Pale Ale Pooch Treats

Ian came across a recipe for dog treats in one of his homebrew magazines and we couldn't wait to try it out.  This past weekend he was brewing up a base for what will later become some delicious Citra Papaya Pale Ale.  All we needed was 4 cups of his spent grains (meaning post-mash) and a couple other things that are usually on hand.

Here's a shorthand version of the recipe from the magazine...

Ingredients:
4 cups spent grains
2 cups flour
1 cup peanut butter
2 eggs

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350
Combine ingredients
Roll out on parchment paper to 1/4" thick and cut treats to desired shape/size
Bake @ 350 for 30 minutes
Turn oven down to 225 and continue baking for 2+ hours; until treats are dried out

Kaiser wanted me to say "rawrrrrrrrr rwar rwar YUMMY rawrrrrrrr"

Yep, he loves them.  And I can see why -- when they were baking they stunk the house up with peanut butter deliciousness.  Now that we know he likes them so much, I'll have to invest in a bone cookie cutter.  Ian was displeased that they were plain old rectangles.  Haha!

FLOR

We’ve been making some good headway on the nursery and have managed to cross a few big items off the to-do list:

• Put together dresser
• Get a glider
• Window treatment/curtain panels. DIY?
• Replace closet doors
• Find a rug
• Decorate walls – DIY button monogram? something to hang? decals?

I’m pretty sure I’m going to DIY curtain panels since I really just want plain white and Sherry from YHL makes her fabric tape iron hem jobs look so easy. And now that I’ve ventured inside Jo-Ann’s for the first time ever, I’m slightly less intimidated. Now, making these guys will be another story; I have no clue where to begin, but aren’t the little balls so cute?

As much as I’d love to have a white fluffy rug in the nursery, I just know that it would never stay clean. Not with our furbabies all over the place and the fact that we wear our dirty shoes everywhere. I searched high and low for something green or pink that would be the perfect size, color and price. Needless to say, I got nowhere fast.

Have you heard of FLOR carpet tiles? It turns out they aren’t as outrageously expensive as I’d imagined so I was totally stoked to order a few samples and see if this would be a good option for our nursery floor. As luck would have it, these two were a perfect fit!



Can't remember if I posted this before but as a refresher, this is our bedding/color palette

I asked Ian if we should go green or pink and he suggested some sort of combo. What a smarty pants! Especially since the whole point of using the modular carpet tiles is to make up fun designs while mixing and matching. This sent me in to neurotic planner mode and I set out to get exact dimensions of the room with everything in it. I needed to see what size rug would be best, and then play around with different design configurations. MS Word worked ok for this. So I present to you – my scaled rendition of our nursery and the design concept of our FLOR.

I went ahead and ordered plain pink tiles so as not to clash patterns with the green. I can’t wait until they come and I can put it all together!

Midwest – Missouri, Part 2

We got up fairly early on Friday to be at Silver Dollar City when it opened.  I hadn’t been to the theme park in years but knew I had to take Ian!  Think pioneer theme park with rides, shows, shops, festivals, etc.  And to top it off, there is a heavy Christian influence that is very predominant.  Quite an experience.  

Thankfully Ian had my cousin to roam around with and they were able to hit up all the major rides while I took care of my unborn child and enjoyed a clogging show, a saloon show, and some singers.  We all met up for lunch and then Ian and I went off to spray people with water guns. 

MO was hotter than IN but not nearly as humid.. much more tolerable to me.  But we still didn’t last too long I the sun and headed back for some afternoon naps.

That night we took Ian to another Branson highlight – The Dixie Stampede.  It’s like Medieval Times of the South and the theme is the Civil War.  Good show, good food, good fun.  I couldn’t take pictures in here either but here are a few from the website to give you the idea.

I think that about covers all the major highlights of our trip.  Our last day in MO was spent hanging around the hotel, visiting with family. 

I guess it's not hard to believe there is a store like this on "the strip"?

We were happy to be heading home soon.  And when you step out of the San Diego airport after being in the Midwest for a week, you remember that the price we pay to live here is WORTH EVERY PENNY. 

August 24th – 29w

My child is kicking my ass these days – literally. As in, I feel like she is residing in my butt sometimes and it’s the strangest feeling ever. And since I like sharing things here that people pretend they don’t want to hear but I know they really do… I’ll elaborate some more. Not only do I feel like there are kicks in my butt, one day I stood up and felt like a foot was going to come out of my vag. Totally freaked me out. That must have been a friendly *pow* on my cervix? Totally not complaining though. I still love it no matter where she wants to beat me. I just figured I’d point out a few areas that you may feel the baby and the books will never tell you. You’re welcome.

I feel like my belly is so huge and I can’t fathom how she is supposed to triple in size over the next 11 weeks. Where will she fit? Ian’s response – “A huge ass belly”. Yeah, thanks.

A few symptoms that have arisen over the last week or so: reflux, gas and constipation. So those are super fun things! Overall I’m still feeling great though, sleeping pretty well, and only have 1-2 trips to the restroom over night. I’m finding it harder and harder to drink enough water but I’m motivated these days by my poo-problem. I know the extra fluids are supposed to help with that.

I’m excited to get home from work today because I’m expecting 2 fun packages. The first being my FLOR carpet tile samples for the nursery; the other being an embarrassing number of baby flower headbands that I procured in moment of weakness.

Midwest – Missouri, Part 1

On Wednesday we flew from Indiana to Kansas City (where my BIL joined us), and then drove a couple hours to Springfield, MO where my g-parents live.  By the time we got in, it was pretty late so we passed out.

I was really looking forward to lunch the next day at Lambert’s – Home of the Throwed Roll.  It’s really a highlight of MO, IMHO, and has been featured on TV as one of the country’s top 10 pig out places to eat. Yes indeedy.  Basically, the experience is this: GIANT mugs of drink, GIANT plates/saute pans of food, generous helpings of sides that come around family style in addition to your GIANT meal, plus a never ending supply of the most amazing rolls ever that are thrown at you. 

Me

Sister Becky, Aunt Mary, Cousin Katherine

Roll Thow-er

Grandma and Grandpa, diggin' in

My meal -- chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes, gravy, green beans and apple sauce.  I ate about 3/4 of it too!  Yay me!!

Family Full Face (Dad)

Family Full Face (Katherine)  LOL

From here, we made our way to Branson where we would stay for the remainder of our trip.  Our hotel was called “Branson Towers”.  Guess how many stories it was?  THREE.  Haha.  That afternoon we were so full and lazy that we went to see a movie.  Horrible Bosses.  Pretty funny; not amazing. 

Around 9 we were finally getting hungry again so we walked to a bar that was across the street.  Luckily they still served us but they were totally shutting down.  Guess the Branson bar scene isn’t too happening after 8 pm.  Fine by my preggo self....

August 17th – 28w

Well hello there third trimester; pleasure to see you! I’m definitely counting down the weeks at this point, rather than how far along I am. It’s trippy to think in terms of only having 12 more weekends before itty bitty comes, but I can’t wait!

This week my BabyCenter email says our girl is the size of a Chinese Cabbage. WTH? How does that help me visualize? Why can’t they just say a red cabbage or something relatable? This is not the first time I’ve gotten bizarre fruits and veggie sizing comparisons…maybe they should incorporate more variety and not limit themselves to healthy eatable things. I think it’d be cool if I read that my baby was now the size of a small fryer chicken or quart of ice cream, for example.

I had my glucose screening done last month and never got any results, so I’ve been assuming I passed. I guess I’ll confirm tomorrow at my appointment…. My last monthly appointment before starting to go every two weeks! Eek.

Here is what I feel like is going on with my bod these days:

• The feeders dribble frequently enough that I have to wear disposable pads in my bras 24/7 
• I don’t really have issues these days with my hips being in pain from sleeping on my sides but I think that may be because I’m tossing a lot more and moving back and forth. I’ve always been a really good sleeper and lately it’s taking me a long time to shut down. =(
• My ever protruding belly is totally in the way now. It’s frustrating to not be able to reach things as easily or bend over to pick things up.
• I’m not very tired overall; instead I get winded really easily. I need to get out walking more, at the very least, because I am totally feeling the out-of-shapeness kicking in and taking its toll.
• I notice my feet swell a bit on warm days when I’m standing more than usual.
• Speaking of warm – I’m totally hot all the time.
• Baby kicks have gotten crazy! She’s still seems to be shy around her dad though… every time he tries to feel, she stops. Most of the time I love feeling it but one day last week, I stood up and she must have been so low that when she moved, it felt like a foot was about to poke out of my vag. SO WEIRD. I did not particularly enjoy that feeling.  

So other than all that, things have been going well. We are making good headway now in the nursery – dresser is put together, new closet doors installed, and a glider is on it’s way. I foresee my next headache being finding the perfect rug.

I’ve been pretty good about lately about avoiding baby clothes in stores and online; trying my best not to buy any more! But I do confess to going on a bit of an Etsy flower head band shopping spree the other day. This shop - Fab Flower Headbands – LOVE. I can’t wait to get them!

That’s all for now folks!

Diaper Bag D-R-A-M-A

I started getting really frustrated the more I looked at diaper bags online. There are just too dang many of them to sort my way through! All I knew was that I wanted something that still resembled a regular purse but would be awesomely functional for carrying baby crap. Based on input from friends, and my own preferences when it comes to bag-things, I was able to narrow my search based on some personal criteria.

I wound up with four bags that peeked my interest and ordered them all. I think most, if not all, fit my criteria so all I need to do is try them on for size, weight and functionality. What? This is serious stuff!

So without further ado, I present to you the four diaper bag contenders. *Listed in order of price, ranging from ‘reasonable’ to ‘guilty-unnecessary-pleasure-but-mama-deserves-to-treat-herself’. I tried for ‘economical’ as well but it just wasn’t working out:

Skip Hop ‘Studio’ Diaper Tote – Black $89

Pros – Lots of outside pockets in zip and open form; water resistant in and out; contrasting lining.

Cons – Cute but not REALLY cute; stroller straps but no adjustable shoulder strap; insulated side bottle holders on outside (I realized I'd prefer them inside, if at all).


OiOi ‘Baby’ Leatherette Tote - Black $159

Pros – Nice soft leather exterior; open exterior pockets - 2 with magnetic snap closures; detatchable shoulder strap AND stroller clips; unattached insulated bottle holder.

Cons – Black interior; exterior not water resistant; Ian actually had an opinion about this and wasn’t a huge fan of the studded design. (Do I care what he thinks? Meh. Not really.)


Storksak 'Olivia' Nylon Baby Bag – Black $198

Pros – Nylon inside and out for ease of cleaning; open exterior pockets; lightweight; two of my trusty friends own (and love) this same bag.

Cons – Two of my trust friends own this same bag ;)


Petunia Pickle Bottom 'Cake - Hampton Holdall' Diaper Bag - Black Walnut $335

Pros – Super cute print...unfortunately that's the only positive aspect, IMO.

Cons – Heavy; stiff; had a double closure top that would require a twist snap AND zip


Clearly I was able to rule out the Petunia Pickle Bottom right away. Thank goodness because I really wasn’t interested in spending that much.

For weeks I had pretty much ruled out the OiOi for no particular reason other than Ian hadn't like it I guess. I knew I didn't LOVE the Skiphop so I just figured I'd end up being a super follower and getting the Storksak that my friends have. I kept sitting on this decision until the whole thing was going to drive me mad and I just new I had to decide.

I tried on the Skiphop one last time and realized it was a definite no-go as the tote straps did not sit well on my shoulder. How annoying. So then I realized how important it was that the bag actually be comfortable to wear. DUH. I threw the Storksak over my shoulder and realized I was going to have the same problem of straps sliding down my shoulder ALL THE TIME. This would bother me to no end. *sad face*. So then I went back to the OiOi and what do you know? We have a winner!

After all that, who would have thought it would ultimately come down to which bag was the most comfortable to wear? I'm super happy to have this figured out and I think all the other positive things about the OiOi tote will be perfect for me and baby girl.



Diaper Bag - CHECK!


And now I’m in search of the perfect wallet. I NEED something smaller and non-black so it doesn't get lost in my new bag.  =P

Midwest – Indiana, Part 2

Over the next couple days, families left and we continued to see all that was Brown County Indiana.  

Funny story – In planning this reunion, our hosts emailed out a list of activities, sights to see, etc. to find out who was interested in what.  One thing that we saw on the list was “Downtown Nashville”.  So Ian and I were like – oh hell ya, we’d love to see Nashville.  We had no idea it was so close!  Come to find out (once we got to Indy) that they meant Nashville, Indiana.  WAY DIFFERENT.  

So anyway, we did go to downtown Nashville, IN, which was about a 10 minute drive.  We had a nice lunch, shopped a little, and then I enjoyed lots of water at a local brewery with Ian and my two sisters. 

This was so crazy!  There was a paid parking lot with an unattended booth and people just left their money in this little basket.  You know you're in a small (crime-less) community when....

Samplers at the local brewery

Mmmmm, water.

Later that afternoon we headed out to the swimming lake that was equipped with a floating trampoline, slide thingy.  Lemme tell you – it was NOT easy to hoist yourself up on to that thing.  Can you believe I somehow managed?  Thanks to Ian first shoving me up from below, and then pulling me the rest of the way from the top.  “Look out – pregnant lady rolling un-gracefully on to trampoline.”  I’m not sure why I really even wanted to get up there so bad; it’s not like I was going to be jumping around on it or diving off.  Meh.   But yes, it was a ton of fun for the kiddos. And Ian.  I spent most of the time just floating around on a noodle. 

Ian having fun

For our last full day in IN, whatever family was still in town rounded up to go on a tour of a sock factory.  Yep, you heard that right.  We saw how socks are made…  But not just any socks.  This was the largest novelty sock factory in the country.  Whoop Whoop!  ;)

I wasn’t supposed to take photos but I snuck these in during the intro presentation.   PSA – If anyone is in the market for novelty socks, here’s their website – For Bare Feet.

Dad is intrigued

Another sock machine.

Later that evening we went to the fair to see how my Aunt did in her “competitions”.  She’d entered a jar of jam, some squash, and a painting.  A winner on all accounts!

There wasn’t a whole lot else to do at this fair so we just watched my cousin’s kiddos ride the merry-go-round and the ponies.  One of them was semi-horny and it was extremely distracting.

Oh! I forgot to mention our lunch at Gnaw Bone that day.  I think that’s the name of the eatery and also the name of the town! World famous, apparently.  It was this sort of hole in the wall place at a gas station, with dining tables set up in the back storage area.  Totally classy… you know us!  Not gonna lie though – it was one darn good pork tenderloin sammie, with home fried potato chips.  I tried a gizzard but didn’t need to have more than one.

Aunt Mary

Mom in front of the "kitchen".  And to the left you can see where the tables were set up in the back shop/storage area.

Infamous sandwich with a side of gizzards.

Midwest – Indiana, Part 1

We had two family reunions to attend in the Midwest this summer.  One in Indiana with my dad’s side of the family, and another in Missouri with mom’s side.  The Indiana trip was especially significant because nearly all my cousins and their families were able to attend; some whom I had not seen in probably 10+ years.  

My uncle has a beautiful home in Brown County on a giant piece of land that includes a couple “lakes”, two guest houses, camping facilities, farm-type facilities, and various other “man-type” facilities. Between the large main house and the two guest homes on the property, most everyone was able to stay right there together.  My immediate family (mom, dad, two sisters, Ian and I) were in another rental home just a couple miles away.  

Backside of Uncle Bill's house, looking up from the lake below.

Side of the house

Bad ass front door.  It's so cool because it has the small door "peep hole" that you can open and stick your face out of.  Totally old world awesomeness.

So even though it was a million degrees and humid as hell, we still ventured out for some fun in the sun.  In short spouts anyway.  Mama could only handle so much sweating at a time.

The first evening, we went out on a “nature tour” of the property.  This involved a leisurely ride on a mule (the vehicle type, not ass type) at dusk when most of the deer come out of hiding. We did see a few, along with a fun little nest of Bluebird Eggs.  Or Robin’s Eggs. I can’t remember.  Just that they were blue….

Can you see a deer head?  It's right in the middle. 

It was tough to get a clear pic of the next in the tiny bird house.  The first day, it was 4 eggs.  This photo was taken the following day and one egg had literally JUST hatched.  And then by the thrid day, all the eggs had hatched and the little babies were chirping away.  So need to see that progression!

The next day was the main family event day.  Each sibling of my dad’s generation (there are 6 of them) coordinated tops with their respective families for photos.   Here we are in our cool American flag red shirts.  My mom got them for us at Wal-Mart for $2 apiece.  Rock on.

It was 100% my dad's idea for us to pose like this...



The whole gang

 That day was pretty relaxed. We just hung around together, ate, played cards, ate, played other games, ate, did a little fishing, explored the property some more, ate, and yeah.. that’s about it.

Nesting on Crack

Pretty much since day 1 of finding out we are expecting a little person to come into our lives, I’ve been in a super mode of cleaning, organizing, purging, and renovating.  So far, we’ve accomplished quite a bit, but there is still lots to finish!

Phase 1 included cleaning out every room and closet in the house.  Over the course of a couple months, we built up a massive pile of give-away that covered half our garage.  It was quite liberating when Father Joe’s happily came and took it all away.  

This was the baby's room prior to our big purge.  And if I'm being totally honest, this is about 1/3 of the way cleaned out.

About 1/2 the stuff piled up in the driveway for Father Joe's.  Needed to document it all so I could be sure we got everything deducted this year on our taxes!

Phase 2 involved organizing every room and closet in the house.  With all our non-essentials gone and out of the way, we were able to neatly fit everything we were keeping in its new rightful place, out of Baby O’s future room.  The most important thing for me was that all the brewing equipment made its way to the garage.  Yay!

We also felt good about replacing all our old (yellowed) smoke detectors and adding a couple new Fire/Smoke/CO2 units to additional rooms.  Can you believe there wasn’t anything in the kitchen?!? Craziness. 

Our living room feels much larger and more open these days since re-arranging the sofa configuration and backing it up to the wall.  Now there is plenty of open floor space for the itty bitty and all her toys.  I told Ian – “enjoy the tidiness while we can because soon it will be filled with playmats, exersaucers, bouncies and swings”. =)

Phase 3 is to finish the nursery.  On the to-do list:·        

• Put together dresser·        
• Get a glider·        
• Window treatment/curtain panels. DIY?·        
• Replace closet doors (Dad)·        
• Find a rug·        
• Decorate walls – DIY button monogram? something to hang? decals?

Phase 4 is the complete overhaul of our second bathroom, which is currently under way.  More details to come!  (All DAD – so thankful to have his help on so much of this stuff!!)

Teaser ;)

Lastly, on the miscellaneous to-do list:·        

• Re-organize kitchen - need to make space for baby/kid feeding things·        
• Baseboards in hallway (Dad)·        
• Replace lighting trims in main hall and master BR hall·        
• Fix broken cords on sliding door window covering·        
• Mr. Clean grungy baseboards in living room·        
• Replace all the current burnt-out light bulbs·       
• Clean out both car trunks