January 2020

January was a fun month.  In the beginning of the month, we celebrated a belated holiday with the In-Laws.  We had dinner out and then went back to our apartment for dessert and presents.  I can't even handle the cuteness of all the kids together.

The very next day, Captain and I took the Metro to The Kennedy Center to see the play Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus.  He used to be scared of the Metro and is no longer!  Because I'm an idiot, I bought 4 tickets to the play because I can't work the Internet.  So, I gave two of the tickets to Sister-in-Law and Nephew.  We met in between the two performances for lunch.  After lunch, Captain and I did the fun virtual tour of The Kennedy Center with Pigeon on the app.  The wifi was a little spotty so we didn't complete it, but we did get a pin and had a lot of fun.

The next weekend, Husband was out of town on an annual trip.  So, the kids and I did some cooking and baking and had a movie night (101 Dalmations, the original animated film).  We did dinner out with the In-Laws.  It was a lot of fun.

The next weekend, Little Miss had a Latin party which is a total thing.  She won second place in a costume contest.  I went to a Housewarming party and a couple of happy hours.  Overall, it was a pretty relaxing long weekend.  Our Sunday Family Movie was Star Wars (A New Hope).  I did not fall asleep once through this viewing, too.

The last weekend, the kids and I went back to The Kennedy Center for Lunar New Year (China).  I think I'm going to have to skip Korea this weekend.  I just need to do some things at home.  The lanterns were beautiful, and the kids had a blast with crafts and costumes.  We also completed the Virtual Tour and got certificates of completion!  And then everybody melted down, and we came home.  

Food front:  I bought myself an Air Fryer for Christmas so we used that quite a bit.  In January, we air fried everything from veggies (butternut squash and broccoli and brussels sprouts) to pot stickers, chicken tenders and onion rings.  The kids and I made chocolate donuts in the oven, homemade baked mac and cheese, parmesan chicken tenders, chicken romano and lemon pasta, broccoli cheese soup, champagne cupcakes with champagne buttercream, the yummiest vanilla cake, and circus cupcakes.  There were also brownies and sugar cookies.  You can find our updates and recipes here on our Cooking/Baking Instagram page, @A4MinimalEffort.

Weekend Update - Father's Day

Last weekend, I came right home after work ended at 3PM and took Little Miss to the park for her last playdate with her friend.  Her friend and her family are moving to Poland so we tried to get as many playdates in as possible.  Because neither girl wanted to be sad about the parting, they decided to bicker the entire time, but they did part as friends.  On the way home, I picked up a small pizza for Little Miss for dinner.  She ate half of the 10" pizza and declared it "the best pizza in the world".

On Saturday, Little Miss had her last swim class.  There was a substitute, but she did quite a bit.  At the end, she got a certificate.  After, we came home and napped.  It was glorious.  Then, we cleaned.  And cleaned.  It was much-needed.

On Sunday, I got up with Little Miss because it was Father's Day.  We had a big breakfast and beat the storm and took a walk.  During our walk, we snacked along the way.  Little Miss had a cake pop and I snagged some frozen yogurt.  Then, we went to the store to cook Husband's dinner for Father's Day.  Husband got some crab dip and a pasta dish.  It was a nice relaxing day despite a couple of meltdowns on everybody's part. 

We had some tentative plans, but this was the last weekend we had before a bunch of very busy weekends so we stayed in which was perfect and relaxing.

Food for Thought

I read this article today. I do believe there are bad books, but as I responded on Twitter, maybe there is just poor or careless editing. The majority of books are just not my taste, but I do believe there are just some books that are poorly written. As I said, perhaps it was self-published or there was a lazy editor though. At the heart of it, I do believe that whatever book encourages people to read is worthy and doing good - even if it isn't, by my standards, actually good. I mean, you reach someone with one book, maybe they'll try another and another. 

As one who reads romance novels, I'm used to people looking down at the type of book I enjoy, but really almost all great literature is a romance in some way. All genre fiction requires some suspension of disbelief. Life is full of crap, why not read something happy? Besides, romance isn't what it used to be. There are dozens of subgenres - probably enough to satisfy just about everyone. So, I'll try to view the world as having no bad books. I like that viewpoint even if I'm having trouble believing it.

Recipe Update

We don't make this (Cherry Tomato Spaghetti all'Amatriciana) recipe often, but I made it last night.  It's a good standby when we can't think of anything else to make. It's a fast recipe which is nice. I think it would taste really good with shrimp and, one of these days, I'm going to stop saying that and actually make it. 

Here is an update from the original time I made it: the herbs are essential. They add so much flavor. The parsley in the dish as well as the basil over the top. We don't put nearly that much cheese in, but we add to taste after the fact. Little Miss ate this dish this week. She didn't care for the cooked tomatoes, but she liked the rest - and even ate the parsley. She said she liked the taste except for the green things, but then I explained to her that the green things give it taste. I think, though, the pancetta, onion, garlic trio really add the taste though. Three of my favorite things.

Recipe recap:

Ingredients:
Salt
1 pound regular or thick spaghetti
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
1/4 pound chunk pancetta, cut into small pieces
1 red onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, grated or finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/2 cup white wine or chicken broth
2 pints small cherry tomatoes
2/3 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley (a couple generous handfuls)
Pepper
1 cup basil leaves, torn or chopped
2/3 cup grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese (a couple generous handfuls)

Directions:
Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt it, add the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain, reserving 1 cup of pasta cooking water.

While the pasta is working, in a large skillet, heat the EVOO, 3 turns of the pan, over medium to medium-high heat. Add the pancetta and cook until crisp, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the red onion, garlic and crushed red pepper and cook until softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the wine and cook for 1 minute, then add the tomatoes, parsley and a generous amount of salt and pepper. Cook until the tomatoes burst, 8 to 10 minutes.

Stir in the reserved pasta cooking water and then the pasta, tossing to coat. Turn off the heat, add the basil and cheese and serve. 

Falling to Pieces

Little Miss loves The Script's Breakeven. (Lyrics can be found here.) 

In the car this morning, the song comes on the radio. She got all excited and started to sing along. Then, she asks what it means to fall to pieces. I told her it’s when you fall apart and cry or get upset because someone hurt your feelings. She just looks ahead and says, "well, I never do that." 

Husband and I joke that she has no emotions. I'm sure she will some day, and it's good she doesn't let other people affect her opinion of herself or her emotions, but it's also kind of funny and odd.

Smooth

If you know me at all, you know about my thing with matchbox twenty. My thing doesn't extend to going to their concert in the next state by myself on a weeknight, but if I could have found someone to go with me, I would have. Here's hoping the next leg of the tour hits DC. 

Smooth: The TV Show with Matchbox 20 from Rob Thomas

Goodreads

I made the decision not to blog about the books I read, but I think I may still track them on the site anyway.  I just won't double post them.  If you noticed (or maybe you didn't), I deleted the extra pages of my blog which tracked the totals of books I read over the last 5 years.  I still have the posts so you can still sort by year, but I'm not putting in the work I did before.  

I have cleared out and organized my Goodreads account so it only tracks the books I have read.  I have long ago given up on tracking the books I own or have owned.  That was a lost cause.  You can link up to my account if you have one or follow my account (http://www.goodreads.com/princessapr ).  Honestly, I forgot I had an account, but I noticed more and more people using the website and thought I'd give it more of an effort than I had in the past.

Maine Vacation

This is a new feature. I made this Photo Book on Shutterfly from our vacation in Maine. I usually do one for our Wildwood trip, but I didn't have nearly the same amount or quality of photos. So, I just bought prints to frame instead. Some of these photos made the blog already, but here they are all in one place.  OK, I don't think the link to the widget works, but you can click here to see it.

Click here to view this photo book larger

The new way to make a photo album: photo books by Shutterfly.

Weekend Update - Bruuuuuuuuuce!

Last Friday, I took some vacation hours and met Husband's friend. Then, the two of us drove into the city to meet up with Husband. The three of us had a couple of beverages and dinner. Then, we went to Nats Park to see Bruce Springsteen. You can a summary of the concert here. It was a great show. We've never seen him before. As a passable fan, I enjoyed myself a lot. As a huge fan, Husband was in heaven. Stay tuned for next week's update because we're seeing him again next Saturday. The set list is below:

1. Prove it All Night (with 1978 intro)
2. My Love Will Not Let You Down
3 .The Ties That Bind
4. Hungry Heart
5. We Take Care Of Our Own
6. Wrecking Ball
7. Death To My Hometown
8. My City Of Ruins
9. Spirit In The Night
10. Blinded By The Light (tour premiere)
11. Jack Of All Trades
12. Jackson Cage
13. Shes The One
14. Johnny 99
15. Darlington County
16. Shackled and Drawn
17. Waitin' On a Sunny Day
18. The Promised Land
19 .Racing In The Street
20. The Rising
21. Badlands
22. Land of Hope and Dreams
End main set Encores:
23. We Are Alive
24. Thunder Road
25. Born to Run
26. Detroit Medley
27. Dancing in the Dark
28. Tenth Avenue Freeze-out
29. American Land (with guest Ali Weinberg - Max's daughter - on accordion)
30. Twist and Shout

Photo credit:  Catherine Andrews @candrews via TwitterFans fill the field at Nationals Park in Washington, DC Friday night for the Bruce Springsteen concert. 
 
Little Miss spent the evening with the In-Laws. She loved every minute. When she came home on Saturday, Husband went to a friend's house to watch college football. Little Miss and I went to pick up cleats for soccer (along with a pair of sparkly pink shoes). We had some dinner and cuddled on the couch to watch Finding Nemo. The little one was tuckered out from her sleepover the night before and fell asleep cuddling. It was super sweet, only slightly dampened (literally) by her cuddle sweat. 

 On Sunday, we had a nice family breakfast. Husband's friend came over to watch football while Little Miss and I went to the theater to see Finding Nemo in 3D. We watched it the day before so she could be prepared. The shark (Bruce) scared her in the trailer, but he's friendly more or less so watching it twice helped a lot. After, we ran some errands and then went to Sister's house to have dinner with her, Nephew and my parents. It was a good afternoon. None of us were ready to greet another Monday though.

The Mindset List for the Class of 2016

A friend posted this link on Facebook. I've posted an excerpt of it below. It fascinates me every year but more so this year for some reason. Maybe it's because I don't feel as old as I am - which I guess is a good thing. I'm not caught up on age, but there are moments when I realize more book characters and tv characters are younger, and not older, than I am. It's kind of a weird transition. Regardless, I'll leave that kind of pondering for another time.

The Mindset List for the Class of 2016

For this generation of entering college students, born in 1994, Kurt Cobain, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Richard Nixon and John Wayne Gacy have always been dead.

1. They should keep their eyes open for Justin Bieber or Dakota Fanning at freshman orientation.
2. They have always lived in cyberspace, addicted to a new generation of “electronic narcotics.”
3. The Biblical sources of terms such as “Forbidden Fruit,” “The writing on the wall,” “Good Samaritan,” and “The Promised Land” are unknown to most of them.
4. Michael Jackson’s family, not the Kennedys, constitutes “American Royalty.”
5. If they miss The Daily Show, they can always get their news on YouTube. 
6. Their lives have been measured in the fundamental particles of life: bits, bytes, and bauds.
7. Robert De Niro is thought of as Greg Focker's long-suffering father-in-law, not as Vito Corleone or Jimmy Conway.
8. Bill Clinton is a senior statesman of whose presidency they have little knowledge.
9. They have never seen an airplane “ticket.”
10. On TV and in films, the ditzy dumb blonde female generally has been replaced by a couple of Dumb and Dumber males.
11. The paradox "too big to fail" has been, for their generation, what "we had to destroy the village in order to save it" was for their grandparents'.
12. For most of their lives, maintaining relations between the U.S. and the rest of the world has been a woman’s job in the State Department.
13. They can’t picture people actually carrying luggage through airports rather than rolling it.
14. There has always been football in Jacksonville but never in Los Angeles.
15. Having grown up with MP3s and iPods, they never listen to music on the car radio and really have no use for radio at all.
16. Since they've been born, the United States has measured progress by a 2 percent jump in unemployment and a 16 cent rise in the price of a first class postage stamp.
17. Benjamin Braddock, having given up both a career in plastics and a relationship with Mrs. Robinson, could be their grandfather.
18. Their folks have never gazed with pride on a new set of bound encyclopedias on the bookshelf.
19. The Green Bay Packers have always celebrated with the Lambeau Leap.
20. Exposed bra straps have always been a fashion statement, not a wardrobe malfunction to be corrected quietly by well-meaning friends.
21. A significant percentage of them will enter college already displaying some hearing loss.
22. The Real World has always stopped being polite and started getting real on MTV.
23. Women have always piloted war planes and space shuttles.
24. White House security has never felt it necessary to wear rubber gloves when gay groups have visited.
25. They have lived in an era of instant stardom and self-proclaimed celebrities, famous for being famous.
26. Having made the acquaintance of Furby at an early age, they have expected their toy friends to do ever more unpredictable things.
27. Outdated icons with images of floppy discs for “save,” a telephone for “phone,” and a snail mail envelope for “mail” have oddly decorated their tablets and smart phone screens.
28. Star Wars has always been just a film, not a defense strategy.
29. They have had to incessantly remind their parents not to refer to their CDs and DVDs as “tapes.”
30. There have always been blue M&Ms, but no tan ones.’
31. Along with online viewbooks, parents have always been able to check the crime stats for the colleges their kids have selected.
32. Newt Gingrich has always been a key figure in politics, trying to change the way America thinks about everything.
33. They have come to political consciousness during a time of increasing doubts about America’s future.
34. Billy Graham is as familiar to them as Otto Graham was to their parents.
35. Probably the most tribal generation in history, they despise being separated from contact with their similar-aged friends. 
36. Stephen Breyer has always been an Associate Justice on the U.S. Supreme Court.
37. Martin Lawrence has always been banned from hosting Saturday Night Live.
38. Slavery has always been unconstitutional in Mississippi, and Southern Baptists have always been apologizing for supporting it in the first place.
39. The Metropolitan Opera House in New York has always translated operas on seatback screens.
40. A bit of the late Gene Roddenberry, creator of Star Trek, has always existed in space.
41. Good music programmers are rock stars to the women of this generation, just as guitar players were for their mothers.
42. Gene therapy has always been an available treatment.
43. They were too young to enjoy the 1994 World Series, but then no one else got to enjoy it either.
44. The folks have always been able to grab an Aleve when the kids started giving them a migraine.
45. While the iconic TV series for their older siblings was the sci-fi show Lost, for them it’s Breaking Bad, a gritty crime story motivated by desperate economic circumstances.
46. Simba has always had trouble waiting to be King.
47. Before they purchase an assigned textbook, they will investigate whether it is available for rent or purchase as an e-book.
48. They grew up, somehow, without the benefits of Romper Room.
49. There has always been a World Trade Organization.
50. L.L. Bean hunting shoes have always been known as just plain Bean Boots.
51. They have always been able to see Starz on Direct TV.
52. Ice skating competitions have always been jumping matches.
53. There has always been a Santa Clause.
54. NBC has never shown A Wonderful Life more than twice during the holidays.
55. Mr. Burns has replaced J.R.Ewing as the most shot-at man on American television.
56. They have always enjoyed school and summer camp memories with a digital yearbook.
57. Herr Schindler has always had a List; Mr. Spielberg has always had an Oscar.
58. Selena's fans have always been in mourning.
59. They know many established film stars by their voices on computer-animated blockbusters.
60. History has always had its own channel.
61. Thousands have always been gathering for “million-man” demonstrations in Washington, D.C.
62. Television and film dramas have always risked being pulled because the story line was too close to the headlines from which they were ”ripped.”
63. TheTwilight Zone involves vampires, not Rod Serling.
64. Robert Osborne has always been introducing Hollywood history on TCM.
65. Little Caesar has always been proclaiming “Pizza Pizza.”
66. They have no recollection of when Arianna Huffington was a conservative.
67. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome has always been officially recognized with clinical guidelines.
68. They watch television everywhere but on a television.
69. Pulp Fiction’s meal of a "Royale with Cheese" and an “Amos and Andy milkshake” has little or no resonance with them.
70. Point-and-shoot cameras are soooooo last millennium.
71. Despite being preferred urban gathering places, two-thirds of the independent bookstores in the United States have closed for good during their lifetimes.
72. Astronauts have always spent well over a year in a single space flight.
73. Lou Gehrig's record for most consecutive baseball games played has never stood in their lifetimes.
74. Genomes of living things have always been sequenced.
75. The Sistine Chapel ceiling has always been brighter and cleaner.

Copyright© 2012 Beloit College
Mindset List is a registered trademark

At Last

Jill Shalvis is one of my favorite authors.  I started reading her years and years ago - though to be honest, it was while I was a child and Jill was an author wunderkind so we're not as old as it sounds.  I will admit that I kind of drifted about 5 years ago.  I continued to buy the books, but somehow I didn't keep up with reading them.  Then again, about 5 years ago, I had a baby so I guess I can see that happening.  Anyway, one summer, I read 5 of the books on my shelf in a month and I was back.  It was like seeing an old friend you haven't seen in awhile and it feels like no time has passed at all.  The books make me happy.  Her heroes just get better and better.  

Her last book, At Last is in the Lucky Harbor series.  I will admit that it is very hard to follow up her last book, Lucky in Love, but I loved Matt and Amy all the same.  Of course, this book also left me wanting more, and I'm pleased I don't have to wait too long for Forever and a Day which comes out at the end of the month.  I always recommend Jill Shalvis's books.  These books are in groupings of 3 so you don't have to start from the beginning of the series, but I do suggest starting at Lucky in Love.  

I also got to meet Jill Shalvis in NYC last year.  I tried to meet her in DC, but she didn't make it in time to overlap when I was there.  I only have nice things to say.  The only negative is that her site is banned from my work computer for being porn which is only hilarious because I would say her books are PG-13, not even the most steamy of books that I've ever read. 

Father's Day

I read this article this morning on how dads can be good parents to their daughters. It reminded me of the many things Husband does to be a good father to Little Miss. In grand tradition, she does have him wrapped around her little finger and knows just how far to push him to get her way - and she also knows just when to stop before he loses his patience. Of course, this doesn't mean she stops at that line, just that she knows where the line is. 

Anyway, while I was out yesterday, Husband and Little Miss had a great day. When I came home, I also saw that Husband braided Little Miss's hair in two, very cute, almost even braids. Unfortunately, Little Miss was uncooperative so no one got a picture, but trust me when I tell you she was adorable.

Hilarious Game

So, you print out these sheets. There are instructions on how to make it all fancy on card stock and purchasing a container for all the cards, but the game is simple. You pick a small group of friends and hand out the white cards. Then, you choose a black card. Everyone picks the funniest, most clever answer out of his or her white card choices.  Hilarity ensues.

You can see an example here. It explains visually what I cannot with words.

Hope There's No Confusion

I saw A Million Shades of Gray today at the elementary school book fair. I hope no one gets it confused with Fifty Shades of Grey. Or thinks that if fifty shades yields that kind of book, that one million shades must be off the hook. 

For those who don't know about one or both of the books, one has this summary from Publishers Weekly:

...shows that truth has as many shades of gray as an elephant in this emotionally taut survival story, set in war-torn South Vietnam. After American troops leave his village, Y’Tin, his family, and his neighbors are left to fend off their enemies themselves. But Y’Tin’s mind isn’t on war. It’s on his pet elephant, Lady, and his dreams of opening an elephant-training school. His hopes vanish when North Vietnamese soldiers devastate his small village (Y’Tin helps dig a mass grave at one point). Y’Tin manages to escape into the jungle with a friend, where he reunites with Lady, but separated from family and friends, his thoughts grow dark. As the days go by, he becomes angrier and less trusting, wondering “if he would ever feel safe again or if safety was gone from his life forever.”

Illustrating the wisdom of Y’Tin’s father’s words—“The jungle changes a man”—Kadohata delves deep into the soul of her protagonist while making a faraway place and the stark consequences of war seem very near. Y’Tin’s inner conflicts and changing perception of the world will haunt readers.

The other has this summary:

When literature student Anastasia Steele goes to interview young entrepreneur Christian Grey, she encounters a man who is beautiful, brilliant, and intimidating. The unworldly, innocent Ana is startled to realize she wants this man and, despite his enigmatic reserve, finds she is desperate to get close to him.

Unable to resist Ana’s quiet beauty, wit, and independent spirit, Grey admits he wants her, too—but on his own terms. Shocked yet thrilled by Grey’s singular erotic tastes, Ana hesitates. For all the trappings of success—his multinational businesses, his vast wealth, his loving family—Grey is a man tormented by demons and consumed by the need to control. When the couple embarks on a daring, passionately physical affair, Ana discovers Christian Grey’s secrets and explores her own dark desires.

Slightly different. Though I haven't read either so I'm not an expert.

My Annual Purple Post

Every year, I jokingly post a massive amount of items in preparation of my birthday though, every year, someone always gets me at least one thing on my list - so I'm going to keep doing it!  My birthday is June 11 so you still have plenty of time.

First, I really like the above top. I may have to break down and get it myself because it's a sale item and may sell quickly in my size and color (XS/purple). We'll see. I like that it's different from all the other purple tops I own though I'm not too happy with the hand washing care instructions.

Everything else pictured (and then some) can be found on my Amazon wish list though I do buy my books through Barnes and Noble just because I'm a loyal customer like that.

Maurice Sendak

“Children do live in fantasy and reality; they move back and forth very easily in a way we no longer remember how to do.”

More Maurice Sendak quotes here.

Thanks, Glee!

Those words won't come out of my mouth much. I have a love/hate relationship with Glee. However, one of the best decisions the show has made in awhile is having guest star Matthew Bomer on. He was a former Sexy Friday feature.  Sue talking about how she would hunt down Alan Mencken so he could be a Disney prince was hilarious, and darned if he didn't have the twinkle in his eye and smile to pull it off.  Anyway, his guest appearance made for a yummy Tuesday night.

Under the Weather? Here's Some Advice.

I just wanted to say that this has become a standard response and advice whenever anyone's sick. I wasn't feeling well recently and told my mom who quipped, "Don't poop your pants!"

Weekend Update - Easter

Last week, Little Miss had an Easter parade at school.  Husband was off of work and went to see it.  She dressed up and walked around the hallways. 

The Saturday before Easter, we dyed eggs.  Plus, Little Miss is still young enough that I can make her wear her flower headband she's had since she was a baby.  I wonder how long I can still get her to wear it.

Easter was great fun with my parents, Sister, and Nephew.  The kids had an Easter egg hunt and played nicely together.

Sidenotes:

1. Now, backing up, we had a nice family tradition of watching Phineas & Ferb on Fridays. We were watching last Friday and this scene came on. Little Miss was so sad that Balloony was shot. She was inconsolable for almost an hour. She did stop crying at the end of the show because Balloony turns out to be ok, but she was so very sad. So, that was a rough Friday night. 
2. On Saturday, Little Miss was congested before bed and then woke up and got sick all over the place. So, very late on Saturday, we were doing laundry, taking a very late bath and consoling an upset Little Miss.
3. On Easter, we decided not to go to church after such a rough evening, but Little Miss was perfectly fine. She was up early bringing all of her Easter presents from the Easter Bunny into our bed. She was very pleased with all of her presents including her own kitchen tools and a Rangers jersey. Little Miss later was upset her jersey was too big (it's a 4-7 but practically fits me).  She declared that the Easter Bunny didn't do what she wanted and bring her a 4 size.  Silly Rabbit, doesn't he know Little Miss is a 4 size?

All in all, a great Easter as Little Miss was spoiled by all.

KYLE CHANDLER

Heck, if anybody deserves an all-caps title, it's my favorite actor in the world, Kyle Chandler. GQ just gave him 2011 GQ Coach of the Year as part of its Men of the Year issue (for his portrayal of Coach Eric Taylor on Friday Night Lights). Super 8, right in time for my birthday.