Grow time!

at 03/13/10 12:17PM

Well, it's that time of year again when we start talking about the garden. What to plant, when to start, reminding ourselves not to get frustrated if doom strikes (this happens a lot to FL gardens).

This year, we are just going to do tomatoes and basil again. We have success with these plants in general, so why not just go with it and save the disappointment. :) The fall garden was a complete disaster: beautiful tall green carrot and beet tops with...absolutely nothing underneath...a strange alien-like cabbage/lettuce plant that we never ate because it was spiky (the seed packet definitely did NOT indicate spiky lettuce)...long butternut squash vines that flowered but never produced. Sigh.

No more! Tomatoes and more tomatoes this year (hopefully). But for you gardeners out there: have you had much success with bell peppers? I would really like to grow them because they are expensive, but we don't eat the green ones. Just yellow, orange, and red. But it seems like no matter what kind we buy or how long we leave it on waiting to ripen from green to some other delicious color, they stay green and hot and bitter. Bleh. What are we doing wrong?

With the house going to Alex, I think this time next year, Lord willing, we might have our own garden! I am SUPER excited about that.

by whipsmile at 03/13/10 3:22PM
Go Brian and Miranda! I pretty much stink at growing things myself but I can cheer you on!

by green_gourmet at 03/13/10 4:54PM
We can only manage to keep alive 4 kids and 2 fish. That is all. Even the grass cannot survive here.

by missysnapp at 03/13/10 5:20PM
get as much chicken manure as you can, and spread it around your living room carpet. works like a charm;)
how goes your composting? getting some compost into the soil before you plant is a huge help; manure is better, but smellier, and we dont want to alienate your neighbors probably.

by yo at 03/14/10 12:03AM
I love home-grown tomtatoes....they are the best...:)

by momster at 03/14/10 7:54AM
Composting is going really well - it has been cooler here than normal so things aren't breaking down as fast as usual. We got some accelerant to get things moving more quickly. But we had enough to make our sandbox garden a little more like normal dirt. :)

by isabeau_danjou at 03/14/10 2:50PM
I'm doing tomatoes and basil too for sure. They're fantastic.

I've had excellent luck with garlic chives. They are taking over. I've had limited success with jalapeno and bell pepper plants (green)but will be trying both again this year. So far I've had /fail with cilantro, but WILL MAKE IT WORK somehow, because I must have it.

Also, green onions are super easy. Buy a bunch from the store. Cut the green parts off and use them. put the short white ends with the roots in a glass of water. Pretty soon green will re-emerge out the top, and they can be planted in the garden. Mine are ginormous.

by mjintexas at 03/15/10 11:40AM
My carrots actually did pretty well, but they were tricky. I kept pulling them out too soon.

by mjintexas at 03/15/10 11:41AM
We grew green bell peppers 2 years ago. They did awesome here! He had many more than we could even eat or give away. We didn't try to grow any of the red or yellow peppers. When we left them on the vine, they would turn red however. We planted our garden this past weekend too. We have lots and lots of tomatoes planted, green chilies, green beans, okra, sunflowers, and corn. Later we are going to add cucumbers, watermelon, and cantaloupe. We have to wait until it is a little warmer for those. I am anxious for things to start growing. :-)

by beckyroo at 03/15/10 6:51PM

Thanks!

at 03/08/10 7:55PM

Thanks for the suggestions, guys!

I think we are going to try two days, one night in Sarasota/Siesta Key. Picked a couple of fun places to eat, maybe do some shopping at Ellenton or St. Armands Circle. I just have to pick a date and clear this with the overnight babysitters. :)

On that note...how old was your baby-boo when you left him/her overnight for the first time? And how did it go?

Sounds nice!

We haven't left ours... no plans to do so any time soon, we just love our family time!

by heatheronthehill at 03/08/10 7:58PM
mmm i want to go to the beach! i still haven't had any desire to leave elinor overnight...don't know when i will! :) i hope you plan something fun, though! :)

by spike427 at 03/08/10 8:21PM
After tax season is over, you should come sailing with David and I!

by laurenn84 at 03/08/10 9:05PM
We left Kai for the first time when he was about 14 months old. Old enough to not need a ton of extras at night and for us to not feel guilty or stressed out about leaving him.

by siobhan at 03/09/10 12:49AM
5 months the first time we left Claire with Amanda's parents at our house. 7 months when we left her at their house overnight. Both times went perfect.

by bamaborn at 03/09/10 8:03AM
I can't remember an exact age with Audrey, but she was less than a year old and it went great. She was very attached to her grandparents and was in good hands. I just pumped and it was no problem.

by jodimn at 03/09/10 10:41AM
The girls were 15 months and Liam was 13 months- all of those times were when the next sibling was born and I was in the hospital. But we have no family here and no over night babysitters. Actually, now that I think about it James was home with the kids each night so we've never actually left them entirely. But again, it's not because we wouldn't, just because we can't.

by littlelamb at 03/09/10 1:25PM
First time I left Kristie was to have Ryan, left Ryan to have Devin and FINALLY we went to Sannibell when the kids were 3, 5 & 7 or there abouts. We were not good about time away and it IS important, so glad you can do it!!!!

by kimberlyharbaugh at 03/10/10 7:01AM
Yes:) Thanks. I would find that helpful. I'm not sure how I want to set things up. It would be nice to see how someone else did it.

by green_gourmet at 03/11/10 6:22PM
they say its good to leave the children. psychologically or something, for the baby, and the parents.

by lefantstaf at 03/12/10 6:18AM
I do not remeber the first overnight for con. I know that this week has been the first time he has been away from us for more than a night though. And apparently Andrea and I can easily be replaced in his mind by anyone who has a dog and is a grandpa. Oh well.

by nacmacfeegle at 03/12/10 7:15AM
I wonder why it wouldn't let you comment... Hmmmmm

by green_gourmet at 03/12/10 2:12PM

Take the bull by the horns!

at 03/07/10 3:06PM *

So, as a part of some major lifestyle changes I am making (in addition to eating better and exercising more), I am resolved to do more things for myself. I got a great taste of that this week, since Brian got a fever on Tuesday and still hasn't really gotten well. There was more Micah-time for me in the evenings (since Brian didn't want to infect him), and more to do around the house. BUT...it went fine. In fact, we worked in all kinds of things:

- took control of a situation at work that needed resolution and just fixed it
- drove across town for a playdate (this is a REALLY big deal for me, since I hate driving)
- got Micah up this morning, got us both ready, and made it to church on time (just the two of us)
- took care of a minor laundry catastrophe without freaking out, getting upset, or even raising my voice (somehow, our dog Roxie pooped on the bed skirt...just the bedskirt...in a vertical line...)

I have also decided that, if I want to do something, I need to plan it and schedule it myself instead of waiting around for someone else to do it. And I am in desperate need of a vacation. Not a real, week-long journey to somewhere exotic and awesome. More like a cheap retreat with just Brian that may involve a day away. So I need some suggestions in order to get planning. Here are the pre-requisites:

1) It cannot cost a lot of money.
2) It cannot be far away, since we will probably only have one night away from baby.
3) It cannot be Disney (only because that is already on my list as the backup option, in case I don't think of something awesome and new that we haven't tried before).
4) It cannot be a cruise, because that both costs a lot of money and is far away. :)

So give me your best, most unusual, or most creative suggestions. Thanks!

Note to self...make sure entry is not locked when asking for suggestions. OK now...go!

by isabeau_danjou at 03/07/10 7:10PM
Haha... well I'm glad things seem to be going better!

If you could make it down to the Miami area, you might enjoy touring the Vizcaya mansion and Miami Metro Zoo. Of course stay somewhere on the beach and send me pretty pictures.

by mjintexas at 03/07/10 9:37PM
Bed and Breakfast in a quaint little town?

by shadders05 at 03/07/10 10:29PM
alligator wrestling in the marshes! totally free, unless you get injured and need emergency medical assitance. how is your insurance?

by lefantstaf at 03/08/10 11:39AM
National park...quiet, hiking, cheaper than a hotel but you can find a nice one with cabins that have plumbing and a kitchen.

by trolleem at 03/08/10 4:16PM
hotel in clearwater beach/st pete beach. spring break is looming, though, so you may rather move inland somewhere. i love the hiking/park idea. you can camp out at Ft Desoto on the sand, you know:) rend a kayak, etc.

by yo at 03/08/10 5:05PM
Go to Inn at the Bay in St. Pete. We stayed there 2 nights and loved it!

by butterflyhomerachel at 03/08/10 6:08PM

Yay!

at 03/03/10 1:13PM *

I feel better!

It's a major turn around since my last post, so the lifestyle changes must be working. Just drinking a lot more water, exercise for at least 15 minutes in the evenings on the Wii Fit (preferably 30) and eating a lot less meat, white flour, and sugar. It's not too much change at once, which helps, and the good feelings just compound when I feel better because I sleep better because I feel better because I eat better....etc.

What positive changes have you made lately?

You are inspiring me to make those good changes.

I woke up this morning feeling much better and all I can think of is I started taking my vitamins again. My husband and I are in the midst of starting the Biggest Loser diet and getting ourselves back on the Wii Fit again....thanks for posting this!

by tess at 03/03/10 3:50PM
Thinking more positively and eating even better (although this week we've had ice cream in the house and I've been very naughty!). I love the Wii Fit. What's your favorite thing to do on there? I have a lot of favorites, but I tend to almost always do the marching, snowball fight, soccer, and boxing. I really like the hula hoop too---that is a great ab workout!

by jodimn at 03/03/10 4:38PM
daily naps with the littlest one :)

by heatheronthehill at 03/03/10 5:15PM
Oh, I don't know if I could pick a favorite thing, Jodi! Do you have the Wii Fit Plus? It has little routines that are already put together for you so you can string them together into a longer routine. It's great! I guess my favorites right now are Island Cycling, Kung-Fu, and Hula Hoop. :)

by isabeau_danjou at 03/03/10 6:57PM
Exercise on the wii fit...... this just cracks me up. I know I know, It is a work out. I get it. But it is still a video game too. I cannot wait for someone to invent a way to work out while sleeping. I will be mr. universe in no time flat.

by nacmacfeegle at 03/03/10 7:31PM
Oh yes...Wii Fit combines my least favorite thing (exercise) with one of my most favorite things (video games). It really is the best of both worlds, Josh. I can pretend to pedal my little bicycle all over the pretend WiiLand town and even work up a sweat, all from the comfort of my own living room. :)

by isabeau_danjou at 03/03/10 9:25PM
Actually...my least favorite thing is clowns. Yes, I definitely hate clowns more than I hate exercising.

by isabeau_danjou at 03/03/10 9:26PM
We have the Active, i love it.

by scbrewer at 03/03/10 9:29PM
The Hoola Hoop on wii, whew, that is a work out!!! I need to do more of it. Exercise is one of my least favorites too. Wish I would work harder at it.

by kimberlyharbaugh at 03/04/10 6:57AM
i have a wii fit but i need to get the plus for it, it sounds like! i'm getting over a tummy bug right now so no energy. :( but i did try to limit my sugar intake!! (well, after elinor's birthday cake weekend) :P

by spike427 at 03/04/10 8:24PM
Similar changes for me too. And it's going well!

by mjintexas at 03/05/10 12:40AM

BLAH

at 02/20/10 8:42AM

I don't feel good. In fact, I haven't felt good for weeks, and I think I have determined that it is a direct result of eating really really bad food for the entire month of February. Unreasonably tired at 8:00pm, slouchy, grumpy, blah.

Really bad food. If I was to list all the brand-name fast food establishments I have visited in the past month, it would be appalling. So I won't do it. I am marching forward into March as if the bad food month (and the five or so extra pounds that came with it) never were.

But I need some motivation. I am contemplating another vegetarian month, which usually makes us both feel better (though it is nearly impossible to keep my gigantic husband full that way). The other option is...not doing that and doing something else.

Help! Ideas for your favorite ways to get back on a healthy menu...GO!

I vote go Veg for a couple weeks to detox and keep the refined sugars, refined flours, and eating out... out.

by scbrewer at 02/20/10 1:41PM
I think taking a break from meat is great, but that doesn't go over so well in our household. So, more power to you!

by bruke at 02/20/10 3:45PM
i think a veggie month would be what i needed as well!

by whipsmile at 02/22/10 7:19AM
menu plan! i find it so much easier to cook at home when i have a plan for what to make. i also love a big green crunchy salad. i use green leaf lettuce, broccoli, carrots, bell pepper, celery and cucumber. i make it once or twice a week and fill up half my plate with that! keep healthy snacks stocked (fruit, yogurt, cut veggies) and it's easy to reach for those. we make iced tea and that's a great drink that isn't as bad as sugary cola.

by spike427 at 02/22/10 11:04AM
yeah, i can't operate without a menu. Not with a job and an infant. I think you are right - I need more healthy snacks around (we have less of a problem with unhealthy snacks as having NO snacks in the house). And maybe a mostly vegetarian menu for three weeks or so. Alright, we have a plan!

by isabeau_danjou at 02/22/10 4:41PM
They weren't hard at all!! I used my stand mixer to mix up the dough, let it rise in the fridge overnight, and then rolled them, cut them, let them rise, and fried them. A little work-intensive the morning of, but overall, not bad at all. And super easy to roll, esp. right out of the fridge.

Oh, and I'm SO with you on the "gotta stop eating out" stuff. It's been BAD. I'm working on our menu for this week right now, because we've gotta quit doing Long John Silvers every week. Sigh.

by wifelet at 02/22/10 4:51PM
I just made my meal plan for the next two weeks and just seriously limited the meat and white flour and I already feel better Lauren. So, to celebrate, we're having pork ribs with white beans and sausage tomorrow. :) Sigh.

by isabeau_danjou at 02/22/10 8:29PM
I just skimmed a great book: "Fat Families, Thin Families" that has some really practical suggestions for this type of scenario (I know the title is potentially offensive)....good read and not too theoretical.

by trolleem at 02/23/10 4:06AM
Also, B and I just don't buy meat. That makes it easier to come up with creative meals that don't revolve around animal protein. We avoid white flour altogether in our own cooking...all crusts and breads that we make use wheat flour instead. We typically buy meat only when it is on sale and fix it for company, or use it as a side item rather than the main dish.

by trolleem at 02/23/10 4:08AM

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Grow time!

Thanks!

Take the bull by the horns!

Yay!

BLAH

isabeau_danjou

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