Sunday, November 7, 2010

Switching Platforms!

I have decided to switch blogging platforms. I have been wanting to do some things to my blog and I can't for the life of me figure them out on Blogger. So now I will be over on Wordpress.
I did change the title of my blog to Pampered Mommy: Confessions of a Stay at Home Mom!

I am going to try and move some of my archived posts over to the new blog but that is going to take me awhile.

I also am going to revamp what I write about. I will still write about our family and our adventures and stories. But I am also wanting to branch out into sharing recipes, review, deals of the week, Pampered Chef info, crafts and daily tips. I want you to be able to use the information in your own life. With life being a little hectic right now it will probably take me the next week or so to get things set up the way I want them.

So come check me out!
http://pamperedmommy.wordpress.com/

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

In need of some helpful tips!

Jason and I are trying to think of ways to channel Joel's energy and love for "destroying" things.
We Love him so much but we are at our wits end as to know what to do. I fall so far behind with keeping the house up, when I have to follow him around the house and pick up messes that he makes. Now Joel isn't completely to blame, Bo encourages him sometimes. I know he needs to go outside everyday, but we don't have a backyard they can play in and the park in our courtyard is not fenced so the boys can't go out there by themselves because Joel will wander away. I however can't sit out there everyday because I have stuff to get done around the house. Plus, it is getting cold out now and I am not comfortable with Quinn being out there for long periods of time.

Joel loves to build things like with legos, blocks etc.(then destroy them). He loves books but tends to rip the pages. He wants to be potty trained. He likes to be independent. Joel loves eggs, he has now taken the carton out of the fridge and broken them 4 or 5 times now. He loves to climb on things and then jump off them. He is a thinker and contemplater.

So taking all these different things that he likes we are trying to think of ways to channel that energy so that there are fewer messes, melt downs and getting into everything. We were thinking maybe getting play food for him, investing in more board books, maybe getting one of those circular baby gates to put him in at a specified time each day and give him different activities to do? I don't know. Do you have any suggestions, activities, ideas that could help?

Sunday, October 17, 2010

Preschool!

For several months now Bo has wanted to go to school and would occasionally ask me to actually go. Recently, though is has been asking me everyday. I have been saying that I should just do his preschool workbook with him two or three days a week, but it is so easy to not do it because 1) I am not organized or set up 2) don't keep a regular calendar or schedule and 3) don't have the supplies to teach him properly.

So Monday morning I will be going to my local teacher supply store to get a few things to help keep me organized and on schedule. I also want to get a craft/game/song/activity book to get ideas from and use in our "little classroom".

Now, I am going to through this disclaimer in here...Just because I am going to be teaching Bo preschool does not mean I am going to Home school him, but it also doesn't mean that I won't. We haven't decided yet as to what we are going to do once he starts school. I feel there are advantages to both home schooling and public school or a private school. So I guess we will cross that bridge in a year or two.

Now to make things flow at home there are a few changes I will be making to help me stay organized. The first is I will be moving my craft stuff to the guest room closet. That way the closet in out family room can be dedicated to storage for preschool stuff and my Pampered chef office stuff. It will also work better if I move my craft stuff because Bo will be able to sit at my desk in the family room and Joel will be able to read books, color or play toys and I will be able to keep and eye on them both.

I need to work on a "schedule". Something I really suck at. I like having the freedom to do whatever whenever, BUT I know that if I want this to work and be effective I will need to have a schedule in place. I need to decide how long we want to do school, what days we want to do crafts, what field trips we want to take, when we take breaks etc... That is why we will be going to the store tomorrow, so that I can properly plan for the coming months.

Any thought, ideas or suggestions on what curriculum to use, good Dayton field trip destinations, themes, crafts etc..? I am open to all ideas!

Bo is so excited to do school, he really wants to learn! I am excited that he is excited!

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Beef Noodle Bake

Tonight I didn't know what to make for dinner, I had a pound of ground beef thawed, and I stared at my cupboards thinking "nothing sounded good." So what did I do? I got online to see if I could find a recipe that sounded good! I found Beef Noodle Bake! It was a huge hit and I must say as I was making the sauce I could have eaten all of it! YUM! So here ya go! Let me know what you think when you try it!

1 pkg Egg noodles cooked and drained
1lb ground beef (Season with your favorite seasoning while browning, I used a southwest seasoning)
1 small onion chopped (I did not have an onion and it tasted fine without it)
2 8oz cans of tomato sauce
1 cup Sour Cream
4 oz Cream Cheese softened and cubed
1 tsp. sugar
2-3 cloves minced garlic or substitute garlic salt
1-2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Brown ground beef with chopped onion and minced garlic until meat is no longer pink. Add cream cheese cubes, tomato sauce, sour cream and sugar. Mix until creamy. In a 9 x 13 pan place half the noodles in bottom of pan and add half the sauce on top of the noodles. sprinkle half the shredded cheese. Repeat layers. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes.
Serve with fresh green beans or a tossed salad!
Enjoy!

Cooking Light!

Ok in my pervious post I talked about the "Cooking Light: Holiday cookbook" and I must say after spending about an hour looking through it my mouth started to water! I haven't tried any of the recipes but man they sure do look good!

couple of cool things about this cookbook:
*Provides you with full menu +additional options for Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, dinner for two and more!
* It has a section with recipes to make jams, syrups, cookies and more to use as gifts. It also give recommendations on how to wrap and package the items you make!
* It has an appetizer, side dish, main dish, breads, soups and salads, vegetarian and dessert sections.
* There is a Holiday Entertaining section. Basically your personal party planner with menu, entertaining and decorating ideas!
* The recipes use normal ingredients non of that fake butter stuff. The quantity is what is different compared to the original recipes!

I am seriously in love with this book I am sure everything will taste fabulous! You can get it now on Amazon for as little as $1.99 used. Yes I will be buying mine tonight! I know I will get a lot of use out of it.

If you own this book let me know what you think of it and how you have used it!

New cookbooks!!!

I love to bake bread but sometimes it takes so long and usually when i think of baking bread my day is half over. My friend Sarah recommended this book and I just bought it on Amazon!!!
It is called "Artisan Bread in Five minutes a Day: The discovery that revolutionizes home baking"!
I am so excited to try it and the book should arrive by Friday hopefully!

I also checked out a cookbook from the library today called "Cooking Lite: Holiday Baking"!
I am going to browse through the book and see if it would be worth buying. I am curious to see how they make the deliciousness of the holiday season "lighter". I am not willing sacrifice normal healthy, quality ingredients for plastic fake garbage. So I will be spending the rest of my afternoon browsing this cookbook and maybe get adventurous to try a recipe this afternoon...we'll see.

What are some new recipes or cookbooks you are trying?

Sunday, October 10, 2010

Make your own Kabobs!

Do you ever get sick of having the same old same old at your BBQ's? I know I do, I can only eat so many burgers, brats and hotdogs before I am so sick of them I never want to eat them again. Tonight we had a BBQ and we did something different for most people. We did make your own kabobs! So I thought I would share with you how to build your own kabobs and give your guests a unique fun experience!

Meat:
You can use pretty much any meat you like. We use Chicken and Steak. Cut meat into 1 inch x 1 inch pieces, place in ziplock bag and add your favorite marinade. I really like the Lawrys marinades that you can get at any major grocery store. You will want the meat to sit in the marinade for a good hour or two. The longer it sits the more tender and flavorful the meat will be!

Veggies:
The possibilities are endless when it comes to veggies. Some of our favorites are:
onions
cherry tomatoes
Bell peppers (all colors)
Zucchini
Squash
The key to the veggies is when you cut them up, don't cut them to small otherwise they will fall off the skewers when they get tender.

Fruit:
Yes we use fruit! There is something about the sweet with the meat and veggies that is to die for! YUM! My favorite fruit is Pineapple and I have been wanting to try Mango!

Once you have everything cut up and marinated place each different item in a bowl and set up an assembly line. Then using skewers add whatever items you want and place on a hot grill! It's that easy!

TIPS***
1) Soak you bamboo or wooden skewers in water at least 30 minutes prior to grilling. This prevents the end of the skewers from burning.
2) When adding the items to the skewers be sure to separate each meat pieces with a veggie or fruit. This helps cook the meat evenly and prevents burning of the veggies.
3) After you have eaten and are done making the kabobs. Throw the remaining meat, fruits and veggies into a grill basket and cook them. More than likely the raw meat juices have come in contact with the fruits and veggies so be sure to cook them if you want to save them...Otherwise throw them out.

Side suggestions:
Rice Pilaf
Potato salad
Chips
Fruit salad
Really you can have anything as a side!

So there you have it! Make your own kabobs! Give them a try and be sure to tell me how they turn out! Happy eating!

Thursday, October 7, 2010

Birth Story!

Wednesday September 29th at 8:00 in the evening my mom, Jason and I arrived at the hospital for me to be induced.



I was being induced with a Foley Bulb. I had never heard of it before but it sounded less painful than getting straight cervadel and pitocin. Basically the Doctor places this bulb looking thing on my cervix and water is pumped into it and it will dilate me to 4 cm and the bulb would fall out. Then if contractions haven't started on there own by then I would then start a low dosage of pitocin. I started the evening off with having some blood drawn for lab work and then the Foley bulb was put in place. One of the labs came back and it showed I was low on Potassium, so I was given a supplement to last through the night and then when they start my IV in the morning I would be given potassium through that.


After talking with the doctor and nurses they said that even if the Foley bulb came out in the middle of the night they would not start pitocin or do anything really until at least 8:00 in the morning. So at 11:00 my mom went home to get some sleep and would come back in the morning. Jason and I then tried to get some sleep...Jason slept a bit but I had a hard time actually sleeping. The anticipation alone was enough to keep me up but I also had to pee every hour or so.

At about 3:00 in the morning the "contractions" that I had been feeling from the Foley bulb suddenly disappeared...I woke Jason up and told him that I think the bulb fell out. He said to try and get some sleep because they weren't going to do anything anyways. I managed to sleep from 3 till 5:00 when the nurses came in to draw some more blood and to remove the Foley bulb. I then couldn't fall back asleep and the nurses suggested that I take a shower and order some breakfast before they start me on the IV and Pitocin. By 7:00 I was eating breakfast and Jason was taking a shower. He then went downstairs to get some breakfast for himself.

The doctor and nurses came in at 8:00 and discussed how everything would go for the day and checked me to see how I was progressing. I was 4 cm 60% effaced and the baby was at -2 station. They then started me on a low dosage of pitocin at 8:15....My labor is officially starting. The contractions I was having were very mild and extremely manageable...I was even like "they can increase the pitocin" My mom and dad arrived with Bo and Joel at about 8:45 and they hung out for awhile. My dad took the boys home at about 12:30 so they could eat and get in a nap.

The nurse was increasing my pitocin every hour or so, but my contractions seemed to pick up for a bit and then die back down, every time the doctor checked me I was always about the same 4-5 cm 60-70% effaced and the baby was at -2 station. Uhg....at about 3:00 in the afternoon the midwife came in to check me to see if I had progressed enough for them to break my water. I was 6cm 70-80% effaced and the baby was still at -2 station. She did break my water and I could instantly feel my contractions get harder and stronger. I knew I wanted to get an epidural but I didn't need it just yet but I decided to have them call the anesthesiologist so that by the time I did need it they would be up there. Well after about 15 minutes she was there ready to give me the epidural so I went ahead and got it. I felt like it took awhile to start working...I could feel it working on my right side but not so much on my left. My contractions were getting stronger and closer together, still manageable for the most part, but definitely increasing in intensity. After about 45 minutes or so of trying to get my left side numb and under control I decided to have the doctor adjust the epidural. Contractions were starting to get to the unbearable stage. The doctor explained that I was having a Hot Spot, were the epidural was not reaching that part of my left side for whatever reason. She then adjusted it and gave me another dose of the medicine. The midwife checked me again and I was pretty much the same. 7 cm 80% effaced and the baby was at -2 -1 station. I was getting really frustrated.

The epidural was still not working on my left side. My contractions were really intense and I was extremely uncomfortable. The anesthesiologist said that she could try removing the existing epidural and placing a new one. I was nervous about doing it because the doc said it may or may not work. I knew I wanted it to work while I was pushing and the thought of not having one made me a little nervous. Jason then said to just do it. So by this time it is 6:00 and the doctor gave me a new epidural and gave me several doses of the medicine. 6:20 the new on is placed and is still not working...The contractions were unbearable and I was in sooo much pain on my left side. I was at the "I can't do this anymore" panicking stage.
It is now 6:40 and the nurse asks me if I have the urge to push I say no but i can't really feel anything. My right side was really numb because I had so much of the epidural trying to get my left side numb. The nurse then says she is going to check me since I can't feel anything.
The next 5 minutes were a whirlwind. The nurse was like "Holy cow we have a baby. She is at +3 station." My doctor was in a C-section and non of the staff doctors or pediatricians were there. Since it was taking me so long to progress they were all off seeing other patients. In a matter of 5 minutes there were so many people in and out of my room. I was in so much pain. It hurt so bad I couldn't cry and I felt like vomiting. It was chaos in my room, the door was open and people were walking in and out. Since I was delivering early they needed to have the staff doctors and pediatricians in my room just in case anything went wrong. My doctor walks in and she throws on a gown says push and she catches the baby. Seriously one push that's all it took. 6:55pm and she was out!

My doctor places her on my chest and things are looking good. Everybody was crying, Jason, me, my mom, the baby...All was looking good. Jason leans over and we both decide on her name Quinn Kaia Bindewald, needless to say my mom was happy! Quinn was perfect weighing in at 6lbs 12ozs 18 3/4 inches long.


The doctor got me all cleaned up and then Bo, Joel, my dad and brothers came into the room. Bo was very happy to see his baby sister. Joel was a little uneasy and wasn't sure what was going on. They all stayed for about 20 minutes and then my mom and dad took them all home.
At about 7:00 Jason ordered us a pizza! After we were done eating I got up and took a shower and Jason started moving my things to the recovery room.

I felt amazing. I was not sore and I did not feel like I just had a baby. I was tired however. Jason got Quinn and I all settled in the recovery room and then her headed home to sleep. I was able to nurse Quinn almost right away after giving birth and she was a pro! I nursed her once we were in the new room and then we slept.
Quinn was doing great. She did loose a little bit of weight and when we left the hospital on Saturday she weighed 6lbs 5ozs. It was so great to be home...Sleeping in my own bed. When I woke up Sunday morning my back was a little sore and my stomach muscle were sore from getting up so much during the night. I still don't feel like I had a baby, I have been out and about and up and moving. Adding the 3rd child has been an easy transition. The boys are in Love with Quinn. They want to hold her and kiss her and hug her! Bo wants to go buy her toys...LOL

My mom left on Thursday morning and it was great having her here to help with everything. Jason's mom is getting here on Friday night and it will be great having her here as well!

Anyways, I think that does it. Uffda!

Sunday, September 26, 2010

Baby to Do List!

We officially only have 3 days before I am induced. YAY!!! I am so excited =) I am creating a "Baby to do list" so that I can focus and get things done. Plus if I do not fill up my time I will be sitting around getting anxious and impatient. So here is what the next few days look like for me!

Sunday:
finish baby announcements
do dishes
clean out fridge
stay on top of the messes the boys make =)
Charge cameras and find camera cable

Monday:
NST test and Dr. appointment
make a menu and grocery list
finish sewing receiving blankets
put away clean laundry
Baby shower

Tuesday:
redeem gymbucks
make sure guest room is cleaned and ready for my parents
wash ALL the dirty laundry
wash baby clothes and blankets
fold clothes and put them away
pack baby's hospital bag

Wednesday:
Go grocery shopping at Trader Joes
pack my hospital bag
make sure Jason gets his hospital bag packed
vacuum out van and install car seat
put away and organize case lot sale stuff
TAKE A LONG NAP
Go to hospital at 7:30 pm

Wednesday night and Thursday morning:
HAVE A BABY!!!

Friday:
Hopefully come home from the hospital!


I am sure I am forgetting something and I am also sure that stuff will come up that "I just have to do" =) On Wednesday it may seem like I am doing a lot and I am because I will go nuts if I just sit around doing nothing. I will however have my mom's help that day and Jason is home that day as well, so I am not doing it all by myself.

We have also been trying to do a lot with the boys the last couple of days. Bo understands that he is getting a baby sister but he doesn't understand the process and Joel is kinda clueless. It is going to be a big change and adjustment for them so we have been talking with them saying baby sister is coming this week and trying to help them understand that she will be coming home with us! They have both come down with a little cold so we are getting the humidifier going in their room and trying to make them rest so that by Thursday when they can come to the hospital they will be able to come up and see the baby!

Update on a Name:
Still working on that one. I am having problems narrowing it down to my top 3 or 4 favorite names and Jason is having the opposite problem. He doesn't like many girl names. Hopefully we can agree on something in the next day or two. =) I really want to have it narrowed down to 2 or 3 names by the time we get to the hospital.

Anyways, that about does it for now.
Oh I did want to let you know that as far as Pampered Chef goes, this month the cookware is on Host special for 60% off!!! If anyone is interested in hosting a catalog show starting October 1-31 let me know or if you would be interested in me cooking you and some of your friends dinner I can do that starting October 11th. As always if you just want to place a personal order you can do that 24/7 on my personal website at www.pamperedchef.biz.abindewald

I will have some fabulous specials to announce towards the middle of October, but you are going to have to wait and see! =) Stay tuned!

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Count down to Baby!

This week has been crazy, I know I say that a lot but this week it is especially true. So sit back relax because this may be a long post. =)

As you know Jason and I are expecting a baby girl and my due date is October 20th. When we moved to Dayton, I got all set up at the hospital on base and I started having appointments with several different doctors. I didn't really like that but I realize that, that is how some military hospitals are. At one appointment I was telling the Nurse practitioner of several new symptoms and concerns and she did not listen to me and wrote everything off as being "normal" pregnancy symptoms. I walked away from that appointment really frustrated and I even cried when I got to my car, because I knew in my gut that what I was experiencing was not "normal." I have had 2 kids prior to this one.

Anyways, the week after having that awful appointment I started doing some online research because my symptoms were getting worse, I was not sleeping, I was frustrated and I was getting worn out. My symptoms were all over body itching, I felt like I wanted to jump out of my skin, there was no rash or anything just itching. I had really bad back pain, cramping and I thought at one point I was having real contractions. But the main thing I was really concerned about was the itching. It was keeping me up at night and it was very, very frustration because nothing seemed to work to get rid of it. So I googled itching during pregnancy and the first thing it came up with was a link to the Mayo clinic, so I clicked it and this is what it came up with, Cholestasis of Pregnancy . After reading about it I knew this is what I had. (If you don't already know I had a gallbladder attack at about 14 weeks.) So I called the OB clinic and asked to speak with a real doctor. The nurse was really nice and asked me what was going on, I told her what I was feeling and she then went to talk to the doctor. They had me come in the next morning to have some blood drawn and to run some labs, they also wanted me to have an appointment with a doc after my labs were done.

So last Thursday I had my labs done and a doctors appointment. Right of the bat the doctor said that one thing that I could possibly have was Cholestasis.....ha go figure. She reviewed one of the labs was ready almost right away and it showed elevated levels in my liver. They then did an ultrasound to make sure there was enough fluid around the baby and then they did a non-stress test...which those two things looked good! They sent me home saying that we had to wait for the other labs to come back and they would be ready the following week. They also had me do a 24 hour urine collection...eeewwww....right. They wanted to test and see if there was protein in it.

Monday morning I was chatting with Jason as he was getting ready for work and he asked when i would hear back from the lab and i said they should be done early this week sometime and I will for sure know by Thursday which was my next doctors appointment. No news is good news right! Jason goes down stairs and I proceed to find my clothes and get in the shower. Literally 2 minutes after he goes downstairs he runs up and says that the OB nurse left him a message and I was to call them back ASAP.

So I call them back and they got the results back from my 24 hour urine and it had protein in it. So they had me come in that day for an ultrasound to measure fluid and to do a non stress test and then the doc wanted to talk and they were hoping my other labs would be back by the time I got there. I go in and the baby looks good and fluid levels were fine but the protein was really high. Then my labs did get back and my bile acids in my liver and gallbladder were high and backed up. So I was officially diagnosed with Cholestasis. The doctor sat me down and said "Now that we know you do have this we are going to deliver you early" I was like "How early?" She said at 37 week. I did the math and exclaimed..."That's next week" YES...She asked me to come in the following morning to have a normal prenatal appointment and then we were going to discuss the induction and set the date.

Jason was able to go with me to the appointment! The baby sounds good and I was measuring right on track at 36 weeks. My doctor then said there were two ways to do the induction, one being the most common cervadel and pitocin and the other being a Foley Bulb. I had never heard of the Foley Bulb. Basically the foley bulb in placed on my cervix and then water is pumped into it to stretch and dilate my cervix. I chose to do this because there is a chance I will not have to get Pitocin if my contractions start on their own. But if they don't then I will get Pitocin. Which I am ok with.

We also got a tour of the Labor and delivery unit and it is awesome!!! So nice. The rooms are really big and updated! I also like that they do everything in the same room you deliver in. I mean everything, the first bath, the finger prints and foot prints....everything. The only reason they take the baby out of the room is to do the hearing test and circumcision. So for us the hearing test! The baby rooms in with me at all times! So I am really excited about that!

The Plan: My mom comes in on Tuesday and she is staying through the following weekend. I am being induced Wednesday night at 8pm. Everyone thinks that this is going to be a fast delivery...even with the induction. I think so too. Hopefully by Thursday morning we will have a baby! Jason and I are soooo excited to finally meet her! We still have to come up with a name. We are stuck. We have thrown out names that we both like but nothing is sticking out like WOW we have to name her that. So we are really coming down to the wire with name picking =)

Now for the fun part: Comment here and give me your top two name suggestions (first, middle) the birth date and time and how much she will weigh. Clues: We are not into the really common names, we like people to know what they are and to have heard of them but you don't know a million people with the same name (ex. Sarah, Anna, Emily etc...) My original due date was October 20th and I am being induced on September 30th. Bo weighed 7lbs 14 oz and Joel weighed 8lbs 2 oz. Those are your clues and I am looking forward to seeing what you guys think!!! And who knows you may use your name!!! But you won't know for sure until she is born =)

Anyways, I have been frantically trying to get things done and unpacked. I went from having a month to having a week to get things done. My neighbor Sarah has been a life saver helping me with the boys while I go to doctors appointments and she even helped me unpack my room! She rocks! She is even throwing me a baby shower on Monday! The rest of the week I am working on baby announcements, staying on top of laundry, cleaning the bathrooms, finishing sewing the receiving blankets, taking naps, having 2 non-stress tests done, meal planning and going to an apple fest on Saturday!

That's it for now...stay tuned because you know me....I will probably be blogging and facebooking while in labor =) =)

Friday, August 27, 2010

4 rooms down and 7 to go...

I know it seems like it has taken me forever to actually finish a room in my new house, that's because it has taken me a long time. Who knew it would be so much work moving with two toddlers while almost 8 months pregnant. LOL. Anyways, I have been able to complete my Kitchen, Dining room, Living room and half bath that are all on the main level.

The first room I completed was my kitchen. I spent many long hours on this room. The cupboards are really small...esp on the bottom half...and it has no pantry. So we have had to be creative with the coat closet that is in the little room off the kitchen.






The next room I completed was the dining room. The living room and dining room share one long wall, so when it came to picking out a wall color, I had to pick a color that went with both color schemes I have going on in each room. The color I ended up choosing is called "Root Beer" and I absolutely LOVE it!

I was finally able to finish the Living room today. That has also taken me many long hours and days to complete. I had unpacked boxes that go in the laundry closet, piles of decorations, pictures, rugs, lamps and curtains that belonged in different rooms. Before I could put any of that stuff away I needed to paint the family room so that I could put things in there and I also needed to get some of the upstairs rooms at least organized and stack the boxes and set up the furniture before I could start putting loose decor items in them. That is why it took me so long.


This is the view of the living room standing in the doorway of the kitchen. The dinning room is off to the right and if you keep going to the left you will find the front hall, stairs leading upstairs, family room and it eventually comes back around into the kitchen.

The curtains are usually covering the whole window, but it was so nice out today that I opened all the windows to let the fresh air in. I need to get some tie backs for when I want to let more light and air in!

The only other room that I have finished...if you can even call it a room...is the half bath that is in the fron hallway off the living room!


That's it for now. I hope to have the upstairs finished by the end of this weekend. There will be a few changes in the near future to some of the rooms. The first being we are looking for a couch for the living room. That love seat actually goes in the family room, but until we get one, that is what we are using. We are also looking for a twin bed for the Bo. He is currently in a toddler bed, but Joel will have that so that the baby can have the crib. So sometime before October 20th we will have a twin bed in there. If you or someone you know has one for sale let me know! =) We will also be purchasing a washer and dryer next week. We had to leave our old ones behind because they would not fit in the truck. So once we get those I can take pics of the laundry area!

It's coming along!

Friday, August 20, 2010

Quick update...

We finally made it to Ohio! It has been a crazy busy week and I am so exhausted. I just want the house to unpack itself =) It has been very interesting unpacking my kitchen and pantry. The cupboards are really small size and width wise and nothing seems to fit, so it is taking me a lot longer to get things unpacked as I find the perfect home for everything.
As for the rest of the house, the living room and dining room and family room have all been painted. I have gotten most of the decorating done in the living room and I have started the dining room. I hope to have all the decoration done tomorrow.
I have not really started on the bedrooms yet...Jason has set up our bed and he put his clothes away but I have not done anything with mine yet. Some of the Boy's clothes are unpacked but that is about it. I really want to get everything done so that I can start decorating the babys' room! I am ready for some pink and purple!!!
Speaking of baby, she is wearing me out. She has dropped a lot over the past few days. So I have been experiencing a lot of pressure and stretching pains. Needless to say I have not had very much motivation to do any unpacking the last two days. I also feel like I could sleep for 24 hours straight...I am so tired. I am going to try and catch a nap tomorrow after Jason is done running.

Bo and Joel are doing good! I think they are happy to finally be "Home" and not traveling or packing. We unpacked all there toys and you would of thought that it was Christmas morning. They were so excited to have their toys back! Now I just wish that they would stop going through my boxes and piles of stuff needing to be put away. =) It has also been nice to actually have dinner at home in our dining room. I am so sick of eating out. I swear I think I have gained 5 pounds just from eating out for the last month.

On top of getting everything set up at home, we are going to a BBQ next week that a family in our courtyard is throwing! I am excited to meet people. I have a Spouses meeting next week for AFIT Spouses, I am looking forward to meeting some of the other wives of people in Jasons class. I am also planning a Fall kick off Pampered Chef Show! We have great Fall products being released that I am excited to share with everyone, and I want to use this show as a way to get to know people in my neighborhood! If you want a New Fall catalog (released September 1st) let me know and I can send you one!

Well I am hoping to be able to take pictures of the House and main floor on Sunday, assuming that everything is put away and all the decorating is done. I know many of you want to see pictures and I promise I will post some, I just want everything to be done!
Goodnight....Zzzzz

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

30 Weeks and more!

Today I am 30 weeks! Holy Cow only 10 weeks left!!! I can't wait. This has been a stressful pregnancy. So many weird things happened with my body, moving, and a full busy summer are all contributors to the stressfulness.

I think in my last post I mentioned that I failed my 1 hour glucose test and I had to go back to take the 3 hour test. Well I took that test yesterday and it was aweful...I was extremely jittery and hungry and they had to draw blood 5 times and I was stuck with the needle about 10 times because they had problems finding my veins. Anyways, at the 3 hour blood draw, which was the last one, I was feeling very weak and lightheaded. Once they gave me the ok to leave I barely made it to my car because I felt like I was going to pass out. Needless to say I stopped and got a chicken sandwich and a coke...I needed to eat something.
Come to find out when my doctor called with the results I did not have gestational diabetes, but at the 3 hour blood draw my blood sugar levels were extremely low. Explains a lot! Anyways, I have to eat 3 or 4 smaller meals a day with snacks in between the meals. I am just really happy and thankful that I did not have gestational diabetes!!! Thank you Jesus. I don't know what I would have done?
Another part of the stress is moving. Overall everything has been going really smoothly, but its the living in a packed house, the boys driving me nuts because it's to hot to play outside and all their toys are packed up and not getting enough sleep due to being uncomfortable.

Now this week we are in full Moving Mode. Tomorrow we are moving to TLF on base so that we have the house free to finish packing, clean and repair. Today and Thursday we are packing everything up. Friday we are making repairs and wrapping and packing furniture. Saturday is the BIG cleaning day, the kind where you pull the appliances out and clean behind them, dust vents, fans, and window blinds, mow the lawn, weed the flowers beds, clean out the trash cans etc... Needless to say it is going to be a busy day. We are trying to find someone to watch the boys for us while we clean that way it won't be stressful =)

Once all the cleaning is done on Saturday then we are going to with a few friends to the Casino Queen to eat dinner and play some cards for a much needed break. we are also looking for a sitter while we do that so again it can be relaxing.

Sunday is the BIG day. We pick up the truck around 11:30 and we then have to go get it weighed empty. I will be picking up food, probably subway, beer, water etc....while Jason picks up the truck. Then we have a few people coming to hep us load the truck around 12:30. All the boxes are in the garage and the furniture will be in the living room and the garage. That way there will be no going up and down stairs =) After everything is loaded in the truck we will then have to steam clean the downstairs carpet one final time, sweep, mop, and make sure everything is clean!

Monday morning I drive out with the boys early so I can get to the house and start painting before Jason gets there with the truck. Jason is staying here for the final inspection that will happen at 9:30, once he is done with that then he will hit the road and when he gets there we are hoping to unload the truck right away. It will all depend on what time he gets there and how tired we are. If it doesn't get unloaded Monday night then we will do it first thing Tuesday morning.

So anyways, that is what are week is like and if you have any free time to either help with loading the truck, cleaning or watching kids please let me know!
I am so excited that my next post will be from our new house!

Tuesday, August 3, 2010

28 weeks, moving update, and more...

I am going to apologize in advance for fitting everything into one post. It is a busy week and I am not going to have time to do more than one post. So here it goes!


The photo was taken 2 1/2 weeks ago, but it was the most recent one I had. I will try and get a better one at the 30 week mark. I had my 28 week doctors appointment yesterday. All went well for the most part. Due to me retaining a bunch of water and having a high blood pressure reading, my doctor thinks I may be at risk for developing pre-eclampsia (spelling?) Which is having high blood pressure during pregnancy. I have never had blood pressure issues, but I guess every pregnancy is different. So I am supposed to take some preventative measures, so that I lower my risk.

1) I am not supposed to lift anything....this is going to be hard since we are in the middle of moving but since we are going to have help moving it will be easier.
2) We have been doing a lot of walking and packing and cleaning the past few weeks due to getting ready for the move, family vacations, PC conference etc... and I have noticed that when I walk for long periods of time I get constant cramps. So the doctor doesn't want me to do as much walking, we don't want those cramps to turn into contractions.
3) I need to put my feet up more often...again this is going to be hard since we have soooo much going on. But I am going to make it a goal to take at least two 30 minute breaks a day, one in the morning and one in the afternoon.
4) Drink more water....enough said
5) I need to monitor my fat intake again. Which I should be doing anyways, but I guess since I have already had 2 gallbladder attacks with this pregnancy she doesn't want me to have another. Having another gallbladder attack would just make everything worse...ugh

This week I am also going in for some routine tests, I have a Glucose test and an Iron test that I am going to do on Thursday. Hopefully those all come back normal!
On a side note I was measuring a little big...only about a week bigger, but hey.

Now as for moving, things are coming along smoothly! We don't feel rushed or overwhelmed. I personally think that we did a really good job of planning when things need to be done in order to avoid complete chaos. There is not to much to do the next couple of days except pack one box in the dinning room. The rest of this week we have things like doctors appointments, going away luncheons, picking up friends from the airport, I have some Pampered Chef meetings, planning Joel's 2nd birthday party etc.



Speaking of Joel, he is turning 2. Holy cow time flies. We are having his birthday party a week early so that we can celebrate with friends. So on Saturday we are having a Handy Manny party in the park! Since everything is packed up at our house we are doing the party at the park that he loves!


In other news, I am very excited to move my Pampered Chef business! I am excited for the new people I will be meeting. So many great things are happening with the business and I am very excited for the fall season! I wanted to put out there that with me moving I have very little time for actual cooking shows, so if you would like to earn additional free products in August I have several openings for catalog shows! Hosts get 50% more in free products plus 60% off the Mesh colanders or the green color coated Knife collection.
If are not interested in doing a catalog show then I have a great referral program. For EVERY person that you refer to me and holds a catalog show in the month of August or September I will give you $15 in Free Pampered Chef products.

OR if you just want to place a personal order you can do so on my personal website:
www.pamperedchef.biz/abindewald

Thanks for your support as I move my business!

Also Pampered Chef has a down loadable Celebrity Cookbook. For every download of this FREE Celebrity Cookbook The Pampered Chef will donate one meal to Feeding America! So everyone wins, the cookbook is FREE and it helps support a great cause! Visit The Pampered Chef Facebook Page and download the cookbook under the celebrities tab.

Well I think that is it for now...I am sure I am missing something. Again sorry for the long post. Here is a fun tip for you in closing. Enjoy!
Adults and kids alike love apples but not brown apples right? When packing snacks or school lunches wedge your apple but not all the way. Spoon peanut butter around the core of the apple. Close the wedges back together and pack into your lunch. The peanut butter will prevent the apple from turning brown and then you have peanut butter for dipping your apple! Enjoy!

Friday, July 23, 2010

Chicken Piccata Pasta Review!

So I made this recipe for dinner tonight and it turned out really yummy! However the 1/2 block of cream cheese that I had was moldy so it didn't have any cream cheese. I think it is a key ingredient to have for this recipe. It had great lemon-pepper flavor. I think the cream cheese would have been a nice creamy touch and would have toned the lemon flavor down a bit. I liked that it was not sauce heavy! It was a liter pasta dish. Serve with a salad and some garlic bread and you will have a perfect dinner the whole family is sure to LOVE!

Chicken Piccata Pasta!

This is a New recipe from the Pampered Chef that I will be trying out tonight! It looks so yummy I can't wait to taste it!
Here is what you will need:
1 1/4 lbs of boneless Chicken breasts
2 tbsp Olive Oil Divided
1 1/2 tbsp Lemon Pepper Rub
3 Cans chicken broth (reduced sodium)
1/2 Onion
12 oz uncooked angel hair pasta
1 Lemon
2 oz Cream Cheese softened
1 can quartered artichoke hearts in water, drained
1/2 cup capers, drained and rinsed
chopped fresh parsley and grated parmesan cheese (optional)

1) Cut Chicken into 1 inch pieces. Combine 1 tbsp of the oil and rub in mixing bowl; Toss to coat. Heat remaining oil in skillet pver medium heat or until shimmering. Add chicken to skillet; Cook and stir 10 minutes or until center is no longer pink. Remover chicken and set aside.

2)Meanwhile, pour broth into Large Micro cooker and microwave on high 8 minutes or until broth comes to a boil. Chop onion using the food chopper. Add onion to skillet; Cook 10-20 seconds or until onion is fragrant. Carefully add the broth and pasta to skillet; Cook uncovered 7-8 minutes or until pasta is tender, stirring occasionally.

3) Zest Lemon to measure 1 tbsp. Juice Lemon to measure 2 tbsp. Add zest, juice, cream cheese to skillet; Stir until cream cheese is fully incorporated. Add chicken and artichokes to skillet. Cook uncovered 1-2 minutes or until heated through. Remover from skillet and stir in capers. Garnish with Parsley and Parmesan cheese if desired.

Yield: 6 servings
calories: 440, Fat 10g, Saturated fat 3g, cholesterol 65mg, carbs 53g, protien 35mg, sodium 1410mg, fiber 6g.

Want more tasty recipes. Visit my website and subscribe to my monthly newsletter!
You will receive a tasty recipe each month, host and guest specials, plus great little tips that you can use everyday in your own kitchen!!!

Thursday, July 22, 2010

We are HOME!!!


The past couple weeks have been really busy. They have been fun but also tiring. It all started with out Trip to Ohio to house hunt. After 2 days of looking at different apartments and condos we decided that we are going to live on base! We were able to lock in a rent rate that is lower than we expected, YAY!

Here is our house! We get keys on August 16th! This picture was taken from the park/playground area that is literally just a few steps out the front door! I will be able to sit in the family room, living room or porch and watch the boys play!

If you would like to see the floor plan of the house here it is! Ours is titled "Type 28" 4 Bedroom 2 1/2 bath. We are very excited to move in....and best of all we are allowed to paint! Woohoo!!!


My mom met us in Ohio to take the boys back to NY with her. Jason and I then went home and I got ready to leave for Chicago! My Pampered Chef conference was fantastic! I learned a lot through the workshops and just being around my team gave me so much inspiration for the fall season! The new fall products coming out September 1st are sure to be a hit! I can't wait to share them with you all!


Here is my team that went to conference this year! I had so much fun with everyone and i look forward to our fall kick off!!!

From Chicago Jason picked me up and we drove to New York for the Isum Family reunion! Again it was so nice to see everyone, relax and really do nothing! We enjoyed various activities from playing cards, cooking meals, the family auction, being rained out (lol), and just chatting and relaxing with everyone!


All in all it has been a great couple of weeks. I am happy we were able to do so much and see so many people! I have more pictures coming from some of our various excursions but that will have to wait till tomorrow.

For now it's back to working on the house getting it all packed up and cleaned. While I was at my Pampered Chef conference, Jason did a fabulous job getting things packed up and organized. The only things really left to pack are a few thing in the master bedroom, everything remaining in the kitchen and a little bit that is left in the laundry room. He really got a lot done as far as cleaning goes, carpets are cleaned, walls are painted, garage is cleaned and organized and all the empty rooms are vacuumed! This week I am going to focus on getting the dirt smudges and marks off the walls and doorways, finish packing up the laundry room and going through my pantry to see what I want to keep and what I want to get rid of.

More to come next week!

Friday, July 16, 2010

New Pampered Chef Promo!!!

I have had a Fabulous week attending Pampered Chef National Conference! I am so excited to share with you, some of the new and exciting things that will be happening this fall. Right now I want to share with you a huge goal that I am working towards and I will not be able to accomplish this without your help.

Pampered Chef has a new promotion going on for all their consultants from July 1st through September 31st and it is called "Shopping Spree of 53" YES I want to be one of the 53. To help me reach this goal I have some fabulous incentives for you.

First, Host a cooking show or catalog show within the next 3 weeks and receive a $25 Pampered Chef gift certificate that you can use at your show, or anytime you want.

Second, Ask me how you can have a DEBT FREE Holiday season and set up a time to talk to me about having your own Pampered Chef business and receive a Free Cookbook of your choice!
OR
Start your own Pampered Chef business for as little as $80 between now and August 31st and receive a $50 gift certificate from me that you can use on products, paperwork, or logo wear!!! Also, The Pampered Chef is giving away $170 in NEW Fall Products to every consultant that starts their own business between now and august 31st!!! That is in addition to your consultant kit!!!! ASK ME HOW!!!

Third, refer a friend to me that would be interested in hosting a show or earning some extra income and receive a $20 gift certificate at their show!!!

Visit my website at www.pamperedchef.biz/abindewald and send me a request more information form. I will then contact you within 24hours! If you have my email address or phone number you can get a hold of me that way as well!
I hope to talk to you soon!!!!!!

Friday, July 2, 2010

24 Weeks

Not to much to report this week... Baby has been moving a lot! So cool!!! I have had an increase in acid reflux which kinda sucks. It makes it hard to fall asleep sometimes. I have been taking a bath almost every night before I go to bed. It helps relax my sore back, legs, feet etc.. and I tend to sleep better if I take a bath, So I do! I also went and treated myself to a pedicure today! I got to sit on one of those big over-sized massage chairs and it was heavenly...I almost fell asleep I was so relaxed.

We are getting a lot done as far as packing goes. My house constantly looks like a tornado went through it, even though I have a TON of stuff packed. I have piles going...this goes with the boys to NY, this is for the Family reunion, this is for my PC conference or show, then the infamous pile of "I don't know what to do with that, so just put it there." I noticed that it is getting harder for me to bend down for long periods of time...like when packing boxes. My abdomen really starts to hurt after awhile. So I need to remember to sit down as much as possible while packing. Easier said than done. My kitchen is packed though, with the exception of some of my PC stuff. We are now living on paper plates, bowls, and cups. Less dishes to worry about right!

We are also just throwing a bunch of junk away. It amazes me how much stuff accumulates over just a couple of years. Stupid stuff... like coupons that we never used and expired a year ago, magazines that I never cut that recipe out of, the random lone sock that I probably threw the other match away, saved shopping bags from like bath and body works, starbucks, VS etc...
So we have several garbage bags scattered around the house and things are getting tossed left and right. It feels good to purge and get rid of junk but man my house looks like one big mess. It always seems to look worse before it gets better.

As for the Fourth of July weekend, Jason is running 15 miles Saturday morning. He is in the middle of training for the AF marathon. Then we are going to work on some straightening up and more packing. Then we haven't decided if we are going to go to a BBQ or go into ST. Louis to see John Legend at a free concert. I guess we will have to see how tired we are after all is said and done. On Sunday we are going to Church and then from there we are taking the Metro into STL for fair St. Louis and then fireworks on the levy at sundown! So it will be a long day but I am so looking forward to just chilling out downtown, eating some good food, playing in the downtown water park fountains and watching the fireworks!!! Good thing I have my sit and stand!!! YAY!!!

On Monday we are starting the whole house hunting process. We are going to spend a couple of days in OH looking at houses and apartments and hopefully make a decision and sign a lease while we are there. I am hoping that it is a stress free process, because that will be the only thing that we have to focus on. My mom is meeting us there to pick the boys up and she will be able to help us out for two days while we house hunt! So my fingers are crossed and I am hoping we can actually breath and relax for a couple of days!

Anyways, I think I am going to take a hot bath and then hit the hay, I am so exhausted. So much to do this weekend.

Thursday, June 24, 2010

23 Weeks!

Today marks 23 weeks! Nothing has really changed from last week as far as how I am feeling. I have realized though that I need to drink more water, esp with it being so hot out. Other than that I am feeling great! I have a Doctors appointment on Monday and then I will have one the end of July and then I will be getting a new Doctor when we move. That means I will probably get another ultrasound! YAY!

In other news, Jason and I have been packing each room a little every night. I think we are going to need a few more boxes. =) Our goal is to have the house completely packed by the first week of August, that way we can take that last week we are here and try and do a few things in the local area that we have been wanting to do. We will also have Joel's birthday party that last week. So since we are gone for 3 weeks in July we are trying to do much as possible before we leave. To help us do that as of July 1st our direct TV will be put into suspension. Which means we are still customers but we are not paying for service while we are moving and packing. Once we figure out where we will be living the we will reactivate service. Plus, we are really not going to have time to watch much TV while we are trying to get all this stuff done. It will also save us a little money in the meantime.

So around here we are just packing and getting things ready for the big move!