Martha, Martha, Martha.....................Stewart that is! My cousin "K" sent me an email the other day telling me about something she saw on the Martha Stewart Show that day about blogging and how she thought I should participate. I went to Martha's blog and checked it out. Her show that day was all about blogging! Martha will be featuring several blogs on her blog- all you have to do is leave your name and blog address in her comment section. How cool would that be to be featured on Martha's blog?!?!
I don't know about any of you but I adore Martha Stewart and have for years. When my sister or I would do some kind of project (craft, sewing, cooking, etc.) and the other liked it we would say "You are so Martha!" or "That is so Martha!" Hey- we were striving for greatness!! LOL! Martha is, after all, the original Domestic Diva and a role model for women everywhere. I can not tell you the countless tips and projects I have done after being inspired by something I saw or read via Martha Stewart. If you have never been to Martha's blog I encourage you to check it out.........prepare to be inspired.
Okay, I have to get something off my chest. Last night was not a good night. Marc had only been home for about 20 minutes, I was desperately trying to get dinner on the table while the kids were begging for sippy cups, diaper changes and Diego. Marc was holding Cali and trying to soothe her through her fussy spell of the day when there was a knock at the door. When I opened the door I saw our maintenance man standing there. He was there to tell us that the neighbors downstairs had called to complain about the level of noise coming from our apartment. Although I felt that the past 20 minutes had been chaotic and probably a little noisy I knew it wasn't any different than any other day...........and it was 5:30 in the afternoon! Through my embarrassment I jokingly asked "Could you be more specific?!" (As Cali is crying and the kids are running around screaming "Rescue pack! Comin' to the rescue!") He did think it was funny and chuckled at my attempt at humor. I thanked him for coming and asked if the neighbors did call again to ask them what exactly they were complaining about so that we could try and take measures to correct it. After he left I looked at Marc puzzled, he looked back at me puzzled. Now I will admit that some days I wonder why our neighbors don't have a UHaul parked outside of their apartment in a desperate attempt to get away from us..........but today wasn't even close to one of those days. In fact there have been three other families living in the apartment below us (in the 18 months we have been here) before these people moved in and not one of them ever complained! In fact, we have always tried to introduce ourselves to new neighbors, asking what time they go to bed so that we can make sure the kids are quiet and respectful of other people's schedules, and tell our neighbors to please let us know if we are ever being too loud. EVERY ONE of those neighbors have always told us that they never hear us. 5:30 in the afternoon??? I can not explain how I felt after being complained about. I was embarrassed, I was hurt, and I suddenly felt unwelcome in my own home. It was horrible. For the rest of the night I cringed every time Kyle or Bella would walk too hard down the hall, drop a toy or laugh too loud. Every time Cali would start getting fussy I would grab her up immediately and try and soothe her with whatever it took. What makes this whole situation worse is that Marc is an employee of the company who owns the apartments we live in. I don't want him to look bad in the eyes of management. But how am I supposed to keep three kids quiet 24 hours a day? AM I supposed to strap them to a chair and put duct tape on their mouths?? I feel like I can't even let my kids be kids in their own home! Seriously, that is no way to live. All night last night I had nightmares about being kicked out of our apartment. Where would we go? Where would we live? I love my apartment and we have put so much work into it with paint and built-ins and decor............we have tried to make it "ours" as best we could...........and the thought of losing it is just too much. Sorry, I just had to vent. This really has me upset.
Okay, now on to the soup! Let's warm our bellies and our hearts with this fabulous recipe. This recipe came from my Aunt Deb (the one that has the Etsy store-see the link on my sidebar). Deb is a fabulous cook and this recipe is no exception. I made it for dinner last night and decided to share. It is a huge hit every time I make it.......my kids even ask for seconds which is rare!! LOL!!!
Aunt Hilda's Stuffed Pepper Soup
2 pounds ground beef
2-3 cups green bell pepper- chopped
1 large onion- chopped
10 beef bouillon cubes
6 cups water
2 (28oz) cans crushed tomatoes
Salt and pepper to taste
2 cups cooked rice
Brown ground beef; drain. Add bell pepper and onions. Cook until tender. Add bouillon cubes, water, crushed tomatoes, salt and pepper. Cook for about 4 hours on low heat. Add the two cups of rice to the soup and heat through.
Now, if you are lazy or in a hurry like me you can brown the hamburger and then throw everything in a big pot all at once (I use instant rice and throw it in at the beginning with everything else). It ends up tasting the same.
This is the finished result.........
MMMMMMMMMMMM...........it's making me hungry all over again. Last night at dinner Kyle said "Yummy soup mommy, I like possibilities!" Marc and I were cracking up. Apparently he does pay attention to commercials! It is a good hearty meal perfect for cooler months. Gee, I could have at least cleaned that off the side of the bowl before snapping the picture, huh? That is so not Martha! LOL!! So I get an "F" for presentation today.
There you have it............3 completely separate subjects jammed into one post. You will have to stop by tomorrow- I am going to be giving you all a sneak peek at some of the fabrics and accessories that will be going into Cali's room. I am so excited!
~Heather:)
6 comments:
I remember before we bought our house my now 5 year old had colic and we lived in an apartment. There were times when we just HAD to let him cry. There was othing we coul do for him except hold him and rock him through the tummy ache times. We were on the second floor too. It's really hard. Don't worry...you are raising kids not robots. Come on..what do they expect? Wendy
Hi Heather, It is so good to see you post! Sounds like you guys are starting to get settled down as a family and back in the swing of things! I love the tale about the Eureeka Vacuum and Cali sleeping! David as a light sleeper and the child did very little of it! Hope you will post pics as you change things around in your home! Kyle will have one cool room! And if you won't to have a couch that withstands children, animals...anything! But a brown leather couch. The best move we ever made! We have had a leather furniture for 3 1/2 years and it still looks almost new. In the summer I lighten it up with lighter pillows and a light color throw, and in the winter we go with heavier darker pillows and throw. I absolutely LOVE it! :) Your home is just beautiful as is now!
Take Care and give those kiddos a big hug from me! ~Rhonda :)
...oh, How is your dad???
Oh, can't wait to try the soup! Sounds delicious!!! :)
K, 5:30 in the afternoon is a ridiculous time to be complaining about the noise. Our neighbours have 3 kids under the age of 5. I never hear the younger two, but the oldest is NOISY. She yells and stomps and cries and bangs on the metal stair rail...in other words, she's being a kid. If my baby is napping I grumble to myself about it (because the girl has woken JK before) and wish she'd be quiet, but I'd never ever complain to them about noise during the day. Ridiculous. So I say, don't worry about it. If the neighbours can't take it, they should move to an adult-only building. Noise is expected in a family building.
Too bad the neighbors didn't come up to talk to you first before reporting it. Oh well, people are people. I can hardly wait to see the room when you're done. I too am wondering how your dad is. Hope he's continuing to heal.
That soup sounds delish! I can't get anything past Nova tho, he'd be picking out the peppers.
You poor dear... don't let the neighbors get you down. For one thing, noise is expected with apt. life. And at 5:30, it's absurd to complain. Do they work nights or something?! Geesh.
I'm actually having trouble with Nova right now, he's always been so quiet, but since he's in preschool he's been much more rambunctious. I don't allow him to run or jump in the house, but he's been doing it and it's hard to calm him down. Very frustrating!
Did you tell the apt. guy that you have a calicky baby and they're just going to have to be more understanding untill it passes? Don't feel like a victim, ect. It's your home too.
Hugs,
Nikki
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