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Friday, July 25, 2014

that was the best Panera sandwich I've ever had

Today I am sitting in an airplane seat but not going anywhere. No, I'm not stuck on a runway waiting for other planes to takeoff and no, I'm not waiting for the weather to clear. It's a pretty interesting story, really.

My mom texted my sister and I after she got home from church one night. Someone had given her a flyer advertising the need for test subjects for an airline seat test. The study required 6.5 hours of sitting in an airplane seat and evaluating the comfort every fifteen minutes. They provide complimentary lunch and pay each test subject $200.

Wait. What? $200? We signed up immediately.



My parents kept the kids and we went to sit. Sit we did. And we sat some more. Hurt my bottom, but not enough to refuse the $30/hour.

We mostly just read and surfed the internet. I tried not too spend my $200 by shopping online. After all, we're having car trouble so it's looking like I may need that $200 to go towards a partial car payment. Ugh. Yes, that's life. Easy come easy go, right?


Have you done anything fun to make money lately?

Thursday, July 24, 2014

apps i'm loving

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DuoLingo
I was using this app earlier this school year to brush up on my Spanish a bit and then when Julianna went to Spanish camp this summer she was motivated enough afterward to download the app herself. I love it because it helps you learn the simple words with such a wide variety of activities that it doesn't get boring. Julianna loves it because she's challenged by the different levels and the collecting points game aspect of it.

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LoseIt
Similar to MyFitnessPal, LoseIt is a food diary and exercise tracker. I love it because you can scan the bar codes on food packaging and it puts the nutrition stats right in. Also, like many of the other nutrition apps you can use either the app or the website interchangeably and you can see a great visual on the website called a "MyPlate Report" which shows how the foods you're eating stack up against the recommended food group suggestions from the FDA.

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ShoeTracker with RunKeeper
I use this app to track the mileage on my running shoes. There's no way I could keep up with it on my own since I'm going through new shoes every 3 months or so now.  It's simple to use and easy to connect. You just link it and forget about it. Plus, I like that it tells you how much you're spending on shoes per mile run.


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She Reads Truth
Coming soon is the SheReadsTruth app for Android.  They just released their iOS app and I'm eagerly awaiting the launch of the next version. SRT is an online community of Bible-studying women and the app will be a place to easily carry their Bible reading plans in your pocket. Nice!

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What are some of your favorite apps?


Tuesday, July 15, 2014

blueberry baked oatmeal [from Mom Body Revolution]

I posted a pic of this scrumptious deliciousness on Instagram (@aisforbeautiful) this morning and several people asked for the recipe. It's just easier to post here so if you're interested, you can make it.  It really is wonderful and I've made it for a few years now. It's filling and low calorie and a great way to use up ripe bananas. Plus, it's quick and convenient to make ahead and eat before work.  Give it a try!


Blueberry Baked Oatmeal

6 servings

Ingredients:
1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
3 TBS Chia seeds
1/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts, divided (I usually omit these)
1/2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
Pinch of salt
1/4 cup honey
1 cup unsweetened almond milk (I use Almond Breeze)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 tbsp. coconut oil, melted and cooled slightly
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2-3 ripe bananas, peeled and sliced (I use 2)
1 cup blueberries fresh or frozen, divided (I used fresh)
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 375F.

2. Lightly grease a 8×11.5 baking dish. In a medium bowl, mix the oats, half of the nuts, baking powder, cinnamon, Chia seed and salt. Stir to combine. Reserve 1/4 c. of dry ingredients and set aside. Then add in the liquid ingredients: honey, milk, egg, coconut oil, and vanilla. Mix well.

3. Spread the sliced bananas in a single layer over the bottom of the baking dish. Top with half of the berries. Pour the oatmeal mixture over the fruit in an even layer.

4. Top with 1/4 c. dry, reserved oatmeal mixture. Sprinkle the remaining nuts and berries over the top. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until the top is browned and the oats have set. Let cool 10 minutes before serving.

Additional Info: 1 serving is about 200 calories- give or take.
[recipe from: Mom Body Revloution]


I typically bake this on Sunday afternoons, cover it with foil and heat and eat for breakfast all week.  YUM!



stories

I was complaining about other drivers one day in the car and Josh just told me, "Stop worrying about other people's probability, Mom. Let them go to jail!"

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A different day all of us were in the car and Julianna had a headache so Jonathan and I suggested to Josh that we talk quietly so not to disturb her. He simply said, "OK dad I won't talk at all."  Too good to be true we thought... we'll see how long it lasts.

Sure enough, after about three or four minutes Julianna started singing to herself.  Josh looked over at her and said, "Sshhhhh! Jules has a headache!"

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Josh told me one day recently, "Mama that time I got into your tummy I had some security cameras so I could see what was happening. All I remember is that when I was a baby and stuck in your tummy did you go in the ocean?"

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We went to the main library for a kid activity about science journals. The kids were supposed to walk around and make some observations about the objects that were laid out on the tables. Then they were to write and draw them in their journals.

Julianna didn't want to participate, but she walked around and watched. Eventually she pointed out the paintings on the wall to Josh and when we came home and showed Jonathan the partially completed science journal I had to explain that there would have been more written inside except that our children were too busy making observations over the exposed breasts in the paintings on the walls. Sheesh!


 

Friday, July 11, 2014

by the numbers

283 minutes until my husband gets off work
606 miles run so far in 2014
31 miles run so far in July
1 bee sting that Julianna got this week
7 Oreos I ate for breakfast
11.5 months age of baby Jane (Shush! Of course, I can still call her Baby Jane!)



126 days until my redemption marathon
2 cups of coffee required to wake up this morning
200 approximate number of tomatoes on the vines in our yard
6 approximate number that will be ripe this weekend



Thursday, July 10, 2014

links I love

Pottermore: JK Rowling writes new Harry Potter story featuring 'greying' 33-year-old wizard



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Mipso performs "When I'm Gone"

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How cool is this? This is my church, y'all! Summit at the Ballpark.

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I know you're tired of hearing it, but I can't say enough good things about these training programs.

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Bonus Video:

(HINT: It's most definitely worth the click and the subsequent 8 seconds of your life.)



Sunday, July 6, 2014

good news, bad news



Bad news is that our vacation is over and tomorrow Jonathan returns to work and life returns to normal. On the other hand, I got to take a lovely nap today.

Good news: I'm writing this while I sit on my deck and drink Martha Stewart's recipe for sangria but the bad news is that I have to get up at 4:30 in the morning tomorrow to make it to summer speed series on time.



I'm reading a really good book that Jonathan recommended. It's called One Second After and it's a suspenseful story that takes place in North Carolina but unfortunately it still puts me way behind on my 40 book reading goal for the year.

Good news: I completed the 30 day ab challenge I was working on in June and felt that it was so successful that I should do it again in July... so for the bad news: I only made it to day three.



If you'd like, feel free to share some good news or bad news with me in the comments.





Wednesday, July 2, 2014

overheard

Josh, watching a commercial for hair loss products: What's so great about hair anyway?!
Jules: What? You want to be bald, Josh?
Josh: ??

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"Holy cheese puffs! It stinks in here!"

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"Jules, there's a teacher in there. I don't quite realize her."

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Conversation in my car:
(And I am not even making this up)

Josh: (looking at a package of chocolate covered blueberries) Mom, I can read!
Me: You can?
Josh: Yes! It says on the package that the reason these blueberries are so dried is because they were made in 1915!
Jules: (sarcastically) 1915? Really, Josh?!
Josh: Yeah, the 1915s.
Jules: Josh, Martin Luther King, Jr wasn't even born then!

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Josh: It's not fair! Peppa Pig got chocolate cake, ice cream, AND soda!
Jules: He must really want to be a pig.