Cousins

                                  Lauren(6.5) and Irelyn(6)

MONDAY

Happy Monday!  I'm trying to get excited about Monday but I can't.  Did you ever have one of those days where nothing went right, but in a funny way?  That has been my day.  At least I can laugh about it, right?  All I can say is I am happy I put something in the crockpot before I left for work today. 

My parents and 5 grandchildren

Thanks to Becca Hayes for taking this picture

SCIENCE

Steve Spangler Science Experiment

Fill a plate with milk, put several drops of different color food coloring in the middle, put dish soap on a Q-tip and place it right in the center, hold it down and watch the colors spray.  This was such a cool experiment to do.  Irelyn could do the whole thing herself and was so interested in what was going to happen.  After this, she wondered what would happen if she used water instead of milk.  We tried it and although it wasn't as interesting, she was being creative and using her mind.  Have fun if you try it.

NAEYC conference

I spent the past 2 days at the NAEYC conference in Anaheim, CA with all of my wonderful co-workers.  We laughed, went out to dinner, enjoyed wine, laughed some more...oh, and we learned too! 
We heard some wonderful speakers, received free supplies and went shopping in the huge Galleria. 
My favorite speaker was Steve Spangler.  He was full of energy, excitement and had some fun ideas!   I bought his book and will be putting it to good use this week.  I even came home with 2 experiments for Irelyn to try.  Although it was for work, I thought of it as a vacation.  No dishes, nice hotel, all of my meals handled, no cleaning...I can't wait to go again :)

New computer

I have a new laptop!  My "other laptop" was a college graduation present and has been useless for years.  I am sooooo happy about his computer- it is awesome!  My new favorite is...
Windows Live Photo Gallery. 
The face recognition is so useful!  I already feel more organized :) 

Recipe Wednesday

Rustic Chicken Pasta

Debone and chop one market roasted chicken
1 bag baby spinach
1 lb. cooked penne pasta
1/4 c. roasted pine nuts

Dressing: mix and toss w/ above ingredients
1 c. olive oil
1/3 - 1/4 c. balsamic vinegar
1/3 c. dijon mustard
2 crushed garlic cloves
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tp. pepper

Serve immediately after tossing salad. 

This is so delicious for a light lunch with friends served with some wine or champagne.  Enjoy!

Teavana

Teavana is a wonderful tea store located in The Shops at Mission Viejo.  You can buy loose tea there or have a hot or iced made for you to enjoy.  You can smell/sample all of the teas and they will also help you choose a flavor based on your preferences.   
Here are some of my favorite teas-

• Youthberry
• Wild Orange Blossom
• Snow Geisha

Go check it out!

NaBloPoMo

It is National Blog Posting Month again!  I'm going to try to do it again this year.  Posting every day for a month...
Here we go! :)