Sunday, June 28, 2009

Michael Jackson And The End Of My Childhood

I'm in the middle of moving and am absolutely exhausted from the last few days moving heavy furniture in almost 110 degree heat! So, while I rest I felt it was time to reflect on some stuff that I've been thinking about this week.

Michael Jackson was an artist that peaked while I was growing up. I know there are probably other bloggers that are writing about this, and yet, I still wanted to write about it. When Thriller came out, I wasn't really allowed to listen to secular music. Of course it's hard to avoid it when it's everywhere else. That year, I spent time with my cousins and my Mother told me before I left that I wasn't allowed to watch MTV or anything related. There had also been advertising about the video for Thriller and how it was going to be making it's debut. Again, she told me I wasn't allowed to watch it. At eight years old, I sat outside on the porch waiting for my cousins who were in with their neighbors watching Thriller.

A year or so later, my parent's split and the level of strictness went out with it. I would always dance when I heard his music. I remembered his music before Thriller came out. Michael had great music and rhythm. He was an excellent dancer and a great entertainer. I got to see his performances through the new media called MTV.

When I was getting ready to enter high school, I tried out for cheer leading, basically for giggles. I wasn't a dancer and definitely had never done anything like it at all! All the freshly minted, high school freshmen were awaiting their instructions from the Varsity cheerleaders and on the "boom box" came Michael Jackson's Smooth Criminal. I was so excited to get into the routine and attempt my tryout. Sadly, I didn't make it on the squad and figured that would be OK, since I literally forgot the entire routine and got a major deer in the headlights look. *giggle*

I never stopped loving the songs from Thriller, and whenever I would hear a song on the radio, in a restaurant, or store I would also want to shake it. It saddened me that so much of his good music ability went into his eccentricity and then, what later shrouded him in possible shame. The good news was that I didn't idolize this man, he was only a very talented performer in my eyes. He wasn't some Christlike being who could make everything better like many treated him, especially during his glory days so, I wasn't that disappointed.

He hadn't made any great music recently and so I enjoyed going to YouTube and pulling him up and dancing with my daughter to some old favorites. Hearing he passed away last week, made me a little empty. Not because he was gone, rather because it meant the end of my childhood. I know that sounds silly coming from a 30 something mommy but, really an end of an era. When I listen to music of any kind from my childhood, I can remember particular moments of time. I can remember how old I was and what I was like during that moment. I can remember how those songs touched me.

I can think back on a movie I watched with the song in it and how it made me feel. Music is definitely tied to my emotions, as well as smells and a few little things. What Michael represented wasn't supposed to die so soon. I'm still too young to let go of all those things that helped shape me into what I am, and remind me of the few good times I had growing up.

Thursday, June 25, 2009

Splash Pad!





Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Winner-Seventh Generation

My random.org winner today is....

Christine June 22, 2009 7:21 AM
I follow on Blogger.


Congrats Christine! An email has been sent to you, please respond within 48 hours.

Melanie

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Wordless Wednesday-Albino


Is it really Wednesday already??? UGH! I have so much to do still. This is from the Wildlife Zoo here in Phoenix. We went a little over a year ago and since then, they've put in an aquarium. I'm really anxious to go again!

Monday, June 22, 2009

Quick Message

Hey everyone, I will be in the process of moving all my stuff into storage while we wait for our house to close so I'm gonna be a busy lady this week! I will post when I can. I'm excited because very soon I'm going to have a great giveaway!

I hope this week is awesome for everyone.

Melanie

Friday, June 19, 2009

Freaky Friday-Vending Machine Gold

According to a UK news site, soon there may be an option to buy gold from a vending machine while waiting for your plane or a train.

TG-Gold-Super-Markt wants to put the vending machines in 500 locations all around Germany for people who are desperate to buy gold. It will be sold 30% more expensive than the cheapest market rate. Because the rate for gold is always changing, the price will be updated every few minutes.

When I think you can't put anything else in a vending machine, I'm proven wrong.

Don't get me started on the vending machines that sell used panties, or medicinal marijuana!

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Winner-Uprinting Poster


my random.org winner for the poster printing is....

#9

Jenn in AZ June 10, 2009 11:00 AM
Hard to decide...perhaps our recent family photo---all 5 of us with a background of AZ mountains and sunset. Or, a compilation of photos of my parents and their kids and grandkids with quotes interspersed done in Photoshop. Yeah, probably the last one for my parents. :)
You can also check out their awesome Canvas Printing for a great gift option.

Congrats! You have 48 hours to get in touch with me or I will have to choose another winner. Thanks to everyone that entered!

Melanie

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Wordless Wednesday-A Father's Love





Kai loves her daddy and he loves her. I couldn't have asked for a better daddy of a girl. He loves who she is and that she is a girl. He wanted a girl when I wanted a boy he he. She is still attached at the hip with me but, there's no denying how much she adores her papa! We love you honey!

Making Tuesday Tasty-Pork Loin Italian Style


Well, I don't know how "authentically" Italian this is but, it's tasty and I make a version of it anyways. I mostly wing it when it comes to seasoning, etc. so I'm gonna try and get close to what the measurements are.

4 to 6 center cut pork loin

fresh or dried basil

salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder

1/4 to 1/2 C flour

1 egg

Meat mallet or hammer(if you use a household hammer make sure to place your meat in a Ziploc style bag, leaving about 1/8 in opening for air to escape. Then gently but firmly pound the meat flat to your desired thickness.

I washed and pat dried the pork loin and put it on a cutting board. I pounded the meat flat to a desired thickness of about 1/8 in or so. In a bowl, I cracked and mixed the egg up, put it to the side. On another plate, I put the flour down and spread it out a bit setting it next to the egg mixture. I heated a large skillet to Med/Med high heat(depends on how hot your stove gets) with 2 Tbsp of olive oil. I seasoned the meat liberally with ALL of the seasonings including the basil. If you use fresh basil, mince finely. When I've used fresh basil in my dishes it gets bitter if you heat too high, so I used dried.

Dredge the seasoned meat in egg, let the excess drip off. Then lay in the flour, dusting both sides, shake excess off and place in the skillet. Continue process until you run out of room. Cook until browned on each side (ended up being about 6 to 9 mins on each side). Place on serving dish or paper towel to drain for a few minutes and then serve. If you temp your meat, you want it to be 160 to 170 degrees internally.

*sorry guys I didn't take a pic of finished product*

Monday, June 15, 2009

Buying A Home In Today's Economy

Since the housing "boom", I've been really paying attention to the housing market. Where I am, the Phoenix metro area, it's been pretty bad. I'm not a real estate agent or even in the real estate field. I just like to be a knowledgeable buyer. I've been seeing how the market is trending and saw that the prices were due to stop dropping right around the first month or so of 2009.

I discussed this with my husband and told him that we should try one more time to buy and if it's not the right time, then we will know.(we had tried a few times prior but, were approved for a tiny amount). So we contact a HUD approved company and after a little glitch we started on a path to purchase.

I've heard the stories about purchasing a home. I know it's is a pretty heavy process and can be a stressful one, at best. I have been pretty calm and collected during this process with very little expectations. I know that it takes time and money to get the end result and yet, at the same time I have to be able to plan some things. We found out that we're going to have an extension and even though it's the banks fault, we get to pay a penalty. Even better, we found out there is probably going to be another extension. As of right now, we are six months total into this process.

We extended our lease an extra four months and gave our notice this month. Real estate agent said "we are extending" so we talk to the leasing office and to our surprise, they've already rented out the apartment. GREAT! Now we are going to be inconveniencing my Brother and his family by staying there for a week and a half.(please God don't let it extend for any more time)

So, now I'm frustrated. Mostly because we will have to put everything in storage, take a few things over to my Brother's, have no time to paint the house before we move in, and lastly have to cram a couple of days worth of cleaning into a day. I know the end result is going to be great, I just wish it would have gone a little more smoothly. Ah well!

Friday, June 12, 2009

Freaky Friday-Pee-cycling?



Hey everyone. I live in AZ and I'm starting to worry about the state of our water supply. I think I'm gonna buy a Pee-To-Water converter so that I can make sure to have enough water to go around. *Insert sarcastic look* here.

A man named Leonardo Manavella has created the "Aqua H2o". Kinda like the new machine that NASA is using. It works with human and animal urine. It filters the urine and is supposed to take away the color and odor and leave clean drinking water. Once the urine is filtered a container or drinking water is available for use. This is designed for drought areas mainly.
I can understand using something like this under an extreme circumstance but, until I'm forced to, I think I'll stick with my tap or bottled water.

Thursday, June 11, 2009

Bamboo Pashmina-Naturally Knotty


I did a review/giveaway recently for Naturally Knotty and I can tell you that they are an outstanding company to work with! I introduced the cashmere wrap and a few other items at that time. One of their new items then, was a luxurious bamboo wrap in a gorgeous lemon, citron and black. Well, gals, they are introducing some new, divine colors to the line for Summer. Turquoise, pink, brown, orange, red, and ivory. So many to choose from and to fit your mood.

These are HOT! They are a great price, silky soft, hypoallergenic, and keep you cool or warm depending on your need. They are packaged in a bio-degradable and reusable bamboo cylinder for storage. The Pashmina is such a versatile item to go with so many outfits. Dresses, tanks, sleeveless tops, etc. Committed to giving back to the community by using scraps and sustainable items are just a plus when considering this company and their items. So much beauty and creativity are put into these products. Take some time today and look at what they have to offer.


Rockin Baby Pouch Winner!

My random.org winner for the Rockin baby pouch in Raspberry beret is....

Anonymous said...
I love the Midnight Hour sling. It looks super versatile and I'm in desperate need of a sling (due to the desperation of a needy baby!)

christinamariasteed at hotmail.com

Congratulations! Thanks so much to all who entered. You have 48 hours to contact me or another winner will be chosen. An email has been sent.

Melanie

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Diane Birch-Bible Belt CD Review


I've listened to the CD Bible Belt from Diane Birch a few times now. Her album was just released on June 2, 2009. It's an eclectic mix of old and new sounds. Sometimes I feel like I'm listening to music of the 70's, Carole King style and then I'm put into a Norah Jones genre. I'm impressed because I really like artists that write their own music and go through the process. Diane Birch wrote the entire album herself and has an "old soul" flavor to her music.

After traveling around with her parents as a child, her family finally settled in Portland, Oregon. There she took root and settled into the city as well as her music. She was found on Myspace and moved there for awhile but, eventually relocated to New York where she signed with S Curve Records. Lately there's been a lot of buzz about her. She has her own Myspace and she has an Mp3 available for her song Fire Escape.

S Curve Records and Diane Birch are participating in Discover & Donate. Whenever a purchase for Bible Belt is made, the buyer can choose from one in six charities and $1 will be donated. Awesome way to give back to the community.






Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Wordless Wednesday-Sedona 11/07

Kaia was almost a year old. We took the day and had a great time drinking hot cider and playing in the red dirt. Time flies too quickly!

Making Tuesday Tasty-Sugar Cookies

My grandma sent me this recipe. We grew up eating these and I loved them! They aren't the traditional sugar cookie that you frost. They come out tender and have just a little tang to them. delicious.

1 C shortening
1/2 C sugar
1/2 C brown sugar
1 tsp. Vanilla
1 egg

Cream these ingredients until fluffy

Dry

2 C flour
1 tsp cream of tartar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp baking soda

Combine and add to creamed mixture slowly

Form dough into balls and roll in granulated sugar(you could use colored as well if you want). Bake at 350 until golden brown. Each oven is different so test yours out.

Posters for Father's Day Giveaway

Uprinting is offering one lucky reader an awesome prize of a 18x24 poster print. This would make such an awesome Father's day gift! Uprinting offers some awesome poster printing and canvas printing options that make great gifts.

There's quite a few reasons why you would want a poster. You can make a poster of dad's favorite car, motorcycle, boat, etc. You can make a poster of Dad's favorite picture of his children. The possibilities are endless.

Win It

Enter to win a poster of your own! Please describe the photo that you are thinking of making into a poster. If you have a blog and would like to blog about this giveaway and link to this you can earn a second entry. I need an email address to contact you in case you win. Open to bloggers and non bloggers. U.S. and Canada only.

Contest ends June 16, 2009 at 11:59 pm Arizona time.

Seventh Generation Review & Giveaway





I have heard great things about Seventh Generation products but, had never purchased them or used them myself. I have a toddler with sensitive skin so I was really wanting to try out their baby and toddler products. I asked for the Natural Baby starter kit and was sent baby wipes, diapers, laundry detergent and a reusable tote.

The chlorine free diapers are soft, fluffy where they need to be and fit my daughter well. I love that they are unbleached, latex and fragrance free. My daughter is potty trained but uses them still for nap and bedtimes. My daughter's night time diapers have never leaked, so that is a major plus! The tub of wipes and refill contained wipes that are whitened by natural means, chlorine free and chemical free. They are made with natural cloth that has not been processed chemically. They are also non irritating and alcohol free. These are things that most moms are starting to think about now after years of not questioning what was going into our children's products.

The Natural baby laundry detergent contains no phosphates, dyes, or fragrances. It is septic safe, biodegradable, non-toxic, hypoallergenic, free of optic brighteners, and kosher certified. I've used it for a few loads now and my laundry comes out very clean. I have had no problems with it not cleaning her clothes and making them bright. It makes me feel good that it isn't bad for the water and is great for my daughters skin. I live in Phoenix metro area so it's already been full blown Summer out here. I've been using the tote for swimming gear and towels for awhile now and I love it. The tote is thin and dries very quickly. It's a great multi purpose tote that you can use while your shopping for groceries or for everyday use.

I also wanted to talk about their multi purpose cleaner. They sell naturally scented cleaners but, the one I used was fragrance free and dye free. I live in an apartment and my counters are white. Not a blend of any color, but white! The multi purpose cleaner wasn't harsh when I sprayed it, cleaned all the food up off the counters and the stove without leaving a residue and of course is non-toxic. For the amount I will be using this cleaner, it's definitely on my list to buy more. I love how well it cleans and how safe it is.

I have slowly been adding things that are natural into our lives. Sometimes yes, it can be difficult with a small budget. Seventh Generation products are affordable, and safe to use in your home. They are safe around children and pets. They leave your house clean without artificial fragrances and dyes. I would recommend their baby and toddler products after using them to anyone.

Buy It

You can purchase items at seventhgeneration.com or in any local participating stores that sell their brand.

Win It

Seventh Generation has been extremely generous and is giving away a natural baby starter kit! The kit includes one package of diapers or training pants(designate size), 1 tub of chlorine free baby wipes, 1 baby wipe refill, Natural baby laundry detergent, and a reusable tote.

Rules

Please go to seventhgeneration.com and tell me a product that you would love to try out. You must follow this or you will be disqualified. This contest is open to everyone. Please leave an email address so that I can contact you for your win.

Extra Entries

You can earn extra entries by following me on twitter @kaiasmommy, following me here on blogger, and/or tweeting about this contest. Please leave a separate entry for each.
Contest ends June 23, 2009 at 11:59 pm Arizona time.

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Wordless Wednesday-Last Family Portrait

Our last family portrait was done when I had a little less than two months left on my due date with Kaia. I was swollen and hot all the time. This is Phoenix at Papago Park in early November. We need to do one with Kaia now that she's two ha ha.

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Making Tuesday Tasty-Meatloaf

Ok, so I know there are about a million versions of this recipe. I don't like meatloaf unless it's the way my mom prepared it. I think mostly it's because a lot of people cover theirs in ketchup or tomato sauce or something that I don't like. I'm winging the exact amounts because my mom and I really cook to taste, instead of using exact recipes. Meatloaf is a great one dish type of meal that can be adapted to anything you like and can be kept lean by using ground turkey or another lean meat. You can also use lamb and any kinds of veggies that you want to hide in there. Below is a base recipe. You can add fresh or dry herbs, different cheeses, variations of veg, variations of filler like ground breadcrumbs or croutons instead of crackers. You can add a sauce to your meatloaf instead of layering it with bacon. I don't eat it very often so I'm not too worried about calories from this particular recipe. It's definitely not lean! If your kids don't like chunks of veg, then you can play around with pureeing the vegetables you do want in there and adding that in. Make sure you balance your moisture though. Have fun!

1 1/2 lb. ground beef or turkey
Bacon strips, enough to cover your loaf once formed
1 egg
1 medium yellow onion or 3 shoots of green onion
1 C crushed saltine crackers
3/4 C shredded carrot
1 C shredded cheddar cheese
Garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper to taste

You can saute your onions if you want but, we just dice them and put them in the meat. Get a large bowl to combine ingredients and start mixing with your hands preferably. I like to put the meat in the bowl and combine the dry ingredients. Once the dry ingredients are combined, add the egg and mix well. Spray either a standard loaf pan or baking pan with a non stick spray and form your loaf to the shape and size you want it. If you form it thick, it will take longer cooking time. Once formed, lay your bacon lengthwise onto the meatloaf and pop in 350 degree oven for 45 mins. Check if done. Every oven is different and you don't want to dry out the meatloaf. Standard cooking time should be right around an hour.

Winner-Little Miss Doll Pattern

My random.org winner for the Little Miss Doll Pattern is...

Eddie May 29, 2009 10:46 AM
I love the Lil Miss AUDREY doll - her profession is my daughter's dream job when you ask her what she wants to be (she is a huge Stacy & Clinton WNTW fan!)

erind35(at)yahoo(dot)ca



Congrats! An email has been sent to the sponsor. Thanks to all who entered

Monday, June 1, 2009

Savings First Mortgage


For my readers in the MD, VA, PA, DE, and DC area there's a great opportunity from Savings First mortgage company to refinance your mortgage. Why refinance? Fees are at an all time low, they offer competitive rates and you don't need perfect credit anymore to name a few.

Savings' First is offering a fee FREE no obligation consultation, and other resources and options depending on the state you reside in. Are you one of the many that's been effected by the economy recently? Are you needing help with your mortgage? Check out their page on the economy's effects and see if refinancing is a good fit for you. One of the key reasons why you would want to rush your refinancing is due to home prices dropping. If your home value drops too low, you may not be able to get the financing you need. Something to think about.
If you are in one of the above states, check out the links below and it will give you the information you need to start for your state:

Fun Family Weekend!

Saturday we got out of the house and went up past Payson to Tonto Natural Bridge. We went one other time but, it was just my husband and I. We had Cameron this weekend and I thought it would be fun to go do something nature oriented. These city kids need to get out every once in awhile ha ha.

From where we live, it's a little over an hour away. As we were driving up the clouds were getting darker and more "ominous" as Brandon said. I thought we may not be able to do much. The closer we got to the park, the darker the clouds. When we got there it was starting to rain lightly. It was warm outside still so I was alright with walking around with the kids. We went down a very short path to start out and found a dead end, bummer. As we walked back up, we were greeted by hail. Very strange! The hail only lasted a few minutes and melted almost immediately. The weather remained warm, so we continued to hike down. We took a couple of trails. The one without trail got too difficult with the two year old after awhile so we turned back. We had a great time hiking and looking at all the beauty.

On our way back, we grabbed some dinner in Payson and as a spur of the moment thing, my husband stopped in Fountain Hills so the kids could see the huge fountain. Funny thing was as soon as we pulled in to the park where the fountain is, the fountain turned off. ha ha. Oh well, another time. The kids got out and stretched and played at the park for awhile there and then we grabbed some Gelato. YUM! We sat outside, ate a cold, creamy, treat and then listened to some live music that was being played outside on the sidewalk.

It was definitely a memorable family day and we had a great time enjoying each other's company.