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New Table!

December 30, 2010
I am so excited I got another Christmas present today from Chris. A new dining table! We had been using a small counter height bar table and Penelope was still in her highchair since the stools for the bar table had no back to them. We can finally get rid of the highchair and we actually have room for guests now! I love...

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Recipe

Homemade Bread!

December 29, 2010
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I used my KitchenAid for the first time today and made homemade French Bread. I am so proud of myself, it turned out really yummy. Here is my new toy in action... Here is my dough formed into a loaf after resting for an hour and a half...Here is my perfectly baked homemade French Bread...Crusty on the outside, soft on the inside... 1...

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Holiday Photo Contest- Chatting with Santa

December 28, 2010
Uprinting is sponsoring a holiday photo contest via Giveaway Blogs. Here is my entry... This picture was taken this year a couple of weeks before Christmas. It was Penelope's first time meeting Santa and she loved it! She asked Santa for a pink piano and a little barn...Santa brought her both. :) The winner of the Holiday Photo Contest will get a $100...

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Post Christmas Wrap Up

December 27, 2010
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We had a fabulous Christmas. We got to spend it with family we hadn't seen in awhile and ate a ton of food. I didn't get a picture of everything but believe me we ate well. I did take a photo of the marshmallow pops Chris and I made. Yummy marshmallows dipped in chocolate and sprinkled with coconut, graham cracker crumbs, peanuts, crushed...

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Wordless Wednesday

First...Wordless Wednesday

December 22, 2010
Penelope's first ever visit with Santa, she couldn't take her eyes off him. ...

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Eclipse!

December 20, 2010
Bento

Christmas Bento

December 17, 2010
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Christmas is only a week away, I am so excited! I love this time of year and it is even better this year because Penelope is actually old enough to understand what's going on. She can't wait for Santa to come and bring her presents. I have been trying to teach her different Christmas songs but so far the only one that she...

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Bento

...,Please!

December 11, 2010
Today when I asked Penelope what she wanted for lunch she of course answered "macaroni and cheese". This and "cheesy roll up" are the usual answers I get when I ask her this question, so I don't ask her very often. She is almost always satisfied with what I give her anyway. Today I thought I would give her what she wanted with...

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Wildlife

December 06, 2010
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There is a large population of Bald Eagles in Homer, Alaska. One of the reasons is the abundance of salmon in the area another reason is a lady named Jean Keene. Jean Keene fed the wild Bald Eagles that visited every year between the months of December and April on the Homer Spit, between 200 to 300 Bald Eagles daily for several years! Since...

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Bento

Rawr!

November 30, 2010
Tuna Salad sandwiches shaped like dinosaurs on a bed of lettuce, carrots and tomatoes. Black olives and pickles and some Sun Chips. Can you tell they are dinosaurs? Probably not...anyway Penelope could tell and she loved them. In fact she almost didn't want to eat them she said "dinosaur nice mommy, i don't eat, I play with him". In the end the dinosaur...

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Day Trip to Kenai

November 28, 2010
Today we took a road trip to Kenai to do some shopping. It is about an hour and thirty minute drive and very pretty. I saw several moose on the side of the road but didn't get a chance to pull over and snap some photos. Oh well I am sure I will get plenty more chances. Chris took us out to lunch...

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Recipe

Post Thanksgiving Dinner Wrap Up

November 26, 2010
How was your Thanksgiving? Ours was delicious! Made way to much food for my family of three and will be having leftovers for several days. I made a turkey breast and thanks to the Barefoot Contessa Chris said it was the best turkey he has ever had. It had really food flavor and came out moist and tender. Here is the recipe for...

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Happy Thanksgiving!!!

November 24, 2010
"Gobble Gobble" ...

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Just Around the Corner

November 23, 2010
Today Penelope and I went to Safeway to buy food for Thursdays meal, I can't believe it's already Thanksgiving and Christmas is just around the corner! I am so not in the mood to be making or eating turkey I would much rather have ham.  I guess it's just one of those things I will have to deal with in order to be a...

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My Thanksgiving Highlight

November 19, 2010
Uprinting is sponsoring a photo contest via Giveaway Blogs titled My Thanksgiving Highlight Photo Contest. I decided to enter so here is my photo entry... This picture was taken last Thanksgiving. Penelope was not yet two and it was her very first Thanksgiving dinner. I love this picture and as you can see she loved this turkey leg. The winner of My Thanksgiving Highlight Photo...

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Bento

First Bento in Alaska

November 16, 2010
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Penelope loved her lunch today. She was very excited about making her own "sandwiches". She would say "cracker first, then pepperoni, then cheese. Look mommy I did it! I made a sandwich! Now I put sandwich in my belly" after each little cracker sandwich she ate. It's so fun to watch her get excited over the smallest of things. Crackers, cheddar and colby jack...

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Muffin Tin Monday

Muffin Tin Monday

November 16, 2010
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I am going to try and start posting more bento's and keeping up with MTM's now that we are settled in our new home. So here is our first muffin tin in Alaska, this weeks theme was the food pyramid. Top Row: French Bread w/ Butter (Grain), Strawberries n Raspberries (Fruit), Colby Jack and Cheddar Cheese Squares (Dairy)Bottom Row: Green Salad w/ Cucumber,...

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Hidden Picture...Where Am I?

November 15, 2010
The Elusive Snow Bunny The Elusive Snow Bunny ...

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Happy Birthday!

November 12, 2010
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Look who turned 11 today.... Our handsome cat Mr. Rat. When I told Penelope it was his birthday she wanted to sing Happy Birthday so I decided to give the little furry guy some tuna. He eats nothing but dry food so this was a special treat for him and he ate it all up. ...

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Another Day in Alaska

November 10, 2010
Penelope and I ventured out into the 30 degree weather today to make Storytime at the Homer Public Library. It was so worth it! Their were about 15 kiddos there which gives me hope that we will be able to find some playmates for her. It's an hour long program with singing, stories being read to the kids and a themed craft project....

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Proof!

November 07, 2010
Look! Chris got a picture of the paw print outside our window. He took a couple of pictures and the other one was bigger but I liked this pic cause you can see the bears claws in it. I guess Penelope and I won't be playing in our backyard anytime soon... ...

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Welcome to Alaska...

November 07, 2010
OK, so you know those berries I mentioned in my last post that are all around our place? A few minutes ago I looked out our office window and right at a bear munching away at them. He was probably having his last meal before the big snooze...hopefully. I am so bummed that I wasn't quick enough to get my camera. I have been...

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Snow Fun

November 06, 2010
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Well we have gotten about a foot of snow the last couple of days since it has started snowing. The temperature has been in the mid to low 30's, it actually feels really nice outside. Penelope had been asking to play in the snow and today there was finally enough for us to go out and have some fun in it. Here is...

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My 15 Minutes

November 05, 2010
Anyone happen to check out the October 18th edition of Woman's World magazine? Several weeks ago I was asked by a contributor for my opinion on one of the best pasta sauces out there. You can read my wee opinion on page 40 of the magazine. Apparently I am an influential mom! :) Seriously though, Rinaldi's To Be Healthy  Spicy Marinara sauce is...

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It's Snowing!

November 03, 2010
It finally started snowing. Penelope was so excited to go out and taste the snowflakes. I will try and get some pics tomorrow and don't forget tomorrow is "Men Make Dinner Day"! :) It finally started snowing. Penelope was so excited to go out and taste the snowflakes. I will try and get some pics tomorrow and don't forget tomorrow is "Men Make...

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Finally HOMEr!

November 03, 2010
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Well we made it home and have been trying to get adjusted the last few days. It's hard not to roll over and go back to sleep at 9am when it's still pitch dark outside. It has yet to snow and the last couple of days the weather has been nice out, even sunny. Today it is overcast with a little rain and...

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Almost home...

October 29, 2010
Getting ready for the long day of travel tomorrow. Chris is already there waiting for us, hopefully Penelope and I well walk into an unpacked house, you think? Check out the view from our new place... ...

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Pumpkin Patch

October 25, 2010
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We will be arriving in Alaska on the 30th so don't think we will be dressing Penelope up this year for Halloween but didn't want her to miss the whole experience so the grandparents had a great idea. This weekend we took Penelope to a pumpkin patch. We went to Mahaffy Ranch in Coos Bay, Oregon and had a great time. Penelope got to run...

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The End of the Road...

October 19, 2010
So I thought I would share a little information about our new home. It's right there on the map between Kodiak Island and Anchorage. This map doesn't show all the places in Alaska but it was one of the only maps I could find where Homer was easily visible. Homer is located on the Kenai Peninsula on the shore of Kachemak Bay. It's...

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Moving to Homer, Alaska

October 16, 2010
Well I bought Penelope's and my airline ticket. On October 30th we will be flying one way to Homer, Alaska, our new home. It's going to be a long day...We fly out of Eugene, Oregon at 9:55am, get to Seattle, Washington at 11:00am, fly to Anchorage, Alaska at 12:00pm, arrive in Anchorage at 2:45pm, have a 3 and a half hour layover there...

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Firsts!

October 03, 2010
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When we arrived in Reedsport Penelope was very excited about finding a cute Fairy bed of her own along with some toys and new clothes. Thank you Grandpa and Grandma! One of the goodies they gave her was a plastic pail and shovel and as soon as Penelope saw it she asked to go digging for seashells. I don't know where this girl...

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Oregon Coast

October 01, 2010
We made it to Reedsport, Oregon! Penelope and I are going to be staying here with the grandparents for a few weeks before heading to Alaska. Chris has to go back up in a little over a week and then he will be flying Penelope and I up after his hitch at work is over. I will try and take some pictures to post...

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North to the Future...and other Big News!

September 23, 2010
I've got a couple of things to share with you...first of all I wanted to let all my followers know that I will no longer be posting product reviews and giveaways on this blog. I am excited to announce that I was chosen to be a contributor of Girly Girl Giveaways and will be posting all product reviews and giveaways there. I do have...

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Balboa Park San Diego, CA

September 15, 2010
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Penelope's latest love are dinosaurs so since we were going to be in San Diego I thought I would take her to Balboa Park and the Natural History Museum. A couple of days before our visit I told her I was taking her to see the dinosaurs and she said "oh see dinosaurs go raaawr." I explained to her that we were just going to see dinosaur...

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