End of July Accomplishments!

I have been trying to do an individual post for each task, but I am way behind so here is my catch up for July!

18. Try 25 new recipes (4/25) Corn Cakes
I had 2 ears of corn in the fridge that really needed to be used so I gave this recipe a try. I didn't have any saltines so I used bread crumbs, and we were out of milk so I used heavy cream. The cakes turned out okay, Glen said they were good. Something was not quite right - I'm not sure if the bread crumbs made them too soggy or I didn't cook them long enough. I feel like they should have been more crunchy. I would definitely try these again.

29. Bake something once a month for a whole year (3/12) Blueberry Cream Cheese Cake
Yum! I really liked this cake. It's more of a breakfast/muffiny cake. Glen & I had it for dessert topped with ice cream; I also ate it for breakfast with yogurt. Again, I made a few changes to the recipe - using white flour & white sugar instead of wheat flour and sucanat. Caleb helped me cook (and eat the blueberries!) and he really liked the cake too.



84. Take Caleb to a park 50 times (8/50)
Despite the 100° weather, Caleb & I went out to the Raleigh Road park this week. It's very shady so it didn't feel that hot while we were playing. I brought a little picnic snack with us and Caleb enjoyed his very first Capri Sun.




85. Visit Marbles Kids Museum
Caleb & I went to Marbles last week for a playdate. He was at Marbles once before when he was around 5 months old, so this was really his first experience. He LOVED it! We were there for about 4 hours and played in each exhibit. I definitely want to go back with Glen.

63. Have 3 baby-free weekends (2/3)

Caleb spent a LONG weekend away at my parents' and sister's houses last week, he was gone for 3 whole nights. Glen & I missed him like crazy. We enjoyed the break but definitely realize how much meaning he gives our lives. It was the best to pick him up and catch up on all the missed hugs & smiles. :)

Our weekend was pretty low key, we did some packing, I showed Glen our new house and we saw Toy Story 3. (I highly recommend that, it was such a sweet movie!)

53. Sell at a consignment sale

I was very excited to participate in the Kids Exchange Consignment sale this month. By selling items, I got to shop early before the sale was open to the public which makes a HUGE difference in the crowds & item selection. I think this sale gets better each year - its now in 2 buildings and very well organized.

First, I got a big stack of last winter's clothes that Caleb has outgrown. I hung them on hangers, priced them and dropped them off at the Fairgrounds. I tagged about $160 worth of clothes and brought home less than a 1/3 of what I dropped off. I won't get my check for another week or so but I'm optimistic!

Here are a few pictures of our adventure shopping. Caleb had a ball playing through the field of toys, and then crashed in the stroller while waiting to check out! I only spent $60 on that huge stack of clothes, the bike seat and a big bag of toys!

1. Visit 4 points of interest in the Wilson area (2/4)

Last week Caleb & I went to the Wilson Rose Garden. It's a small garden but was very pretty. It smelled great too! They had picnic tables in a shady area, it would be a perfect place for a picnic lunch. You can also see one of Wilson's legendary Whirligigs in one of the pictures. Caleb had fun running around, climbing onto benches and splashing through the fountain. (I don't think he was supposed to be in the fountain, but ya know it was fun anway...) He is modeling his brand new crocs in these pictures which are the CUTEST thing ever!

84. Take him to a park 50 times (7/50)

A few Sundays ago Glen & I took Caleb to the park. It's fun being able to go as a family! Glen was impressed with how well Caleb climbed up things and that he can slide all by himself. We all had a fun time, except our visit ended with a fall. :( Just a bump but we got the sad crying baby face!

1. Visit 4 points of interest in the Wilson area (1/4)

My sister, Dad, nephews and niece all came into Wilson today. We enjoyed a nice lunch at the chinese buffet followed by a visit to The Imagination Station Science Museum. It was actually a nice museum. We saw some NC history including the original post office from Wilson. There was a whole floor of reptiles & amphibians (yuck!). The kids had fun in the play room where they had tons of educational toys including puzzles, stacking blocks, noise makers etc.

Then of course the science exhibits! We raced against turtles, bats, horses, bears and cheetah. I can run as fast as a bear, but Alex can run as fast as a horse! We all weighed ourselves on a giant scale - our family weighs a little bit more than a male polar bear. The kids enjoyed using the simple machines - levers, pulleys and inclined planes. Overall everyone had a great time!

Here are a few pictures (from my phone), you can click on them to see a bigger view.

84. Take him to a park 50 times (6/50)

During June, NC experienced record breaking heat. This week we finally enjoyed a break in the weather, low humidity and highs in the low 80's. Caleb & I took advantage of the weather to play outside. We visited 2 different parks, one on Thursday & one on Friday. We had a blast! Caleb is pretty adventurous and is not afraid to explore by himself. He loves watching the other kids and trying to do everything they do.

Here he is pushing the merry-go-round and on the swing!