MIssing the Lake

Since the weather has gotten so nice, I've been missing the lake more and more...I can't hardly wait to get down there, even if it means raking an entire forest full of leaves when I do! Since I was feeling a little homesick for it, I decided to make a few online scrapbook pages about camp, my favorite place in the whole world...

Make a scrapbook - it's easy!

Hope everyone can visit me this summer, when the residents of Seward Ave move south! Oh, and if you want to make an online scrapbook of your own, check out Smilebox 'cause it's free! I did!

Testing out Digital Scrapbooking

I've become somewhat obsessed with scrapbooking over the past few months, and recently came across a new way of doing it: digital scrapbooking. Well, I had no idea what this was, but it turns out it's just like regular, except instead of buying actual supplies, you buy digital ones online, use a program like Photoshop to organize it all, and then you can email, print, or have books made of your creations. Pretty cool, but I was a little intimidated, so I searched around trying to find some freebies, and I came across a super simple site called Smilebox where they make the formats for you and you simply drag and drop your own pictures. Here's my offering, hope you enjoy the cheesiness!

Make a scrapbook - it's easy!

Review: Lean Cuisine Lasagna with Meat Sauce

I'll admit it, I tried the Lean Cuisine Lasagna with Meat Sauce mainly because I also bought the equivalent Smart One and wanted to compare. And I was a little disappointed with this one. While it wasn't bad, the Lean Cuisine option (at least mine) seemed to have way less cheese and sauce, and way thicker noodles. Now, the lack of sauce I really don't mind, since some of the Smart Ones really heap it on in lieu of other ingredients, but the lack of cheese annoyed me. This one tasted like lasagna noodles with sauce, so I ended up adding a pile of parmesean cheese to the dish in order to make it more palatable. Now, straight out of the package, both the Lean Cuisine and Smart Ones lasagnas are 6 points. However, I was able to eat the Smart One without any additional cheese, which I think ended up costing me about 4 points. (I'll admit it, I added alot of extra cheese!) So stick with the Smart Ones for this meal!

Review: Lean Cuisine Chicken Club Panini

The Lean Cuisine Chicken Club Panini isn't too bad, but don't believe that what you're eating for dinner is going to look like the picture! Basically, it's a frozen sandwich that comes with a nifty little grilling thing, that should "grill" the bread while in the microwave. When these first came out, the grilling tray worked really well, and you could have a little sandwich. Recently, the grilling tray has been redesigned, and my sandwich ended up sticking to it. I was forced to use a spatula to remove it, which I feel defeats the purpose of a frozen dinner: to not have to do any dishes! Anyhow, it was very tasty, with cheese, chicken, bacon and tomatoes all mixed in. It is also very filling, so the 7 Points that it "costs" you to eat are worth it. The biggest problem, for me at least, is that it doesn't have even one serving of vegetables, so you do have to prepare some extra sides,. Baby carrots go well with it, I like their crunchiness to contrast with the chewy sandwich. Bottom line: for 7 Points, it's definitely worth a try, especially when you can find it at WalMart on sale for $2. And on an additional note, if you don't put the two pieces together to make a sandwich and instead have it openfaced, you feel that you're getting even more bang for your Point!

Aldi's Deck Furniture

I have to say, I am a very recent Aldi's convert. Before the Grandmother came to stay with me, I was strictly a Tops and Wegmans shopper, but she has broadened my horizons to the sterile and inexpensive yet amazing and environmentally friendly grocery experience of Aldis. While on one of our shopping sprees, I found some deck furniture that I decided I had to have. However, once I saw the flat box, I was a little dismayed. Yes, it was only $99, but I was required to assemble it all. I was undaunted, however, being reminded by the Mothership that I have built entertainment centers, bookshelves, dressers, and have even mastered that which still befuddles my other family members: the collapsible dog crate. Because the weather was unseasonably warm we (me, the Mothership, the Grandmother, Woody, Izzy, and Emma) all repaired to the shady front porch, and I commenced assembling the lawn furniture. About 5 minutes in, I realized that I was a little over my head. Not because the directions were too hard to understand, or because I am a complete idiot. Oh no, it was because the fabric pieces that the seats were made out of were too small. As in so small that I was required to stretch the fabric about 3 inches wider for it to attach to each side of the frame. I would just like to note that this step was nowhere in the directions, so I'm not sure how other Aldi's shoppers less...creative...than myself fared. But I persevered, and lo and behold, two hours later, I was able to sit on my deck, enjoying a nice cool lemonade made by the Grandmother to celebrate this grand occasion!

You'll have to decide for yourself whether this particular lawn set is worth $99 and (quite) a bit of your time. Looking back, with the memory of my mental anguish fading, the possibility of future gatherings with a margarita in hand seem to outweigh the pain I experienced putting this together:)