Nobody’s reading blogs right now… November 27, 2009

But I stole this meme from The Jos.  Feel free to play, and leave a link in the comments if you do!

Things you have done during your lifetime:

( )Gone on a blind date

(X) Skipped school

(X) Watched someone die (my dad)

(X) Been to Canada

( ) Been to Mexico

(X) Been to Florida

( ) Been to Hawaii

(X) Been on a plane

(X ) Been on a helicopter

(X) Been lost

( ) Gone to Washington, DC

(X) Swam in the ocean

(X) Cried yourself to sleep

(X) Played cops and robbers

(X) Recently colored with crayons

(X) Sang Karaoke (if at a relative’s house counts

( ) Paid for a meal with coins only

( ) Been to the top of the St. Louis Arch

(X) Done something you told yourself you wouldn’t (photograph weddings, to name one)

(X) Made prank phone calls

( ) Been down Bourbon Street in New Orleans

(X) Laughed until some kind of beverage came out your nose

(X) Caught a snowflake on your tongue

(X) Danced in the rain

(X) Written a letter to Santa Claus

(X) Been kissed under the mistletoe

(X) Watched the sunrise with someone

(X) Blown bubbles

(X) Gone ice-skating

(X) Gone to the movies

( ) Been deep sea fishing

( ) Driven across the United States

( ) Been in a hot air balloon

( ) Been sky diving

(X) Gone snowmobiling

(X) Lived in more than one country (lived in Brazil for a summer)

(X) Lay down outside at night and admired the stars while listening to the crickets

(X) Seen a falling star and made a wish

( ) Enjoyed the beauty of Old Faithful Geyser

( ) Seen the Statue of Liberty

( ) Gone to the top of Seattle Space Needle

( ) Been on a cruise

( ) Traveled by train

(X) Traveled by motorcycle

(X) Been horse back riding

( ) Ridden on a San Francisco CABLE CAR

(X) Been to Disneyland (I would think Disneyworld counts)

(X) Truly believe in the power of prayer

(X) Been in a rain forest

( ) Seen whales in the ocean

( ) Been to Niagara Falls

( ) Ridden on an elephant

( ) Swam with dolphins

( ) Been to the Olympics

( ) Walked on the Great Wall of China

( ) Saw and heard a glacier calf

( ) Been spinnaker flying

(X) Been water-skiing (oh, was that painful!)

(X) Been snow-skiing

( ) Been to Westminster Abbey

( ) Been to the Louvre

( ) Swam in the Mediterranean

(X) Been to a Major League Baseball game (go Twins!)

( ) Been to a National Football League game (but I’d like to)

Disney on Ice Princess Classics Winner November 23, 2009

We have a winner!  I used random.org’s integer generator to select one of the commenters.  The tickets will go to…

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:
11

Timestamp: 2009-11-23 05:33:33 UTC

Nildie!  Congratulations.  I will email you with information about picking up your tickets.  Thanks to everyone for entering.  And remember the discount code mentioned in the first post.

Disney on Ice Princess Classics – Giveaway! November 13, 2009

When my firstborn turned out to be a girl (I thought she was a boy—and was I ever wrong!), my main concern was, “What if she’s really girly and I can’t relate?” Turns out she IS quite girly. She’ll ask for a tutu so she can dance if I have music on, she grabs my makeup brushes and puts “pink on her cheeks,” and just yesterday she asked if she could wear a pretty dress to “be like a princess.” I don’t really ever talk to her about princesses, so I have no idea where she gets these ideas!

That said, we’ll be taking her to the Disney on Ice Princess Classics show when it comes to the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul December 10-13. And you can take your family, too! I have a package of four tickets to opening night (December 10 at 7:00 p.m.) of Disney on Ice to give away to one blessed reader! Simply leave a comment if you’re interested in winning, and I will randomly select a winner on Monday, November 23. If you’d like an additional entry, blog about the giveaway and leave a link to your post (not your blog home page, but the actual post) in the comments.

Additionally, if you would like to purchase your own tickets, here is a chance for a discount. Use the coupon code “MOM” to receive four tickets for $44 for weekday shows Monday-Friday and $4 off all tickets for weekend shows. The discounted tickets can be purchased from Ticketmaster by entering the “MOM” code in the “MC promotion” box. Small print stuff: Offer not valid on Rinkside or VIP seating. Cannot be combined with other offers. Service Charges, facility & handling fees will apply.  Here are the showtimes:

Thursday, Dec. 10 – 7:00 p.m.
Friday, Dec. 11 – 10:30 a.m., 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 12 – 11:00 a.m., 3:00 p.m., 7:00 p.m.
Sunday, Dec. 13 – 1:00 p.m., 5:00 p.m.

I’m looking forward to taking in this event with my family (Husband? Aren’t you going to just LOVE it?), and I hope you can make it, too!

Something Trippy October 8, 2009

Have any of you ever watched The Wiggles?  A sweet co-worker passed along a few DVDs to us a few months ago and we watched one of them with Anja this week.  Wow, that is some weird stuff.  It’s like the proverbial train wreck (so awful you can’t look away).  I can’t believe they’re the highest grossing entertainment group in all of Australia!

I think my cold has gone to my brain, because I have nothing better to offer than this pathetic observation.  Hoping the fluids and rest will do me good by tomorrow!

These Days September 29, 2009

September has been one of the busiest months I remember having in my life.  In between taking care of the baby (2 yr old…still a baby?  Yes, yes she is.), I’ve been working quite a few 12-14 hour days.  Not my cup of tea.  Husband keeps trying to get me to take breaks, but it’s hard, knowing there’s no one else there to pick up the slack (self-employment is great, but has some down-sides).

This business God has given me (because truly, I never went looking for it; I really feel that He’s pushed me through one open door after another) has been blessed beyond what I could have imagined, and I owe it all to him.  That said, it has come with its stresses.

Other things I’ve been able to squeeze into September:

• A haircut (nothing exciting, just a much-needed trim)
• Bible study
• A MOPS meeting
• A visit to an apple orchard
• An overnight visit from an old friend and her baby girl
• A meal out with friends at a restaurant I’ve been wanting to try
• A couple morning trips to the zoo with Anja, which she loved

Today I took the day off from processing photos and cleaned up the house and did some Autumn decorating.  I told Husband that even though cleaning is not really a break, it seemed like one, so that counts, right?

So far I’ve gained about the same amount of pregnancy weight as I did with Anja (which was more than I wanted to gain, but still in healthy range).  I can’t imagine the weight gain will slow down with my typical menu of hearty soups, yummy breads and fall baked goods coming up, followed by the holiday season.  Yikes!  But friends have reassured me that it is oh so cozy to have a big belly keeping you warm in January, unlike in August where you just wish you could remove it and get the swelling in your legs to go down…

October will likely be less busy with photo shoots (though I have four this coming weekend), but more busy with client orders.  Can’t promise I’ll be around a lot, but I’d love to hear what you’re up to this fall!

More Fair Pics September 10, 2009

Contrary to what it sounded like, we did actually do some things at the Fair besides eat.

Anja gawked at some rides on the Midway.  She loves anything that spins and goes up high.

She also got to experience her first ride at a fair: the carousel. She chose a very rickety goat.  I don’t think I’d ever ridden a carousel A) while pregnant or B) standing and facing outward.  Round-and-round rides don’t usually bother me; I got queasy this time.

Once Anja realized she could actually ride the rides and not just watch, however, she became assertive, asking if she could go on everything we passed. Thankfully she was pacified with promises of “next time,” even though that concept doesn’t sit well with her age group.

At one point, we actually got her to fall asleep, and we used the better part of an hour to peruse the art submissions, which are always a treat.

I also spent a little of the time being a dork.

The bands in the afternoon parade woke her, and we continued on with our eating, animal-viewing, and people-watching. A day well-spent.

What to Eat* at the Minnesota State Fair September 1, 2009

* (and not eat)

Of course, this is just two foodies’ opinions! All photos taken with my point-and-shoot, just fyi.

Between our visit to the fair three years ago, last year, and this year, we have sampled quite a variety of foods.  I thought I’d pass on some of our experience to help anyone confused by all the “on a stick” and deep-fried products.

Love it:
- French Meadow Bakery’s scones.  Fresh out of the oven, these perfect-texture scones can be topped with a variety of fruits and/or cream.  SOOOOO good!

- French Creperie’s Peaches and Cream crepe.  I got this last year and loved it.  This year it was still delicious, but trumped by the previously-mentioned scone.

- Fresh-Squeezed Lemonade.  Make sure the sign says fresh-squeezed, or you’ll end up with some powdered formula imitation lemonade.

- Cheese Curds.  We buy from The Mouse Trap in the Food Building, and they’re always piping hot.

- Gourmet Wild Rice Burger from Wild Rice Specialties.  Also in the Food Building.  I saw people all day walking around with mediocre-looking burgers and couldn’t bring myself to buy one.  But this baby, with a slice of white cheese and sauteed onions and peppers.  So delicious!  No wonder the Star Tribune gave it 4 stars!  Husband had some of it and was equally impressed.

-  Pronto Pups.  This is a Husband favorite, not mine.  I’ve had something against corn dogs my whole life, and though these aren’t corn dogs (the batter is made from wheat flour, not cornmeal), I could do without. He gets at least one every year.  :)

- Australian Battered Potatoes.  We haven’t bought these since the first time we went to the Fair together, simply because the serving is SO HUGE.  That first fateful Fair, we started wtih these potatoes and the “all you can drink” milk stand, and we could barely eat another thing the rest of the day.  That said, if you’re with a group of 4 or more, or you don’t mind eating one or two and throwing the rest away, or you travel with a cooler, they are delicious and come with a variety of toppings.

- Malts from the Dairy Building (not to be mistaken with the Dairy Bar).  The quality of the ice cream and the real fruit blended in makes them the yummiest ones at the Fair!

- Deep-fried Pickles from The Preferred Pickle.  Sounds disgusting, no?  But served up with a side of ranch, these are surprisingly good.

- Chicago Dogs.  Another Husband pick.

- 1919 Root Beer.  Don’t bother with any other kind.  This is on the outside of the Food Building.

- All You Can Drink Milk.  It’s just milk, but all you can drink for $1?  The best beverage bargain at the Fair by far.

Like it:
- Big Fat Bacon.  Husband would put it on his “Love it” list.  It comes on a stick and has some sweet-ish sauce on it.

- Fudge Puppy.  A hot dog-shaped Belgian waffle on a stick, covered in fudge and whipped cream.  Certainly a heavy indulgence for breakfast, but hey–it’s the Fair.

- Isabel Burke’s Olde Tyme Taffy.  We got some last year, skipped it this year.  I think I’m more of a fan of saltwater taffy than Husband is.  You can watch them pulling it right in front of you.

- Axel’s Bonfire Stuffed Tater Tots on a Stick.  I don’t know that I will get them again, but for a one-time try, they were decent.

Will not get it again:
-  Malts from the Kiwanis.  We were nearby their stand and had a coupon, so I decided to sample one.  They are nowhere near the quality of the ones you can get in the Dairy Building.

- Sweet Martha’s Cookies.  I risk being strung up for saying this, but these cookies were an extreme disappointment.  Friends and family have raved about them, so my expectations were pretty high.  We got a large cone of them this year (versus buying one of the buckets of 4 dozen, thank goodness), and after my first bite, I looked at Husband and shook my head.  The batch we got were straight off the pan, so they were warm.  The texture was okay, a little bit more crunchy than I expected.  The taste was pathetic.  All three of the varieties of chocolate chip cookies I make at home are far, far better than Sweet Martha’s.  But at least we can say we finally tried them.

- Kids’ Meal at Giggles’ Campfire Grill.  It sounded like a bargain: chicken, fries and a dessert for $1.50.  The chicken was not, in fact, chicken, but some sort of breaded foamy product in the shape of a smiley face.  Anja was not impressed.  She ate some of the mediocre fries and all of the graham crackers, but I’d just as soon pack her a few graham crackers from home next time and save myself even the measly amount spent on them.

“Put Your Feet Up” Day August 19, 2009

Do it! Even if just for 15 minutes…

A Minnesota Staycation – Day 7 August 15, 2009

Day 7 of our staycation included:

• NOT the Uptown Art Fair, where we had intended to go.
• Some working on my behalf, even though I had promised myself I wouldn’t.
• The end of Beverly Hills Chihuahua.
• Eggs and hashbrowns made by Husband for supper.
• A game of Stratego and some bottled root beer after Anja was in bed.  He won.

All in all, a very relaxing week.  It was nice to (mostly) sleep in our own bed, come and go as we pleased, change our schedule at will (or because of weather), and just spend time together as a family.  I forgot to add up receipts from the last couple days, but I think we did the entire staycation for under $500, including the B&B, all the eating out (those splurges are worth it to us), the activities, and quite a few “souvenirs” (mostly things I’d been wanting/needing around the house, like a juicer, new couch pillows, a piece of art, some cookie cutters…).  If you add gasoline in, it’s probably more like $550, but still, not too shabby considering that would have bought us two plane tickets and nothing more.

MN State Fair Food Finder August 14, 2009

The food finder is up and running…any of you planning on attending the Fair this year?  If so, anything new you’re planning to try?  I’m starting my list today…yummy!