Freezer Meals

With Janey's baby girl due in a matter of weeks, we decided to get together and make some freezer meals. We scoured Pinterest and made a shopping list and ended up spending $50 for like two weeks of dinners! Here's what we made...

Baked pasta with turkey sausage
Black bean taco soup
Creamy green chile chicken enchiladas
Lemon and garlic dump chicken
Ritz-y cheddar chicken (I cannot find the recipe for the life of me, sorry!)

I used a garlic press for the first time and it was amazing!

Janey is a pro at chopping

The final product

Cheese

The kitchen was a disaster, but we had a lot of fun! To all of my pregnant friends: look out! I'll probably be bringing you some of these meals once your little ones get here :)

-Jenn

What's New?

Andy, part 2

We're going to see Andrew McMahon again! A few weeks ago he announced a handful of additional tour dates, including a show at the Majestic in Madison, so naturally I bought tickets as soon as the pre-sale opened. So excited to see him again!

It turns out Andy is playing his own show at Summerfest on July 4 and I'm bummed because I can't go. Fireworks and Andrew McMahon? Pretty much my two favorite things. Luckily I'll be home for Jordan's wedding, so it's good thing it's such a big event, otherwise I'd have to reconsider my plans.

Andrew McMahon also recently released his new EP, The Pop Underground. Like the rest of his work, it's a gem. There's a very studio vibe though, it's not the usual piano driven pop-rock you'd expect. There are some synthesizers and auto-tune, but it's still very much Andrew. I think it's a big leap for him, I'm sure it was terrifying. You can listen to the new tracks here. He also took to Reddit and HuffPost Live for some Q&A, I still love him even though he wears jeans with flip-flops.

Charleston

We're going to Charleston after Step 1!!! We found a sweet flight from O'Hare to Charlotte, then we used Hotwire and got a great deal on a rental car. We're staying in a little duplex I found on airbnb.com, a super cool website my co-worker told me about. I think my family is going to try to come down one of the days we're there, so that will be awesome. I can't wait to show Daniel around!

New hair

I have a new hairdo! I grew my hair out for my wedding and then cut it off as soon as we got back from our honeymoon. I've kept it pretty short since then, but several months ago I decided to try growing it out to see if I liked it. The answer is still NO, but instead of cutting it off again right away, I decided to keep growing it out to donate. I was shooting for the 10" that Locks of Love requires, but when I found out that the Pantene Beautiful Lengths program takes 8", I decided that was good enough. Katie totally rocked my cut and I love it! I missed short hair! It took way less time to get ready this morning, I might be able to set my alarm a few minutes later!

Daniel
Daniel has a couple weeks of finals and then Step 1 on June 15. He took a practice Step 1 and did really well, he stuck it on the fridge like a little kid :)

The school year is wrapping up and the responsibilities of the student organizations are also winding down. One of the student groups Daniel's in, APAMSA, had a budget surplus, and it's a use-it-or-lose-it kind of deal. So we went to Sam's Club and spent $500 on snacks for next year's meetings. We currently have a full pallet in the basement, so should the zombie apocalypse strike before APAMSA members can pick it up, we'll be set.

Daniel also recently got a new toy for school - an iPad mini. He prefers Android (we both do), so Apple will take a little getting used to. I think it's silly that the hospital mandates Apple products, but what can you do. I can't believe he starts rotations so soon! We're almost halfway done with this crazy adventure, what?!

The Pinterest experiment

I have a Pinterest board called Domestic Diva. It has some ideas of fabulous ways to improve my home life, and I decided to try one out, this homemade Dove body wash recipe. I'm pretty pleased with the results so far!

Step 1) Gather materials

Step 2) Grate 2 bars of Dove soap

Step 3) Add 3 cups of water, melt on medium heat, stirring every couple of minutes until there are no more clumps

4) Transfer to glass container, cover and allow to cool

5) Pour into containers

The only difference I can tell between this and regular Dove body wash is that the homemade stuff if a little thinner. It lathers the same, smells the same, etc. I grated most of a bar in about 3 minutes, then took a break because my arm hurt. Daniel came in and not only finished my bar, but totally demolished the other bar in about 90 seconds. My Wisconsin boy knows his way around a grater!

Instagram
Q: How much does a hipster weigh?
A: An Instragram.

I've had my awesome smart phone for like 4 months and finally caved and started Instragramming (I think I just made a new word). You can find me here. I've only uploaded a handful of pictures, but I hope to share more frequently so my blog posts aren't so long!

-Jenn

Andy

Excuse me as I fangirl all over myself.

Even though Something Corporate and Jack’s Mannequin have broken up, Andrew McMahon is still making music and touring. I was so excited to find out his first solo tour was bringing him to Milwaukee! This show was about a year in the making - Jack’s came through this time last year promoting their album People and Things and I really wanted to go, but I didn’t know enough of their new stuff to justify going, so I held off, though I did add a JM station to my Pandora mix. When I found out they were splitting up after the tour, I kicked myself for not going! Pandora introduced me to a lot of great songs, so I also added a SoCo station to get a little extra Andrew throughout the day. A month or so after the last Jack’s Mannequin show, Andy announced that he was going on a winter solo tour and working on new material. I was expecting to have to drive to Chicago to see him, but he scored a gig at the Turner Hall Ballroom in town! I bought tickets and made Daniel listen to Something Corporate and Jack’s Mannequin and made all sorts of plans to make sure we got a good spot for the show.

We left around 3:30pm and after making a stop at Firehouse, filling up Daniel’s car, and navigating the construction around our route, we made it to Turner Hall around 4:30pm. A little line had started, but it wasn’t too bad. We had blankets and lawn chairs and snacks and books, so we settled in to wait until doors opened at 6:30pm. The sun was out and it felt nice, but then it went down behind the Bradley Center and it got chilly. A little after 5pm, the owner opened the doors us and let us get inside out of the cold. We sat on the steps until 6:30pm, then rushed in and found spots right in front. There weren't any barriers and we were right up against the stage. We made friends with the people in line and we all stood together and that helped the time pass really quickly. The audience at this show was a lot different than others I've been to, these were serious Andrew McMahon fans (McMahon-iacs? I'm brilliant) and it was more of a total experience instead of just waiting to hear that one song you like (like when we saw Imagine Dragons and the girls behind us just wanted to hear It's Time). It was a different vibe and I liked it!

The show started with Erland Wanberg (yes, that’s really his name), a guy from Santa Barbara who had just put out his first album, produced by Andrew McMahon. I really liked the sound - it was a little bluesy, a little pop, an interesting mix. He had some family at the show so I think he showed off a little!

Barcelona was the second act, and apparently they’re kind of famous on the west coast. Their Wikipedia page says they listen to Coldplay, Copeland, and Death Cab for Cutie for inspiration, so I was expecting something cool and indie, but it was more...weird. It wasn’t bad, it just wasn’t what I was expecting (like a drum pad or odd synthesizer stuff). They were funny though, and they had little stories about their songs in between.

And then it was Mr. McMahon’s turn. He walked on about 9:30pm, waved to the crowd, and sat down at the piano. Then he played...

Walking By (not my favorite, but it was a good opener)

The Mixed Tape (this song never, ever gets old)

She Paints Me Blue (we realized that he makes funny faces when holds vowel sounds)

Holiday from Real* (so darn catchy, I really wish I could find an edited version)

I Woke Up In A Car (my first taste of SoCo, probably my favorite of theirs)

Learn to Dance (This is a new song. It’s about getting back on your feet after you get knocked down.)

Swim (I’m kind of crazy about this song right now, seeing it live was fantastic)

Amy, I (Daniel asked if my life was complete after Swim and I said yes and then this one started and I changed my mind)

Punk Rock Princess (he jump kicked off the piano and it was awesome)

What Gets You Off (suggestive [but not explicit] subject matter. Okay, I have a really important question to ask you guys. Milwaukee, do you like sex?!)

Watch the Sky (another SC fave)

Synesthesia (another new one, and it’s already on iTunes)

The Resolution (Daniel knew most of this one and it was fun to jam with him)

Ruthless (I’ve heard this one a few times but don’t know it very well, so I just mouthed along like I was singing)

Bruised (this one was a little more mellow, I think in preparation for the finale and encore)

La La Lie (everyone just went bananas, the energy was incredible)

Konstantine* (People think I don’t like this song, but that’s not true. I love this song, it’s just really long.)

Dark Blue (I didn’t realize he hadn’t played this one yet until he started playing it. ...And then the water reached the Midwest...)

* = this song has naughty words, listen at your own risk

(I’m not responsible for the video quality, wrong lyrics, etc. I just tried to find the best audio)

I really wanted to meet Andrew after the show, but I wasn’t sure if he was coming out or not, so while security was trying to push everyone out, we got in line for the merch booth to waste some time. I bought a shirt that I really wanted, but it was sold out online, and Daniel met Erland Wanberg and bought his album. Then we walked out to where the tour bus was and waited in line for about 20 minutes before he came out. When it was my turn I said, “Hi, my name is Jenn. That show was amazing and I think you’re a beautiful man and I want to give you a hug.” And then he hugged me and said, “Thanks for coming out tonight, it was great to see you on the front row” and Daniel took a picture and that was it. Short and sweet and glorious.

Also, the last thing he said on stage was, “We’re playing Summerfest!” I don’t know all the details, but YAY! Definitely something to look forward to!

-Jenn

Infertility Adventures: IUI #3

Unfortunately, 3 was not a magic number for us. I almost thought it wasn’t going to happen, the timing was funny this time around. When I went in for my mid-cycle ultrasound on a Sunday, the doc said things looked good and that I should do an ovulation test twice a day until I got a positive. I tested and tested and finally got a positive on Thursday night. Saturday was the insem and then it was the usual waiting game. I wasn’t as bummed when my period started, I guess I was pretty much expecting it this time. I don’t know what kind of emotional plane I’m on when I start to expect my period after doing so much (and paying so much), but we’ve decided to take a break for a few months while we formulate another plan. I’m not testing or tracking or doing anything, I’m tired of dealing with it for now. Maybe I’m stressing about it too much. Maybe I need to not focus on it right now so I can have a clear mind while we figure out what to do next. Maybe I just need to let it go and put it entirely in God’s hands. I know good things come to those who wait, but I’m getting pretty tired of waiting!

I told Daniel I’d try one more IUI, but it probably won’t be until mid-summer-ish. The fertility clinic recently left the hospital and moved to Menomonee Falls (so the Froedtert fertility clinic is now at Community Memorial Hospital, because that makes sense) and Daniel starts rotations in July with surgery, so we may bump it up before his schedule gets too crazy. But for now, talk of babies and other associated things will be kept to a minimum. Thank you for your love and support while we decide where to go from here.

-Jenn

Great in 8 - Week 7

No loss or gain this week, I’ve been really good at maintaining for the last few weigh-ins! I’ve taken a break from Yoplait Light (because it’s never on sale when I go shopping) and started eating dry cereal for breakfast. I like it because I can eat a little here or there and I don’t have to worry about it going bad if I leave it out. I do look pretty funny when I eat it though, so the fact that my desk is in a little office that doesn’t get a lot of traffic is a plus. I’ll probably go back to yogurt and stock up when it’s on sale, but cereal works for now. I can say that regardless of what I’m eating, breakfast is a huge help in getting my day going. I am not one of those people who can roll out of bed and into the kitchen, but cereal or yogurt or fruit a couple hours after I wake up is a great way to kickstart my metabolism!

I’ve been struggling with not eating or drinking after 8pm and I feel silly losing 5 points each day because I want some Triscuits or chocolate milk. We had a big work event this past Friday and Saturday and at dinner on Friday I was so good and refused dessert because it was served after 8pm. Have you ever had Maggiano’s chocolate cake?! I got to take some leftovers home though, so I was able to get my chocolate fix at a more appropriate time.

Favorite workout song of the week - Mood Rings by Relient K

This gem popped up on Pandora the other day and I sang along as loud as I could. This is a good song to walk/run to, it has a solid beat so you can stay on step. These guys (along with Hellogoodbye!) are coming to town in May, I’m looking forward to it!

Our meals were pretty standard this week, nothing too exciting one way or the other. I can’t believe it’s been almost 8 weeks already. It’ll be April in just a few days, what?! Almost time to bust out my white shoes!

-Jenn