What happened to customer service!?

After a lovely experience at First Watch this morning I have decided I can no longer take poor customer service. I WILL contact each and every business that does not offer quality CS. Enjoy the letter I just sent to the customer service department of First Watch.

Hello!

After much thought as to whether or not I should contact your offices about my experience this morning, I have decided you should know how this situation was handled by the manager at 11112 Shawnee Mission Parkway, Shawnee Mission, KS. Today is my birthday, I was eating out with my mother and children to begin my day. I ordered the Bacado. We enjoyed our cups of coffee with great conversation and were promptly served our hot meals. Upon arrival of my omelet I notice the avocado slice atop my folded egg had black spots all over it. Being that I have consumed avocados for 30 years now on a regular basis, I knew that this avocado was at the beginning stage of rotting. I know the taste of rotten avocado and I have no intention on ever tasting it again. Suspiciously, I cut open my omelet and lo and behold the avocado slices within my omelet are not only black specked BUT have HUGE areas of BLACK, and I do mean BLACK all over them. GROSS!!!!! I was immediately disgusted, my mother was disgusted. I was shocked that a cook would actually put that on a plate coming out of the kitchen!!!! I called the waitress over and showed her the avocados. The waitress then informs me that it was OK, this "happens under the warmer." HUH!? Was this lady really trying to tell me the warmers are rotting the avocados? I then proceeded to ask for a manager to come speak to me. The manager arrived at my table in a very quickly. Once again, I pulled apart my omelet to reveal the black sludge of avocado that lye within. Much to my surprise, the manager did not seem apologetic AT ALL. He fed me the same idiotic statement, that this "happens under the warmer." I looked at him like he was crazy, and I am sure my head was about to spin off of my shoulders. I do not appreciate being treated like I am an idiot, anybody who looked at those avocados would KNOW FOR A FACT they were rotten! Luckily, we didn't have to get into that, I remained calm and the manager said he could "go ahead and make another one for me." You think? I would hope so, since you just served me rotten food, and no apology, really? Anyway, I just thought you should know about this situation so you can better educate the staff at this restaurant about avocados and proper customer service. I did happen to look up some things at the restaurant on avocado's, here is a short and simple explanation you may want to pass on to the staff at this location. Thank you for your time.

Starting up the "stash"

I am a hoarder. A wool hoarder. I can' t help it, I am totally addicted to the squishyness, the way it glides across my knitting needles, the sheen of the color, the drape of each garment I complete. I love wool. Although it is still sweltering hot here, for the most part, I have begun Mavericks fall longies stash. What are longies? That is a whole other discussion that you would not care about unless you cloth diaper. If you do, and you don't know, look it up. Baby boy is going to be looking fit in his fall wardrobe!

Pattern Used (for the most part): Eviepants by Marilyn Porter

Happy Birthday Maverick!

Happy birthday old man, I can't believe you are already ONE!

Love,
Mom

Far Away SO Close.

I have no idea where time goes. I blinked and my baby girls are 5, 4, and almost 3. NOT POSSIBLE. Every season I weed through their wardrobes. Articles of life just float away into the distance, lost in time forever. It was gut wrenching to watch dozens of hand knit clothing, I had made, be shipped to another doorstep. I found a knitting pattern that I love, written by the insanely talented Carina Spencer, titled "Far Away, So Close." I decided to use all the scraps I had hoarded away from each project (or at least the ones on cestari, or similar base) and combine them into a keepsake for me. I couldn't be happier with the final result!

Furniture re-do

A day. That is all it took me to refinish this old, warped, doesn't match anything in my house, $5 garage sale book case! With enough spray paint, I too can rule the world!

Mothers Day!

We are rapidly approaching Mothers Day. What are you getting the special women in your life who can proudly call themselves a mother? I have been preparing for weeks. Knitting for days, organizing pictures for hours, and stalking internet flower shops for the best deal. This year I seem to have all of my ducks in a row.

For Martha:
Every year I order a copy of our family photo album and give this to her. Yes, an album of my family. Granted, the book is over $100 to be printed, and she enjoys bragging on her grandkids. :)

For Mary Ann:
A rainbow of hand knit washcloths. I know, more than anything, my mom values hand made gifts.


For Kelly:
A custom print 16x20 canvas of her grandkids. Photo taken by me @ the Nelson Atkins Art Gallery in Kansas City, MO.

Silk. For play and art.

3 years ago, when I was pregnant with Isabella, I dyed a 6 foot long piece of silk. Why? Just because, I am cool like that. It has been used for so many things since. When Bella began to walk I would tie the silk around her waist so I could track her through the yard. She would have this long rainbow trailing behind her every step. The girls often times use it for fort building, it has been a parachute, and most commonly Rapunzel's hair. Unfortunately silk is somewhat delicate. After tons of use, with rips here and there, I decided to buy another piece to dye. This time we would do a family art project.

First I mixed up all the fiber reactive dyes with shaving cream in different colors in the baby jars I have been hoarding. (Thank you pinterest) I used Q-Tips initially as their paint tools, which we later added paint brushes to complete the job.





Next I wrapped my silk around some scrap wood that I built into a frame. Let the painting begin!



Tada!!!!

Newborn Hammock Photo Prop.

This saved me about $500 in photographer fees because, I did this myself. I simply made this hammock, tied it to a tree in the FRONT yard and snapped a couple shots! HERE is the pattern. ENJOY!

Baby sack.

These were my absolute favorite with all of my babies! I am not sure if this was the exact pattern I used, but it is VERY similar and FREE!

Isabella's summer romper.

Scrappy summer sunsuit. Helen's Sunsuit pattern. Modeled by Isabella 10 months old.

Mastering the Art of Fairness.

Is it possible amongst siblings? I would like to believe there is some sort of method. But, what do I know about sibling rivalry? Not much, I can assure you. I was an only child for 12 of 17 years in my parents house. There was no such thing. Aside from doing everything EXACTLY the same for each child, I don't think this will, or can be accomplished, nor do I think uniformity is the answer. Each child is an individual, thus the reason some things are different. In this particular instance, we are talking Valentine's. I made some really cute photo Valentines for Mia's classmates. (all 32 of them) Mia helped me peel the paper from old crayons, break them up, and melt them into multi colored heart shaped crayons to attach to her photo. On the photo it says "You melt my heart Valentine." Of course, I am SUPER proud of these, so is Mia. That is, until I made Sophia's.

Rewind a week. My Aunt (you know, the really awesome one I mentioned a couple posts ago) offers her Cricut cutting machine to me. Ecstatic to be getting it, I concoct a grandiose Valentine plan for Sophia. Bad idea. Bad, bad, bad idea. I have now spent 4 nights working on these. They are so pretty that I don't even know if I WANT to let her give them to her 3 year old friends who will surely just shove them down into their tiny little backpacks, not knowing the HOURS I have put into these things. But, I will. I will give these gorgeous cards to her, tied up with a pretty bow to distribute to all of her friends. (I enjoy the "wow" factor, but we will get into that on another date.)

Back on subject. Mia walks down last night. I am finishing up the card part of the Valentine. She looks at me and says "Where aren't MY Valentines like this?" I explain, "We already made your Valentines, remember, the ones with the crayons and pictures?" Nope, she was not having it. She wants some like THESE. THIS IS NOT FAIR. SOPHIA'S ARE BETTER. WAH, WAH, WAH. I am not down to duplicate the exact same Valentine for all of Mia's classmates, I just am not. I also don't really want to make a modified version of them because I don't know if Mia would even appreciate that because they won't be JUST LIKE SOPHIA's. How difficult this is..... teaching your children individuality, appreciating the work that she put into the Valentines that SHE MADE for her friends. Tough stuff. Ok, Rant off.

Sophia's:


Mia's:


Side note: The Valentines from my own brain came out better than that of pinterest.

Maverick Eats.

All. The. Time. It is exhausting. My mom tells me it is a boy thing, "they just like boobs" she says. Ha! How stereotypical! Regardless, it is time we get this boy off the boob and onto some real food. For weeks now I have been randomly attempting to feed him cereal, carrots, peas, and last night, butternut squash. Win! He actually ate it! And, your viewing pleasure:

Cooking for not quite 6.

Cooking. I used to despise it. Hate it, actually. I hated the mess, the infinite list of supplies that must be acquired from the grocery, the amount of work that I put into something that is immediately destroyed or alternately not eaten at all (which is even worse).

Today, I am loving it. I am getting good at it. I can look in my pantry and fridge and know what can be put together for a meal. I menu plan (which is key). Do I cook every night, no. BUT, in the past month, with the exception of our mini-vaca weekend, we have only gone out to eat 5 times, 2 of which were at a local sandwich place where kids eat free. This is huge for us. Huge savings as well! Freezing has become key. There is at least one casserole or dish I make every week that I can freeze. These are great options for the nights we have gymnastics, dance, soccer, swimming, or when I just need a break from cooking. I must also thank pinterest and my most awesome Aunt Amy for hooking me up with so many recipes. This has really got me moving in a forward direction.

I would like to share one of the many great, simple recipes my Aunt Amy has so graciously shared with me. I will be posting more as time goes by. I will also post a picture next time I cook it.

South of the Border Chicken Bake (cooks up like a mexican soup and the kids LOOOOVE it!)

Serving Size: 18 (I usually make 3 pans and freeze 2)

Ingredients:
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
2 cans cream of chicken soup
3.5 cups milk
4 cups cooked chicken- chopped
2 onions finely chopped
2 cups salsa
4 cups cheddar cheese
24 corn tortillas

In a large bowl, combine soups, and milk and stir well

Add pre cooked chicken, onion, salsa, and 3 of the 4 cups of cheddar cheese

Layer tortilla pieces (tortillas cut into 8 pieces) onto bottom of the pan, then add layer of chicken mixture, then add remaining cheese for topping. (makes 3- 8x8 pans)

Cover with foil

Label and freeze

Serve: Thaw casserole, bake in 350 oven for 35-45 minutes or until bubbly.

Maverick is 5 months old.

Dear Maverick,
You are growing up too fast. Yesterday I could fit you in my arms. Today you reach my knees. I once could lay you down and know you weren't going far. Now, you roll all over the place, can sit up, think you need food, have teeth, say "hi", babble "dada", and don't want anything to do with a device that makes you lay down in one spot. You are going places little man, much faster than I anticipated.
I love you son,
Mom

Eco Friendly & Fun

I have a ton of family, and by a ton, I really do mean a ton. As fore mentioned, I like meaningful gifts. I also like to get everyone gifts, but that isn't always in the budget, so I have to get creative. For months now I have been wanting to make my family members wool dryer balls. Unfortunately life tends to get in the way of my grandiose crafty plans. This year, I am on my game. I am done with most of my immediate family (minus my children, they would just find their presents), leaving me time to make these balls. Now, if you don't know about wool dryer balls, you should. They are awesome. Just pop 2-4 of those suckers in your dryer and you have amazingly fluffy clothes, with less drying time and no yucky chemicals from dryer sheets. Yay!

Here is a semi tutorial.

First take 100% wool yarn that is not of a superwash base and wind into a ball.


Next, take wool fiber and needle felt into the balls of yarn. (I got a bag of fun colored scraps off etsy for cheap)


Place each ball into some old ripped pantyhose or tights. Wash with laundry and dry a couple times until desired felt is reached.


Some of my finished products:

Heirloom.

I try to find as many meaningful gifts for people as possible every year. I am not really into just buying a bunch of crap that will be obsolete in a couple months. This year, for my dad, I found a vintage hard hat. For those of you who don't know my dad (Tim), he is a superintendant at a construction company and has worked in construction his entire life. I figure, with all the vintage levels in his office, the hard hat will be a nice edition. In order to make this gift more memorable I am incorporating photography. Last night I took a photo shoot of Maverick wearing the hard had. I intend to have a 8x10 canvas made for him to inclose in the gift as well. Cool, right!? What a cool way to display a piece of history and present life! Throughout time, I thought it would be fun to re-photograph Maverick in the same hard hat. Here are the photo results:





Now to decide on which one. :)

I love holding you in my arms.

Dear Maverick,

You are the sweetest little boy I have ever held in my arms. I will forever miss these days when your body perfectly rests on me, when you have no inclination to move, yet are more comfortable on me than anything or anyone in this entire world. I love you son.

Love,
Mom




I wrote this months ago... I don't know why I never published it until now.

The home birth of John Maverick.

After dinner, the evening of July 28th it started. After doing "the deed" with my dear husband, it took only 30 minutes for my contractions to start. I would not let myself be convinced that it was "real". I continued on with my evening activities, playing outdoors with the kids, some light weeding throughout my overgrown flower beds, and the normal bedtime routine (Bath, Books, Kisses). After getting the girls to bed John and I sat down to play a game of Monopoly to keep my mind off the persistant contractions. By the end of the game they were coming every 4 minutes for 2 minutes long, I knew it was real.

11:30 p.m. my midwife and doula arrive to start setting things up. I was in the tub when they arrived and stayed there until I began getting pruney. I then relied on my ball for comfort and alternated rest periods with walking up and down the stairs. By 4:45 a.m. I was extremely exhausted, asking my midwife to check me and see what kind of progress I had made. I could see it in her face, I wasn't far. Only 4 cm. dialated and 0 station. I felt devastated. My doula and midwife advised me to lay down on my side and try to nap between contractions, so I followed their advise.

It felt like a freight train was charging through my body. I was abruptly awaken by furious contractions 30 minutes after I had lain down. I got up from my bed and made my way to the toilet to pee. Back to back with 10-20 second breaks the contractions raged through my body. Instincts took over at this point. I went back to my ball and squeezed it with all of my might, trying to "breathe" through the contractions to the best of my ability. My midwife decided to check me again, she needed to know why I was in so much pain. "We need to hurry Sally" she said to my doula. I knew he was coming. I had dialated to a 7 and was now at a +3 station. "I think you would be more comfortable in the tub, Jenn, lets try to move in between contractions." I dug deep and mustered up all the strength I could to let go of that ball and make way toward the tub.

2 steps. That is as far as I could make it before I dropped to my hands and knees, barely inside the bathroom doors. I could feel him. HE WAS COMING. I grabbed on to my husbands torso and tried to focus my breathing and low bellows. I kept thinking "You are squeezing him to hard, you are hurting him" but my hands would not ease up, my husband was just going to have to endure. "You are doing so great, he is almost here" my husband chanted to me. I reached down and felt his head emerging. John Maverick born at 6:17 a.m. July 29th 7lbs. 6oz.

My mother and stepmother arrived shortly after. My children woke up at 8:00, for the first time. (I am amazed they didn't wake through my middle of the night screams) Overnight they became big sisters, it was magical, they were completely in awe of their new brother. I couldn't have asked for a better birth. It was absolutely perfect.

Embracing the belly.

As the clock counts down the final days that I will bear a child in my womb I am embracing every second. I am enjoying my hulking belly and will eternally miss the feeling that comes with carrying a child. Although I am anxious and eager to meet my son, a sadness will surely follow, knowing that he is in fact the last child I will deliver.... Assuming Mr.Butler does indeed take the necessary measures to prevent future conceptions.
Yesterday the girls and I painted my belly. Mia thought this was exceptionally awesome, stating "You have the coolest belly EVER mommy."

Getting ready for baby.

All of the sudden I feel an urgency to "get ready" for Maverick. We are here, strap on your seat belt, we have begun the process of labor. I use "labor" loosely, as I am not rushing into the hospital to push (not that I am anyway). Yesterday sprung a bout of braxton hicks on me. I felt a sinking deep within my gut. "You are not ready to come out" my mind channeled to Mav. Later in the night, Maverick worked his head deep into my pelvis and my belly was noticeably lower when I awoke.

The nesting urge is overtaking my mind. I want to frantically clean, cook meals, tediously press and put together the tiny outfits than hang in his closet. I want everything perfect for my sons grand entrance. I insist he come home to a clean meticulously organized house. This craze happens to me every time. For days I have deliberated hiring a professional photographer or doing my own newborn pictures. I decided I was the best candidate, then obsessively twisted away 2 skeins of yarn into this.



Fortunately, nesting gives me super powers and I can knit at hypersonic speeds.



I have so many things to get done in the next 4 weeks!