tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-145206912011-11-27T19:27:57.603-06:00A window into the life of Aaron and Blakely...Blakelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16460049395611896089noreply@blogger.comBlogger2931100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14520691.post-9743522241378759692010-04-28T17:42:00.000-05:002010-04-28T17:42:00.491-05:00

I was very intrigued by this post over on The Grocery Cart Challenge. From now on, I won't be throwing my lint away anymore!! I think that composting it and using it as a fire starter will probably be our most common uses, but I can imagine myself making Chloe Mae some clay out of it in a couple years or working on a papier-mache project together.I get so excited about the littlest things...

Blakelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16460049395611896089noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14520691.post-5174950442851498262010-04-23T07:29:00.000-05:002010-04-23T07:29:00.888-05:00

What did you do for the 40th Earth Day?? We got a compost bin and a rain barrel!! Okay, okay. We didn't intentionally get these in honor of Earth Day, but it's pretty good timing, right?? And they're green, Earth-friendly choices regardless of when or why we got them... We're lucky enough to have the perfect spot for the rain barrel right next to the garden. And there was just enough room for

Blakelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16460049395611896089noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14520691.post-24228874828232524392010-04-12T17:32:00.000-05:002010-04-12T17:32:00.235-05:00

This is Kentucky Fried Chicken's newest "sandwich." It's called the Double Down. There are 2 fried chicken filets as the 'bun', with 2 strips of bacon, monteray and pepper jack cheese and a zesty sauce inside. While I realize that there are plenty of other fast food options out on the market that are probably even higher in calories/fat/all that bad stuff, seeing the large banner for this

Blakelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16460049395611896089noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14520691.post-73754940412189121112010-02-24T12:30:00.003-06:002010-02-24T14:53:10.073-06:00

By the time I'd taken Driver's Ed my sophomore year of high school, I'd had my learner's permit for 1.5 years and, given that I was a teenager, I was pretty sure I already knew everything, so I didn't think I got much out of the class. Plus, I thought the instructor was a little bit crazy - when I didn't slow down and look both ways before a set of railroad tracks, she smacked her 3-ring binder

Blakelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16460049395611896089noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14520691.post-38396672365067051062010-01-13T08:29:00.002-06:002010-01-13T08:34:54.343-06:00

Every winter as it gets darker and darker when I'm leaving work at 5PM, I listen to people talk about how much they hate going home in the dark. I listen and try to empathize, saying something along the lines of, "Yeah, it's a real bummer." Truth be told, I don't really mind it too much. It's usually cold enough by then that I'm not going outside at night anyhow.However, this time of year,

Blakelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16460049395611896089noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14520691.post-85362315508018930092010-01-05T17:54:00.000-06:002010-01-06T08:30:21.392-06:00

Today would have been my 6th anniversary at Gateway Hotel if I still worked there. But I don't, and I'm okay with that now. We had a tumultuous 1+ year, but I truly think that everything worked out the way it was supposed to. Even if it was hard (if not impossible) to think that at the time. For a few months, I hated getting the mail, because there was always the possibility of another rejection

Blakelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16460049395611896089noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14520691.post-31263904617908434812009-08-22T11:44:00.003-05:002009-08-22T11:51:35.076-05:00

Inspired by Melissa from "Next Food Network Star," who taught us that ratatouille has Eggplant, Zucchini, Peppers, Onion and Tomato (EZ POT) and because we had all but the eggplant ready for harvest in our garden, we (Aaron) made ratatouille last weekend. There was a bunch leftover and we didn't think it would reheat very well, so we pureed it and froze it for future use on pasta. It was quite

Blakelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16460049395611896089noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14520691.post-24232962757221666102009-08-06T09:35:00.002-05:002009-08-06T09:43:52.257-05:00

I thought this was a big'un... Oh how I was wrong.Aaron discovered this guy hiding in our broccoli the other day. We're starting to run out of ideas for using fresh veggies (last night we made green bean and zucchini tempura as our side - yummy!!) and freezer space. Oh what a problem to have.

Blakelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16460049395611896089noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14520691.post-78508275959402419622009-07-01T14:30:00.003-05:002009-07-01T14:40:31.590-05:00

Our menu planning has been thrown out the window the last few weeks. We usually do 1 day of grilling, making extras so that we have a few meals throughout the week. We've also depended on the stockpile of freezer meals, so we haven't gone hungry by any standard. However, our meals haven't exactly been well-balanced on a regular basis. But now we're able to harvest from our garden, so that

Blakelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16460049395611896089noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14520691.post-41238659988702626532009-06-10T09:16:00.002-05:002009-06-10T09:27:23.258-05:00

We are so thankful we got a home warranty when we purchased our house last year!! Over the winter, we had our water heater replaced for just over $100, to cover the service fee, disposal and a permit from the city. Now, we're having our air conditioner replaced for 1/3 of the normal cost. Again, most of the costs would have been covered, but we decided to upgrade the outdoor unit and replace

Blakelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16460049395611896089noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14520691.post-88565392519242331282009-05-06T10:57:00.002-05:002009-05-06T11:02:33.879-05:00

Aaron and I spent about 3 seconds appreciating how pretty our apple tree looks in bloom, before we realized that all those beautiful flowers were going to become apples. Apples that would most likely become bug-infested and fall off the tree. That means that all those flowers are going to become apples that we'll have to pick up from the yard again...

Blakelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16460049395611896089noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14520691.post-92190303767329408772009-05-03T11:06:00.002-05:002009-05-03T11:16:07.699-05:00

I came across this recipe the other day and thought I should give it a try. The recipe poster claims that the bars are similar to Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, which I LOVE, and we had all 5 ingredients on hand, so I whipped up a half batch before we headed over to my mom's for dinner. Although I'm not sure if I'd say they're exactly like Reese's PB Cups, they were very tasty, so I thought I'd

Blakelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16460049395611896089noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14520691.post-12237321032846060442009-04-29T19:21:00.000-05:002009-04-29T19:21:00.211-05:00

I'm beginning to seriously question whether or not many adults would be able to solve that little math problem. I know not everyone is good at math, but everyone should be able to handle simple addition and subtraction and I don't think asking that someone be able to multiply or divide simple equations is too out of line. Here are two examples from my last week where simple math was just too

Blakelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16460049395611896089noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14520691.post-32020834549327721972009-04-27T13:24:00.002-05:002009-04-27T13:41:58.515-05:00

I haven't posted our meal plan in a while, but with the impending arrival of BabyMort, I want to make sure we're still sticking to this as much as possible. My temp job ends this week, so I'll have a lot more free time to try out some new recipes and stock up our freezer meals as well. Plus, I think we have a pretty good menu this week, so I wanted to share :-)Sunday - NY Strip Steak w/ grilled

Blakelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16460049395611896089noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14520691.post-15300384084186749922009-04-21T21:24:00.000-05:002009-04-21T21:24:00.294-05:00

Someone made a comment a few months ago about Nick the dog looking a little chubby. Aaron and I hadn't really noticed it, but then again, we see him every day. Steve the dog still looked fine and Max the dog didn't look any different to us either, so we figured they were doing fine. They all got the same opportunities to eat and exercise, so if the other 2 were fine, then how could Nick be

Blakelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16460049395611896089noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14520691.post-18065676406980206282009-04-20T16:32:00.002-05:002009-04-20T16:37:43.586-05:00

I saw this article and thought it was interesting. I guess it makes sense since some of the biggest contributing factors to obesity are eating more and exercising less. This means more food production and transportation costs, as well as more transportation costs associated with transporting people more often and heavier people.I'm always looking for new ways to go green, so I thought I'd share

Blakelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16460049395611896089noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14520691.post-52625341491770077222009-03-12T20:10:00.001-05:002009-03-12T20:10:00.155-05:00

....three-cheese sliced bread from Panera!! Our usual bread is a whole grain, HFCS-free bread by Sara Lee. It became 'our bread' because of those qualities and because we can find it at the bakery outlet and get it for half the grocery store price, which means we don't spend close to 10% of our grocery budget on bread every week.It's a good bread, but it gets a little tiresome every now and

Blakelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16460049395611896089noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14520691.post-60359814619715003162009-03-11T08:29:00.004-05:002009-03-11T08:56:53.371-05:00

Aaron leaving the toilet seat up has never been something that bothered me. I think part of the reason is that I haven't really had to deal with someone who leaves the seat up on a regular basis. I know that when we only had 1 bathroom, the seat would get left up occasionally, but it was the exception, not the norm. Now that we have 2 bathrooms, I think his seat is up all the time, but it doesn't

Blakelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16460049395611896089noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14520691.post-42972999924316124092009-03-09T20:31:00.002-05:002009-03-09T20:56:59.340-05:00

Let others know a little more about yourself, re-post this as your name followed by "ology"***********FOODOLOGY***************What is your salad dressing of choice? French - boring, I know.What is your favorite sit-down restaurant? Carlos O' Kelly's, Cheesecake FactoryWhat food could you eat every day for two weeks and not get sick of? Chips & QuesoWhat are your pizza toppings of choice? Italian

Blakelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16460049395611896089noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14520691.post-49737204541064397222009-03-02T19:07:00.005-06:002009-03-02T20:13:53.201-06:00

I've always liked being able to find a good deal. And if I can save money, sign me up!! I'm always trying to come up with ideas to save a little here and spend less there. Sometimes, it takes my lovely husband a while to warm up to my ideas, but he's usually pleased with the end result. Here are a few of our latest money-saving adventures.--We're going to make our own laundry detergent. After a

Blakelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16460049395611896089noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14520691.post-90209570648075147082009-02-26T10:10:00.002-06:002009-02-26T10:28:16.896-06:00

We've been trying to use at least 1 new recipe a week from Recipezaar - one that we found either from Gayle at the Grocery Cart Challenge, assuming it will be fairly cheap, or one that I found while searching around through popular recipes. Well, this week's recipe, Crock Pot Chicken, was a hit!! It was super simple to make, not horrible on the nutrition scale, makes a ton and it's pretty

Blakelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16460049395611896089noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14520691.post-42496096135899088412009-02-18T18:01:00.003-06:002009-02-18T18:14:00.867-06:00

I'm sure I'll be sharing baby poop stories soon. For now, just a dog poop story.When I let Steve the dog out of his cage on Monday night, he'd left a little 'surprise' for me. I could tell he must have an upset stomach, because it was totally unlike him to go to the bathroom in his cage.Then all night last night, Tuesday, you could hear his stomach growling and gurgling from across the room so

Blakelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16460049395611896089noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14520691.post-38681733772680379162009-02-17T19:38:00.002-06:002009-02-17T19:55:02.828-06:00

This is kind of like the 25 things from Facebook - except there are pre-decided questions and it's about you and your spouse. Come on, play along - inquiring minds want to know!♥ What are your middle names? Michael and JaDeane♥ How long have you been together? About 4 1/2, married for 2 1/2.♥ How long did you know each other before you started dating? About 8 months - we spent pretty much every

Blakelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16460049395611896089noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14520691.post-91927867122464952042009-02-02T12:23:00.002-06:002009-02-02T12:45:55.576-06:00

For whatever reason, Aaron and I are both into light fixtures - they were the first thing we changed out when we moved in. Our bedroom just had a cheap $5 light fixture and we decided to change it out for a ceiling fan. It came with a remote, which we thought was fantastic, and were happy that we could change the fan speed in the middle of the night without getting out of bed. But...the light

Blakelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16460049395611896089noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14520691.post-81316843643445395822009-01-26T09:03:00.000-06:002009-01-26T09:03:07.459-06:00

Last week's menu had a couple great new recipes in it. The White Chicken Chili and Nacho Casserole were both fantastic!! The Manicotti was good the first night, but didn't reheat very well. This week we tried to plan our menu around things that were on sale and did really well with our grocery budget. Here's what we have planned:Monday - Quiche based on this recipeTuesday - Shrimp Scampi w/

Blakelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16460049395611896089noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14520691.post-59414819452259539872009-01-25T19:32:00.000-06:002009-01-25T19:32:00.928-06:00

So I had my first week of unemployement and abundant free time. I feel like I managed to stay fairly productive - and even took a shower every day!! Here's what I got done:Research and apply for every possible legitimate job opportunity. (The Obvious) I didn't find any new jobs to apply for, but I did have one interview and a proficiency test for another position. Have lunch with my friend Becky,

Blakelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16460049395611896089noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14520691.post-77330762225321964842009-01-23T14:11:00.002-06:002009-01-23T14:16:51.761-06:00

This is what a great Thursday night looks like - my fantastic cousin, Bethany, a couple of cuddling dogs and a new Grey's Anatomy. To make it even better, my wonderful hubby was nearby, we had a warm, toasty fire and the White Chicken Chili and bread I made for dinner turned out great.

Blakelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16460049395611896089noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14520691.post-89863842111841130612009-01-19T09:32:00.003-06:002009-01-19T09:48:05.524-06:00

We're trying out some new recipes this week, enjoying some leftovers and dinners with family and friends. To see what others are doing, head over to The Organizing Junkie.Here's our plan for the week:Monday: 4-Cheese Spinach ManicottiTuesday: White Bean ChiliWednesday: "The Grammie Meal" at my mom's (she was sick last week)Thursday: Leftover Burrito CasseroleFriday: Dinner at a friendsSaturday:

Blakelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16460049395611896089noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14520691.post-20213516274096452812009-01-14T19:28:00.002-06:002009-01-14T19:54:58.324-06:00

I think most people find themselves saying, "I'd do _____ if I just had more free time." Well, Friday is my last day at Gateway, so I'll suddenly have a lot more free time. It's not exactly how I would have liked to get more free time, but I'm going to try to make the best of it. I've been coming up with a list of things I'm going to try to do next week - some more exciting than others - to

Blakelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16460049395611896089noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14520691.post-65289318130034320982009-01-12T18:43:00.003-06:002009-01-12T19:32:46.664-06:00

It's Monday again. I know you're all sitting on the edge of your seats, waiting to find out what Aaron and I will be eating this week. Wait no longer!! And if you need more ideas, visit the Organizing Junkie. Monday - Frozen Lasagna (from the freezer - we skipped it last week)Tuesday - Parmesan Crusted Flounder w/ brown rice and green beans (We got a great deal on the flounder and it was cheaper

Blakelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16460049395611896089noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14520691.post-18029745152047879522009-01-12T18:30:00.002-06:002009-01-12T18:43:03.227-06:00

Rules: It's harder than it looks! Copy to your own note, erase my answers, enter yours, and tag 5 people. Use the first letter of your name to answer each of the following questions. They have to be real. . .nothing made up! If the person before you had the same first initial, you must use different answers. You cannot use any word twice and you can't use your name for the boy/girl name

Blakelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16460049395611896089noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14520691.post-5324188328069384162009-01-05T18:32:00.002-06:002009-01-05T18:54:52.236-06:00

As part of our quest to save money, we want to become more diligent in planning our meals for the week. We used to do this all the time, but the craziness of moving, the laziness of summer and the unpredictability of pregnancy cravings, we got out of the habit. However, deciding ahead of time really helps us cut down on our grocery bills and lets of take advantage of sales and items we already

Blakelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16460049395611896089noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14520691.post-32802874630844140462008-12-23T17:56:00.003-06:002008-12-23T13:26:43.760-06:00

Since last spring, we've been using the envelope method to budget. It started when we were looking at buying a new (more expensive) house and realized how much we were truly spending going out to eat, on clothes, going on weekend trips, etc... and how little expenses like oil changes or a quick fix around the house seemed to throw our money-situation out of whack for a week or two. Just thinking

Blakelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16460049395611896089noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14520691.post-32810683327946489542008-12-23T12:50:00.000-06:002008-12-23T12:51:39.585-06:00

I thought this deserved to be double posted:We had people over on Sunday for a cookie exchange (yum!!) and were talking about Christmas trees - real vs. fake, who waters it, how long it stays up, etc... A friend was mentioning that she has a hard time remembering to water their tree, and I said that I never thought about it, but maybe I would mroe often if it was my job. It's Aaron's job

Blakelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16460049395611896089noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14520691.post-62717520474660731472008-11-25T19:06:00.000-06:002008-11-25T19:06:00.959-06:00

I'm not declaring myself an expert on grammar. I'm sure I make plenty of mistakes. However, I have a few pet peeves that I feel like I'm seeing a lot more often. For example:"To" and "too" are two different words (oh, I'm funny!!).-to: toward a point, person, place, or thing, implied or understood-too: in addition; also; furthermore; to an excessive extent or degree"There," "Their," and "

Blakelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16460049395611896089noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14520691.post-90659583006794157702008-11-19T17:46:00.000-06:002008-11-19T17:46:00.918-06:00

Aaron L-O-V-E-S Christmas. He loves the music and the decorations and he starts thinking of ideas for gifts in September. A few years ago, we wrapped all the presents in plain brown paper, and then used markers, glitter glue, googly eyes and more to personally decorate each package. My designs were fairly simple, while Aarons spend many, many, many hours on his packages. This year, Aaron was

Blakelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16460049395611896089noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14520691.post-25698053842331399292008-11-11T18:44:00.002-06:002008-11-11T18:59:33.109-06:00

I've been neglecting my postings on this blog, because I've been busy over on www.mamamort.wordpress.com. In addition, I've been busy sleeping, eating a dozen small meals a day to try to avoid nausea, and thanking my husband for being amazing and supportive. I'm thrilled to report that we're expecting BabyMort in early June, 2009!!We told our families and close friends shortly after we found

Blakelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16460049395611896089noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14520691.post-74560862747444300822008-10-26T17:16:00.002-05:002008-10-26T17:21:22.510-05:00

Max is a much harder chewer than our dogs, so we needed to invest in a few more hard to ruin toys. We were down in Ankeny today, so we stopped at PetSmart and got 3 new toys. As soon as we carried the bag into the house, all 3 dogs started freaking out. They someone knew that there was stuff in that bag for them. Now, we carry bags of groceries in and they could care less. And the bag was

Blakelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16460049395611896089noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14520691.post-55950506608975356062008-10-17T17:36:00.000-05:002008-10-17T17:36:00.182-05:00

I wholeheartedly agree with Campbell Brown. I'm tired of seeing negative ads, filled with lies, one after another all night long. At the very least, stop wasting your money trying to make the other guy look bad, and tell me what you're going to do.* And really, even if the ads aren't negative, I'm surely not going to make my decision based on TV ads paid for my the candidates. Sadly, I

Blakelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16460049395611896089noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14520691.post-59405961657941917462008-10-11T13:59:00.000-05:002008-10-11T13:59:00.255-05:00

w00t\ˈwüt\interjection, 1 slang: EXPRESSING JOY"w00t! I won the contest!"(spelled w-zero-zero-t)

Blakelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16460049395611896089noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14520691.post-33955488765428387042008-10-08T17:40:00.000-05:002008-10-08T17:40:00.687-05:00

The bathroom at work made me laugh today. I always go into a specific stall (because I can be a little OCD sometimes...) and mid-way through the day, this black mark appeared on the toilet seat. It took me a while to figure out what it could be, but then it dawned on me. It was the scuff mark from someone's shoe!! They must have been one of the germ-o-phobes who uses their foot to flush the

Blakelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16460049395611896089noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14520691.post-51315147497552046272008-10-04T21:14:00.002-05:002008-10-04T21:27:17.363-05:00

Roarke was trying to tell jokes tonight, but didn't have great material, so I grabbed some laffy taffy. Justin used his flashlight phone while Becky and Roarke read the jokes (and ate the candy!!) Then we ran out of laffy taffy jokes. So, I used my only joke that I can remember:B: Knock-knock.R: Who's there?B: Banana.R: Banana who?B: Knock-knock.R: Who's there?B: Banana.R: Banana who?B:

Blakelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16460049395611896089noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14520691.post-66820362428295390062008-10-04T13:35:00.000-05:002008-10-04T13:35:00.589-05:00

props\'präps\ n sing or pl, 1 slang : DUE 1 2 slang : RESPECT 2 3 slang : ACKNOWLEDGMENT 3

Blakelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16460049395611896089noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14520691.post-3964890433960264422008-10-03T18:16:00.001-05:002008-10-03T18:19:42.976-05:00

I was sent this video by my cousin. I thought it had a good message, regardless of what you believe.

Blakelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16460049395611896089noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14520691.post-90600374854074859612008-09-28T13:38:00.000-05:002008-09-28T13:40:53.182-05:00

Ever since Max moved in, Steve has been a little over protective of his toys. This is a common sight- Steve makes sure that he's actually touching a couple toys and has a bunch of others nearby. As soon as he hears one of the other dogs approaching his eyes fly open and he stares down the approaching dog. Then Max or Nick usually just goes for the toy furthest from Steve. I think we need a lesson

Blakelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16460049395611896089noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14520691.post-84642365782095884312008-09-11T18:16:00.000-05:002008-09-11T18:16:01.067-05:00

We are a 3-dog household these days. Aaron's sister, Dena, and her family have moved again for her husband's job. This time around, they couldn't find a place that would accept pets, so they asked if Max could live with us for a while. We said yes, thinking, "We already have 150 pounds of dog running around. What's another 50 pounds?!?" So far this week though, it's felt like a lot more than '

Blakelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16460049395611896089noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14520691.post-9527823111189632512008-09-09T09:36:00.003-05:002008-09-11T14:15:06.064-05:00

One of the things Aaron and I were most excited about when moving to Ames was that we wouldn't have to drive everywhere. When we lived in Slater, we had to go to Ames or Ankeny to get/do pretty much everything, so walking or riding our bikes wasn't really an option. We had 2 motivations for wanting to drive everywhere - exercising more and polluting less.I found this set of facts from http://

Blakelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16460049395611896089noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14520691.post-23969163769888727402008-09-06T19:17:00.003-05:002008-09-06T19:31:28.933-05:00

Although we would never wish Aaron's mom back in the hospital, we did find the silver lining of it all - more time with Emma!! Dena and Emma both stayed with us for a few nights, then we got a night with Emma all to ourselves for a "slumber party."She took a bubble bath and then we all piled onto air mattresses on the floor of our family room. We ate popcorn, watched Hannah Montana and best of

Blakelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16460049395611896089noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14520691.post-90269219571056545032008-09-02T21:13:00.002-05:002008-09-02T21:27:44.305-05:00

Aaron and I picked up about 130 gallons of apples from our backyard on Saturday morning. Aaron actually raked most of the apples into piles while I picked up the strays. Then we were able to just shove the apples into buckets from the pile - much easier than the previously used methods. However, there were also waaayy more apples than we've had to deal with before. This is our 96 gallon trash

Blakelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16460049395611896089noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14520691.post-82044107617145132572008-08-27T16:12:00.000-05:002008-08-27T16:13:29.446-05:00

"You're awesome!!"

Blakelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16460049395611896089noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14520691.post-86739989451017478712008-08-23T21:43:00.000-05:002008-08-23T21:46:10.353-05:00

Yay for friends who make us veggie pizza for dinner and let us play Wii. They even let us create our own Mii's tonight! Luckily we can trade out with Rock Band and black bean enchiladas... Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

Blakelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16460049395611896089noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14520691.post-66333052473889177192008-08-21T15:15:00.003-05:002008-08-22T12:54:36.410-05:00

I'm lucky enough to have a couple great friends (who have more great friends) who are all interested in eating healthier, while maintaining a budget for food and using a reasonable amount of time. In an effort to help each other out, they've started a new blog, "Lovely Ladies Dish on the Dish," which I'm now a contributor to. Take a look if you're interested in joining us in our quest to be

Blakelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16460049395611896089noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14520691.post-56987550985219035992008-08-20T14:57:00.000-05:002008-08-20T14:57:00.713-05:00

I'll start with a summary of the information presented in my previous entry. Then I'll move on to my thoughts and frustrations.High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) is a sweetener and preservative used in many processed foods, such as soda, baked goods and condiments, that is made by changing the sugar in cornstarch to to fructose.The process was discovered in 1957 and the use of HFCS in many foods

Blakelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16460049395611896089noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14520691.post-44876318673750703442008-08-19T18:49:00.002-05:002008-08-19T21:44:03.483-05:00

I'm going to try to present fact/research based information on High Fructose Corn Syrup in this post, followed by my personal feelings and frustrations in another post - although you can probably tell from the title how I feel about it, so this will probably come off biased. For those who may not know what it is, "High-fructose corn syrup is a sweetener and preservative used in many processed

Blakelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16460049395611896089noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14520691.post-57041943117187260372008-08-14T19:42:00.000-05:002008-08-14T19:43:44.529-05:00

We've seen the biggest ram, boar, bull and piggy bank. We've eaten lots of food on a stick, some fried food and some that are both! We've listened to several bands and gotten some free stuff. It's been a good day. And we get to come back on Sunday! Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

Blakelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16460049395611896089noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14520691.post-19253373831535221012008-08-08T17:39:00.000-05:002008-08-08T10:26:52.722-05:00

I saw this headline today and just had to read the article. It says,"Buying organic vegetables might make you feel safer about avoiding chemicals and better for possibly helping the planet, but the food won't be any more healthful."Avoiding the ingestion of chemicals (or hormones or antibiotics with meat and dairy) is my main motivation for getting anything organic. And 'helping the planet'

Blakelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16460049395611896089noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14520691.post-18195708627931979572008-08-07T21:41:00.003-05:002008-08-07T21:58:02.711-05:00

We're going to the fair all day on Thursday the 14th, as well as on Sunday the 17th, when my grandparents will be inducted into the 4H Hall of Fame. I'm pretty excited about it and have been reading about all the "going-ons" of the fair this year. Today, I read an article that said the Iowa Heart Center had 8 suggestions for eating healthy at the fair. They were as follows:Forego the huge turkey

Blakelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16460049395611896089noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14520691.post-47844660634530209732008-08-05T19:03:00.002-05:002008-12-11T12:45:30.335-06:00

After only 6 weeks of living in our new house*, we have the kitchen completely unpacked!! Not only are the boxes unpacked, but we have "stuff" hanging on the walls in the dining room too. It's a good feeling, and hopefully the other rooms follow soon. We're "close, but not quite there" on most of the rest of the house.Now that the boxes are all out of the dining room, it's just a big empty

Blakelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16460049395611896089noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14520691.post-87331053560291426652008-08-04T12:53:00.004-05:002008-08-04T20:37:42.196-05:00

Aaron and I had the pleasure of going boating with some friends yesterday. We spent about 7 hours on the water - from 11am-6pm - and had a great time. I applied sunscreen several times, but a) should have applied it again to my thighs- which were almost constantly exposed to the sun and b) should have applied it better!! I totally missed spots and you can see the wavy line between white, where I

Blakelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16460049395611896089noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14520691.post-75014827089467393362008-07-31T21:36:00.002-05:002008-07-31T21:41:29.045-05:00

I like to blog, plain and simple. But sometimes I worry too much about what other people think. My blogging had pretty much slowed down to 1 or 2 entries a month, because I would overanalyze andthink, "Do people really care about 'x?' I won't write about that..." But then I just decided that it's something I enjoy, and if someone doesn't want to read about it, they don't have to!! I'm

Blakelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16460049395611896089noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14520691.post-60426263347105158502008-07-30T19:31:00.002-05:002008-12-11T12:45:31.083-06:00

We've added not only kale to our smoothies, but also wheat germ. They look a little gross - with little green bits - but they taste just like before. So our smoothie recipe for two is as follows:-1 banana-2 cups assorted frozen fruit (our mix has melon, strawberries, pineapple, peaches and mangoes)-3/4 cup lowfat yogurt-3/4 cup juice - we use Pomegranate Blueberry V8 Fusion or Cranberry

Blakelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16460049395611896089noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14520691.post-53886348763682444612008-07-29T21:40:00.003-05:002008-12-11T12:45:31.458-06:00

A good marriage is full of compromises. So, Aaron watches 'Dancing With the Stars' and 'Jon and Kate Plus Eight' with me sometimes and I watch Nascar or 'Good Eats' with him. I can't stand the host of 'Good Eats,' Alton Brown, but I do have to thank him for a little tip we employed tonight.We made the "batter" for our homemade ice cream tonight so it can chill overnight. (The Kitchen Aid

Blakelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16460049395611896089noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14520691.post-1842612844614580802008-07-28T20:58:00.003-05:002008-12-11T12:45:31.721-06:00

Camping is great. There are lots of things I could talk about in regards to my enjoyment of camping...the chance to relax, 2-minute mysteries by the fire, the necessity of cuddling my husband to stay warm...but my favorite part is the S'mores!! I prefer to eat them with every meal while camping, and generally do. Camping with a 6-year old sort of made me think about that in a new light though.

Blakelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16460049395611896089noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14520691.post-76681402167967076682008-07-25T22:34:00.002-05:002008-12-11T12:45:32.053-06:00

We're camping. My dad brought this cool headlamp. And there are roaming goats at the campgrounds! More pictures to follow...

Blakelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16460049395611896089noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14520691.post-9896414981422183072008-07-25T07:11:00.000-05:002008-12-11T12:45:32.256-06:00

I don't know why, but I've been in a funk this week - for lack of a better word. I wake up in the morning tired, even if I go to bed early the night before, I'm usually annoyed with someone at work within minutes of walking in and every day just seems to drag on. We've been really busy this week, so maybe I'm just suffering from a lack of downtime or "me" time, but whatever the reason, the "

Blakelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16460049395611896089noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14520691.post-13602615146010446612008-07-24T17:34:00.001-05:002008-12-11T12:45:32.730-06:00

We got a Kitchenaid Ice Cream Maker Attachment!! We have been wanting one of these ever since we got our Kitchenaid Mixer for Christmas 1.5 years ago, we have a couple recipes that we've been saving for the day that we actually get one and we've even looked in a few stores, ready to buy one, only to find out they didn't carry it in store or were out. But today, my amazing husband discovered

Blakelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16460049395611896089noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14520691.post-16402901454436404452008-07-24T06:55:00.001-05:002008-07-24T09:04:46.999-05:00

Articles like this one drive me crazy! It says, "She said five of six products she tested emitted substances the Environmental Protection Agency says are not safe at any level. The researcher did not disclose which six products she tested." Ok. So you're telling me that the air freshener, laundry detergent or fabric softener that I'm using is potentially hazardous, but you're not going to tell

Blakelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16460049395611896089noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14520691.post-89491671817920936002008-07-22T20:44:00.003-05:002008-12-11T12:45:33.074-06:00

We have an apple tree in our new backyard. It looks to be a great climbing tree, but it has its drawbacks as well. I doubt that we'll get any full-grown apples off the tree, because they'll all fall off before then. Aaron cleaned up a bunch of them about a week ago, but they're all over the yard again. They also clog up our gutters in a hurry, which caused part of our basement to flood.

Blakelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16460049395611896089noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14520691.post-25923295159468366852008-07-18T19:26:00.001-05:002008-07-18T19:26:00.503-05:00

We bought wheat germ tonight. We're going to start putting some in all of our baked goods, as well as sneaking a little into our smoothies in the AM. We've talked about doing this for a while, because of the following health benefits, but finally bought some tonight."Face it, wheat germ is a nutrition standout. It's one of the best sources of folic acid. That's good news, since it's recommended

Blakelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16460049395611896089noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14520691.post-90299629321723208742008-07-16T13:18:00.003-05:002008-07-16T13:21:26.977-05:00

...wondered what it would look like if Aaron and I had our pictures taken with our dogs by a professional photographer?? If you have, then today is your lucky day!! Just follow this link, enter your email address and name, and you can view pictures of just that!!https://www.collages.net/ConsumerSite/GuestLogin.aspx?eventcode=357721Somebody at work said, "I hope you two have kids soon, so you

Blakelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16460049395611896089noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14520691.post-31738437643714343902008-07-15T21:01:00.002-05:002008-07-15T21:13:48.644-05:00

It's time to review the serious shows. Wipeou and MXC!!Wipeout is described as follows:"Human cannonballs! Human pinballs! Crashes, smashes and mud splashes! Twenty-four thrill-seekers will compete in the world's largest extreme obstacle course designed to provide the most spills, face plants and wipeouts ever seen on television, in Wipeout, a painfully funny new reality series."MXC claims to be

Blakelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16460049395611896089noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14520691.post-7864233678533446302008-07-09T17:33:00.000-05:002008-12-11T12:45:33.294-06:00

They're amazing. Enough said. The recipe follows: 1 box Betty Crocker Original Supreme Brownie Mix Water, Vegetable Oil and Eggs called for by brownie mix1 container vanilla frosting (we used Cream Cheese frosting)3/4 cup salted peanuts, coarsely chopped3 cups crisp rice cereal1 cup creamy peanut butter1 bag (2 cups) chocolate chips1. Heat oven to 350 and grease bottom of 9x13 pan.2. Make

Blakelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16460049395611896089noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14520691.post-85704675818432878042008-05-08T21:26:00.004-05:002008-12-11T12:45:33.750-06:00

We finally got our house listed a couple weeks ago. We put the sign in the yard on a Sunday night and by Tuesday night, we had a great offer!! It happened a lot faster than we were expecting, but we're not complaining!! The home inspection was done tonight, which went well, so we should be good to go now (*knock on wood*)Selling so quickly did sort of put us in a bit of a rushed position to find

Blakelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16460049395611896089noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14520691.post-16944919095186286522008-04-28T20:57:00.002-05:002008-12-11T12:45:33.903-06:00

For 3 1/2 years I've been asking Aaron why in the world we have to keep so many freakin' empty coffee cans. They're stacked up 3 or 4 deep on several different shelves in the house. There are a few that have gotten "jobs" over the last few years. There are 2 labeled "Puppy Chow" that we wash out and reuse every time we make it. There are another couple that we use for painting. Other than

Blakelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16460049395611896089noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14520691.post-61857985968958822822008-04-15T19:32:00.002-05:002008-04-15T20:01:06.254-05:00

Over the last week and a half we've been making the final push to get our house done so we can get it on the market. We're finishing up one last project and as long as smething doesn't go horribly wrong (which it has many times in the last few months) our house should be listed by this time next week. In this process, I've learned a lot of lessons, and not just about how to get a house ready to

Blakelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16460049395611896089noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14520691.post-9125960570641931232008-04-13T21:48:00.002-05:002008-12-11T12:45:34.479-06:00

This is what Aaron thinks "Picture-in-Picture" should be used for - two sports at one time... I use our new PIP to watch Biggest Loser and Dancing with the Stars.

Blakelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16460049395611896089noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14520691.post-56809533816747779062008-03-25T21:24:00.002-05:002008-03-25T21:38:04.224-05:00

Aaron and I like to get out of the building at lunchtime, so today we drove to Brookside park to soak in some of the sun. If you've ever been to Brookside, you might know that the road curves around the baseball fields. (We were parked along the side of the fields - for reference.) We saw a car approaching, but there's a short stretch where you can't see the car because of the trees. We were

Blakelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16460049395611896089noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14520691.post-9633146607994499862008-03-17T18:00:00.000-05:002008-03-17T15:43:24.827-05:00

Aaron asked that question several times over the weekend... On Saturday, it was because we bought over 45 pounds of produce - fresh, frozen and canned. A lot of it came from Sam's Club where we bought frozen broccoli, mixed veggies, corn and fruit for about a dollar a pound as well as 5 pounds of apples, 3 pounds of bananas and 6 pounds of tomatoes. The rest came from Fareway in the form of

Blakelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16460049395611896089noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14520691.post-70757690844739140012008-02-27T18:07:00.007-06:002008-12-11T12:45:34.665-06:00

Sometimes I feel old, but after thinking about it, I'd rather refer to it as sensible. Aaron and I own, and use, a pill cutter. In general, I don't think young healthy couples own such a thing. And there's something about it that just makes me feel older. I think it's because I have memories of sittign at the kitchen table on a Saturday night with my grandma while she doled out the pills for

Blakelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16460049395611896089noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14520691.post-3339250590079623012008-02-03T08:53:00.000-06:002008-02-03T09:52:41.521-06:00

I am sort of a picky eater. I used to be a lot worse, but Aaron has encouraged me to try a lot of new things. I never thought I'd say that grilled salmon and asparagus is one of my favorite meals, but it is!!Yesterday I tried a dried apricot (even dipped it in chocolate) which I wasn't a fan of. The key point is that I tried it though, because a couple years ago I wouldn't have even tried it.

Blakelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16460049395611896089noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14520691.post-86755332235152413142008-01-16T19:55:00.000-06:002008-12-11T12:45:34.827-06:00

So there are a lot of firsts in a marriage, or any relationship for that matter, and Aaron and I have had another first. For that matter, it wasn't just a first in our relationship, but for each of us individually. Now, it wasn't a major first, but it was a tasty first!! You might be thinking, "What the heck is she talking about?!?" Obviously, we made lasagna!! It was darn good lasagna too, and

Blakelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16460049395611896089noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14520691.post-82023707592032018612008-01-13T20:15:00.000-06:002008-12-11T12:45:34.926-06:00

I don't mean I'm actually trying to shrink my feet, like this:I mean it in a more representative sense. I'm trying to shrink my carbon footprint. Unlike Al Gore, I don't have a couple million dollars to make my mansion more green. For that matter, I don't even have a mansion. However, we are trying to make some smaller changes that we hope will have a big impact over time.Since this fall,

Blakelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16460049395611896089noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14520691.post-18094156610931603552007-12-21T08:10:00.000-06:002007-12-21T08:58:52.289-06:00

This guy rocks my socks off!! I'll admit that often times when I do something "good," I selfishly want to make sure other people know about it. I suppose it's possible that this guys motive was also selfish, if for no other reason than to make himself feel good. The whole thing reminds me of the Friends episode where Phoebe and Joey are arguing about whether or not you can ever committ a

Blakelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16460049395611896089noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14520691.post-11207534518684382422007-12-14T13:28:00.000-06:002007-12-14T13:42:06.834-06:00

I'm always amazed by product packaging. Sometimes the jaw-dropping occurs because of the warning label attached to it. I bought a curling iron that had a picture of a curling iron going straight into the eye (think perpendicular to they eye) with a line through it - essentially saying "Don't stick the curling iron in your eye!" Well thank you very much for such an informative warning. I was just

Blakelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16460049395611896089noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14520691.post-42801595043500692592007-12-10T11:17:00.001-06:002007-12-10T11:23:34.984-06:00

I generally check www.kcci.com a few times a day for the latest news. I think their website - of the local news channels sites - is the easiest to navigate. However, sometimes I just want to write them a letter and ask if they'd like to hire me on as a proofreader. Sometimes there are sentences that don't even make sense with the combination of words they use or other times a spelling error.

Blakelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16460049395611896089noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14520691.post-11646580287444512832007-12-02T18:49:00.001-06:002008-12-11T12:45:35.816-06:00

And our kitchen is finished!! There are a few before-and-after pictures below. We did sooo much work on our kitchen, which took a long time, so it's fun to look at the pictures to really see the difference. We took out the weird scalloped wood above the sink and put in a new light fixture and new window treatments. All of the cabinets were painted and got new hardware. The countertops and

Blakelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16460049395611896089noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14520691.post-72682848817682032072007-10-31T21:02:00.001-05:002008-12-11T12:45:35.940-06:00

Today was my last day at Gateway.It was just like any other day...or maybe not.:-(

Blakelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16460049395611896089noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14520691.post-61874332022288226862007-10-22T21:25:00.000-05:002008-12-11T12:45:36.234-06:00

A lack of blogging in the past few weeks doesn't necessarily mean I don't have anything to blog about, just a lack of effort. So, I'll review...We celebrated MandyMack's birthday last weekend and Aaron learned how to play beer pong and flippy cup.And yes, his eyes are burning red. I think that's what pure determination looks like when captured digitally.The following Saturday, we went to the Iowa

Blakelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16460049395611896089noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14520691.post-43899310017738649192007-10-08T21:38:00.000-05:002008-12-11T12:45:36.359-06:00

A self heating French Vanilla Latte!! It's amazing!! There's also Mocha, Hazelnut, Double Espresso, Chai Tea, Green Tea, Hot Chocolate, Hot Chocolate with Marshmallows and even Chicken Noodle and Tomato Vegetable soup. There are two chambers in the container. You release water into the bottom chamber, which mixes with quicklime, creating heat, warming the deliciousness in the top chamber.

Blakelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16460049395611896089noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14520691.post-130531013965407342007-10-06T22:48:00.000-05:002008-12-11T12:45:36.530-06:00

For Roarke's birthday, I wanted to make him a "cool cake." I was inspired by my good friend Dana, and the amazing cakes she makes for her kids. So here's Spongebob.If I could do it again, I'd make his mouth a little bigger. But Aaron tells me that it's a wonderful cake and I shouldn't be focusing on the imperfections... Hopefully Roarke likes it. We'll find out tomorrow!!

Blakelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16460049395611896089noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14520691.post-9133113076575402532007-09-24T19:34:00.000-05:002007-09-24T20:58:52.696-05:00

Since Saturday, I have ridden 25 miles on a bike. That's more than we've ridden the rest of the summer combined. My tailbone is a little sore, but other than that I feel great!!The first 15 miles were around the lake when we were camping. The last mile or so was a slight uphill and it was pretty killer, but the part in the middle when we stopped for ice cream in Ventura (where Aaron got to see

Blakelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16460049395611896089noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14520691.post-13909347750359097462007-09-20T17:28:00.000-05:002007-09-20T14:46:41.829-05:00

Aaron and I joined Ames Racquet and Fitness Club earlier this week. We went for our first workout last night. It was a little overwhelming, because we haven't had our "orientation" to the facilities yet, but we had a nice workout and learned some things for next time.Bring headphones. They had these great little TV's on every treadmill, eliptical and bike, but there's no sound unless you have

Blakelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16460049395611896089noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14520691.post-25959797736244521982007-09-13T17:57:00.000-05:002007-09-13T15:27:20.120-05:00

I met another Blakely the other night. Technically, she's a "Blakelee," but still...We went to Old Chicago for dinner and our server walked up to the table and said, "Hi. My name is Blakelee and I'll be your server." Aaron and I were speechless, as we quickly looked for her nametag to make sure we'd heard her correctly. The next couple minutes were spent with Blakelee and Blakely just staring at

Blakelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16460049395611896089noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14520691.post-22380061030769343552007-09-12T17:43:00.000-05:002007-09-12T15:57:08.050-05:00

Need gas?? It's probably worth a trip to Slater, depending on where you live. Gas in Slater is way cheaper than in Ames ($2.63 in Slater and $2.89 in Ames, last I saw). So for a round trip of less then 20 miles, you can save $.26 per gallon. Our car gets about 33 miles to the gallon, so a round trip from Slater to Ames take around 2/3 of a tank or $1.75 worth of gas. If your car gets similar

Blakelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16460049395611896089noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14520691.post-73120754764440835052007-09-06T18:22:00.000-05:002007-09-06T14:47:59.754-05:00

We got our water bill the other day and WOW!! Slater recently increased their rates and it must have taken effect this last month. Our bill was at least 150% of what our bills used to be. That's a pretty big increase for one month and it got me thinking. I'd like to take this opportunity to issue a formal apology to my parents...I'm sorry for all those times I took a 30 minute shower, just

Blakelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16460049395611896089noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14520691.post-59097188145458769202007-09-04T21:01:00.000-05:002008-12-11T12:45:37.244-06:00

What a great weekend!! This is the type of trip I'd love to take all the time. We didn't just do all of the normal touristy things and had a wonderful time. On Saturday morning, we went to a great farmer's market with fresh, HOT donuts!! Then we took the "El" downtown and walked around Millenium Park, Michigan Avenue and Navy Pier (okay, so that's a little touristy). That night, we went out for "

Blakelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16460049395611896089noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14520691.post-35819862240026990952007-08-30T14:14:00.000-05:002007-08-30T14:18:42.219-05:00

Have you ever seen the VH1 show, "Best Week Ever!"? It talks about different celebrities and those that have had especially good or bad weeks. Aaron and I thought we were in the running last week (it was a great week), but they didn't include us on the show. Weird!!This week, however, seems like it's just dragging on and on!! Maybe it's because everyone is just anxiously anticipating the

Blakelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16460049395611896089noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14520691.post-92104922594542957072007-08-21T19:44:00.000-05:002008-12-11T12:45:37.448-06:00

We have watermelons!! There were 4 watermelons last time we checked (on Sunday). There are two the size of the one in the picture (with a tennis ball next to it for comparison) and two that are about the size of the tennis ball. As long as we can keep the boys from trampling the vine, which has way outgrown the garden, then we should have tons of watermelon soon!!

Blakelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16460049395611896089noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14520691.post-59098598799362494192007-08-16T13:30:00.000-05:002008-12-11T12:45:38.453-06:00

Iowa State Fair...the pictures say it all!! We started off the day with a Pork Chop on a Stick and immediately headed for the shade, because we were there on the hottest day of the year. I love babies!! We saw newborn (some only 1 day old!!) pigs, cows, sheep, goats and chickens. They had staff members holding some of the babies, but they even let me hold the chick!! My husband the farmer, my

Blakelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16460049395611896089noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14520691.post-84248299884498601562007-08-16T09:23:00.000-05:002008-12-11T12:45:38.779-06:00

Even as few as 4 years ago, I never would have thought that my mom and I would become friends. I was that teenager who thought she had no need for parents... But we are friends now and it's wonderful!! This is us at Prairie Meadows on Friday night. We watched the horse races all night long. On Tuesday we went to the fair together. We had a great time despite the heat!!

Blakelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16460049395611896089noreply@blogger.com0