love me some spaghetti

Perhaps she prefers my Alfredo?

Old photo that made me laugh...

this little cutie melts my heart

...and I am so very happy and proud that she is all mine :-)
Oh, and she now prefers the toddler waddle/walk to crawling. It's pretty much the cutest thing ever.

Snow Bunnies!

My little cuties enjoying our first winter snowstorm this year. Andie Lucie seems to like that sled! The snow is really coming down right now which is making me nervous- I've got to pick up the kids from daycare later, and I work on Friday- I heard rumor it was going to snow a lot Thursday. Hopefully I'm wrong!

Togetherness

It's so cute when they play together :-) I mean, I'm pretty sure that, immediately following this picture, the toddler stole the big girl's laptop, and she tugged it back, and then there was shrieking, and it finally ended with a whack of said laptop on Aili's head, and an exasperated mama yelling while clutching her coffee and wishing it was spiked, but whatever. In that fleeting moment, it was adorable.

The Grocery Challenge: What's in My Cart

It is January which means, perhaps I ought to think of a new years goal or resolution. This year it's grocery shopping. I've decided to finally make some sort of budget. Which leads me to a few questions:
What is the average amount a family approximately my size spends?
Is couponing really worth it if you are trying to get a lot of fresh stuff?
What do YOU put in your cart?
Where do you shop mostly?

I'll go first.
I spend probably about a grand a month, including household items.
I don't coupon much, although every so often I try. It just seems like so much effort and maybe I am doing it wrong, because I don't see a big bottom line difference.
I buy a lot of fruits/ veggies fresh, fancy cheeses, meat, yogurt, organic milk, peanut butter, bread, lean cuisines for work, and diet coke. These are my staples. This is why I spend so much.
I shop everywhere; haggen, Safeway, QFC, Fred Meyer, Costco, and a local produce stand.

So, I'm going to try and come in around $500 per month. I'll adjust as necessary after I get a better feel for it. I tried to go online to get some coupons for some of my favorite fancy items I can't give up, like fage yogurt. Well there were no coupons so instead I entered a contest on their website for a trip to Greece and then got a fage craving and went and got a lot more.

My grocery bill might suffer, but I'll admit defeat on that one while soaking in the sun on Santorini.

So, what is in YOUR cart? Send me some pictures! I'll be taking some next time I go shopping.

Hello, My Name Is Toddler

I can scream/shreek at a decibel higher than a pack of hyenas. I throw tantrums over whether or not I get to use my utensils all by myself. I throw things on the floor with a look of utter contempt. I get frustrated over what seems like nothing; these darn humans just don't understand me. My favorite word is "NO," and I repeatedly hurl myself on the floor in a fit of tears. You know, just so everyone else can realize just how serious I am, and how unfair life is, and join in on the misery.
Yup, it's official. Miss Anabelle Lucie is a toddler.

Those Little Moments...

I love these little moments with my sweet family. This age may be difficult at times, but then I remember all the good. Because my girls are just so sweet and innocent still. I love these pictures Jeff took, they look like little angels.
Ps- I hope these don't offend!
Pps- sorry for the multiple posts. There are some limits to iPhone posting!