Organizing Utility Tote ~Yes, You Need One!!

If there is 1 product in the Thirty~One catalog that I recommend to EVERYONE at every party, it would be the Organinzing Utility Tote...and wouldn't ya know it, it's the October Special!!

Having issues with the uploading of pictures...I still don't really know how to work this Blog thing...Aaannnyyywaaaaays....it is very versitile.  I have seen it used as:
Gym Bag
Diaper Bag
Cleaning Supplies
Emergency (natural disaster) Kit
First Aid Kit
Car Activity Pack
Laundromat Pack
Beach Bag
Family Fun Night Kit
Gardening Gear
...and many, many more!

Time is running out to get this wonderful item at such a low price.  The October special only runs thru Monday, October 31.  Check these out on my website http://www.mythirtyone.com/99114/ or send me a message via Facebook, email (tmkelly1981@gmail.com), or call / text me (319-651-0761) to get your order placed before time runs out.  These make wonderful gifts as well!!

Available in 10 patterns (check them out on my website http://www.mythirtyone.com/99114/)
Black
Black Parisian Pop
Black Tailored Stripe
Circle Spirals
Garden Bloom
Harvest Floral
Paparazzi Dot
Pin Dots
Windsor Bouquet
Winter Wonderland

As always, personalization is available for only $7 more!!

Fried Green Tomatoes

I made fried green tomatoes yesterday for Deron's Grandparents, and they were delicious.  I LOVE fried green tomatoes, the food.  But, I also love the movie. 

Does anyone else remember that movie? With Kathy Bates and Mary Stuart Masterson and Mary Louise Parker and Jessica Tandy (who you are never really sure if she is Idgy Threadgood or not even though her name is Ninny!)

I remember when it first came out, I was 10.  Me and Alicia thought it was the best movie ever, not really sure why, cause at 10, that's a pretty heavy movie.  We watched it all the time.  Maybe because we taped it (hahaha, remember having to "Tape" something....ahhhh, the days before DVR!) off of HBO, that made it cooler or something.  We used to love those free preview weekends.  If we had cable, cause sometimes we didn't, we never had more than just basic, so those free weekends were like Heaven!  Anyways, we watched it so many times, the video tape wore out. 

And....my kids both love this movie and will watch it anytime it's on TV.  So, I think it's just the movie, not the fact that we thought we were cool.  Although we were. 

So many things have been bringing back some wonderful memories for me lately.  And, this is why we are reliving this time of my life.

I remember Alicia and I would play 'restaurant' all the time.  It was always called The Whistlestop Cafe, and we served Fried Green Tomatoes.  Except that I think we really served cereal and spagettio's and just thought we were master chefs.  I do remember that we used to say, just like in the movie, The Secret's In The Sauce!  That was why our spagettio's were far superior to any others you had previously tasted. 

I also remember other times, we served tuna salad sandwiches, Macaroni and cheese, grilled cheese and scrambled eggs.  And now I think about that....what the hell was my Mom thinking!!!  I don't even trust my mostly grown kids in the kitchen to make Ramens and she was letting us make halfway gourmet meals!!  It's probably because back in our day, we were responsible and diligent and aware of our surroundings.  Kids today are irresponsible, forgetful and just in general spacey.  I'm just kidding, my kids aren't ....oh wait...

Anyways, getting off track.  So, these memories that have been flooding me lately are good memories and bad memories and in between memories.  But they are all memories.  And I have to remind myself that everything that happens in your life, makes you who you are.  Whether they be good events, bad events, or just plain old events, it's shaped me into the person that I am today.  And all except for about 3 days a month, I'm a pretty awesome person. 

A friend said this to me last week, and I love it...take it with you:
"I always knew looking back on the tears would make me laugh but never thought looking back on the laughs would make me cry"

Here's to making more memories, and reminicing on the old ones...Cheers!

Nummy, Nummy Jambalaya (and good for you too!)

Discovered a DELICIOUS recipe this weekend, and I just have to share. 
If you like Jambalaya, you will love this!

1 lb cubed, cooked Chicken breasts
1 lb sliced, cooked Sausage.  (the recipe called for spicy andouie, but I used a turkey sausage ring instead)
1 lb cooked, peeled and de-veined shrimp
1 28oz can crushed tomatoes
1 large tomato, diced
1 small onion, diced
1 bell pepper, diced (I used a whole green and half a yellow...don't tell Deron!!)
1 cup celery, diced
1 cup fat-free, low sodium chicken broth
2 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp Cajun seasoning
1 tsp hot sauce
2 bay leaves
2 Cups cooked or 1 cup uncooked brown rice

Combine all ingredients except rice in Crock Pot.
Heat on High for 3 hours.
At 3 hours:
Either serve over the 2 cups cooked rice
OR
add in the 1 cup uncooked rice. 
If adding rice, cook on low heat for an additional 30 minutes. 
We added it in and it was even better the second day. 

Twas delicious!!  And my family ate vegetables...YAY!!

Wheww-eeee...What A Weekend!

Whoa!  So, this weekend has left me praising Lazy Sunday, and it's only 10 am!!

Friday afternoon, I get a call from Deron.  "Somethings wrong with your dog."  She's been having some "tummy troubles" this last week...I do believe a direct result of her eating the people food I asked him not to give her...but that's not the point.  She was seriously having some tummy issues on Friday, breathing funny, and really not acting like herself.  So of course I rush home.  She greets me at the garage door and sits right on down while I fawn over her.  I think it was the mommy lovin that made her get better so quick.  She was still acting kinda off all weekend, but at least her tummy seems to be back to normal, and her breathing...well, she's old...she has all kinds of breathing issues.  I need to remember this and not freak out about every little thing.  But I love her very much, and I am glad that she is feeling better.  Yesterday, she stepped in the 1 heater vent in our house that doesn't have a cover on it, and just sat there, with her leg stuck for who knows how long, til I saw her and lifted her out.  What a trooper!

Friday night, Deron and I were treated to a NWC (Night Without Children).  Addie stayed with a friend and Mariah was at work...and we actually LEFT THE HOUSE!!  I know!!!  I'll wait while you catch your breath...........................................ready...................................ok.  I know, I was a bit thrown off as well!!  And, guess what we did....wait for it.... we went to see the remake of Footloose!  AHHHHHH, I was so filled with excitement!!  The movie was great.  It stayed so true to the original, it even uses some of the same lines.  And Willard, well, it's kinda creepy how much the new Willard, looks like the old Willard.  Even some of the "costumes' are the same.  Ren still wears a tie to his first day of school, and he still shows up to the dance in the Maroon blazer.  I did notice that the man who plays Ren's Uncle Wes does look an awful lot like my Uncle Tom, even kinda talks like him.  But seriously, go see this movie.  It is an homage to the original, not a horible remake.  On the radio on the way home the announcer was talking about new movies coming out that day and says, "Footloose is the movie you are being dragged to right now if you have a woman in your life."  Ahahahahahahahaha, we laughed all the way home.  Oh, and at home, Deron made Steak and Crab Legs for dinner...perfect evening!

Saturday, we got up and got right to work :)  Went and got the lighting for the new flip house, went home to get the car so we could drop the van off at the shop, get the van to the shop to find out the engine is blown and necessary repair shop can not see it until Monday, take van home.  This stinks more for Deron because it is the One Call van.  Shoot, huh!

 I spent a lot of time (and way too much money) shopping for food and toilet paper.  On the plus side, I got a great deal on bread.  I always hate to make that extra stop at the Hostess Outlet, but dang it is so worth it!  Our family goes thru so much bread it's a Wonder (hahaha, I crack myself up) we don't own a bakery.  I spent $15 at the bread store and left with 2 full bags.  At the food store, this would have only covered about 1/4 of what I bought.  The girls like when I go there too, cause I buy the Brown Sugar Cinnamon bread.  And I will only buy it there, cause it's too expensive otherwise :)

I think I got slipped some Betty Crocker pills yesterday as well.  I made a delicious Crock Pot Jambayala, and also got a dozen jars of apple pie filling done.  We have apples coming out of our ears.  It was great to find a recipe that called for 6 pounds of apples, I actually only have about 10 apples left sitting on the counter.  This of course will go up after we make our daily gathering, but for now, I am going to enjoy it!!

Deron asked me to go out in the tent with him last night.  Awwee, how sweet.  He said, "it's a great way for us to spend time together",  I said "but we can't talk", he smiled.  So out we went, I brought my cell phone and played some games, he watched for the deers.  We heard quite a few, and he saw them (I was sitting below the "window"), but all were to little.  So, we just keep fattening them up and hoping Mr. Trophy and Mrs. Dinner will pass thru our backyard.  Keep your fingers crossed, I've already made the room in my freezer. 

We finished off the night with a nice fire in our fireplace.  So nice, that I refused to go to bed.  It was so cozy and comfortable on the couch with the fire....ahhhhh, I want another one today.

So it is Sunday.  Mariahs horses have become Escape Artists.  Saturday and Sunday morning both, we got up and they had gone off on an adventure.  At least they don't go far, and they are fairly easy to catch!  I still gotta go pick up the long lost 10 year old in our lives, that child has such a booming social life, I think I may be jealous a little bit!!  And gotta head back to the store to get the items I forgot yesterday.  Seriously, Deron requested 1 thing for today.  Lays potato chips, sour cream and french onion soup mix.  His Sunday football dinner.  I remembered the soup mix.  Bad Girlfriend.  And I also forgot Q-Tips.  So, off I go complete the forgotten errands of yesterday. 

I am hoping and praying that today I will be able to sit down and enjoy a nice Sunday with my family and maybe, just maybe the Vikings will be able to pull off another win.  Please oh please let this happen!!

You know, reading back over this, I doesn't sound like the exhausting weekend that it was.  Oh well, take my word for it.  Or...even better, come rub my feet and I'll tell you how wonderful it feels, that is the true test :)

Making Little Changes

I would like to share a change in my life that has made me very, very happy.  I feel like a satisfied customer, and I feel like my needs and wishes have been listened to and met. 

We made the switch from Netflix to Blockbuster.  And have never been happier! 

When I signed up for Netflix back when I still lived in my apartment, so like almost 10 years ago, it was only $5.99 a month.  And I got all the DVD's I wanted, what a deal!  I didn't have cable and all Addie wanted to watch was Blue's Clues, so it was perfect.  And then they raised the price.  When I lived in my trailer, so approximately 5 years ago, it was closer to $10 a month.  And as time went on, they added the feature of streaming movies, so when we got a Wii, this was awesome, and the price creeped up to about $15 a month.  When we lived on C St, we thought about cutting Netflix, it was an unnecessary item...no, we stayed, for the sole reason of streaming movies. 

Well, since we have moved to the boonies, and we have internet cables that were built along with the invention of the internet (ie, we have barely a step up from dial up) we are unable to stream movies in less than 16 hours with all the buffering and refreshing that happens.  Twas time for a change. 

I started looking at the Blockbuster program.  Dad had it, I remember JJ telling him that it was the same thing except that you had a brick and mortar to exchange.  I wasn't really into that at the time, I thought Netflix was the best thing under the sun. 

This summer, Addie and I went in to the store to rent The Sandlot.  Turns out they have this great summer program where you pay $8 and can rent unlimited family films all summer.  It was awesome.  And for every regular priced movie (new release) we rented, we got a coupon for a free $0.99 movie.  What a deal!  We had a Shrek marathon for $1 this summer (including popcorn and soda)...boo yeah Couponers Rule!!

Anyways, so I did a bit more research on the online program, and it is perfect for us.  They don't offer streaming movies, which it totally ok since we can't watch them anyways.  What they do offer more fits our needs:
A Lower Price
Video Games
New Releases
Unlimited In-Store Exchanges

So, needless to say, the switch was made.  And at the risk of sounding like a commercial, you should make the switch as well!

I need to VENT!!

Venting is healthy right.  So, I've been told.  Well here it goes:

My Job ~ While I love my job, I am less than impressed with a few of the folks who work at my job.  Without naming names or job duties, this will be quite difficult to get my frustrations across.  So let me just say this...have you ever had a conversation with a brick wall?  Same concept here.
*I will say this... If there was someone who you repeatedly gave the same instruction to.  Someone who you answered the same question to daily.  Someone who you thought was seriously just not capable of performing daily functions...this starts to wear on you.  And I am seriously WORN OUT!!

My Car ~ I have finally discovered that the old saying "Once you pay it off, it's gonna fall apart" is so sadly true.  I have always had used cars, bought straight out, no payments, just my POS from the get go.  Ok, so maybe I had something to do with them falling apart, BUT my point is this...I bought my current car with only 17 miles on it.  It had no "pre-existing" conditions.  It was brand new, and ran like a dream.  Now, Ol Blackberry is 6 years old...and starting to age....not so gracefully.  There have been normal wear and tear things, and since I travel long distances more often than most folks, there is quite a bit of wear and tear.  So last Friday, the God awful wretched sound coming out of that thing was terrible!!  I called Deron and told him it sounded like my car was being stabbed.  Turns out, it kinda was.  Stabbing can cause death.  My car was dead.  He so graciously replaced the alternator....and then the battery.  And then she started again.  So now, I just need to invest in Oil stock or something because I also need new tires and also I need that thing that holds the tires together.  Donations will be accepted. 

My House ~ This is tricky.  I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE where I live.  I am not so fond of the amount of work it takes to clean it up.  Had we moved into something that hadn't been touched before, this would be different.  Everything would be created by us, put where it belonged, and maintained from the start.  But we didn't, we moved into something that was once beautiful...and then hadn't been touched since.  Cleaning up someone elses mess has never been something I enjoyed doing.  Ask my children.  There were once wonderful gardens filled with beauty.  Now there are dead spots where I had to kill the everything to control the weeds.  There was once a wonderful, playful pool.  Now there is a half filled leaf catcher.  There once was a sturdy, clean, sanitary structure where one could park a car and also work to repair small things and store items without fear of insects or rodents taking up habitation inside.  Now there is a dilapitated, stinky, hay filled, dirt floored, spider infested, tree catching, craphole where I park my car and run inside cause I can't bear to look around at the nastyness that it has become.  I am praying that a wind storm comes and knocks that hovering tree right on top of it and squishes it all to heck.  Then maybe I can have a nice new garage, with a lovely breezeway connecting to the house, and nice clean cabinets and a working space and some cubbies for storage and a nice floor made from anything but dirt, and without a creepy underground lair.  Really is that too much to ask?!  Get on it Wind!!  Mama needs a new garage. 
I realize that everything takes time.  But that is not what I want to hear right now....so, moving on.....

My People In My Life ~ I am not fond of some of the people in my life right now.  Specifically, a few people.  But again, at the risk of "giving it away", I will tell those people all to themselves and leave the rest of you guessing if you have ticked me off.  Most likely you haven't.  I am just in a really crappy mood, and I am mad at those who say pretty much anything that resembles something stupid.  And yes, I am the only judge of what is stupid and what is not. 

My Clothes ~ With my habit of "Shape-Shifting", I no longer have anything that fits me "just right".  I have tons of stuff that makes me look like I am a drowning rat.  I have tons of stuff that makes me look like I ate a tire.  I have tons of stuff that makes me look like I'm trying to be a "hip mom, who isn't really good at fashion, but dang she tried hard and still looks ridiculous".  I have tons of stuff that makes me look like a Libraian, and not the Hot Kind.  But I have nothing that I really like.  Or anything that really feels good.  Or anything that really looks good.  So, when I stand in the closet in the morning, I pull out the same old things.  I think the folks here at work know what day it is by the outfit I'm wearing.  We are on a rotating schedule.

My Body ~ It's falling apart.  Last night as I was encouraging Addie to jump off the roof of the garage, I couldn't do it myself, because I was afraid of hurting my knees and ankles.  Really!?  When did I get so old?

Oh well, I guess I do feel better!  Thanks for listening.  And I am sure I will feel better about all this in the morning :)

Crazy Times at the Kastner Farm

I love my family.  We are just a bunch of Crazy Nut Huts, and we sure know how to have a good time.  Here are a few photos from our Cousin Day, that turned into Family Day.  Nothing better than Family Day!

Ok, so I uploaded the pictures in no specific order, so the cooresponding captions, are not in time order either. 



Campfire, there was even some Magic Spruce in there to make the flames blue.  I gotta get me some magic spruce!



What a Handy Dandy Flipper you have there Nikki!!  Grandpa is so creative.  Now you can golf AND flip your burger!!



Grandma DID NOT like the wine we were drinking!!  And yes, there is wine in the Gatorade bottle...only because we lost the water bottle...twice!



Worked out that our Fun Day was on a very special day as well. 

Hide N Seek in the bushes.  I got a phone call and the caller whispered "are they still looking?"  they must have been hiding for quite a while!!



Mooooommmmm....Kjeren's eating a giant pickle!




Me and Addie and Kjeren and goofy Larry chillin by the fire. 




Scribblish = Telephone Pictionary!!  One of my favorite games EVER, and turns out it's a real game.  Whoa!



Ummmm....and the game Things.  Yes, this was a good, good laugh to be had by all!!




I learned how to do the "Man Walking Down The Stairs" trick.  And threw in a few "Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain"  Just before I told Grandma to "Shut UP!" cause I thought she was Casie.  And yes, I can say that to Casie, just NOT my Grandma!



Casie and Larry.  He said that he was NOT Superman.  Superman wears his underwear on the OUTSIDE!!  Can you believe it?!



Trina Bean and I setting up some tents.  The ground was so hard over there that we both bent a few stakes!




Trina aka Pack Mule

 There was quite a few inside jokes made this weekend as well.  And I will post them, just so I can laugh again...and again...and all over again!  Don't worry if you don't get it, it's cause you're not cool, I mean Kastner :)

 RANDOM COUSIN NIGHT WORD VOMIT

Swipe, swipe pass!!!

Peter Peter pumpkin cheater!!!

I don't know if you wanna call me sexy if you know who this is!!!

Flick your cherry an throw it in the can!!!

Casie's word is SKEESY!!!

I had to suck my saliva so I didnt F*#$ING lick it!!

I was at 66%, i'm gonna consider that charged!!!

Hold your breath, if you go down we'll tap you!!

I could wooommmp that!!!

Throw a load on!!!

oh and how do we remember all this...."wait, text that to me!"