Sunday Aldi Run

If you live, work or play in Oconomowoc, be sure to stop by Aldi foods today or tomorrow! In addition to the fabulous advertized specials (3 lb bag of sweet potatoes @ $1.19 and 3 lb bag of gala apples @ $1.49), you can buy unsalted butter (4 pack) for 99 cents!! Also, a half gallon of milk is 99 cents!

Snow! (Yes, it's the end of March)

Grazing with Bryan

While we waited for Katie to wake up from her afternoon nap, I fed Bryan salami (Patrick Cudahay hard salami) with swiss cheese. No bread. Yummy! (And yes--both were on sale at Pick N Save for $4.99/lb!).

Bryan's Man-Dates

Bryan has been really busy the past 2 Friday nights--with a guy, Curt Wolniakowski. Last week, the two went across the street to Country Spring Hotel and had a few beers. I was expecting Bryan home by 9ish...so you can imagine my surprise when he woke me up at 11pm! Tonight, Curt is helping Bryan fix the beloved buick.

A Couple Smart Family Tips

I read these this morning and thought to pass them on:

1) Here are three sample chore charts for preschool-age children. Since these charts are picture-oriented and simple, they might be useful for younger kids, too. (I might start them on Katie when she's 2). Fear not, mom...these chore charts won't be used to turn your sugar-foot into a slave--they are simplyy an avenue to establish routine.

2) Did you ever wonder which sunscreen is safe and/or best for your child? Read more here.

"Environmental Working Group (EWG) found that 4 out of 5 sunscreen products offer inadequate protection from the sun, or contain ingredients with significant safety concerns. Leading brands were the worst offenders: None of market leader Coppertone’s 47 sunscreen products met EWG’s criteria for safety and effectiveness, and only 1 of 115 products from Banana Boat and Neutrogena, the second- and third-largest manufacturers, are recommended by EWG.”

Cracker Faces

Cherry Pie

The Last Snow Pile Stands Despite 60 Degree Weather

50 Degrees, 8 Dogs, One Fun Shopping Trip!

Katie begged us to take her for a walk today; after attending early church and having an early-morning conversation with our accountant, we headed out! (Shadow got to come along, too). Tons of people in our neighborhood were thinking the same thing; we saw 7 dogs being walked, and had sympathy for one poor dog trapped in his house--we were able to hear this dog barking through his screen door.

While Bryan and Katie napped, I headed to Kirklands to make a reality out of my birthday wish of decorating our master bedroom. Once Bryan puts my antique book case together and we put everything in its place, I will post pictures of our master "retreat."

Stock-Picking: GE?

I, Ashley, do not own any single stocks; but I'm thinking of diving in to 1) learn about the process; 2) buy low; and 3) make long-term gains in my tax-free, Roth IRA portfolio.

I'm researching GE right now. Here's what some people are saying about the company:

Jim Cramer: "General Electric can now dividend up to its commercial finance business and the company will be out of the woods. That's why it is rallying."

Stamford Advocate: "Consider General Electric Co.'s recent pounding in the stock market as one bad round in a 12-round fight that this heavyweight is still favored to win."

GE High in April 2008: $38.52
GE cost at yesterday's closing: $9.65

Playing the Piano

One of Katie's many talents...

A few days ago, my friend Beth and I babysat each other's kids. I dropped Katie off in the morning; Beth dropped Tyler off in the afternoon. Tyler is 5 months old, and out of his 3-6 month clothes. He's a big boy!

Figuring Out the Play Mat

Snowing...Again.

See the super-fat snowflakes?!

Girls at Play

Katie had her first playdate with a girl--Gianna Pucci! Gianna is 16 months, and together they played with the bouncer, the piano, and the dog. Gianna sang Patty Cake to Katie and Katie watched her eat a whole sweet potato.

I had a fabulous time with Jeannie! Next time, the boys are watching the kids and the ladies are going shopping!

Katie's favorite teething toy (Shadow's too)

Katie is 8 Months Old!

She can sit independently, slither, and sit up from a half sitting position in her boppy. Katie eats peas, green beans, carrots, squash, sweet potatoes, applesauce, bananas, and pears. Her favorite food is carrots. She has comfortably been wearing a size 3 diaper at night since early December. We recently moved from 6 month-footed pjs to 9 month-footed pjs because the her feet are too big for the 6 month ones. Katie's favorite book is about Noah and the Ark. Recently, Shadow has tolerated Katie more and lets Katie pull on her hair for a few minutes before moving away.

Katie is curious about standing full weight on her feet and attempts to open the drawer on our coffee table (where we keep her books). She enjoys her 2 naps (one morning, one afternoon), and likes to go to bed between 7:30 and 8pm (she wakes up at 7am).

Next thing we know...she'll be walking!