Thanksgiving Edition.....

You guys, it's the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, I don't have any time for this, and you don't have any time to read it, so I'm going to do us all a solid and keep it short, and sweet. Does anyone remember when "Thanksgiving Eve" was basically the biggest night of the year to go out? Yeah, neither do I. 


What's to drink...

We have a lot to be thankful for. So, a lot, that's what to drink. Cheers!

Decisions, decisions.

What's to eat....

You guys, you know what's to eat. Let us pray that the turkey isn't dry (or raw and inflicts a bad case of salmonella onto the family), the wine is flowing (if it's not at your house, you can come here, there is plenty), and there is no talk of politics or any other stupid shit. May your pants be elastic, and your leg be hollow. Gobble Gobble. 

Get ready to get your mashed potatoes and gravy on

Working on my Thanksgiving playlist....

I stole this idea from a friend's brother-in-law (thanks, Joe), and decided to make a playlist for the day. I included some very obvious songs about family, home, and being thankful, but I also threw in a few personal ones for my family members, all of whom I am very grateful to have in my life. Feel free to swipe the idea from me, as it wasn't my idea in the first place. I make it a point to hang around with smart people who are always thinking up good ideas. I'm no dummy. Here is the "Thanksgiving playlist that needs more songs but I don't have time, AND is a little eccentric, but so is everybody's family, so I think that works". 


Thank you - Led Zeppelin
Feels Like Home to me - Chantal Kreviazuk 
The Luckiest - Ben Folds Five
A life that's good - Nashville Cast
Jersey Girl - Bruce Springsteen
Thank you - Sly and the Family Stone
God only knows - Beach Boys
Thank you - Dido
I want to thank you - Otis Redding
You are the best thing - Ray LaMontagne
Thank you - Alanis Morissette
Thanks that was fun - Barenaked Ladies
Thank you - Bonnie Raitt
I thank you - Sam and Dave
Daughters - John Mayer
Home - One Direction
Sweet Home Alabama - Lynyrd Skynyrd
Mother - Pink Floyd
Home - Phillip Phillips
My House - Flo Rida
Our House - Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
Home - Michael Buble
Home Sweet Home - Motley Crue
What a Wonderful World - Louis Armstrong
Dancing in the Dark - From the "Home" Soundtrack
Home to Mama - Justin Bieber
Hometown - Twenty One pilots 
Home Is Such a Lonely Place - blink-182
Home/Dirty Paws - Gardiner Sisters
Take Me Home, Country Roads - John Denver
Heading Home - Gryffin
Wish You Were Here - Pink Floyd
Family Tree - Kings of Leon

Crazy - Pasty Cline - Mams
Fields of Athenry - Paddy Reilly - Dad
Your song - Elton John - Tommy
Amazing Grace - Elvis Presley - Grams
Amazed - Lonestar - Kelly and Rich
This year's love - David Gray - Krissy and Jamie
Elephant love medley - From "Moulin Rouge" Soundtrack - Tracy
I will - Beatles - Patrick
Wonder - Natalie Merchant - Kelsey
Beautiful Boy - John Lennon - Ryan and Owen
Emma's Lullaby - Kenzie Nimmo - Emma


Happy Thanksgiving!

Wishing you ALL of the Good Stuff. 

XO
Tara 

P.S. Thank you for taking the time to read my blog, even if you're like my husband, who skips the middle parts, and only reads the beginning and the end (because "those are the best parts, and I don't care about the wine and food crap"). I appreciate the love and support I get every week from this little project of mine. Happy, happy Thanksgiving, from this very grateful girl. 

What in the serious shit....

is the deal with packing up a family for a few days away? We are going away for 2 nights to Chicago, and the stuff that I have to pack, the thought that I have to put into planning, and the list that I have made, is just as much detailed as a week long vacation. You literally cannot go away with kids without it turning into some major production. I'm not complaining really, I'm more laughing at myself, and wondering, if, when our friends see the 4 of us, and the 10 bags we are rolling in with, they will be worried we are staying WAY longer than just the weekend. Don't worry you guys, it's just 48 hours, but we will be prepared for a variety of circumstances, including, but not limited to.... 

1. Drastic weather changes. 68 degrees in Chicago on Friday, and 42 degrees on Saturday, no worries, I'll just pack our entire spring and winter wardrobes. 
2. Allergic reactions, fevers, asthma, insomnia, anxiety. We've got something for everyone.
3. Mess of all varieties. Food, dirt, snot, urine, blood, unknowns. Check. 

There's more that I'll add to the spreadsheet, once I wrap up here. For the record, I used to be a whole lot cooler. 

What's to drink....

William Hill. That is what's to drink. Billy boy has got some smoooooothness to him. I've had it twice, and loved it both times. At $30 a bottle, this is one that you might want to pick up for Thanksgiving, but stash it away in a secret spot, for your consumption only, and serve the $12 bottles to guests. I promise, no one will ever know. Cheers!

William Hill Cabernet Sauvignon 2013

What's to eat....

This is another recipe from Skinnytaste. And another one that my whole family will eat. Bless you, Gina, the lady that runs Skinnytaste, bless you. Baked chicken parmesan was on the menu this week. My daughter took one look at this and said "oh, chicken pizza". So, I ran with it, and that's what it will be called in my house from here on out. You gotta admit, everything tastes better when you throw some sauce and cheese on it. I had my "chicken pizza" with a side of roasted (burnt to a crisp on purpose) brussels sprouts. My kids won't touch sprouts, so they got pasta. Easy, healthy, and everyone is happy. Thank you!

Baked Chicken Parmesan 

http://www.skinnytaste.com/baked-chicken-parmesan/

Working on my Thanksgiving....

I have the pleasure of hosting my family next week. I tend to get nutty, and lost in all the crazy of the holidays. I have to remind myself to stop and enjoy it, instead of burying myself in lists of things to do, and controlling the anxiety I feel every year about making a friggin' Christmas card. I'm not going to knock on anyone for putting love into the holiday card, but us insane-control-freak-card-maniacs need a bit of perspective, here and there. So, I went out and got me some. I decided that we should "up our giving", and I got involved in a few projects that have given me a big fat dose of much needed perspective, and a sense of being able to help out some people who need it. It feels good to be able to give, even if it's in a small way. With all the crap going on around us, putting some energy into showing kindness for others seems like a better way to spend some time. It is "Thanksgiving", after all. So, I'm hoping I can motivate someone else, the same way I was motivated. There are a lot of people out there that need help, and not just financially, some are only seeking support and prayers. And there are some good people running this stuff. I was able to get my kids involved in the process as well. If you have a hard time getting motivated to do it, I'll tell you this, it's much like going to church, therapy, and the gym. You may have a hard time getting there, and not really feel like going, but once you've done it, you'll never regret doing it. There is SO much good out there, good people, doing GOOD STUFF. Yes, I want to be part of that. I hope you do, too. Here's a few good ones, in case you need some ideas. 



https://www.samaritanspurse.org/what-we-do/operation-christmas-child/

http://togetherrising.org/holidayhands/

Look under "together letters", these are requests for letters of support and prayers.

http://ccrf.convio.net/site/TR?pg=fund&fr_id=1140&pxfid=10150

This one is a friend who throws a fundraising party every year to raise money for The Children's Cancer Research Fund. 

I'm telling you, good people, doing good stuff. 

Wishing you ALL of the Good Stuff.

XO
Tara


P.S. Dad, I love you. And now you've been mentioned. And I only swore once this time. 

Well, now that the shit storm of the election is over....

We can go back to our regularly scheduled program of talking about other stupid shit. One stupid shit I'd like to mention is the moron behind hacking into my Paypal and eBay accounts. I got a notification, while sitting in a doctor's office, with both kids in tow, that my "payment to Florida something or other" had been made with Paypal. I didn't remember ordering anything, so I went into my email, which had also sent me a ping, letting me know my eBay order was being processed. I was confused. I go to open up the email and see that a purple jelly rabbit vibrator has been ordered, off of Ebay, for $7.78, and will be shipping to my home address. I had a few thoughts about this...

1. I've been hacked.
2. Did Tommy buy me a vibrator?
3. Who buys a vibrator for $7.78 off of eBay?
4. Wait, is it used? That's gross.
5. Tommy better not have bought me a used, $7.78 vibrator, off of eBay.
6. I am going to need to make a phone call and say "vibrator" in front of my kids and a waiting room of parents, and small children.
7. You can't make this shit up. 

So, long story short, I was able to make a phone call and explain that I did not order any such (whispering, with my hand cupped over my mouth and phone) vibrator, and someone has clearly hacked my account. The woman at customer service assured me it would all be taken care of, and that I should change my passwords. Crisis averted, and I managed to do so without my children and a room full of parents thinking that I am some kind of sexual deviant. Except, fast forward a few days, and a package from "Florida something or other" ends up on my door. My initial reaction was to just throw it away, but I had to give it a look-see. And as promised, some nit wit, sent me a $7.78 purple vibrator that was not in any kind of protective plastic casing. So, I did what any other sensible person would do, and I threw it in with the recycling. I'm hoping it gets lost among the bottles and cans, and doesn't stick out like a purple penis sore thumb. If it does, my garbage men should get a real kick out of that. So, kudos to the moron, who found a way to successfully hack into my account, and then send ME something with my own money. Your Mother would be real proud. 

What's to drink....

My girl Kim has been all over with me, and she's been on the blog before, but THIS Kim is all dressed up for the holidays. Seeing this bottle got me really excited for the upcoming holiday season. It really is a special time of year, so I'm glad we get a special bottle, of one of my all-time favorite wines, to have on hand to share with family and friends.  I will be stockpiling this stuff. If there's a shortage in New Providence, you'll know who to blame. Cheers!

Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc looking all fancy-pants for the holidays

What's to eat....

It's crock pot season, which I find to be especially exciting, because it is the laziest form of cooking out there. Throw a bunch of shit in a pot and walk away? Yes, please. I really liked this recipe. I used less honey than it called for. I find the ketchup component to be sorta a throwback to the 70's, and it's a little trashy or something, but it works. Ketchup is delicious on burgers and french fries, but I feel like if you're throwing it into a recipe, the recipe loses some credibility. I guess I'm a bit of a ketchup snob, so to speak. And on that note, Heinz for the win. Other ketchup or, catsup (seriously, totally disgusting) are weird and strange. And it concerns me when I see other brands in people's houses. Makes me question their sanity. Anyway, this was a good one. If you have a husband or partner that doesn't mind you just serving meat, you can throw this at them. If you want to go that extra mile and microwave a pack of Trader Joe's white rice to go with it, you're a better person than me. 

Honey-Garlic Slow Cooker Chicken

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/236609/honey-garlic-slow-cooker-chicken-thighs/

Working on my fitness....

And finding the place where I am excited about being back in the gym. Last month was a rough one for me, I had some unexpected challenges, and for the first time, in a long time, I really lost my motivation to get to the gym and Crossfit. I went here and there, but my head and heart weren't really in it. Now, I'm looking at it from a learning perspective, and hoping that I can use my experience to be more understanding to myself, and others in the future. Sometimes we all need a break, and getting to the gym, or whatever outlet you prefer, is just too big a feat. And that's OK, because the thing that you don't have the energy for, or the motivation to do, will be waiting for you, with open arms, once you are ready. This week I finally feel like I am back to myself, in and out of the gym. I made myself the most ridiculously motivating playlist, and got my ass back to the place that I love, the place that brings me confidence, sanity, and strength, in body, and mind. The playlist made me a little weepy, but everything has the tendency to make me a little weepy. I just took it as another sign that things are going back to how they should be. I hope that if you are facing some hard stuff, and finding it hard to get to your place, you know to do yourself the favor and be kind to yourself, and remind yourself, that whatever it is, it will be waiting for you, when you are ready. This is a sappier post than usual, don't get used to it. 

Wishing you ALL of the Good Stuff. 

XO

Tara 

P.S. On the topic of stupid stuff..I'd like to give mention to another moron, who is the man that invented the stupid grocery carts with the kiddie car in the front. Hey guy, thanks for thinking this would be fun for the kids, but it's the LEAST helpful thing I deal with on a weekly basis. Moron-who-invented-this-thing, I have taken out multiple Entenmenn's displays, hit other shoppers (usually an elderly woman, who gives me a death stare, despite my profuse apologies), and I am concerned my daughter is going to suffer a traumatic head injury because I can never maneuver the thing out of the automatic doors of the place without crashing violently. Also, it's always very loud and rickety sounding, so on top of me careening through the store knocking shit all over the place, and injuring old ladies, I am also so overstimulated from all the noise that piece of shit car cart makes, I'm a wreck by the time I get out of the store. But because these things exist, and Kelsey doesn't seem to mind all the crashing and noise, I either contend with the car cart, or the wrath of my daughter, throwing herself all over the place, if we don't use the stupid cart. Thanks for nothing, guy. I hope you get yours.  

Holy crap, you guys....

This has been a whirlwind of a week in the Kali house. All in one week's time we have managed a family wedding, that half of us were in, Halloween, a call from school about eye rolling (I have no idea where he gets that from), and some kind of rash that was something out the movie "Outbreak" (to be clear, it was on Kels, not me). Somehow, we've managed it all, and we've walked out of the week with some good stuff....fantastic memories from an awesome wedding, a boat load of candy, some good life lessons (we all make mistakes, apologizing, AND forgiving, is a gift), and although it looked like some kind of leprosy or Ebola, Kelsey did not, in fact, end up shooting blood out of her eyes, as I feared she might do, at any given moment, and she is on the mend. Some may think that being a Registered Nurse is a helpful skill when raising kids. They are wrong. I can take care of someone else's kids just fine, but with mine I lose all reason, and jump to the most catastrophic place possible. And because I'm a Nurse, I have a head full of catastrophic knowledge. Somebody pass the xanax, please. Happy November.


What's to drink....

I didn't have a lot of time to try anything new this week. As I said, wedding, Halloween, Ebola, etc. got me all sorts of flustered. So, I figured I would stay honest about what I ACTUALLY drank this week. Weddings are all about the long haul, so I made the decision that sticking to light beer was probably my best bet at not making a total and complete ass of myself in front of my family being able to party like a much younger version of myself, for the whole night. I forgot how much I like this beer. It's got a little bite for being a light beer. I like a little bite, under the right circumstances. Anyway, there are 6 Amstels here. I drank them, times like 576. Weddings are so fun. This beer is good. Cheers!

                                              Amstel Light - The light beer with a little bite that will get you through a wedding without making an ass out of yourself, or get you to the point that you don't remember, anyway.

What's to eat....

This meal was all about convenience without eating like total garbage. Is it perfect, no, but it's easy as hell and better than just ordering a pizza, which I already did this week, twice, actually. The kiddos had the meatballs on the rolls, which I toasted. I threw them over arugula with a side of roasted cauliflower, you know, because I'm not a total animal. I didn't make any of this from scratch, but it's a fairly healthy meal, that took about 10 minutes to prepare, that my kids love, so that's a home run. My fave store bought kinds are below.

Turkey Meatballs over Arugula with a side of Roasted Cauliflower 

Buy all this stuff. Easiest dinner ever.

Working on my managing expectations....

This is a tough one, for everyone, I think. But wouldn't the world be a better, easier, place if we could all manage our expectations a little better. The wedding got me thinking about this, and of course I thought about it in regards to my own marriage, but that's a potential shit show for another day. This shit show is about my expectations for my kids, particularly, my 3 year-old, at this wedding. Kelsey was asked to be the flower girl. My new sis-in-law has a flair for the dramatic and picked out the largest flower girl dress anyone has ever seen. To give you an idea on size, I was carrying the dress through the hotel, with Kelsey walking by my side, and a woman stopped and asked ME if I was wearing it. So, big, red dress, complete with train and all, you get the picture. We talked to Kels for weeks about the wedding and her job. She was stoked. She kept saying "I'm going to walk down the island all by myself". We did the rehearsal. She did fabulous. Fast forward to the day of the wedding, she's up late the night before, she's had to sit to get her hair done, she FALLS ASLEEP 5 minutes away from the church. I got the dress on her and she was NOT pleased. And I was sweating profusely and panicking that she was going to pull a full-blown flip out, never less refuse to walk down the "island" by herself. Anyway, the time came to go, she started to walk toward the church doors, took one look at the crowd, retreated, and sat on the ground. I'll never forget that moment, her sitting in a pile of red tulle, refusing to walk, holding up the entire wedding. I wasn't sure what to do, and I didn't have a plan B. So I scooped her up, and awkwardly walked her down the aisle, all while trying not to trip, and trying to assure that my left boob didn't pop out of my low-cut shirt that was not meant for carrying a 45 lb kid, in a huge dress, down an aisle. It all worked out, but it would have been a little less anxiety provoking had I managed my expectations A LITTLE better.  Anyway, here we are, big dress, near wardrobe malfunction, in front of family, friends, and JC. I guess it could have been worse. 

Wishing you ALL of the Good Stuff. 

XO

Tara 

P.S. Happy birthday, Strist.