Ocean City Pictures

As promised, here are pictures from our trip to Salisbury/Ocean City, MD two weeks ago.  (Last year we made the same trip July 4th weekend; you can read all about it here.)

The reason we headed to the Eastern shore in the first place was to visit the parents and grandmother of Chet's good friend James (an Academy roommate who was also in our wedding).  James' parents have a lovely, kid-friendly house right on a lake, and James' grandmother (who used to live in the Annapolis area) has a new house in Salisbury that we hadn't seen yet.

Instead of battling heavy traffic Friday evening/night, we decided to leave at 6 a.m. Saturday morning.  We made it more than halfway (it's only a little over two hours to the shore), and stopped for breakfast (Dunkin' Donuts).  We arrived in Salisbury before 10 a.m. (who hoo!).

The kids were content playing in the house for the first several hours we were there, and then it was nap time for Lorelei and Ford.  After nap time we played outside at the next-door-neighbor's house,  who have an amazing swing set (sorry, no pictures!).  But we managed to capture Bubby pre- and post-nap:

Pre-Nap

Post-Nap

After the swing set, Chet took all of the kids out in the paddle boat (sorry, no pictures!).

We grilled out for dinner, and also ate delicious tomatoes.  We lit the fire pit and roasted marshmallows (sorry, no pictures!).

Then the kids went fishing with the men (the fish were biting!):

Obviously the above picture is hilarious, but I might like this one better.  I can hear him saying, in a warbled grandpa voice, "Yeesh, make sure ya' hold that fish tight, Sonny, so it don't getcha...and warsh your hands once ya' throw 'im back!"

Ahh, good times.

The next morning the plan was to go to church, but we went to the ocean instead.  It's not often we're so spontaneous.  The weather was perfect.  The beach was uncrowded when we arrived at 9 a.m.  And the kids had a ball.

We stayed less than two hours, and then visited Rita's Italian Ice for some pre-lunch.

We made our way back to Salisbury after Rita's, stopped by to see Grams' gorgeous new house, and were welcomed "home" with a delicious taco buffet for lunch.  Then we packed up and headed home.

The drive home was longer than the previous morning's drive, but it wasn't too terrible (not as bad as the commute home last year, July 4th weekend).  We stopped at a McDonald's in Annapolis for dinner, and were home with enough time to unpack a little, bathe, and not have to rush bedtime.

It really was the best weekend.

Thriday!!!

Thriday - a term referring to the Thursday before a long holiday weekend, but used only when you do not have to go to work Friday.

Today is our Friday, and therefore the END OF SUMMER (I would light off fireworks if it were legal)!!!  Chet is off work Friday and Monday for Labor Day, and Sydney starts school Tuesday.  Which is a good thing, because as of yesterday summer officially overstayed its welcome.  Not only has it been hotter these last few days (and for the foreseeable 10-day forecast) than it's been all year, but yesterday afternoon I found myself issuing empty threats such as "6-year olds don't act this way, so I guess on January 27th you won't be turning 6!!!!!"  (Unfortunately, Sydney called my bluff on this.  See?  THIS is why summer has officially overstayed its welcome.  I no longer have any game.)

Anyway, we have a busy (but fun!) Friday and Saturday ahead of us, but an unscheduled Sunday and Monday, which probably makes it the perfect holiday weekend.  This weekend is Navy football's season opener as well as Chet's 10-year reunion.  We are going to Annapolis Friday to watch a parade and to shop at the mid store, and then Saturday morning we'll go back for a tailgater and the game against Colgate.

Changing the subject, I cooked the slow cooker honey garlic chicken and veggies for dinner last night.  I don't know what I was thinking (my mind must have been occupied trying to come up with more empty threats for 5-year olds), but I let the crockpot cook about an hour longer than I should have (ours cooks fast, so if a recipe calls for 8 hours of slow cooking, I only need to let it cook 7 hours, tops).  But I let it cook the full 8 hours, so the chicken was a little overdone (also, I used 3 chicken breasts instead of chicken thighs).  The flavor was great though, and I thought the veggies turned out fine.  However, even though the recipe was easy, what I didn't like is that you had to baste every hour.  The crockpot was so full of chicken and vegetables, basting was easier said than done.  So I'm not sure if I'll cook this again.

The girls have been on a hot chocolate kick lately, so yesterday morning I used this recipe to make my own.  I thought it was delicious, at least as good as pre-packaged hot chocolate, but the girls disagreed.

Picture time!

The girls asked me to take this picture of them with their toys.  They don't have this much floor space in their room anymore, because last weekend we separated their bunk beds (they've been wanting them separated, and Ford figured out how to climb the ladder to the top bunk, something we'd rather him not do unsupervised):

Chet took Sydney to a Washington Nationals game a few weeks ago.  I only told her the plan a few minutes before Chet arrived home from work to pick her up.  She was excited, but confused.  Her response to "You're going to a baseball game with daddy" was, "Wait...so we're just going to sit there and watch other people play a baseball game?"

The girls made Elsa and Anna crowns for themselves the other day, accompanied by wigs Grammy gave them last Halloween:

Goofballs (especially Lorelei):

Bubby took another foot selfie:

Grammy sent us this anniversary card, and Lorelei loves it so much she has claimed it as one of her own treasures.  When she first saw it she said, "AWW!  Those sharks are so nice because they're sharing food!"  I don't think she gathered the food was human.

Happy Thriday (or Friday, if you have to work tomorrow)!

Muesday

Muesday = an official blogging term (that I just made up) meaning you meant to blog Monday, but didn't get around to it until Tuesday.

I'm going to skip Mary Kay Monday this week, but always feel free to browse my website (www.marykay.com/ashleywyckoff) 24/7, and do yourself a favor and take a look at the gorgeous limited-edition City Modern products (new for fall)!

I need to devote an entire post to our super fun weekend (not this past weekend, but the weekend before) in Salisbury/Ocean City, MD.  I'll do that this week.

This past weekend, I got up early on Saturday and attended a semi-annual kids' consignment sale at my friend's kids' school.  The sale started at 7 a.m. (which is also when I arrived).  I scored these adorable Crocs for Bubby for $3, among other things:

I even had time to go to Starbucks and the bank, all before 9:30 a.m.!  When I got home Chet had just finished feeding the kids breakfast, so we dressed them and headed over to the Del Ray Farmer's Market, something we hadn't done in many months (maybe even before the winter?).  We bought some juicy peaches and empanadas (one chicken, one pork), which we ate while the kids played on the playground.

Sunday we went to church, then headed straight over to one of the bases in the area for an annual work picnic (we didn't attend the picnic last year, because Chet was already taking his weekend prep courses to prepare for the professional engineer exam).  The picnic was from 1 p.m. until 4 p.m. at a pavilion right by the river, and there was a bounce house and playground for the kids.  Also, lots of good food.  The weather was warm, but there was a breeze since we were right on the water, and we had a delightful time.  The girls are at an age where they are content playing together/with other kids (especially when there are older girls around who take our girls under their wing, which there were), and are old enough to know better than to run off or into the street.  And Ford was also quite content, and it was easy for both Chet and me to keep tabs on just him while he wandered around.

We spent the rest of Sunday relaxing at home, preparing for the upcoming week.

Sunday night I was in a dinner rut (as in, I had no idea what we were going to eat for dinner this week), so I did some Googling Monday morning and was provided with a few ideas.  Last night we had tacos (I always use ground turkey instead of beef), and a dip that Chet and I really like: 1/2 avocado, 1/2 cup black beans (drained and rinsed), 2-ish cups (depending on desired consistency) of salsa.  Blend together in blender.  Eat hungrily with chips.

Tonight is my weekly Mary Kay meeting, so we always do a very simple dinner that the babysitter feeds the kids (Chet will eat leftover tacos), but tomorrow I am going to cook this crockpot meal.  I may also do this honey garlic chicken one night.

Last week I made the slow cooker spaghetti sauce, and it is definitely something I will be making again.  I also made slow cooker cocktail weenies and they were amazing (if you love cocktail weenies, which I do).  I may not make them as often for dinner, but I will definitely be using the recipe if we need to bring an appetizer to some sort of event.

They were much more appetizing than this picture depicts.

That's it for now -- have a great Muesday!  Oh, and happy September 1st!  If you know me at all, or have been a blog reader for a while, you know how much I love the first day of the month, especially September, because surely that means cool, crisp fall weather is just around the corner, right (RIGHT?!)?

Annapolis (3 weeks ago)!

I told you I'd share pictures from our little Saturday trip to Annapolis three weeks ago, and here they are!  But, first, a quick synopsis of the day.

I think it was only on Friday that we decided to visit Annapolis the next day.  We hadn't been since we went to the football game last November, and I was itching to go.  The weather was going to be gorgeous, we had no other plans, so why not?!  Friday evening Chet and I attended a work social (his work, not mine...because I socialize with the three little people I work with all day long), and one of his co-workers (and fellow Academy grad) mentioned that Saturday was also Fan Fest at the football stadium.  It started at 10 a.m. (perfect timing!), and sounded like fun, so our first stop was the stadium.

It cost $5 to park in the stadium parking lot, but besides that, everything was FREE!

There were wide open, Astroturf spaces for the kids to run:

Plenty of food for hungry little boys to eat:

Plastic footballs (the squishy kind) for little boys to throw (free blue and gold pompons for the girls not pictured):

Face painting:

Face paining lady: "What would you like to be?"

Lorelei: "I want to be a cat." (Of course she does.)

Face painting lady: "What do you want to be?"
Sydney: "I don't know."

I didn't get any pictures of the moon bounces or the DJ (playing GOOD music), but trust me when I say it was a super fun event.  We left around 11:30 (the event only lasted until 12 p.m. anyway) for the Academy for lunch.

(Oh, there was also a chance while at the stadium to to get a t-shirt autographed by all of the Navy football players, but I think we have a few years before we need to do that.  Plus, the line was really long, and we avoid long lines in general if we can.)

Next stop, Dahlgren Hall for a quick lunch at Drydock Restaurant.  I couldn't help but get all nostalgic while ordering a Muelheissen sandwich from the impatient ladies behind the deli counter.  The kids happily played in what used to be the indoor ice rink for Navy's hockey team after we ate.

Can't miss getting a picture with Bill the Goat:

Then we headed over to the Visitors' Center to shop (the mid store is usually closed on Saturdays).

Everyone got a little cranky at this point, because it was nap time:

So we loaded Ford and Lorelei into the double stroller (sorry, Syd), and walked into Downtown Annapolis.  Ford fell asleep right away.  Lorelei decided to stay awake (she was holding out for ice cream).  So we had ice cream.  While we were parked outside the ice cream shop, we heard a loud bang (it sounded like a gun shot).  We didn't know what it was, until a lady sitting near us pointed at our stroller tire, which had popped.  Ford didn't even flinch.  So the Downtown Annapolis portion of our day was cut short, which is probably best, because it was getting warm, everyone was still cranky (even/especially after ice cream), and it was super crowded downtown, making it hard to navigate with the stroller.  So we headed home.  But it was a great day.

Oh, and here's one of our Visitors' Center purchases.  I'm a sucker for a Navy cheerleader outfit (click here and here for proof):

We're headed back to Annapolis Labor Day weekend to celebrate Chet's 10-year reunion!

Chapped lips sink ships...

...actually, loose lips sink ships, but I'm sure chapped lips didn't help matters.

What on earth am I even talking about?

For Mary Kay Monday this week (I know, I know, today is Tuesday), I'm introducing you to a little set that I loved called Satin Lips.

It's a 2-piece set (as you can see in the picture), comprised of a lip mask (step 1) and lip balm (step 2).    (You don't have to use the two products together; they can be used, and are also sold, separately if you so desire.)  I actually have two lip balms (step 2); I keep one in the top drawer of my nightstand and one in my purse.

The lip mask (step 1) is something I found myself not using very often (even though I love it).  It's not that using the lip mask is complicated; you simply use your finger to apply the mask to your lips, wait a couple of minutes, then rinse it off.  So I have no idea why I wasn't using it regularly, I'm just sharing reality with you.  But THEN...I figured out a trick (actually, I overheard someone at my weekly Mary Kay meeting share this tip): keep/use the lip mask in the shower!  Now I use it all the time, and my lips are thanking me.  Why is this such a game-changing tip?  I don't know.  Maybe because I'm an American, and having to wait two minutes between applying the lip mask and washing it off felt too time consuming.  But in the shower...more likely than not you'll shower for at least two minutes, so apply the lip mask at the beginning and wash it off at the end.  Also, since you're already drenched from head to toe, washing off the lip mask is much less daunting than when you're standing at the sink.  We Americans are nothing if not high maintenance.

Anyway, if your life is anything like mine, your lips are unsurprisingly chapped in the winter, and surprisingly chapped in the summer.  So through Sunday (8/30) you can purchase the Satin Lips set for 20% off (or the lip mask or balm for 20% off if you only want one)!

Satin Lips Set: $14.40 (regularly $18)
Satin Lips Mask (step 1): $8 (regularly $10)
Satin Lips Balm (step 2): $8 (regularly $10)

Send me a text or e-mail (ashleywyckoff@marykay.com), comment on this blog, or place an order directly on my site (www.marykay.com/ashleywyckoff)!  (The 20% discount will not be visible on the site, but worry not!  If you register as a customer on my website, I personally calculate your total and determine your total, even if you enter credit card information.)  ***IMPORTANT: Please do not check out as a GUEST on my website if you want the discount!  If you check out as a guest, you will only receive the usual 5% discount that I offer, not the 20% discount, because I don't have any control over guest checkout orders.***

Cheers to Tuesday, and to having satin lips!

Because I know you've been wondering...

...what we ended up eating for dinner last night.

But first, a long, rambling story.

I was able to go to the store with Lorelei and Ford after dropping Sydney off at K Prep Thursday morning.  We went to Trader Joe's, because I hadn't been there in a while, I was curious about their prices on certain items, and it was threatening rain (you park in a covered garage at our TJ's).  Our Trader Joe's is pretty small (I guess they all are?), and the cheese aisle especially stresses me out because it always seems the most crowded and it's not an easy feat fitting two buggies in the aisle at once, especially when your buggy has children swinging from it/trying to leap out of it.

Anyway, our Trader Joe's trip was made even more adventurous when the fire alarm went off and we had to evacuate the store (I will confess that no one, me included, felt any sense of urgency to exit the store when the alarm sounded; we all just stood around for a couple of minutes, certain there was no danger...not smart).  I felt less guilty about my lack of urgency when the fire truck rolled up 15 minutes later and two firemen sauntered (literally sauntered) out of the truck and into the building to investigate.  (It turns out that the fire alarm goes off on this particular city block at least twice a month.  It seems someone should investigate the reason.  In my humble opinion.)

Anyway, the coast was cleared, and we went back into the store to finish our shopping.

I bought the ingredients for the slow cooker chicken teriyaki.  It only needs four hours in the slow cooker, so I started the crockpot right before I picked up Sydney from K Prep and it was ready by 5 p.m.

I had some jasmine rice on hand (raise your hand if you love jasmine rice as much as I do), but I was lacking a vegetable for the kids.  I did some quick Pinterest-ing, and whipped up this veggie dip to go with a (raw) sliced up tomato and zucchini.  

Here are the dinner verdicts:

Sydney

She cleaned her plate, as she usually does, because she is a rule follower by nature.  She liked, but didn't love, the chicken.  She loved the jasmine rice.  She always loves tomatoes.  She loved the zucchini and dip.

Lorelei

She's our most picky eater, although she'll eat more strange foods, like pickles, black olives, and plain Greek yogurt by the vat (Chet and I love plain Green yogurt as a substitute for sour cream, but simply cannot enjoy it as yogurt).  She did not care for the chicken, "WUVED" (loved) the jasmine rice, didn't care for the tomatoes, and tolerated the zucchini and dip.

Ford (Bubby)

He had a snack not too long before dinner, so I didn't expect him to eat much.  He ate all of the chicken I gave him, threw his rice on the floor, and ate all all of the veggie dip, with as many zucchini slices as it took to consume said dip.  I was surprised.  That just goes to show that you have to give kids the chance to try foods you don't think they'll like it, because they may love it you (or decide they like it after not liking it the first 20 times.)  Then they'll throw you for a loop and refuse to eat something they've always loved/every kid loves, like chicken nuggets.

Chet

Eats anything.

The girls were acting a little wild at dinner, so they couldn't have any dessert (except for fruit).  We bought apples at Trader Joe's, which they requested for "dessert."  Since Lorelei had almost no protein at dinner, I did "ants on a log," but with the apple instead of celery.  (You know what "ants on a log" are, right?  Usually celery spread with peanut butter, and raisins on top.)

All in all, dinner was a success.  And it isn't always, so I'm glad when it is.

Here are a few unrelated pictures:

The girls at the bus stop Monday morning, when we though Syd was going to be able to ride the bus:

She makes me so nervous when she climbs this at the park:

Lorelei asked (about the people playing basketball in the background), "Are they having a baseball party?"  Apparently we're doing nothing to teach our kids about sports:

Bubby makes a cute Plebe.  One of my friends who saw this picture said this would make a great Halloween costume.  DONE:

Happy Friday!  Have a great weekend!

Some Random Recipes for Your Thursday

I feel like everything I write about these days is random, so here's some more randomness for you on a random Thursday!

But first, Syd declared earlier this week that my "cooking implement" drawer needed to be organized (it did). So she did it:

Her rate is $150/hour; comment on this blog if you'd like to hire her. She currently has a 3-month waiting list.

I came across this cooking website recently when I was searching for easy dutch oven recipes.  I bought the ingredients for the Quinoa Enchilada Casserole, and it turned out GREAT.  It looked exactly like the picture when it came out of the oven, and we all loved it.  (It tasted great leftover too.)  We'll be having that again for dinner.

I also tried the Baked Parmesan Zucchini.  They turned out alright, but I probably won't make them again (I can't put my finger on why we didn't love them).  I have two zucchini left, and plan to use them for Zucchini Parmesan Crisps as soon as I buy some Panko.  I'll let you know how they turn out!

I tried this dish for breakfast this morning.  It was good-ish.  I think it could haven been better had I actually followed the directions.  I cooked the quinoa last night and stored it in the fridge (quinoa is good for 6-7 days in the refrigerator), but didn't want to use the exact measurements listed in the recipe to make the entire batch all at once, because I knew it wouldn't all get eaten today.  So I just put some quinoa in my bowl, drizzled on a little honey, splashed in some milk, and added Craisins and frozen blackberries on top (a weird combination, now that I've finished eating it).  (I skipped the brown sugar altogether because I was too lazy to get the stool so that I could reach the shelf where the brown sugar resides).  I think the dish would have been delicious had I NOT skipped the brown sugar and been a little more precise with measurements.

I'm trying the slow cooker spaghetti sauce and slow cooker chicken teriyaki next.

All that being said, I have no idea what we're having for dinner tonight.  What are YOU having?!