Amazon Kindle and unwanted christmas presents

For some reason this year I decided to put the Kindle on my Amazon wish list. I thought it would be so much fun to be able to carry around hundreds of books for my reading pleasure.( Because with a two year old I have sooooooo much time to sit around and read) I never thought anyone would actually buy it for me anyway. Lo and behold I received it from my dad and his wife on Christmas. So what to do? I have no money to load the thing up with books and actually I just buy the books and put them on my computer anyway. Plus what of my dream of someday having shelves and shelves of books that I have read and purchased and love to reread. How would I have that, if I have a Kindle and all my books are really just ones and zeros? SO I decided to sell it. I got the same amount for it that it sold for online and I was able to use the money to pay off my library fine so I can read real books for free (god bless America lol) and I used the remainder to buy some necessary things around the house and to have some fun with my hair that I had not been able to afford to indulge in. So far I don’t regret my decision. But I have definitely learned not to put something on my wish list that I didn’t fully think out.  Now If only someone would buy me that digital camera I have been wanting for years ; )

Home cooking

Last night I made the yummiest Salisbury steak for dinner. It was made from scratch. I didn’t even know that you could make it from scratch. When I hear the words Salisbury steak I automatically picture a box of frozen meat patties with some type of red sauce on it. I got this Salisbury Steak recipe from The Food Network Magazine. It was amazing and loaded with yummy mushrooms in the gravy. I love mushrooms, they are so flavorful and they full you up as well which really helps stretching the meat in a dish. Tomorrow night is Yankee pot roast. Blake’s mom sent us a Gordon Ramsay Low Pressure cooker as an early Christmas present and we are going to break it out with a pot roast recipe that was included with the cooker. I am very excited it has been ages since I have had a good pot roast. I am pretty proud of how much we have already switched over to making our food from scratch. We rarely make preprocessed foods or boxed dinners. The other day I did break down and make some boxed pasta salad. It used to be my favorite and instead it was gross flavorless and salty. I can’t believe that this is everyday food for many people. I have to admit to proud feeling when I look in my grocery cart and I see my fresh produce, herbs, and meats instead of bright boxes of chemicals and preservatives. I want to make the switch to more organic goods, and once I have some land available to me I will be planning a garden and growing fruits and vegetables.

Hello There!!!!!

My daughter who is so obviously overcome with joy at meeting Santa she doesn't know how to express it.

I am a weird, eclectic, mix of wannabe homesteader/crafter and punk rock rockabilly retro homemaker. I have big big dreams. Dreams of owning goats and chickens, bunnies and pigs. Planting gardens and canning fruits. Making all my food from scratch, learning to sew my daughters clothes. I also have dreams of opening my own clothing store with my BEST FRIEND (she is the definition of amazing). It will happen we just have to be patient, and work hard, and persevere.....right? Well that's what they told me in kindergarten and I have to believe it's true. I have one daughter who is the joy of my life. I have a wonderful boyfriend who is such an amazing dad to my kiddo. He might not be biological but I feel like he is the dad she was meant to have. We are expecting a new addition to our family in May. We'll be finding out the gender in a couple of days and I couldn't be more excited!!!!! This is just my attempt to chronicle my crazy journey to fulfillment. As I am writing this I just felt the baby kick for the first time. Life is wonderful :)