Blooms and Butterflies...and more

This past Monday our group got together for another outing with the kiddos. We went to the Franklin Park Conservatory to catch the Blooms and Butterflies exhibit that is leaving at the beginning of July.



We started our day with a visit through some plants. The rooms were HOT HOT HOT but there were some interesting things to look at. I wish I had taken more pictures of the bonsai trees we saw. They were small, but over 50 years old. Pretty cool stuff.

Then we headed over to a Glass Blowing Demonstration. Now that was pretty cool...well, it was actually pretty hot, but really COOL to watch! It amazes me what they can do to make such beautiful objects. A bit of history copied from Wikipedia...judge the accuracy yourself, says that:

Glassblowing is a glass forming technique which was invented by the Phoenicians at approximately 50 BC somewhere along the Syro-Palestinian coast.

The kids were pretty engaged in the process for the most part, and I hope they did learn something.






Then we had some lunch inside the conservatory....too hot to eat outside...to wait for the Blooms and Butterflies exhibit to open.

Once we got to the exhibit, the kids LIT UP! They were so excited and SO determined to hold a butterfly. I was able to get a picture of each kid holding a butterfly. Precious!







And, we got a picture of two butterflies getting frisky (wink wink nudge nudge).


I wish I had taken more pictures. Here is one of the beautiful Chihuly glass displayed throughout the conservatory.





If you have a chance to head that way...get there!! Peaceful and Beautiful!!

FUN GAME GIVEAWAY AT DANDELION WISHES!

I am not a HUGE blog follower, but there are a couple that I check religiously. One of those is Mamarazzi at Dandelion Wishes. Right now she is doing an AWESOME Game Giveaway for anyone. To enter just follow the directions on her blog!
You will soon find that you, too, are addicted!!!
Enjoy all!!!

Fantastic Fun Fabulous Friday!

While it is easy to say, "Let's get together again soon," actually getting that to happen as often as you would like is not as easy. Add in jobs and kids, and you have an even more difficult task.
Last year a couple of college friends and I reconnected on Facebook. I would go into the joys of Facebook, but that is a whole other topic in and of itself. But I will say that what I have ~L*O*V*E*D~ about it is that I have gotten to talk with friends and family members that I had completely, or almost completely, lost touch with.
OK...back on track...
After reconnecting we decided to get together in the summer so we could chat and our kiddos could play. We got our cameras out at the end of the day and took a picture of the kids.



We had some lunch, where I was able to share my strawberry salsa, strawberry bread, and strawberry jam that I made earlier in the week. After lunch, the kids played and we talked.

What I love about these friends is that even though I don't talk with them often (occasionally on FB), a year can go by and we just pick up where we left off. It doesn't even seem like a year has gone by. Aren't friends like that just the best ever?

I made sure I got my camera out earlier so I could get some good pics for my blog. Enjoy a photo gallery of the kids' fun day!!


Thanks for coming girls and bringing your sweet kids! It was a complete blast! We CAN'T wait another year!! Next month sounds good to me!

Three Chicks in a Kitchen

Sounds like the name of a new blog, huh?


Actually it was two friends and me for most of the day today!

We had a blast figuring out things we could do with the millions of strawberries that we got when we went strawberry picking yesterday!
A small group of us when to a strawberry farm in the muddy mess to pick some berries with the kids as one of our first group outings since school has been out. Even though things were a squishy gross mess, the strawberries looked great!

A friend's first time ever strawberry picking!

Today we met at my friend’s house. On the schedule (loosely used word here) was strawberry jam..a first for all of us



and...strawberry salsa....YUMMY!!!



and...strawberry bread~Which ended up including some teeny tiny bit sized muffins (so cute)!


There was a whole lotta chopping and measuring and stirring going on in there. Everything turned out AWESOME
*well...we still have to try the jam....it's still not ready, but it looks and smells great!!!!

Thanks to my girls, Tuttle and Ilenin, for the super fun day!

Recipes soon to follow!!!!

Summer Plans

Have I happened to mention how much I L*O*V*E summer?? Everyone should be able to experience three months off of work~it is the perfect time to spend with my girl!!! She loves it too, so I am going to soak up this her and me time for as long as she will have me!
We have lots planned for our summer so far.

First of all...

*~*We got a family membership to the YMCA! Woohooo!!! Even though I have major issues with wearing a bathing suit in front of others, especially people I know, I realized that I have to suck it up and deal with it! It isn't fair to my girl to not be able to experience true summer fun in the sun at the pool because her mama has body issues in a bathing suit. Claire Bear...this one is for you!!!

*~*We are heading to Florida in a couple of weeks to spend some LONG OVERDUE time with my cousin! We haven't seen each other in YEARS, but I am SO looking forward to reconnecting with family!!! Once again, I will have to brave it in front of others in a bathing suit...let's just call this my Summer To Let Go.

*~*I get to watch my niece and nephew this summer again, but unfortunately not as much as in the past...they just don't need their Auntie Jen as much since Syd is going into 7th (YES I SAID SEVENTH) grade in the fall and Ethan is into double digits now! Gotta soak up my time with them as well. Love you guys!

*~*I have oodles planned for some outings with friend and their kids this summer too. Here is a quick list of things we hope to be able to do this summer:

Strawberry Picking and Jam Making (that is coming up Tuesday)

Blooms and Butterflies at the Franklin Park Conservatory

Wyandot Popcorn Museum

American Whistle Corporation Tour

Olentangy Indian Caverns

Picnic at Inniswood Metro Gardens

Anthony Thomas Candy Factory Tour

Cincinnati and/or Columbus Zoo
Young's Jersey Dairy

EnterTRAINment Junction

Boonshoft Museum of Discovery

Olde Ye Mill (Velvet Ice Cream)

The Wilds

Columbus Museum of Art

Canoeing and Hiking in Hocking Hills

I hope to cross many things off our list this summer!!!!

Now it is your turn....what kind of summer plans do you have???

Who is that?

So......over the years I have put on a little weight (insert hilarious laugh track here). But lately, when I look in the mirror, I really DO NOT recognize who is looking back at me.
When I got my hair cut the other day, I was sitting in the chair and touched my face. Is that really what I look like? You know that old game: Hi, I'm Chubby. My mama's name is Chubby. My daddy's name is Chubby, and even my dog's name is Chubby." I look like the chubby Mama.
I remember before I crept up to 200 pounds (Did I actually just put that?), I thought that I would NEVER get over 200 pounds. Well, I am there and then some...and then some more.
A change is more than overdue! I am not being fair to my family, especially my daughter, in more ways than I can count. So that means...
no Easter basket for me this year...

Is today the first day of the rest of my life...???
I pray to God that it is.

Where does it all go???

Since school is out for the summer, and we have not been paying $185 a week for daycare, I have been wondering where in the heck our money has gone.

I figured we could be putting over $700 in savings each month this summer

...since we were not paying for day care.

There are many things I wanted to accomplish this summer,

...all of which cost money to take care of.

First, we have to worry about getting a roof fixed or replaced.

Also, we were trying to get pregnant

...for us that cost about $2,000 for medicine).

There were also numerous other household projects that needed to be done

...since I wanted to put the house up for sale.

But each time I would bring these topics up for conversation,
my dear husband would bring up the

...we don't have the money for it routine.

I would say we do, we just need to prioritize our spending

...he would insist again that we don't.

He and I would argue about whether or not to keep our once a month cleaning guy

...that cost us $125.

But, the straw that broke the camel's back
was when I told him we needed to purchase tickets for an outside concert
that we had given as a Christmas gift to friends.

The tickets did not go on sale until the summer,
but we told the friends at Christmas that we owe them a night out
for the concert of their choice.

Brian said we didn't have the money,

...we should just tell them that we can't do it.

I was fuming.
You don't just go and take a gift away from someone.
And, we have the money
...or at least we should!!

So, I got online into our banking account

...to see just where all of this money is going.

I added up all restaurant totals

...including if we just stopped at Wendy's for a Frosty.

I was shocked and disgusted at the total.

In just the month of July
...which is not even over I might add,
we spent
$709.13
on food!!!!!

Who does that?

I am so glad I looked. Now we can really take a look at where our money is going and we don't have to say that we don't have the money for something, unless we really don't.