Friday Favorites: Pajama Shirt

I picked up a pajama shirt on the clearance rack at Target a while back, and who knew it would be such a find? I love, love, love it.  As in, I never want to take it off, I do a load of laundry just so I can put it back on again, and I sigh with pleasure when I pull it over my head before going to bed.  Seriously.  The best. fabric. ever.  I will be scouring Target for anything else made of this fabulous, oh-so-soft, comfy fabric....

Cheesecake Factory

I have been slacking, I know. More than one person has brought it to my attention, but I have a good excuse--it was Spring Break! And in the 10 straight days of freedom from school we took two trips, so there are posts to come with lots of pictures. But right now I'm still clawing my way out of the mounds of laundry and backed up phone messages, so you'll have to do with a little post of iPhone pictures.

As we were leaving to drive home from Salt Lake Monday, I told Adam I'd like to go out to lunch somewhere on our way home.  I had thought we'd stop somewhere in Utah Valley since we'd be driving through there about lunch time, but he said, "Okay, I'm hungry, where do you want to go?"  So I looked up dining on the GPS and found lots of options nearby, but I didn't have any real desire to go any particular place.  However, once I saw "Cheesecake Factory, 3mi" I knew where we were eating. 

Here's what we ordered:

Adam had the Bang Bang Chicken and Shrimp

I had The Club

Isaiah had the Mini Sliders

Katie had the Chicken Strips

Max had Pasta with Butter and Parmesan

(he also had a complimentary "Baby Plate" of bread and banana slices while we were ordering and waiting for food--what a smart idea!)

And for dessert we shared the Chocolate Tuxedo Cream Cheesecake

I think it's fair to say it was one of the most-liked restaurant experiences we've had with the whole family in a while.  Everyone liked their food and had a good time (except maybe Adam, who had to field bad toddler tantrum behavior, but Max is beastly all the time lately), which is saying a lot considering we weren't eating at a restaurant with a playland or free balloons.  And after such a delicious, large lunch, the generous slice of cheesecake was the perfect amount to share.  It felt a bit pricey, since we don't usually go "nice" places with our whole family unless we have some kind of a discount, but well worth it. 

The Full Monte

Friday night Anne and Jeremiah and I went out for dinner at Copper Creek Pub & Grub. It was very busy, but the food was (mostly) really great. Our reason for going was Anne's craving for a Monte Cristo. I had never had or seen a Monte Cristo, so this was something I wasn't going to miss: turkey, ham, Swiss and American cheeses, battered and fried and served with powdered sugar and raspberry jam.

Anne said it tasted like "breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert in a sandwich," or "savory stuffed French toast." I tasted it, and I have to agree, it was pretty amazing--really delicious in a surprising way.

I had a turkey and avocado sandwich, that was absolutely perfect in every way.

And Jer ordered the special: fish and chips. Unfortunately, when he bit into his fish he was unpleasantly surprised to find salmon under the batter. A weird choice of fish for fish and chips, for sure, and not in a good way when you don't like salmon (like Jer).

It was a fun experience, and interesting to try somewhere (and something) out of the ordinary.

Troy's BBQ

We ate out for dinner last night, which actually turned out to be more inconvenient than convenient, but more fun than staying home. We decided in our spontaneous mood to try something new: Troy's BBQ. It was a really fun experience, and I loved it so much I whipped out my iPhone and took pictures, knowing I was going to blog a review after only a few bites. (Remember, I used my iPhone to take pictures, I realize they're awful . . . I think they still add to my review because some things you just have to see.)

It was a different kind of restaurant than we had been to before, the atmosphere of a hole-on-the-wall kind of place with really unique and fun decor, like this tailgate bench to sit on while you wait to order.



You can dine inside or outside, and right now the weather is perfect for outdoor dining! The food had unusual names like "yanked pork" or "dirty rice," which actually made it taste better, I think. Here's my plate, I mean basket:

I had the 2 meat combo, with yanked pork and bodacious brisket, leek rings and potato salad on the side. You can see our order of yanked pork nachos in the middle of the table. Adam had the 3 meat combo with the same meat choices as me plus the bbq chicken, with fries and dirty rice on the side. The kids each tried one of the two kids meal choices: Katie had bbq chicken and Isaiah had grilled cheese. (Max ate off our plates--he loved everything!)

What we'd recommend:
Our favorite meat was the brisket, but the pulled pork was good, too. The nachos were amazing, and the salsa was even better (so good, but pretty hot, beware). We didn't try all the dipping sauces, but we did like the liquid gold--kinda sweet and tangy, like honey mustard. If you go, be prepared to get a doggy bag. If your not a big eater, you might want to share a plate. The kids meals were pretty right-sized, though. The biggest surprise to me was the leek rings. They were really good, like a twist on onion rings. I'd definitely recommend them.

What we'd skip next time:
The chicken, and maybe the dirty rice. The dirty rice had a really different flavor, not bad, but not your everyday rice, so you should try it and make up your own mind.

Bottom line:
Very yummy food, memorable atmosphere, a new favorite.

School is coming . . .

School starts tomorrow!! I took Isaiah to meet his first grade teacher (who was changed at the last minute due to a new charter school opening in the area that has ruffled things district-wide) this afternoon. Miss Rolfe seems very nice, and very organized (thank heaven!). We found his classroom to and from the bathroom, to and from the office, to and from the bus drop-off, and checked everything from the familiar location of the awesome library.

He's still apprehensive, and with good cause. He was going to have four little buddies from our ward in his class, but now it's all been changed. He's riding the school bus for the first time. He'll be at school all day, and eat lunch at school. It's a big deal! But I think ultimately excitement will prevail. He can hardly wait to wear new clothes, make new friends, and have morning and afternoon recess!

And not to leave Katie out, she'll embark on her first year of preschool in a couple of weeks. She can hardly contain herself! But I'll post more about that as it comes.

I haven't done very much this year to prepare for school, but there is something about this time of year that fills me with excitement. If I could I would share this excitement with everyone and, to quote Meg Ryan in You've Got Mail, "I would send you bouquets of freshly sharpened pencils!" In the spirit of education, I want to share some things with you that help my kids learn.

Leap Frog Sing-Along Read-Along
My mom bought this for Katie a few weeks ago, and I thought it would be, you know, just okay. But I looooooove it. It is so great for teaching early reading skills: short vowel sounds, making 3-letter words, changing the consonants to make different or rhyming words. And it teaches these skills through silly short stories set to music. They characters and stories are just quirky enough to hit my kids' funny bones. And it comes with books of all the stories, so you can read them as you watch or independently. Right now reading the books alone is just above where Katie is developementally, but I think she'll be there within the next few months, and the shows are right on for her. (Don't tell, but I'm singing the stories all day after watching them, they are so funny and catchy.)

Leap Frog Letter Factory, Talking Words Factory, and Word Whammer
I've probably talked about this before. But I cannot emphasize enough the greatness of the Letter Factory DVD. The Talking Words Factory is the logical next step, and it's really good, too. And whether or not your kids are fans of these DVDs, the Word Whammer is great for working on building words. Katie is just now growing into it, but she's been singing the Letter Factory songs for over a year now.


And here's a collection of my favorite educational iPhone apps. We've tried them, and not only do I like them, but the kids do, too. (And most of them are free!)

Pop Math Lite
This is great for memorizing math facts, no more, no less. The kids match the balloons that have a problem and its correct answer, and pop them. They can move up levels, etc.

Math Drills Lite
Also a great app for memorizing math facts. However, what I really love about it is that it shows you how to solve the problem several different ways (on a number line, on your fingers, geometrically, etc.). Really awesome for all different types of learners.

iWriteWords Lite
Awesome for practicing handwriting. You trace the words, and the letters fall down and bounce around the screen according to how you tilt the phone, then fall into a hole to move to the next word. I like to do it, and I'm an adult. Also plays the alphabet song as you tap the screen. So fun!

First Words Sampler
This is a good, not great (probably because it's the free version) game to teach building words. It's cute and Katie likes it. If I were to design it, I would use different words, but it's fun.

Shape Builder
This is the only one I've spent money on, and it was a whopping 99 cents. It's a great preschool puzzle game that Katie has played and played and played.


Of course, there are so many educational things you can do without spending a dime on fancy toys or programs. Some of our favorites are spotting letters or words on signs while we drive in the car, playing I Spy with colors or shapes to build observational and description skills. Telling silly stories and making up silly songs--especially rhyming ones. We've tried making letters and words with our bodies, cookie dough, noodles, and cereal. I love our letter cookie cutters.

Yard sale-ing is one of our favorite summer activities, although we haven't done much of it this year. It's great for teaching money values, as well as money management. Our kids are very fond of shopping, so we're working on finding things within a certain price range, making shopping lists (Isaiah is fab at this, so adorable!), and staying within a budget. Katie is also great at finding packages of different colors or products that start with different letters.

While we are waiting for our food at a restaurant, Isaiah and I will change three-letter words and see what we can come up with (beg to bog to dog to dig, etc.). This is also where Katie loves to practice counting by doing dot-to-dots.

And there's nothing that beats good, old-fashioned reading. Read, read, read! Isaiah earns more video game time by reading independently, and this summer we've been reading Charlotte's Web together, and the kids are loving it. I only wish I'd been less sporadic at it, but we'll finish it eventually. And, wonder of wonders, Isaiah read a whole verse of scripture this morning during scripture study! I thought he would stumble at the word, "Jerusalem," but he didn't even hesitate! Goes to show that they can handle much harder material than we sometimes anticipate, so don't hold them back.

Anyway, happy back-to-school season, and I wish you all you other parents out there the best in teaching your children!

Squeeeeeze . . .

As a busy mom of three, I am learning that time to do anything not kid- or baby-related is very short. I am lucky that I have a full-time partner in parenting, but even with two sets of hands, the kids outnumber us. It is increasingly difficult to find time to do all the millions of things we have to do, not to mention the things we should be doing. And let's just face it, exercise is not at the top of my list. In fact, even though I go walking (around two miles, four times a week), I only go because a) if I don't Shelli will think I'm a slacker, and b) I totally need to talk to an adult female on a regular basis. So, basically, if I'm not forced to and it isn't fun, I'm not going to exercise.

That's why I liked an article in The Spectrum this week about the women who came up with SqueezeItIn.com, where you can watch videos on exercises you can do around the house or in your everyday mom tasks. If you're looking for some toning techniques that you can fit into your everyday activities, check it out. It's a very nicely designed site, and the videos are quick and easy-to-understand (there are written instructions, too, but I like how the videos demonstrate how to do the exercise and what you should be feeling, etc.).

Now if you see me doing "Schoolyard Squats" at the park or "Squeeze Backs" in the freezer aisle, you'll know why I'm in that ridiculous position.

PS When Adam read the article in the paper he started making fun of the idea. Not for everyone. And you can be sure I'll be hiding from him while I do my "Countertop Push Ups" or "Laundry Legs" so he doesn't laugh at me!