Grumpy Old Men - Cyclist...

For those of you who have known me a while, you know that I am a letter writer. Something goes down - I'm gonna write them a letter! Today, while our Mommies group strolled the Swamp Rabbit Trail with our strollers and children in hand we were treated poorly by many bicyclists. Well, since I have no one in particular to give a letter to... so here is my rant. Right back at you grumpy old men!



Dear Grumpy Old Men Cyclist,

I think it's awesome that have outlived my Grandparents and are healthy enough to ride bicycles. You should be so proud of yourselves. I expected you to be peddling with big smiles on your face while thanking the Lord that your joints are still able to move with such fluidity. How wrong I was....

Instead, I see nothing but grumpy faces and frowns. You choose to use the lips you should be thanking the Lord with to spit nasty words to ladies with children and babies. Not very Southern Gentlemanly, if you ask me....

I understand that as a cyclist you are in limbo. Only riding on two wheels instead of four... Not a pedestrian.... You had to fight for your rights to own a small peice of the road, I get it. I know it's a confusing place to be so you resort to road rage. You mumble and shout like you're in your car on the highway, but let me remind you - we can hear you! There are no windows to roll up and your rude remarks are showered upon our ears. So let me make some suggestions:

1) Invest in a horn or bicycle bell and use that. I'm sure if we hear a bell behind us we will move over - we're Mommies, not morons.

2) Give us a break! I mean, for some of us this was our first time in the trail. I didn't come with a Grumpy Old Man rule book.

3) Lastly, have some respect! We are the women who are raising the next generation. No, it's not a glamorous job, but it's an important one.

So get over yourself, then get over to the left. Trust me, you don't want a swarm of pissed off Mommies jogging after you!

Most Sincerely,

Lauren, et al.

PS. Other than the Grumpy Old Men, we had a wonderful time on the Swamp Rabbit Trail and the Swamp Rabbit Cafe!!

http://www.greenvillesc.gov/parksrec/trails/SwampRabbitMap.aspx
http://swamprabbitcafe.com/

A Big Thank You!!!! A year in review.

Let me tell you people, it has not been an easy year. After making the decision to stop working, purchase a home (in need of major renovation), move from Arizona to South Carolina and launch our new business…. (deep breath) I am looking back to a year ago.
 

When we showed people pictures of our new home, we were told many things...

Too much work needed to be done to it, don’t buy it.

Why would you want to move to Union, SC? That’s in the middle of nowhere.

The renovations will cost too much.

Blah, blah – negative – blah

But did we listen? Hell no!! All we saw was the vision. A steal of a deal…a home that my son was going to grow up in…a small community where you know your neighbors… a home that was built for a family – already full of happy memories.

We emptied all of our savings, borrowed a small loan from my family and we walked into the lawyers office, handed them a check and this house was ours. All ours! Paid off!

Brandon works day and night fixing things in our old home. We are constantly cleaning, fixing, gardening…. Every day…. We go to bed exhausted each night and wake up the next morning to do it again.

I decided to stay home to raise my son. A $45,000 a year pay cut….. Financially, it has not been easy at all. But who cares when you have the most wonderful son in the world? He is happy, healthy, smart and strong. I am positive this is because Apollo is being parented well. We play and laugh and sing and clap together. He wakes up every morning with a HUGE smile.

So when it is suggested that I go back to work, the answer is: Hell no!! Knowing that my son is content; that his needs are met is the most important thing.

Instead of “going back to work” we decided, to launch or business and build a team in S. Carolina. Again, I hear all the blah, blah – negative – blah.

Some think it’s not a “real” business because we don’t have four walls as a store front and bunch of overhead.

Some say that I don’t work because I don’t get up at the crack of dawn, sit in traffic all morning just to be greeted by an asshole boss. I wake up when Apollo does, take care of his needs, the house and in between breastfeeding and nap time I “work” until I finally fall asleep at night. Do I have a fat paycheck to show for it every week? No. And when we do get money, it goes to our bills or back into our business.

But, that is what it means to be an entrepreneur. It means working your ass off, whether you are paid immediately or not… when people believe that all you do is eat bon bons like Peggy Bundy because they have no idea what it means to succeed at launching a business…  to create our future, our legacy.

So a big giant THANK YOU!!!!! to all of our family, friends, fellow Mommies and customers that have supported us. 
 Thank you for listening to me complain and whine and vent.

Thank you for letting me know that you support our decisions. It is your words of encouragement that I repeat in my head when times are tough.

Thank you for signing up and supporting our online store ShopArea8.com. Thank you for each and every purchase.

Thank you for every little bit of positivity and prayers - they drown out all of the negative comments and people in our lives. Thanks to my best friend, Sara, who is there for me when I call and supports me during all this change.


During this year we have managed to create a home - even if it's a work in progess... We spent today working on the house. I was peeling off 40 year old wallpaper and Brandon was pulling down one of the chimneys brick by brick. We stink, we're tired...
We celebrated Apollo's first Birthday! Our business has recently launched worldwide. How awesome is that?! So many reasons to be grateful.

If you haven't yet, please go to one of our pages and sign up as a preferred customer. Take a look at what we think is a great business. And of course, shop and save!

 ShopArea8.com    Isotonix   Motives   
If you are outside of the U.S. then go to GLOBAL.shop

Now I'm sitting with my family watching my son clap and giggle aloud at the television.

I gotta say.... It's all soooooo worth it, every moment!

THANK YOU!!!
xoxo

Lauren
 

Pasta and Crab for Dinner

We are fish and seafood lovers in this house. So when there is a sale at the grocery store, we are buying! My pasta dishes are usually more about what I need to use up in the refridgerator than being a culinary genious... When I saw a bag of peas in the freezer and half-used mushrooms and mozzarella - inspiration!

Without further ado... the recipe!

 

Ingredients:

1 lb Pasta (I chose veggie pasta)

1/3 cup Bacon Bits

1 clove garlic

1/2 bag frozen peas

Whipping cream

1/2 cup shredded Mozzarella Cheese

Olive oil

Frozen Crab

Salt & Pepper to taste

 

 

In a medium pot heat olive oil. Add sliced Garlic clove and Bacon bits. Fry and stir until Bacon bits are crispy.

In a large pot, bring water to a boil. Salt the water, then add pasta. (I don't add oil to the water because i want the sauce to stick to the pasta.)

Add Frozen peas to the Bacon & Garlic and stir until thawed. Lower the tempature to medium then add cream (or milk). Shred Mozzarella cheese and stir into the sauce.

Strain Pasta and set aside in large bowl.

Fold sauce in the pasta.

Set crabs in boiling, salted water. Allow to cook for 5-7 minutes.

Strain and enjoy!

Star Trek Birthday!

Star Trek Birthday!

Part 1

I have been preparing for Apollo's 1st Birthday party. I don't think it's a big secret that we are kinda space geeks... I mean, we did name our son Apollo...
He has been raised on Star Trek since in the womb. I fell asleep to Star Trek Deep Space Nine every night... and now, we fall asleep to Star Trek Voyager. He most definately has a crush on Dax. So, of course, we had to do a Star Trek Space Theme for his 1st birthday.

It's not so easy though... Star Wars seems to be the popular "star" theme with kids, but Apollo hasn't shown any interest in it (yet). What's a girl to do? Luckily for my kid, I attended the Art Institute of Ft. Lauderdale!! I'm gonna make it all myself! I know it's a tall order... I mean, I barely have time to shave my legs these days. But it's my baby's first Birthday... 'nuff said.

So for all of  you parents out there who may be crazy enough to do the same here are some helpful links to fonts and graphics.

We are going to be making room signs... these fonts are awesome. They include languages like Bjoran, Cardasian, Klingon, Romulan, Vulcan, etc:
http://www.talshiar.org/Fonts/

Pinterest was a Huge help! Here is a link to my Birthday Board: http://pinterest.com/kanitellu/apollo-s-birthday-possibilities/

Here is a copy of the Invitation I made:

 

 

As a former Interior Designer, I am in LOVE with this website. It has all of the blueprints for the ships! I am going to print some out and frame them.

http://www.cardassiaprimera.com.ar/Star_Trek_Ships_Schematics_Blueprints_Lcars24.htm

 

Since it is a kids Birthday Party I am going to have coloring pages:

http://www.cartoonjr.com/star-trek-ships-coloring-pages/

 

Our food will be appropriatly names after far Galaxy names:

 

Meteor Ball Sandwiches

Flying Saucers & Cheese Crackers

Romulan Blue Punch

Rock Candy as Dilithium Crystals

Milky Way Bars

Moon Pies

Red Gumballs as "Red Matter"

Green Grapes are "Alien Eggs"

you get the idea....

 

 

There will be a Part 2. I have to make a bunch of decorations. I'll post pictures!

 

UNTIL THEN...

 

Make your own Fruit Yogurt

I don't know about you... But, when I read the ingredient labels on yogurt I am dissapointed that a "healthy" food is usually full of sugar and other chemicals. I also have trouble finding a fruit whole milk yogurt. I might cheat here and there if I am eating, but not for my son. So, I decided to make my own.

When Apollo first began eating I bought a bunch of baby food. Of course, he decided he wanted to feed himself... now I am stuck with a bunch of baby food. Not anymore!!

Begin with whole, plain yogurt. Your babies and toddlers need the fat, so give it to them.
And it's better for you! I have some links on the research on my Fruit Tart Recipe

 

Mix in some baby food or homemade puree for flavor. 

Sometimes I will add mashed up fruit or Citrus pulp  juice.

 

 

Some of Apollo's favorites are:

Apricot

Pumpkin

Banana

Applesauce

Carrot

Pear

Mango

Oranges

Lemon

Blackberry

 

 

I make a little at a time for breakfast.

 

 

Kid can't get enough of it!

Quick Steak Pita

Who wants to eat cold cuts for lunch everyday? Not me!
This is an quick and easy alternative to the usual sandwich. The best part (besides that it's delish) is that there is only one pan to clean!

Steak Pita

Ingredients:

 

3 Onions

3 Green Peppers

2 Banana Peppers

1 Tomato

4 Thin Steaks

Whole Wheat Pita

I told you it was easy!!

Portobello Mushroom Breakfast Sandwich

Good Monday to you all!

So, I created this recipe by using up stuff in the fridge. I'm not sure if this counts as a Meatless Monday dish, technically.... But, Portobello Mushrooms are my favorite meat replacement. It was pretty simple to make and it was so yummy that Brandon gave it a big thumbs up!

Ingredients:

 

4 Eggs

4 Slices Provolone Cheese

4 Slices of Sourdough bread

1/2 cup Portobello Mushrooms

Olive oil

Creme Fraiche

Pinch of Thyme

Salt & Pepper to taste

Slice, then Saute Portobello Mushrooms in Olive Oil  until soft.

 

Scramble the Eggs. Add Thyme, Salt & Pepper.

 

 

Toast the Sourdough Bread.

Spread one side of toast with Creme Fraiche.

Add Slices of Provolone Cheese to the other side.

 

 

Add the cooked Eggs and Portobello Mushrooms to the sandwich.

Devour!