Sunday, September 23, 2012

Sundays in my city - 34 weeks

I know its been like 101 years since I have done one but here we are with a sundays in my city post, woot.

Unknown Mami

Our Sunday has been pretty quit working on our final preperations for baby number two, who will be making HIS arrival in as soon as 3 weeks. Man time flies.

So I have been working on the house and one area I have putting a lot of work into is the boys rooms. its not 100% the way I want it but a long way from where we started. You will immediatly notice only one crib, thats because baby will be in our room, and yes as you can imagine 2 beds in that room will be a challange but we will face that hurdle as it comes. As of now teenie thinks the crib is the antichrist anyway and sleeps with us, so lets consider this more a non sleeping room lol.

So lets begin our tour.



This is the entry way, see that cool thing on the wall thats a water doodle, that has never been used because I cannot find where my child stuck those damn pens. He prefers to take real pens to the wall or couch. I had hoped the baby gate would be a good idea so I could coral him when I needed to do laundry or so, he views it as a prison not so much.




This is the view as you come into the room. As you see the curtainless windows are one thing I have not yet finished. On the left is what is supposed to be Teenies bed, he really only plays  in there. The diaper stacker on the end is waiting for a hook on the wall. This is the far wall where most all the toys live.






This is the back wall tall cupboard is clothing, little blue pail is for any time we use disposables or have ucky wipes.  Again need some curtains.












This is the fourth wall where our diapers, books, and some bigger toys like playmobile, blocks, and duplos live. I would like to do something with the wall above the expedit.














and the crib wall. Eventually a little coat rack will hang where that chair is and again I would love to add a wall sticker up on the wall or something
















Here are some detailed pics of our organization of 2 under 2.
This is where our toys live, aside from those items in the expedit and a small bin in the living room, we do not have a play room. Teenie is perfectly content with a small collection of toys he loves. Were quantity to become an issue we would rotate toys.



This is the expedit. It houses things like spit rags and receiving blankets in the green bin, you see a fe cubes of books (we will need a bookshelf eventually), a few with toys and blocks, and a few with baby supplies sleep sacks and diapering supplies like wipes and liners







On top of the expedit is where our diapers live, both boys are (or will be cloth diapered).



On the left in the ikea bins are 2 wth small and bigger prefolds, one is missing with extra inserts and trainers, and on top that little tray holds boosters, disposable liners, fleece liners ect.










Blue basket is wipes and green bin our pocket diapers which are our primary diapers.




next bin is newborn diapers and fitteds for night time. The right bin has inserts waiting to go in diapers and supplies like swim diapers, wetbags.










Blue drawers house changing supplies like snappies, wipe cubes, creams ect. On the right bottom bin is covers and top is lonelysocks waiting for their partners














The hanging white chain houses stuffed animals. Thise things procreate faster then bunnies in spring we limit how many are allowed. New in old out.Only keeping favorites. I have this chain and a small bin by the crib plus a few allowed in bed. The blue hanging organizor holds baby tights, baby leggings, hats, mittens, and things of that nature



And both boys share one cupboard. Right is toddler, left is newbie.


And for good measure here is me today. No I do not want to talk about the sweats and white socks :P



How was your Sunday?

P.S. If anyone can tell me how to rotate pics here I would greatly approciate it.



Thursday, May 31, 2012

Cheap toddler friendly pasta lunch


You know its funny, when I went home after my first visit to Germany, I used to eat abend brot to remind myself of my time in Germany. However, 4 years after moving here and seeing how prevalent bread is in the German diet I might gouge my eyes out if forced to eat much more bread in my life. Now do not get me wrong, I am making an effort to come up with some creative variation, aim for more of an American style sandwich. I have been stalking the interwebs looking for dup recipes for Paradise bakery, nomnomnom, but we need som variety. If Germans may have no qualms eating bread so often, but I sure cannot. But at the same time I do not want to invest the time nor money to cook a second hot meal eat day, lazy American that I am. SO I look for frugal idea, and idseas that my picky little mr enjoys, today was a sucess.

Aldi sells some finished pasta products, one version is in boxes and another comes in pouches. For this recipe I used the pouch version the Pasta Pomodoro Mozzarella. It comes with the noodles and seasoning mixed in in a powder form. Just add water and cook 10 minutes. They also have a variety of other flavors. The package says it serves 2.

Once I boil my water and add my pasta mix, I add an additional half can of diced tomatoes, and 1 cup of frozen veggies mix  DO NOT USE BUTTERGEMÜSE NEINNEINNEIN thats bad get the plain stuff in bags lol.

The pasta mix costs .65
Half can of tomatoes .22
1 cup veggies aprox. .10

Full meal for under a buck

This could easily be made into a dinner by doubling it and adding a green salad and baugette. You still have a dinner for under 2.50 including sides.





Monday, May 28, 2012

Would you know it...

Lots of change coming our way


As we prepare to welcome baby number 2 this November!


Meal Plan Monday - 28.5.2012

I have been busy playing around on pinterest looking for some new recipes to liven up our dinner menu and here is what I came up with for the week

Dinners:

1. Tacos with refried beans

2. Paprika Parmesan Chicken with broccoli and cheesy garlic bread

3. Homemade mac and cheese with green salad

4. BLT with fries

5. Glazed Pork chops with cauliflower gratin

6.Curried chickpea couscous with green salad

Lunches:

1. Mexican wraps (store bought)

2. Sandwich with veggie sticks

3. Chili over potatoes

4. Egg salad sandwiches with veggie slices

5. Seasoned rice over green salad

6. Egg salad sandwiches with veggie slices

7. PB and jelly tortilla roll up with veggie sticks

Breakfasts:

1. Cereal and fruit

2. Pancakes and fruit

3. Rolls and smoothies

4. Egg muffins with fruit

5. Oatmeal with fruit

6. Yogurt and toast

7. Scrambled eggs and smoothies

Snacks:
Fruit- apples, apricots, banana

Veggies- cucumber, carrot, bell pepper strips

Crackers and cheese

Yogurt

Granola bars

Maybe some homemade treats- cookies, ect

What is for dinner at your house this week?

Saturday, April 7, 2012

Easter plans and meal plan

What are your plans for Easter this year?

We will be dying eggs tonight. Tomorrow we will do a small easter egg hunt for teenie. Not sure if I will do that outside in the courtyard or inside. Just a small easter basket from the easter bunny and sadly no crafts or cookies, but I hope to be more organized next year.

So here is a look at our Easter and Easter monday meal plans

Easter Sunday:
Breakfast: Flaky biscuits with country gravy and sausage links

Lunch: Egg salad

Dinner:
Pork cutlets with apple and onion marinade
Steamed carrots
Sweet potatoes with brown sugar and marshmallow

Dessert:
Carrot cake with Philadelphia icing
Lemon cake

Easter Monday:
Breakfast: Eierkuchen with fruit salsa

Lunch: Left overs

Dinner: Eggs and potatoes in mustard sauce

Dessert: Left overs from Sunday and muffins

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

1 Euro veggie soup

One thing I have been striving to do in an effort to bring down our food bills is cook local meals using cheaper ingredients. Sad as I am, I came to terms with the fact that frugal cooking blogs in the US just do not apply to me. One things I have started doing is making soup.

Really you can use anything you have on hand down to chicken bones and veggie for broth or whatever leftover veggies tossings for a mixed veggies soup. Toss in some noodles, rice or meat, even left overs and you could have a different soup every day of the week if you were so inclined.

For this recipe I use specific items purchased just for the soup but they are dirt cheap.

Ingredients:
Suppen grunen- this is a pack of fresh veggies for soup it comes with fresh parsley, carrots, celery root and leeks. Some even come with a small broth package. These cost under 1 euro and go on sale often. I got mine for .88 on sale plus and additional 10% off.
Broth powder- your choice, veggie or chicken
Maggi
Pepper
Water

Instructions:
1. I wash and cut up all my veggies
2. Toss them in a pan and fill with water, I use a 2 liter pot
3. Add a dash of pepper, a tablespoon or two of broth powder and about 1 tablespoon maggie
4. Let boil about 15 minutes then reduce to a low simmer for 30 minutes or longer if you wish
5. Taste and add any needed seasoning to your preference

Tastes fabulous, dirt cheap and enough for 2 meals at least, so what is that 50 cents per meal, even less if it stretches further. Fantastic.

Some times I stretch mine out by adding to it, one night I may add rice or noodles, next tim some left over chicken, and each night you have a new twist.

Enjoy


Friday, March 9, 2012

February project updates

Well the month was not nearly as productive as I would have liked it to be. I did not finish any books. But i did make minimal progress towards my 2012 in 2012.

This month out the door went the following, leaving only 1871 to go. Wonder if I will make it...






Monday, February 13, 2012

Meal plan monday

A new week a new meal plan. Here is a look at what is cooking this week in my kitchen :)


Thursday, February 9, 2012

Belated meal plan monday

Better late then never, a look at this week inside our kitchen :)

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

2012 in 2012 January update.

End of the month progress report- January.

January was a good start. Still have a longway to go but I feel I started out on the right foot.

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

100 in 2012

So we already talked about my other challenge for 2012,2012 in 2012, to rid my home and life of 2012 items that no longer receive the love they once did.

I have a second challenge for myself this year. I am challenging myself to read 100 books in 2012.


Monday, January 30, 2012

Meal Plan Monday

Another week of meal ideas. Here is a look at what is going on in my kitchen.


Friday, January 20, 2012

Do you Swap?


I talked before about trading, but today I want to talk about swaping. Sounds similar right? And yeah in a way it is, but swapping is a little bit different. This post will explain the differences and also the benefits to swapping.

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

What a simple and frugal life means to me


There are so many stigmatism's and generalizations floating around in the world. We hear these words and we associate different meanings to them, yet we often neglect the fact that they mean very different things to different people.

Monday, January 16, 2012

Meal Plan Monday in Retrospect

Another week in retrospect, a look at what's been cooking in my kitchen :D


Friday, January 13, 2012

On my Kindle- January


I have a personal goal to read 100 books I in 2012. Reading has long been a passion of mine and reading is one area of my life I have neglected this past year. While in the US for a visit in October my dad bought me an early Christmas gift, a kindle, to bring back. Which I must say is a God send for an expat with slim access to books in your native language.

To reach my goal I need to read about 8 books a month. Here is a look at what is on My kindle for January.

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Ich Liess Mein Herz in Deutschland 2011 in review

2011 was an awesome year even for ILMHiD, which was actually a shock to me as I took a good portion of the year off while adjusting to my new life as a mom. So here is a look at the stats to date and for 2011. Thanks for making ILMHiD a success, you guys breathe live into my posts and it truly means the world to me.


Monday, January 9, 2012

Meal Plan Monday in Retrospect



Meal plan Monday in Retrospect

I have been doing our meal planning a bit differently, I will touch on that in a different post, but due to that fact it is a bit hard to meal plan a week in advance as I am focusing on using up leftovers and what we have on hand. So I have decided to do Meal Plan Monday in Retrospect. Here is a look at our last week of meals.

Sunday, January 8, 2012

Sundays in my city- The new place- Living room

Here is a look at my Sunday hope you will share yours too.


Friday, January 6, 2012

Trades are fantastic


Often times we get so caught up in the thrill of getting rid of non-used items we are quick to toss items in the trash or recycling bin. This goes against the very nature of minimalism. Sure we have less in our homes, but we have only multiplied our ecological impact.

And while it is true to say we want to live with less, the fact remains that there are still items we need and want. And while radical minimalists may disagree, my view of minimalism is not to deprive oneself, but rather to live with less rubbish in our lives so that we may focus on items that bring joy rather then burden into our lives.

Trading is a great opportunity to get rid of the items you no longer need without filling the local landfills by breathing life into items once again so someone else may enjoy them, while you too in return acquire items that you need or want to have.

Wednesday, January 4, 2012

2,012 in 2012

I have one big goal, or challenge, really for myself in 2012. To purge my home of 2,012 items. I was worried that it would be hard to do, but now as I am getting into purging and organizing I think it is a pretty tangible goal.

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