100 Things That Make Me Happy

I was inspired by Intentionally Katie, who wrote a list of 100 things that make her happy. It appears to be a meme that's been around the blogosphere for awhile. I thought it might be therapeutic to write a list of my own! These are in no particular order.

1. God--the source of all things good
   
2. Scott
3. My boys
4. Getting great grocery deals
5. Writing lists
6. Crossing things off of to-do lists
7. Clean cotton sheets and blankets
   
8. Hot showers
9. Teaching kids about Jesus
10. A clean and organized house
11. The smell of pencils
12. October
13. Rain--the sound, feel, and smell of it
    
14. Coffee--I drink it all day long
    
15. Time alone (what's that? ;) )
    
16. Sprouts
17. Dark chocolate (or nuts and fruits covered in dark chocolate!)
    
18. Being outside on summer nights
19. Hoodie zip-up sweatshirts
20. Board games
21. Dates with my husband
22. The feel of Isaac's soft, dimpled cheek
23. The Word of God
24. Cloth diapering
25. Bubble baths
26. Swimming
27. Reading
28. The 10 people who read my blog
29. Making plans, setting goals, and having vision
30. My church
31. Food, in general
32. Baking
33. Using natural, non-toxic, non-disposable stuff
34. Traveling
35. Packages
36. New York City
    
37. London
    
38. Paris
39. My family
40. Christmas
41. Enjoying meals with family or friends
42. The Food Network
43. Caleb singing songs about God
    
44. Serving the Lord
45. Getting dressed up and going out somewhere fancy
46. My KitchenAid mixer
47. The ocean
48. Dancing
49. A really good song that makes me want to dance, cry, laugh, or praise God
    
50. Cool breezes on a hot summer day
51. Orange Cup
52. Jane Austen
53. Seeing school supplies at the store
54. My Simple shoes
55. Getting things organized
56. Writing
57. Nap time--when both of the boys actually fall asleep
    
58. Snow--how silently it falls from the sky, and how loudly it crunches under my feet
    
59. Trivia
60. Learning new things (and remembering them later!)
    
61. Hotels
62. A job well done
63. My husband's hugs
64. My father's smile
65. My mother's laugh
66. Seeing old couples still together
67. Road trips
    
68. Libraries (particularly the New York Public Library)
69. Heroes
70. Kings--the TV show, although I also love reading about British history
    
71. Sitting in a bookstore, drinking coffee, and reading a book that I don't have to pay for
72. Campfires
73. Awana
    
74. Long-sleeve t-shirts
75. Watching my kids sleep--particularly when they smile or laugh while sleeping
76. Fireplaces
77. Babies
78. Burt's Bees cologne
79. Old-school jazz
80. Sunrises and sunsets
81. Comments on my blog posts
82. Sleep
83. Used bookstores--I like to think about who owned those books
    
84. To let go and let myself truly act childish with the kids
85. Finding clothes that fit perfectly and look great
    
86. Breakfast and brunch foods
87. Fluffy white towels
88. Gentlemen--men who treat women like ladies
    
89. Making someone smile
90. Being "green"
91. Activities that keep my kids busy for more than 10 minutes at a time
    
92. Bakeries
93. Winning something or getting something for free
94. Red wine
95. Watching the choreography on old movies
96. Being a mom
97. Hiking
98. People who use correct grammar
99. Hearing my husband's voice on the phone
100. Packing for a trip

It took me a few days to compile this list. For inspiration, I asked Caleb what made him happy. He said, "Play doh and crayons." I asked him what he thought made me happy, and he said, "Folding laundry." Ha!

A New Freezer, and What's in Your Fridge?

We bought a freezer on Thursday night. Yup, major purchase. I've been wanting one for a few months now, particularly since I've gotten more into couponing and cooking. Oftentimes I have to pass up deals at the store because I just don't have the freezer room at home (Dreyer's ice cream was on sale for $2.37 at Kroger!) or I have to forgo cooking a big batch of something because I don't have the space to store it.

Now, I know what you're thinking. Spending a bunch of money on a freezer in order to save a few dollars at the store doesn't make sense. Yes, you're right. It will take me quite awhile to recoup the money we spent on the freezer. But we will recoup it. I'll be able to buy fresh berries in bulk when they are in season and freeze them instead of spending an arm and a leg on them in the winter. I'll be able to buy chicken when it's on sale at $1.99 or less per pound and not have to give in and buy it at $2.99 or more. I can make more pizza dough, pasta sauce, and casseroles, and ultimately have to cook less. That's appealing.

And I must admit that one of the reasons that I wanted a freezer is organization. I really like things to be organized, and my freezer right now is anything but. Yes, I try to keep veggies on one shelf and fruits on another, but in the end stuff just gets shoved in wherever it will fit. And more times than not, something falls on your foot when you open the door.

The new freezer is a Kenmore Elite-- 20.6 cubic feet, upright, Energy Star, self-defrosting, with multi-port air baffles, a door lock, an electronic display and temperature sensors. It holds up to 711 pounds of food. Whoa. (Yes, we got it on a good 20% off sale.) It will be delivered Monday, and I can't wait to fill it up. :)

*****
I think it's very insightful to look inside someone's fridge. And since I've been writing about refrigeration, I thought I'd give you a peek at some of the things that you can always find inside our fridge. (Bear with me on the photos, as they are not MckMama quality! I took them a bit too hastily.)


On the top shelf, we always have at least 3 gallons of milk. Isaac drinks whole milk (as all kiddos should until they are 2), Caleb drinks 1%, and Scott and I drink skim.



We always have at least two large containers of yogurt in our fridge. I buy the organic whole milk kind for Isaac (he eats some every day), and the organic low-fat or non-fat vanilla kind for Caleb and me. I keep some little containers of flavored yogurt for Scott.



I would not like to live life without coffee. And we buy Yuban when it's on a good sale. It's bold and flavorful, and it's certified by the Rainforest Alliance. It would be much better for the environment and those who work in coffee fields to buy organic, fair-trade coffee, but I just can't afford it. If you know of an affordable one, let me know!



Ezekiel 4:9 are our favorite tortillas. In case you don't know the Biblical reference, here's the verse: "Take wheat and barley, beans and lentils, millet and spelt; put them in a storage jar and use them to make bread for yourself." Well, the people at Food for Life who make these tortillas (and the other Ezekiel products) took these words seriously. They are made from sprouted grains, which are more nutrient-dense than flour. The tortillas are actually a complete protein. Interesting stuff, and scrumptious, too!



Hummus. Yummus. Scott actually won't eat it, which is a shame. And technically I'm not supposed to let Isaac have it, either, since it's made from sesame seeds. But...he has it now and then, with no signs of allergies. ;) I like hummus on carrots, celery, red pepper, and bread.



Now this is a really bad picture, but here is the applesauce section of our fridge. We always have some plain organic applesauce, which I use for baking (any time a recipe calls for oil, I nix it and use applesauce instead). I keep some sort of flavored organic applesauce as well (this one is blackberry applesauce), and I add it to Isaac's cereal (typically either rice, oatmeal, quinoa, or barley) in the mornings.



I also add a little of this to Isaac's cereal and to my own oatmeal in the mornings. It's ground flax meal. I buy flax seeds in bulk, and about every 3 weeks I'll grind up a few cups. Ground flax meal is a great source of omega-3 fatty acids, especially for those of us who don't eat enough fish. It also has tons of fiber and other great nutrients. I have about 2 tablespoons each day, and Isaac has about 1 teaspoon.



Wheat germ goes in Isaac's oatmeal and mine, too. It, like flax meal, is actually very good tasting, even though it sounds strange.



I am not a big fan of juice (nutritionally speaking), but Caleb doesn't like plain water. So we mix about 2 ounces of juice with 8 ounces of water to dilute it. Caleb doesn't know the difference. He will only drink white grape or apple, though I'm trying to get him to branch out.



And last but not least, I keep my whole wheat flour in the fridge. Wheat flour goes rancid faster than normal flour, so it's best to keep it in the fridge. I use whole wheat flour in cookies, breads, pizza dough, cobblers--pretty much anything I bake. Using it in place of all-purpose "enriched" white flour is an easy substitute that greatly boosts the nutritional value of your foods.


Now it's your turn. Leave me a comment or make your own blog post about what's in YOUR fridge!

25 Random Things

I was tagged by a couple of people on Facebook, so I'm supposed to write a note with 25 random things, facts, habits, or goals about myself. I'm following Mandy's lead and posting them on my blog as well. :)

1. Like my sister, I'm legally blind, but I'm 20/20 with contacts.
2. I'm "double-jointed" in my shoulders (really there is no such thing, but you get my meaning). Basically, I can jump rope with my arms.
3. I get upset when my husband wastes water when he's doing dishes or shaving, but then I take really long, hot showers. Yup, I'm a hypocrite!
4. I think that Charlie and Chocolate Factory (the old one) is incredibly scary. I also get scared of the flying monkeys in The Wizard of Oz.
5. I love the way my son says "hangleberger" instead of "hamburger."
6. I used to want enough kids so I could have my own soccer team. Sometimes I still want a whole bunch. Then I think about being out of the workplace for that long, and I panic.
7. Teaching kids about Christ is one of my absolute favorite things to do.
8. I was going to move to New York on my own in January 2003, but my plans changed when I started dating Scott and we got engaged in December 2002.
9. Both of our cars are paid for, and we're very proud of that (granted, my truck is almost 11 years old, but it still runs fine)!
10. I had my gall bladder removed when I was 22.
11. I believe in co-sleeping, babywearing, breastfeeding, cloth diapering, attachment parenting, and all sorts of other things I thought were crazy before I had kids of my own.
12. I quit my Master's degree in technical writing halfway through because one day during class, I found myself arguing passionately about the proper use of a colon. I figured it was time to reevaluate my life.
13. I look forward to the kids getting older so we can travel again. Next domestic stop: Washington, D.C. Next overseas trip: Italy!
14. I really like Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong. Listening to them makes me want to think, write, and drink coffee.
15. I wish I'd learned how to play chess when I was young.
16. I played clarinet and bass clarinet in band, but I should have picked something else. I always hated the taste of the reed. Even thinking about a reed now makes my mouth feel funny. (But my cool big sis played the clarinet, and of course I wanted to be just like her!)
17. I have sensory issues. I can't stand to touch things like velvet, fleece, velour, and other supposedly "soft" things. They give me the heebie-jeebies.
18. I don't like to be really late, but I don't like to be early. I like things to be in full swing when I get there.
19. I am incredibly pleased that I was able to pass down dimples to at least one kid. Isaac has one really big dimple on his right cheek. :)
20. When my blog grows up, I want it to be just like MckMama's blog.
21. I'm still not sure what I want to be when I grow up. Lately I've been thinking about going into the medical field.
22. My hair was really long and naturally straight. Then I had kids, and it got all wavy. I cut it short because I thought it would be easier, but I hate it and am trying to grow it back out again! (Moms, don't fall for the "short hair is easier" trap!!)
23. I like historical fiction. (Katherine by Anya Seton is my fav.)
24. I married my husband 2 days before his 30th birthday (I was 25).
25. It took an insane amount of time to think of 25 interesting things about me.