Outings

July 8th, 2011 - Taltree Arboretum, Railway Garden

Connor and Katie had fun! There is only one section right now, so it's fairly small. They put tons of detail into the exhibit. We can't wait to see the next one!

July 10, 2011 - Grandma's 91st birthday, IL

Unfortunately, Grandma J wasn't feeling good and we didn't stay too long. After, we took Connor to the school across the street. I played there as a kid, so did my mother and uncle. Some of the equipment is still the same. I spent countless hours on this piece as a kid!

Displaying Independence

Connor is 2 yrs and 2 months old.

He can count to 15 and knows his ABCs.







He can take his shoes off, lets the dog in and out of the house, knows how to unlock and relock the back door... :) He sings Rockabye Baby and Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star. He knows all of his Chuggington trains by name and how to link them up to make a really long train.

Hangin' Tough

Since I teased her about not mentioning it on her blog, I really need to mention it here :) On Saturday, June 18th, one of my besties, Erika of Shane & Erika, came up for a visit and we went to the NKOTBSB concert at the United Center! That's New Kids On The Block and Backstreet Boys for those not in the know...

This was my second NKOTB concert and these tickets were a Christmas/Birthday present from my mother-in-law, sister-in-law and niece. I was never a BSB fan, but I was pleasantly surprised that I did actually know some of the songs.

Of course, NKOTB was just amazing! I love seeing how they really care about their fans. Other concerts I have gone to have thanked their fans, but these guys seem to really mean it. They know that without us fans and our undying devotion, they wouldn't have been able to make a comeback and be on tour for the last 3 years.

This crowd was a bit different than three years ago. There weren't nearly as many pins and buttons :) I don't know if it's because they've been back for a while and that first concert, no one knew if that was it or not. Or if it was because of the BSB fans. There were a ton of NKOTB shirts, not too many vintage though. The crowd seemed fairly evenly split between the two bands.

It was so nice to have someone with me this time! The last concert I went alone, 3 months pregnant. We screamed, laughed, sang and came home with sore ears and no voices. Somehow we forgot to have my husband take a pic of us before we left, but here are two pics I took from my crappy camera.

NKOTB was the first group I ever liked, and really the only one I've ever followed. I've been to three 3 Doors Down concerts and they are amazing, but I can't tell you any of their names except for the lead singer (Brad Arnold). NKOTB was it for me, the ultimate "boy band". I got the first album when I was 9 or 10. When other girls in my class switched to Vanilla Ice, I didn't. I knew who was better! I went to a Joey McIntyre concert in 2000. I have his solo albums and one of Jordan's. I still have videos from years ago, a few pins and some trading cards. I think I have a comic book somewhere.

Anyway, I was always a Donnie girl. I love him in Blue Bloods. He has definitely aged well :) He loves the crowd, the crowd loves him!

Velveeta Cheesy Skillets House Party

I hosted a Velveeta Cheesy Skillets House Party on June 20th! House Party sent me everything I needed to host the party. I invited friends, made dinner and we had fun! I was sent 4 flavors, Chicken & Broccoli, Nacho Supreme, Zesty BBQ Chicken and Cheeseburget. The party favorite was Nacho Supreme, mine was the Zesty BBQ Chicken. Everyone went home with a $1 off coupon, dry erase board and pen, and Velveeta tote bag. This was my first experience with House Party. I can't wait to host another one!

You can host your own House Party!

A Few Quick Updates

Connor moved into his own house. He's thinking of putting a pool in.

Tupperware's having an awesome sale! I need $75 in sales to stay a consultant by Friday, June 24th. Check out my page!

Not Meant To Garden This Year

I don't think I am meant to garden this year. I had this big plan. All of the tomatoes and peppers I started (except for one), have not survived. The day after I planted them, we had 4-5 straight days of rain. The one that did survive was planted before the others and hasn't grown much. But it's still alive!

I checked the four Walmart Marglobe tomatoes this morning and they are still there. However "something" dug up the Walmart Black Beauty zucchini. "Something" had been digging in my green onion pot again too. "Something" needs to find another place to hunt for food!

It looks like I'll be checking out the local farmers markets more than I planned this year...

10 Reasons I Want Chickens

Yes, chickens. I have wanted chickens for a looooong time. I've been trying to convince my husband to say yes for the last month. So far, he has said no. Or NO, depending on the day...

Here are my 10 reasons I want chickens.

1. Fresh Eggs. Farm eggs generally have less cholesterol, less saturated fat, more vitamins A & E, more Omega 3s, and of course taste better. If you've never had a fresh egg, you're missing out! (And who wouldn't want a blue egg?)

2. Material Use. We have the space, materials for a coop and a dog run. We have almost 7 acres, more than enough room for a small flock. We have materials from a 12x12 shed that was never put up. We have a 12x7 dog run that came with the house. It's never been used by us, and just keeps getting moved. Why not find a real use for it?!

3. Bug Control. Chickens eat all sorts of things, including bugs.

4. Mini Garbage Disposals. Like I said, all sorts of things. They will gladly eat your leftover kitchen scraps. This also helps keep food out of the landfills. Kitchen scraps = tasty eggs. It's a win-win!

5. Organic Fertilizer. Chicken manure makes excellent compost. I already have a small bin set up for my rabbit manure. Since the pasture is so compacted from the horses being on it for 4 years, it needs some ammending. Composted chicken manure would be amazing for my garden next year.

6. Teaching My Son. Even at 2 years old, Connor is old enough to help me feed and water chickens. He can even help me gather eggs, which helps enforce numbers and counting. It's good for kids to be around animals.

7. Cost. Unlike our other pets, chickens don't cost much to feed. Partially due to reasons #3 and #4 above. From my research, it shouldn't cost more than $5-$9/month to keep a flock of 6 chickens. They also don't need electricity in the coop.

8. Animal Welfare. Factory layers are not treated very nicely. A factory hen will most likely never touch grass, never allowed outside, fed an un-natural diet, etc. With backyard chickens, you know how they are taken care of, what they eat and how they are treated.

9. Easy Care. Chickens don't need tons of care. Of course, every animal needs a certain level of care. What I mean is they don't need to be walked every day, no expensive vaccines, etc. It only takes a few minutes every day to feed, water and sweep out the coop.

10. They Are Fun! Yes, fun! Chickens have such cute personalities. They follow you around, they are friendly, they will sit on your lap ;)

Thinking of keeping chickens? Start here!