Dishwater Dreams

Jumpstart Pet Rescue App Review

by Lindsey on April 21, 2013

It's no secret I'm a huge Jumpstart fan. Read my review of the computer games:

Of course when Jumpstart approached me and asked me to review their new iPhone/iPad app I jumped at the chance. Jumpstart did provide me with a code to download the app at no cost. All opinions expressed are my own.

jumpstart pet rescue

You can download the app from iTunes. It costs $7.99 and is worth every penny if your child is in the young gradeschool age range.

FEATURES:
• Over 50 activities that teach your child 75 essential learning skills — including vocabulary, number recognition and more!
• More than 10 pets to play with, care for and feed!
• Over 10 storybooks featuring the JumpStart pals!
• Endless amounts of digital coloring pages, lively music videos and customizable game features provide your child hours of fun!
• 5 distinctive lands in this magical 3D world to explore!
• Limitless options to customize your character and house!
•Developed from child education experts: Learning curriculum developed and reviewed by early childhood and preschool education experts!

When you start out, you get to design your character. Here's me!

jumpstart pet rescue character

Once in the app, the directions are easy to follow. They are all spoken so a child who can't read yet can easily play. I was led from place to place during my tour of the land by following alphabet letters.

jumpstart pet rescue tour

In order to get items in the game such as decorations and CDs you have to play learning games. There were so many to choose from. I was actually quite surprised at the sheer number and variety.

Jumpstart pet rescue ducky game

Jumpstart pet rescue silly monkey game

Jumpstart Pet Rescue star game

By completing tasks you earn pieces of books. Once you have all of the pieces, you can read the story.

jumpstart pet rescue storybook

One of my favorite parts was decorating my house and the land.

Jumpstart pet rescue house

jumpstart pet rescue flower

Little Brother's favorite part was of course, the pets. He had a cat AND a dog now. He also loves the Art Studio where you can draw pictures of anything you want or use their drawings as a base.

jumpstart pet rescue dog

Little Brother is 5 and is in pre-k, at least for another 5 weeks, but that's another post entirely. This game was perfect for him. I am always looking for something for him to do at Big Brother's after school activities that isn't Minecraft. Again. Jumpstart Pet Rescue is fun and educational.

Big Brother is in 2nd grade. He played for a few minutes, but it was really too easy for him. He is in accelerated math and reading. He still plays the computer game so if you have an older kid that needs a bit of a challenge, I still recommend the computer game as well! We have had years of fun with it!

Find out more about Jumpstart products on the Jumpstart Blog.

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Book Review – The Affair by Colette Freedman

by Lindsey on April 19, 2013

in Book Reviews

the affair

The Affair by Colette Freedman is a story in three parts. After 18 years of marriage, Kathy suspects her husband is having an affair.

She is right.

Part 1 of the book tells Kathy's story. I think all women who have ever been in a long term relationship can relate to Kathy. She asks tough questions that we never want to face like what will she do? Will she stay or will she go? She really takes a hard look at her marriage and her life. By the end of this section, your heart is broken for Kathy.

Part 2 of the book tells the husband's side of the story. Robert is easy to dislike. He is a vain workaholic who cheats on his wife. But there is a lot of humanity there too. He isn't just a one dimensional bad guy. He has depth and seeing the story from both sides is fascinating and draws you in even further.

Part 3 is the same story, but from the mistress' perspective. As much as I tried, I just couldn't hate Stephanie. I really wanted to, but her strength and her desire to be loved made her too easy to identify with.

This is a great story and each section adds so many new layers to what happens.

My only real complaint about the book is that the dialogue in each version is identical. I would expect that three different people would hear the dialogue differently.

Colette Freedman has said that a follow up is coming soon and begins just minutes after this book ends. I will be reading that one!

Follow me on Goodreads.

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My Take on the Boston Bombings

by Lindsey on April 17, 2013

in Just Sayin'

It has taken me a couple of days to really gather my thoughts on what happened in Boston.

When I first heard about the bombings I have to admit my first thought was why on earth would someone want to blow the legs off of people who have spent so much time training to run. I imagined hundreds of runners missing legs and feet.

Luckily things were not as bad as my mind originally pictured. But they were no less tragic.

In the past, national tragedies have had me glued to the news. This time I decided to step away.

After 9-11, after OKC, after Newtown, after Columbine, after teen suicide and rape and bullying, all of these tragedies we deal with on a regular basis, I had to take a step back and evaluate.

This past week the Host Teams at church, which I am a part of talked about what God says about running the race.

1 Corinthians 9:24-27 says:

²⁴Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. ²⁵Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. ²⁶Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. ²⁷No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.

For those in Boston this week, it was about running. For most of us, it is about just living.

I was really touched by what Single Mom in the South said:

This time I am at loss for words and I find myself floundering and wondering,

"What is this world coming to?"

And I want to sweep my children up and carry them off and keep them safe, because it doesn't feel like they are safe anywhere.

They cannot fly safely on a plane.

Or go safely to school.

And now they cannot even run down the street safely.

It's not even just tragedies like this.

It's bickering over religion.

And politics.

And I worry and wonder if we are all going to be okay.

The reality is, we are not safe. It doesn't matter what kinf of gun control laws we have. If someone wants to kill someone else, they will find a way with bombs or swords or rocks. People have been doing it since the beginning of time.

But people are not the only threats. There are natural disasters and mechanical failures and illnesses.

The fact is, no one will get out of this world alive.

I'm not trying to be all doomsday. That's not my intention, but sometimes you have to put things in perspective.

As I looked at my boys after Newtown, my heart just ached. There were no thoughts. No words. Just a concern for safety.

This time I thought about the marathon running dad who more than likely had a healthy family. Who lost his son. Whose daughter lost a leg. Whose wife has a serious brain injury. And I think how nothing for him will ever be normal again.

I think of the Iraqi war veteran who ran 26.2 miles and an hour later was in his new battlefield as a trauma surgeon. For three grueling days he made decisions about amputations and saving lives.

This time I look at my boys and know that I can't save them from tragedy. I can't rid the world of all the monsters that lurk here.

This time I know that what I can do is prepare them. I can prepare them to be the ones who stay to help. The ones who give their time, their resources, their strength, their hearts, their prayers, their ears.

We can move forward because there are people willing to help. There are people willing to pick up the pieces. There are people willing to push past exhaustion and make a difference. There are people willing to do what they can to help others, to pray, and even to just listen.

pray for boston

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Rental Decorating – The Living Room

by Lindsey on April 17, 2013

in Home Decor

The kitchen is done and I'm knee deep in working on my bedroom (more on that soon) but the big news is I ordered a couch!

I have been looking for a couch for about a month to find something functional and affordable for the space.

My living room before we moved anything in:

living room

Once again I'm having to deal with these slightly yellow walls and beige carpet. The space is a squre with this marble (or so they said) fireplace. All of the wall space is fairly narrow except one wall.

I have decided that a great way to go when you really have no clue is to have inspiration rooms. I found several inspiration rooms when I was figuring out my design style.

I decided to go with a small sectional sofa. It's cozy, great for conversation and snuggling. It has the feratures I want at the right price. I wanted detatched back pillows, a low back, nonmicrofiber, and down not foam.

I ordered a Jonathan Lewis Artisan sofa in a mediium gray with sky blue pillows. This is the best I can do for a photo until the actual sofa comes in.

Jonathan-Louis-Sectional-Sofa-Portland

In a rental living room you have to do most of your decorating with styling and accessories.

Pillows and slipcovers are a great way to transform a space like this cozy living room from Nest Decorating.

living room pillows

Help out boring carpet with a rug or floor covering.

There are all kinds of tutorials on Pinterest for making your own rugs, pillows, side tables, coffee tables, entertainment centers, and art.

I have a living room board going here with quite a few tutorials and ideas.

I love these media shelves instead of an entertainment center from Life Through a Linds. They would be easy to take to another place later as well.

media shelves

I think the main thing to do is figure out the colors of your main pieces. Neutral or colors? Then decide what accent colors you want and start looking. Rearrange what you already have. Don't be afraid to move something from one room to another if it doesn't function in the room it "usually" lives in.

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Farm Fresh Corn Salad

by Lindsey on April 16, 2013

in Recipes

CornSalad__018

I am always looking for quick yet healthy things to pack in my lunch for work. This is a great cold salad that is super healthy! You could replace the green bell pepper for jalapenos if you wanted a but more kick to it.

Two tablespoons olive oil
Four cups fresh or frozen corn kernels
One tablespoon Daddy Hinkle’s seasoning
One-half teaspoon table pepper
One zucchini squash, chopped
One green pepper, seeded and chopped
One red bell pepper, chopped
One-fourth cup chopped cilantro
One-fourth cup fresh lime juice
Two tablespoons olive oil
One-fourth teaspoon salt
Two avocados, diced

Instructions:
Heat oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add corn, Daddy Hinkle’s seasoning and table pepper. Cook for about eight minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and let cool.
In a large bowl, combine corn, squash, bell peppers, cilantro, lime juice, olive oil and salt. Cover and chill for 30 minutes. Stir in avocado just before serving.

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Rental Decorating – The Kitchen

by Lindsey on April 12, 2013

in Home Decor

Here is a reminder of what my apartment kitchen looked like before.

rental kitchen 2

There was a lot of white and a lot of beige.

With some work, I was able to brighten up the space a little. I had a bunch of ideas listed in Decorating a Rental Kitchen. I am limited by the fact that I can't paint. Can't change the linoleum, and can't alter the cabinets. I have to work with what's there.

First I added this run I found at Walmart for $24.99.

rental kitchen rug

Then I brightened up the room by removing the blinds from the back door and the kitchen window. I just put them in the storage closet so I can replace them later. This did a lot to help the atmosphere! I can't wait until all those trees are full of green leaves!

rental kitchen

Then I hung a valance from Target that cost $14.99 with a tension rod.

rental kitchen

I found this adorable watering can at Michael's and used a 50% one item coupon so it was $5.49 and the flowers were from Michael's too, on sale at 50% off so they were $3.49.

watering can vase

I also found these great soap dispensers on the clearance rack at Target.

soap dispensers

I made a DIY menu board and hung it on the pantry door.

menu board

My sister gave me this magnetic knife holder from Ikea for my birthday.

Screen shot 2013-04-12 at 4.22.39 PM

Add some cute cross stitch in the corner.

rental kitchen

And voila.

rental kitchen

A much more comfortable and home-like rental kitchen.

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Fried Okra Salad (it has bacon)

by Lindsey on April 9, 2013

in Recipes

OkraSalad_045

Here is another great recipe from the Made in Oklahoma Coalition.

One-half cup Hiland buttermilk
One egg
One (1-pound) package frozen or fresh, sliced okra
One (6-ounce) package Shawnee Mills corn muffin mix
Vegetable oil, for frying
One tablespoon Granny’s Good Ol’ Fashion Bacon Drippings
One teaspoon coarse salt
Salad greens (Bibb lettuce or butter lettuce are both good choices)
One tomato, chopped
One green bell pepper, chopped
Five slices Bar-S Fully Cooked Bacon, warmed and crumbled
One-third cup olive oil or canola oil
Three tablespoons apple cider vinegar
Two tablespoons sugar

Instructions:
Mix the buttermilk and egg in a shallow dish. Dip okra in buttermilk, then coat in cornbread mix. Heat one tablespoon of Granny’s Good Ol’ Fashion Drippings in a deep skillet. Add vegetable oil until it reaches about two inches up the side of the pan. On medium-high heat, fry okra in small batches, about a minute or two on each side. (Turn once while cooking.) Let cool on paper towels. Sprinkle with coarse salt while still hot. Combine lettuce with tomato and bell pepper. Top with Bar-S bacon. To make salad dressing, whisk olive oil, apple cider vinegar and sugar together. Pour dressing over salad. Top with okra and serve immediately.

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Renesting

by Lindsey on April 8, 2013

in Just Sayin'

If you haven't noticed, I've been a little obsessed lately with home decorating.

As I was talking to my best friend on the phone last night (you know, one of those nights where you talk until your brain shuts off and you have to go to bed) we realized we are both looking at our homes and needing a change.

Big change.

I don't mean buy a new flower arrangement or some new candles.

candles

New furniture. New dishes (we both love dishes a little too much). New curtains. New paint. Reorganize everything.

I have decided this is a phase of life I will call renesting.

Life has all of these different stages of the nesting phenomenon.

When you are little, you live in a nest your parents made.

Then you leave. The unnesting. You wander around for a few years with no real purpose for home other than a place to crash/study/eat/shower. You live with dorm chic decor and its ok.

Then you get married and have a combonest where you try to get rid of all your husband's tragic belongings and feel at home together.

And then there are babies. Babies make you turn that grown up nest into a den of diapers, a snuggle baby lair, and somewhere underneath all of those toys and piles of laundry, your old home exists.

You even dress different. Instead of wearing your cute clothes, you wear clothes you don't mind getting spit up on, getting drenched in when you bathe those kids, or scrubbing crayon off the wall in.

Then one day you wake up, look in your closet, and realize that you have no style. Your couch smells like sour milk. You have ceased to be (insert your name here) and become MOM.

If it hasn't happened to you yet, it will, somewhere between your youngest being able to wipe his own butt and finding that you have something called free time that hasn't existed for years because all of your kids are at school.

This is where the renesting happens. You want to buy news clothes. Change your house. Organize the kid chaos. Find (insert your name here) again.

You won't stop being mom. Never. It just becomes something you are instead of who you are.

Instead of being Little Brother's mom, I can be Lindsey, Little Brother's mom.

How refreshing is that!

Have you done any renesting?

Follow me on Pinterest to delve further into my home decorating obsession!

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It’s My Birthday

by Lindsey on April 7, 2013

in Just Sayin'

happy-birthday-to-me2

I am 36 years old today.

Last year I shared with you 20 things I had learned in my 35 years.

This year, I'm just going to celebrate.

I don't feel 36. Then again, what is 36 supposed to feel like?

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DIY Menu Board

by Lindsey on April 5, 2013

in Home Decor

Last night I started working on decorating my new kitchen. It's a rental so I'm limited with what I can do in the space.

The kitchen is a typical rental kitchen. Builder grade oak cabinets. Beige and white everything else.

rental kitchen rental kitchen 2

I can't make any kid of major changes like painting the cabinets or the walls so I have to find more creative ways.

Decorating a Rental Kitchen

The first project on the list is a menu board. It will bring some color into the room and help with making and sticking to a meal plan. I wanted something reusable as well.

I started with a unfinished picture frame from Michael's I bought for $8.99. I chose a frame with plastic instead of glass because it weighed less. I also removed the leg from the back of the frame since I would be hanging it.

unfinished picture frame craft smart paint

I painted the entire frame including the inside and outside edges with black Craft Smart paint (on sale at Michaels, 5 for $2)!

I used American Gloss Enamel Stick-On Stencils/Curly Alphabet to stencil the letters. To make the letters even, I drew a midline in pencil on the frame and places the letters e and n touching he midline then added m and u directly against the other letters.

563642_10100439096434461_26484426_n