Muldoon Memos

1. Streaming various Jillian Michael's circuit workouts through my smartTV. I have been loving these since there's a different move every 30 seconds or so, and the whole workout is only 30 minutes. I don't get bored or tired too quickly; it's easier to stick with a difficult move if I know the end is literally just a few seconds away. Plus, I've been in a strength mood lately instead of cardio. 2. Crushed Red Pepper. It adds just enough kick to grilled or sautéed veggies. Delish! 3. It's Cold Brew Coffee season again =) I like the Stok brand from the store, but I also make my own for way less money! It turns out REALLY strong when I brew it following the provided directions, so I normally do about 6oz cold brew, 4 oz water (or milk) and some creamer over ice. Perfect afternoon pick-me-up! 4. Side french braids. So simple, yet fancy. 5. Spray paint.... I had acquired a bunch of random pots for plants, so I spray painted all of them turquoise. I also spra...

So Hannah over at Gokie Notes tagged me to post about the ways I'm rockin' motherhood lately. So... I couldn't resist even though I've blogged like 2x this whole year! Going with the Flow I'm a surprisingly "chill" parent, which is surprising because I am not that way in most other areas of my life. When Luke dumps out 3 consecutive boxes of toys on the floor, he gets a look and then we move on and play. When Norah knocks her food off her high chair tray, I just clean it up when I get a chance to. But nothing like that makes my blood pressure rise or my anxiety kick in. All of these veggies ended up on the floor...  He decided to use some lip stick as war paint...  Singing Songs I love that Luke and Norah both seem to love music and dancing. Every night before bed Luke and I "snuggle" which consists of me rocking him as we say a prayer and he requests songs. Sometimes he sings songs with me like "Twinkle Twinkle" or ...

Well hey! I'm on spring break so thought I'd update y'all on what I've been reading (and audio book listenting to) so far in 2017! Young Adult Literature The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness       -- Quick dystopian tale of a boy on New World-- a place where everyone's thoughts are heard in the "noise." All of the women were killed in a war with the Spackle (native creatures to that planet). But then the main character meets a girl who has landed from Old World... and typical everything is not as it seems plot takes over. Eventually they get chased and hunted by the crazy mayor of his town as they try to uncover the truth about New World. I devoured this: fast-paced, mystery unfolded at a perfect rate, action, but NOTHING positive happened and it was only the first of a trilogy: B The Pact by Jodi Picoult      -- Some of my students read this for a choice novel, so I read it too. (Too much sex. I couldn't believe it was "approved" ...

1. Dole Sesame Asian Salad Mix. I buy the family sized bag ($6.50 at HyVee) and split it into three lunches. I LOVE the mix of flavors, dressing, and crunchy things; the variety makes this fun to eat instead of boring like a normal salad... I've eaten this as part of my lunch every day for the last two weeks. The Chipotle and Cheddar version is a close second fav. 2. Dunkin' Donuts. I'm seriously obsessed. Last week there was a COMPLETELY FREE item every day of the week through their Perks App. Plus a free coffee after the Huskers get 350 yards of offense.. and basically free stuff all the time. (I've received a dozen FREE donuts THREE times now too. Not through the app or anything, but I order a drink and then they have leftover donuts to give away... SCORE.) I go way too much. 3. All American Boys. I read this book for my Young Adult Literature grad class... and I am a bit obsessed. Written in alternating perspectives, Rashad and Quinn, All American Boys tells ...

1. I miss blogging, but I normally blogged during lunch or part of my plan time at work, and this year I have a new prep.. so I have NO extra time whatsoever. At home, I'm not normally by my computer much and the Blogger app is yucky. However, I'm shooting out a quick hello into the universe today! 2. Norah is 4.5 months old. She got croup early last week, a quick dose of steroids, and acted her normal happy self. BUT HER SLEEP has been wrecked. I'm blaming it on the croup.. or maybe the 4 month sleep regression.. or her new ability to roll over.. I don't know. But she had been getting up ONCE a night for over a month.. and now we're back to like every 2-3 hours. This has also led to her sleeping in our room.. because if she wakes up before 2am, I'm still in a major sleep haze and I honestly fall asleep while nursing her on the footstool in her room. Which sort of scares me, so I just bring her back into our room. Agghg. 3. Luke is freaking hilarious. He talks...

Little miss Norah is already 3 months (and some change) old. She's almost growing out of her 6 mo clothes and is on the fast track to size 3 diapers. Luckily for me, she's recently began getting up only ONCE per night.. anytime between 2:30-5. I haven't quite figured out what helps her sleep until 5, but I can totally handle a once per night feeding! But... I'm back to work as of last week which means: pumping. GROSS. I hate pumping. Mainly because 1) I miss out on any socialization time with my co-workers since I can't eat lunch with them and I lose my plan times to pumping too (which means it's harder to get stuff done!) 2) Seriously less clothing options 3) So much stuff to transport and clean. BUT. On the positive side: 1) I figured out how to pump while driving on my morning commute = time saver! 2) I'm currently making just enough so I haven't had to supplement yet.... we'll see how long that can last. Luke and Norah are at...

The Walls Around Us:  The unreliable narrator(s) threw me for a few loops! I knew something was off in how I was perceiving the story but I could not figure it out on my own until all the pieces came together at the end. This book switches between two characters: Amber, who is a prisoner in an all-girls youth detention center, and Lena, who is a star ballerina with a sketchy past. We know that Lena's best friend was convicted of murder before being sent to the youth detention center and she died a month after arriving... but the story is told mostly three years past when the girl died. It's rather complicated. The story was intriguing, though the "paranormal" aspect that appeared toward the end wasn't explained enough for me.  Overall = B Everything I Never Told You:  Recommended by many internet lists, I finally got around to reading this novel. And it only took me 3 days. Though marketed as a mystery, that part of the plot unraveled so slowly at times ...