almost February! I have bad luck with oranges. I can pick ten yummy, juicy oranges in a row and then the next ten are dry, sour, or mush. Yet, to me they look the same. Is there a good way to pick the perfect orange? Anyone have any secrets to finding good fruit?

The Long Awaited Moment is Here!!

* Drumroll please * And the winner is...

Laura

Laura please email Kim at urbanlettering@gmail.com, to begin your order for your custom designed vinyl project.

Everyone else, don't stop reading just because your name wasn't announced as the big winner!

To celebrate the launch of Urban Lettering, Kim is giving everyone who entered to win a free vinyl saying. She has designed three sayings for you to choose from that are each approximately 5"x8", pictured below. Each quote is available in one of four colours... Red, Brown, Khaki or White. Just email your quote and colour selection to urbanlettering@gmail.com along with your name and mailing address and Kim will send you your free vinyl lettering. After sending out the quotes, Kim will also be emailing out a brief questionnaire. She asks that you please take just a couple of minutes to answer a few questions concerning your new vinyl project. This will enable Kim to better serve her future customers. Orders for the free project will be taken until midnight of Sunday, January 3rd, and they will be mailed out no later than Monday, February 11th. Congratulations to Laura and all the others who will soon be the proud owners of their own Urban Lettering designs.

**And don't forget, Kim is offering 10% off any orders placed by Sugar and Spice readers during the month of February!

Quote #1- "Once in a while, right in the middle of ordinary life, love gives us a fairy tale"

QUote #2- "No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted."

Quote #3- "A happy family is but an earlier heaven"

President Hinckley

I don't know how many of you have heard, but President Hinckley died at 7:00pm Utah time. Limited details are available here.

I'm so sad! I love President Hinckley, but I'm sure he's so happy to be back with his wife! They are so sweet together. It is my hope that one day Scott and my marriage will be like theirs.

Baby Name resources

Does anyone have some fun baby name resources they go to on the web? We are having a girl in a few months and pretty much have zero names right now. If we are surprised with a boy, we'll be ready with several names we love, but we're stumped for a girl.

I don't really love the sites where you start with "A" and then see a billion "A" names. I'd love to see something with different categories or something. Just thought maybe y'all had some favorites you've used before!

Tubes in the ears

Have any of you had experience with needing tubes in your children's ears? My daughter had double ear infections for about two months, it took 5 different antibiotics before we got rid of her ear infections. Now that the infections are cleared up she isn't in pain anymore, but she still has some fluid in her ears. We went to see the ENT, who said she needed tubes in her ears. My husband and I have mixed feelings about this. Mainly because we had her hearing tested and she didn't appear to have any hearing loss. Also, they said it could slow down her speech development, but I think she is already very advanced there. She is 16 months and can count to 10, knows her ABCs, colors, animals, shapes, etc... We have heard some good experiences and some bad experiences, and really wonder how necessary tubes really are. We would prefer to wait a couple months and see if the fluid will re-absorb on its own, but not if that will cause her harm. Do any of you have experience or insight on this topic?

Don't forget the freebie!

There's only a few days left...

Don't forget to comment on this post for you chance at a vinyl lettering freebie!

Sippy Cup

I'm looking for a good sippy cup for my 9 month old. She has no problem grasping the one we have (a Nubi) but she has a hard time holding it high enough to get the liquid into the nipple part. Which cups have you used and which ones do you recommend for this age?

Head Bonks

Cecelia is making attempts at walking and seems to be bumping her head an awful lot. (I'm sure its really not all that often, but I'm so traumatized each time...) I need some experienced moms to help me out here... First, please tell me its normal for our want to be toddlers to be falling down and getting bumps... And how do I know if she's okay, or needs more attention/help than I can give her? Are there things I need to look for when she falls to be sure she's okay? What can I do to help ease the headache that I'm sure falling down can cause? Thanks for your help! I always feel so bad when she gets hurt... I wish I could teach her to walk without her ever having to get hurt... but as we all know, that's just not possible!

Wednesday Weekly

What fad did you pick up as a kid?

Contributing to cookbook

Which categories would you be able to contribute the most to in our on-line cookbook? I'm just curious, because I don't want to choose a category that a lot of people want to do but that no one can contribute to.

Slow cooker

Entrees by type of meat

Veggie dishes

Food storage

Desserts

Appetizers

Breakfast

Celiac Disease

I am new to the blog but have been making comments on here for a few months now. I am excited that Lindsay asked me to join because I have been dying to get some opinions and help on some things.

The main thing affecting my life right now is my sons health. He has been have problems with diahrea since the end of october. I took him to the doctor in November and they tested him for normal sicknesses that cause diahrea and they were all negative. The next step was to test for allergies. Today we went to the allergist and they tested him. There was nothing significant except he is allergic to cats and since we are not cat owners or around cats that is not the problem. He did have a slight reaction to wheat and so the doctor sent us over to the hospital to have him tested for celiac disease.

Basically that would mean he can't eat gluten which is anything with wheat, barley, and rye. Anyway, I am worried he may have it and was wondering if anyone elses children or anyone you know have it. Also I was curious if anyones kids have gone through long periods of diahrea because the allergist said it might just be a phase. So advice on the issue would be great if anyone has any to offer.

February Book Club

Alright... the book I've picked for February is "Kindred" by Octavia Butler. I read it when I was a sophomore in high school and I remember thinking "Wow, a required reading that I actual enjoy!". I've been meaning to go back and read it, but haven't gotten around to it, so we'll do it together!!

The plan is to start reading now (or as soon as you can get a copy of the book... hopefully all your libraries will have it!) We will plan to be done by the last day of February (the 29th this year!) and we will start our discussion then. We will announce March's book around the middle of February so we can all start hunting that one down. I tag Liz&Meg to choose March's book, and then Liz, you just tag someone to choose April's and we'll go from there. If for any reason the tagged person doesn't want to choose, just pass the responsibility on to someone else!

Please post a comment if you plan to participate, so we know that we'll have at least a few people to discuss the book. And remember... this is suppose to be a no pressure thing, so if you sign up, but then life gets too busy... no worries!!

Freebie Time!!

Its Freebie time at Sugar and Spice!! My very good friend Kim has recently started her own vinyl lettering business called Urban Lettering, and she has agreed to give one lucky reader of Sugar & Spice a free vinyl product. The vinyl will be shipped to you, ready to be applied to the surface of your choice: a wall, tile, glass, mirror, wooden plaque, kitchen canister... this stuff is as easy to apply as a sticker, but it is custom made and classier! The winner will receive the saying or quote of their choice cut from vinyl 14 by 24 inches big, in either brown, red or white. For ideas check out http://www.mysimpleexpressions.com/ (Kim's sister's site... Kim's site is currently undergoing some very exciting renovations!)

To be eligible to win, leave a comment on this post before midnight on January 27th. The winner will be announced first thing in the morning on Monday, January 28th.

Kim is also offering a great deal to Sugar & Spice readers... 10 percent off any order during the month of February. Just mention Sugar and Spice when you go to order. Kim can be contacted at urbanlettering@gmail.com with any questions or to begin an order.

Vinyl applied to a wall

Vinyl applied to a wooden plaque

Neti Pot

Does anyone have a neti pot? Where did you buy it.? My Hub and I are going to Wal-Mart tomorrow to see if they have one. Has it helped you? Do you use it every day, every once in a while or just while you are sick? What "recipe" do you use for it? I looked online and the "recipe" I thought sounded best was warm water, un-iodized salt (I think) and baking soda.

2nd delivery

What did you ladies do with child #1 when you were delivering child #2? I have thought about having parents take her, but I thought they might want to be at the hospital during my labor and delivery. There is always the possibility of having a friend take her, or other relatives... I just wanted to know what worked best for the rest of you. Did you have someone bring #1 up to the hospital once you started pushing or something so they could meet their new sibling right away or did you wait?

Book Club

Would anyone be interested in starting a Sugar and Spice book club? Maybe we could pick a book to read each month, then at the end of the month start discussing it... if you finish reading and want to discuss, great, if not that's great too. My thought is that it be a no pressure sort of thing. I just miss reading books and talking about them with people. Let me know if anyone would like to participate.

Grocery Bill

Just interested in how much you each budget for groceries. Would you mind leaving a comment on what your grocery allowance is each month and then for general comparisons, the price of milk in your area? Thanks!

Wheat Germ

I have decided to change my family's eating habits. Nothing really to do with the new year, but just a commitment to living a healthy lifestyle so our daughter will be taught healthy habits. One of my favorite "health foods" is wheat germ. This part of wheat is packed with vitamins and minerals!!! High in Folic Acid, vitamin E, fiber, protein, Magnesium, Zinc, Thiamin and other. I just sprinkle a tablespoon of it on everything- cereal, yogurt, in rolls/breads, soup, in brownies/cakes/desserts, Margaret's quesadillas, you name it, it goes. It's a simple thing that packs nutrients into sometimes not so nutritious foods.

Has anyone else tried wheat germ or have other tips to boost the nutritional value of food?

Wednesday Weekly

What time do you usually fall asleep during the week?

Feeling Guilty

I've been feeling a little guilty lately, and not that I'm looking for people to tell me not to feel guilty, but I'm just wondering if my feelings are normal, or if others have experienced them. That being said...

I've always thought I wanted at least a handful of children. 5 or 6 was always my plan. Scott was fine with that, though his thinking was more like 4 or 5. While I was pregnant I began thinking maybe 3 or 4. Scott was once again fine with that. Well, now Cecelia is here and I am so happy with just her. I mentioned to Scott the other day that if our next one is a boy I could see myself being satisfied with just 2, maybe 3. Today we were talking about up coming vacations and Scott mentioned that maybe we should plan to take Cecelia to Disneyland one last time for her second birthday, before we start trying for baby number 2, since our plan is to have about 3 years between children. I seriously started sweating BULLETS!! That's only a little over a year away... then the conversation took another turn... maybe we should start trying just before she turns 2, just so we have a few months leeway, thus moving our Disneyland trip more towards December of 2008 and our "trying" to January of 2009. I know that's a year away, but by this point in time I am on the verge of having a heart attack.

I know that it is important to provide Heavenly Father's spirit children with good, strong homes. I know that it is a blessing and privilege to be able to raise His children and give them earthly homes, and I feel very guilty about the above situation. Its not that I had a horrible pregnancy and don't ever want to go through that again. Its not that I hated giving birth (I actually loved it, and look forward to doing it again). And its not that I have a hard to handle child- she's an angel, and I could not be luckier. She's such an easy baby. I'm sure part of it is Satan working hard on me...

Have any of you had these sorts of feelings before? Is it possible that now just isn't the time for us to have another one, and that when the time comes I will feel a desire to have more children? Or am I completely nuts? Any thoughts you have would be greatly appreciated...

Pumpkin Bread

Katie asked about a pumpkin bread recipe so I decided I just had to share mine! It's the tastiest pumpkin bread I've ever had and people always ask me for the recipe whenever I make it!

Pumpkin Bread

3 cups sugar
1 cup cooking oil
4 eggs
3 1/3 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
2/3 cup water
1 15-oz can pumpkin

1) Grease the bottom and 1/2 inch up sides of two 9x5x3-inch, three 8x4x2-inch, or four 7 1/2x3 1/2x2-inch loaf pans; set aside. In a very large mixing bowl beat sugar and oil with an electric mixer on medium speed. Add eggs and beat well; set aside.

2) In a large bowl combine flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Alternately add flour mixture and water to sugar mixture, beating on low speed after each addition just until combined. Beat in pumpkin. Spoon batter into prepared pans.

3) Bake in a 350 degree oven for 55 to 65 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes. Remove from pans. Cool completely on wire racks. Wrap and store overnight before slicing.


I've only ever made the two 9x5x3 inch pans and I've always had to bake the bread for more than 65 minutes. It might not take as long for the smaller pans, but for the regular it'll probably take more like 70 to 75 minutes.
And, it's not necessary to store it overnight, it's a little softer if you do but it tastes great if you eat it fresh, too!

Cleaning Methods

How do you organize your household chores? Do you have a specific schedule (e.g. Monday-laundry, Tuesday-bathrooms, etc.)? Or do you clean as situations require/permit? Any helpful hints for making your "chores" more efficient/enjoyable?

Thanks!

Follow-up on Cookbook post

Last year we did a recipe series where there was a new category each week for everyone to post their tried-and-true recipes. All of those recipes are in the recipe archives of this blog.

If I remember correctly, some of the categories were appetizers, desserts, Italian, slow cooker, and I think soup, salad, and bread.

Which categories do you nominate for this time around? They can be repeats of last yaer. They can be general or specific. Let's take ideas throughout this week.

Will the baby food questions ever end?

About 2 months ago my then 9-month-old went on a baby food strike. He's never returned. He refuses to eat ANY and EVERY kind of baby food (I even tried the Step 3 stuff, just to see if he'd eat something).

Anyway, he still doesn't have his molars and I struggle to find things to feed him, especially for breakfast. I can usually get him to eat a little bit of whatever we're having for dinner. Any ideas??? What do you feed your little toddlers? And is it normal to think he's not eating as much solid food as he did baby food?

Over the Hill

So, 30 isn't technically over the hill, I know. And it isn't me. My sweet husband turns thirty on Groundhog Day and the week before that, I get to fly to Utah to spend some much needed quality time with him and I need some good ideas for his birthday. Any of you or your spouses had some good black over the hill surprises or treats? I personally think me and the little one arriving on a plane is a pretty good present but when we were living in the same state, I was going to do all sorts of fun and mischief for this momentous occasion!

Cookbook

I was just wondering if anyone else was interested in doing a second edition of the Sugar and Spice Cookbook? I know we have some new contributors since the last time, and I am sure we have all found at least a couple new recipes worth sharing. Anyone else interested?

Oh, and does anyone have a pumpkin bread recipe?

Lunch Ideas

One of my recent goals is to be more diligent about making and sticking to a meal plan, in hopes of cutting down on my grocery bill. I never have a problem coming up with things to make for dinner, but lunch is a struggle for me. I'm not a huge sandwich fan, so I try to limit them to once or twice a week. I love to eat salads for lunch, but I need something else with it to make it a meal. What ideas do you girls have for yummy lunches?

After 3 wonderful little boys, we are having a ..............

picky eater

My almost 16 month old has decided to boycott almost all foods (she used to be a very good eater). She has been consistently refusing more and more foods the past couple weeks, and now she basically only wants cereal. I know they say you have to continue offering the same foods upwards of ten times before a kid may try them, but that isn't working. I am very quickly losing my sanity and need some help! How did you get your toddlers to stop being such picky eaters? Have you found any great techniques that have helped your kid eat more veggies? Any other tips or recipes that worked for your child?

Wednesday Weekly

What are you most tempted to buy in the check-out lane of the grocery store?

I like weather.com

I am a little bit obsessed with weather. I admit that I am picky about what weather I am willing to go out in. For me, an 80 degree day with no rain can mean two totally different things depending on the humidity. I love that on weather.com, there is an option to view the day's forecast hour-by-hour. Each hour includes a percentage for humidity. I may be the last person to discover this site, but wanted to share anyway!

Flying Tips again!

Later this month I'll be flying to Utah with my 15 mos old, to visit one of my best friends and her brand new baby! I'm really excited. However, this will be my first time flying with a child EVER! I'm a little nervous. I know we talked about this once before, but I was wondering if anyone had specific tips for flying with toddlers. (Linz, you're a pro at this by now, so I'm counting on you!) The part I'm the most worried about is entertaining her on the plane. Unless she's really tired, she's not much of a snuggler. She is BUSY! So I don't know how she's going to like sitting on my lap for several hours. I also wonder about the smoothest way for getting through the airport, security, etc. I'm thinking of just packing a big diaper bag for our only carry on, so I don't have too many things to juggle. I just know it can be crazy getting through the airport period, let alone with a toddler. Are people sympathetic to that??? A couple of other random questions. Have you ever had to check a carseat? I might have to, if no one out there has one I can borrow. Is that a pain? And do they have milk on planes??? Lol, that sounds dumb, but all I ever see is water, juice, and pop! Help please!!! Feel free to give as many tips as you want, even if they sound silly!

Young Women

Ok, it is that time of year when all YW Presidencies are tasked with completing a "calendar "of the year's events. I very much want to provide the girls with meaningful activities. I truly believe in "planning with a purpose." So, I have a list of things the girls would like to learn over the next year. Their lists include things like cooking, sewing, better study skills, family history, scripture study, etc. I know that you ladies have had some great experiences in YWs (both as leaders and girls) so please share with me some of the activities that were meaningful. Thanks!

Wednesday Weekly

If you went out to lunch/dinner with your spouse, and you were seated at a table for four, would you sit next to each other or across from each other?