Happy Pi Day!

Being a math nerd, I love Pi Day. I think if more people knew that Pi Day can be celebrated with actual pie, they would definitely jump on the "math nerd" bandwagon for at least a day. (That's how I persuade Matt into pretending he cares about it). This year I made three pies - a pumpkin, a lemon, and a banana cream.
Tomorrow is a big day for English nerds. Unfortunately, I don't know of any baked goods that go along with the Ides of March, so it will go by unnoticed by most people.

Dog or No Dog?

I'd like to get a dog. Collin would like a dog. Jenna could go either way. Matt (aka The Boss) is not 100% sold on the idea yet. If we get a dog, we are planning on adopting a dog from a shelter. We want a little dog, because we feel like it would not be fair to get a big dog when we don't have a lot of space for it to get exercise. I'd also prefer one that gets haircuts instead of one that sheds to I know dogs can be a lot of work, but I hear they can also be a great addition to a family. We're just trying to decide whether the pros outweigh the cons. So please share with me your dog experiences. Do you have a dog? What kind? Did/does it bring more happiness than work? If you had to do it over again, would you still get a dog?

I'll leave you with pictures of a couple of dogs that we're looking at:

Max

Gunner

New Favorite Appetizer Recipe

I tried this appetizer recipe last night, and it was a big hit. It's from Pampered Chef's Season's Best Fall/Winter 2010. I often find that Pampered Chef recipes as they are written require a lot of work, but they can be made simpler with a few modifications. (I added my modifications in red). This recipe came together in about 20 minutes.

Antipasti Pull-Apart Pizza

Adapted from Pampered Chef “Season’s Best” recipe collection, Fall/Winter 2010.

• 2 teaspoons olive oil, divided
  
• 2 packages (11 ounces each) refrigerated French bread dough
• 1 jar (12 ounces) marinated artichoke hearts, drained
• 1 8-ounce block fresh mozzarella cheese (I used a bag of shredded)
  
• 1 medium red bell pepper, diced (I didn't have a red pepper on hand, but I had 1/2 of an orange pepper and 1/2 of a yellow pepper that I used).
  
• 1/2 cup pitted ripe olives, sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, pressed
• 1/4 teaspoon salt (I forgot this. I'll probably put it in next time, but it turned out well without it).
  
• 1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper (I forgot this. I'll probably put it in next time, but it turned out well without it).
• 2 ounces Parmesan cheese, divided (For the second use of parmesan, I had run out. Instead, I used a shredded Italian mix.
  
• 1 teaspoon parsley
  

Wash hands. (Heather interjecting here: For real? Does this need to be said?) Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Brush pizza stone with 1 teaspoon oil. (I don't usually measure things like this. It just takes extra time. I poured some oil in a bowl, and brushed it on until I got it all over the stone. When I was done with the oil, I funneled the the remainder back into the bottle).

Place one package of the dough on a cutting board. Cut dough in half lengthwise; slice each dough half crosswise into 16 half moons for a total of 32 half moons. Repeat with second package of dough. Arrange dough over baking stone, leaving a half-inch border around the edge and about a half inch between half moons; brush with remaining 1 teaspoon (again - no measuring necessary. I repeat - it's a waste of time!) oil. Bake 10-12 minutes or until crust is golden brown.

Meanwhile, prepare the antipasti. Pat dry artichokes and coarsely chop. Dice mozzarella into 1/2-inch cubes. Chop pepper. In large mixing bowl, combine artichokes, mozzarella, bell pepper, olives, garlic, salt and pepper; mix well.

Remove crust from oven and place on cooling rack. Using a grater, grate half of the Parmesan cheese over crust (I used already grated parmesan. It worked just fine).; top with antipasti. Bake 5 to 7 minutes or until mozzarella is melted. Remove from oven; grate remaining Parmesan cheese over top. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of parsley. (Again, no measuring needed. Sprinkle to your heart's content. Some like more; some like less. Use what looks good to you).

Yields 16 servings.

If you make this, let me know how it comes out for you. I'd also be interested in hearing about any changes you made. I love getting new ideas!

Happy cooking!!

Happy Birthday, Josh!

I was going to write a post about my kids growing up to be friends. However, it's my brother's 21st birthday, and he's my friend, so I thought I'd dedicate this post to him. So.....

HAPPY 21ST BIRTHDAY, JOSH!!
YOU'RE A GOOD BROTHER AND FRIEND AND A GOOD UNCLE TO MY KIDS!! LOVE YOU!

Have fun celebrating being 21, but don't do anything stupid. Love you!

Resolutions

I'm giving up - on New Year's Resolutions, that is.

Does it seem like nonsense to anybody else to promise yourself you will do something for an entire year? If you made resolutions, and you haven't broken them yet, more power to you. I, however, am definitely NOT one of those super-people. As I look back on the month that has already gone by, I realize that the "resolutions" I made, I wasn't really all that resolved about. I've stuck to some of the easier ones, but (surprise, surprise) New Years didn't magically bring about any drastic change in my life to make me more diligent, organized, or determined. Long-terms goals are important, but what I need is a series of short-term goals in order to help me achieve my long-term goals.

For now, I am abandoning New Year's resolutions (and the feeling of failure that comes with realizing on Jan. 2nd that I've already messed up) and setting New Week resolutions. After all, they (whoever "they" are) say anybody can do anything for a week, right? My New Week resolutions closely resemble a To-Do list, and I do write it down simply because I love to check stuff off. (Sometimes, I even write down something I've already done, simply because I LOVE checking stuff off a check-list. Yes, I realize it's all basically a mind game that I'm playing with myself).

I am not letting go of my long-term goals entirely. My goal is still to read the whole Bible this year and memorize the book of Philippians. I am still intending to run a few 5ks and at least one duathlon (yup, that's a real thing) by July. I'm just approaching them differently. It's much easier (at least for me) to say, "I will learn 2 verses this week," than it is to say, "I will memorize the whole book of Philippians."

Some of my goals for this week are:

• Exercising at least 4 days
• Memorizing 2 verses
• Read the Bible each day
• Use up the all the leftovers in the fridge

What about you? Have you stuck with your New Year's resolutions? Did you even make them in the first place?

I Love Swagbucks

I've been meaning to make a post about Swagbucks for some time now, because many friends have asked me how it works. Since today is Swagbucks' Get a Referral Day (or something like that), I figured it seemed like a good time.

What is Swagbucks.com?

Swagbucks is basically a search engine that rewards you with swagbucks somewhat randomly. (IMPORTANT NOTE: You will not win swagbucks for every search. If you sign up expecting to win every time you search, yes, you will be disappointed).

How do you win swagbucks?

1. Searching - It's easiest to win by searching if you download the swagbucks toolbar, but you do not have to download it. If you choose not to download the toolbar, you simply go to swagbucks.com to search. I use the toolbar for just about every website I go to. (Example: Instead of typing facebook.com, I search for "facebook". It takes a few extra seconds, but it's worth it).
2. Referrals - Get your friends to join, and you win when they win (up to 1,000 swagbucks).
3. Swagcodes - Swagcodes are released on the swagbucks blog, the swagbucks facebook page, the swidget (the swagbucks thing on the bottom of my blog), and the toolbar. The blog also has hunts for swagcodes if you have the time or inclination to go on a virtual scavenger hunt. I don't often do the hunts unless they are for a significant amount of swagbucks.
4. Bonus swagbucks - I receive 4 bonus bucks a day (this week that was doubled): one for using the swagbucks toolbar (You don't have to do anything to get that one; it just appears), one for answering the daily poll on the website, one for looking at the NOSOs (No Obligation Special Offers) on the website (You do not have to sign up for anything or do anything. You just have to look at them), and one for looking at the daily surveys (again, you don't have to do anything or actually take any surveys. You just have to look at them)
5. There are also a few other ways you can win, but I've never taken advantage of any others. One way is Shop & Earn. At many websites, you can win 2 swagbucks for every dollar you spend. One of those websites is walmart.com.

Is it worth it?

For me, yes. It requires very little effort on my part and has really paid off for us. So far Matt and I have bought and spent over $150 in amazon giftcards. (One $5 giftcard is 450 swagbucks). Matt has also started getting restaurant.com giftcards, so we can afford a date besides McDs sometime. Currently, I have over 3100 swagbucks saved up. I plan an getting some $50 southwest giftcards at 5700 swagbucks each, so I can go visit my sister in Texas for a little cheaper than I normally would.

How do you spend swagbucks?

Swagbucks can be spent at the Swag store on swagbucks.com.

How do you sign up?

Just go to the website and click on "Register". If you decide to join, please use the swagbucks swidget at the bottom of the page, so you can be my referral. If you join today, there will be a swagcode for new members (worth 20sb) in the swag codes section of the swidget. You also get 30sb just for joining, so you will start off with 50sb!

How much do you win in a day?

I win somewhere in the ball park of 30 a day - sometimes more, sometimes less.

Happy winning!

Baby Pool

Matt and I were making baby predictions (friendly wagers) yesterday, and we thought it might be fun for others to join in the fun. We talked about offering some kind of award to the person who guesses closest to when M&M actually makes his appearance and another one for the person who guesses closest to M&Ms actual size. We haven't decided what the award will be yet, but there will be something. Just leave a comment with your own predictions, and you'll be entered into the baby pool.

Here's some facts that you make like to know before you make your predictions.

1. This pregnancy is not much different from my pregnancy with Collin.
2. With someone as short as I am, there is no real "carrying high" or "carrying low".
3. Collin weighed 7lb, 7.7oz and was 21 1/4" long.
4. Collin was born 12 days late.
5. Matt's birthweight was about 7lb and mine was 7lb 12oz (I think).
6. I had an ultrasound around 26 weeks, and M&M was approximately 2lb, 4oz then.
7. The actual due date is September 25th.

Matt's Predictions

Gender: Girl

Date: September 15th

Time: 3:58 a.m.

Weight: 6lb, 8oz

Length: 20 3/4 inches

Heather's Predictions

Gender: Boy

Date: September 21st

Time: 10:02 p.m.

Weight: 7lb, 2oz

Length: 21 inches

Happy predicting!

Oh, and if you want to throw out any baby name ideas, we wouldn't mind. We haven't settled on anything definite for either gender.

Jersey Shore: What's the big deal?!?!?

I have never seen Jersey Shore, and I have no particular interest in seeing it. I figure I'm no worse off for not having seen it. In fact, from what I've heard of the show, I'm most likely better off for not having seen it. It seems, however, that I cannot turn on my radio, watch the local news, or read news on any local website without hearing something about Jersey Shore. I can, in fact, name at least 6 people on the show (I have no idea how many there are) just from hearing about them on the radio and tv. While using the restroom at Outback last weeked, I overheard a woman saying that the family dinner they were having (they were celebrating somebody's birthday) was all right, but she absolutely could not stay too late or she might miss Jersey Shore. I was pretty shocked to come out of the stall and find out that she was like 70!


My question is this: Do people in other areas of the country care about Jersey Shore or is it just one of those things that Philly people love and obsess about because the Jersey Shore is in their neck of the woods?

From what I hear on the radio and news, people don't like the current season as much as the last one, so maybe the whole thing will fizzle out pretty quickly (crossing fingers!). Or maybe the whole cast will get themselves arrested and then they'll have no show anymore. :-)

4 years (+ 513 days)

It all started on a cool, March evening in 2005. Matt and I were driving from Reading to Potter County so I could meet his parents. To say the least, I was very nervous! I tried to talk Matt into just continuing on the drive and running away to get married. Then, we could go see his parents. My reasoning was this: Even if they didn't like me, they would have to accept me as a member of the family because we were already married. Matt said that that probably was not best. (In retrospect, I guess he was probably right. He usually is, but don't tell him I said that. :-)) Anyway, since he seemed pretty adamant about not marrying me then, I started asking him when he would marry him. "How about in 2 days? A week? A month?" Finally, I got to, "Will you marry me in 513 days?" When he said, "It's a possibility." I started counting down the days. Five hundred thirteen was just a random number I pulled off the top of my head, but as it turned out it was a Saturday in August of 2006 - August 12, 2006, in fact. From that day on, we joked about getting married on that day, but never talked seriously about it.

Some pics of us we took that day on our way from Colleen's to his parents'

5 years ago today (August 12, 2005) - I was living with Colleen and Matt in Reading for the summer, and Matt came down to visit me. In the back of my mind, I thought it would kind of be a cool day to get married just because we joked around about getting married on August 12th. As far as I knew, however, Matt hadn't talked to my dad about it yet. (He had, in fact, secretly met up with my dad the day before to talk to him). He was also giving me that standard lie that I hear just about all boys give their girlfriends, "I would like to get engaged, but there's just not money for a ring right now." Despite these things, I was still thinking it just might be a possibility. We went to a park, had a picnic, and took a walk. By this point, I was sure we were not getting engaged. I had felt his pockets - there was no ring. He got his guitar out of the car, and we sat on a bench by a stream/creek thing. Just in case he sneaked a ring into his pocket when he got the guitar, I checked again. There was no ring. We sang together for a while, and then he started playing and singing for me some sappy country love songs. He started playing a song for me that he had written. It was very sappy and sweet! (For those of you who are already ready to be sick from the sappiness, I won't put the whole song on here). At the end of the song, the guy in the song asks the girl to marry him. By this point, I was pretty sure of what was going on. After the song, the sweetest, most romantic guy in the world got down on one knee, held out a gorgeous ring (Tricky boy - he had put the ring in the guitar case), and said, "Heather Grace, I love you. Will you marry me?"

The night we got engaged

The day after we got engaged - my awesome sister made us a fabulous dinner. Steak and Lobster!!

Some other pics from that weekend

4 years ago today (August 12, 2006) - I married my best friend!!! I'm so thankful to be married to such a kind, patient, Godly, all-around incredible man. He works so hard to take care of us, and he is such an amazing leader for our family. We have so much fun together, and I can't imagine anyone I would rather be with on the crazy ride called life.

Today (August 12, 2010) - We are getting ready to move into our 4th(!) home, and expecting our second child in just about 6 weeks. And right now, we're getting ready to head out the door for a date!

The most recent pics of us - my favorite place to be is still in his arms.....

...or hiding behind something so we can make out. ;-) I love you, Matthew Martin Montgomery, and I'm looking forward to many more wonderful years with you!!

Just for fun, I thought I'd throw in the sole picture of our first date ever when one of my friends broke off my other date for me and told Matt he had to ask me to the Christmas concert instead.

Lately

Where has July gone?!? Where has the summer gone?!? When one of my friends mentioned last week that school starts again in less than 5 weeks, I couldn't believe how fast this summer has gone by. In a way, it was kind of a nice feeling because I don't have to go back to school in the fall :-), but we still have a lot of other goings-on this fall that I don't feel at all ready for. So, now I find myself looking back on the summer so far and trying to figure out what I've done with all my time.
The month of June was full of travel - I think we were gone somewhere every weekend. So the weeks we're filled with unpacking from a trip and packing for the next one. This summer has brought with it lost of swimming weather, so we've spent as much time as possible at pools or beaches. Tutoring has also been keeping me busy this summer.
We've mostly stayed home for the month of July, but life hasn't slowed down. It seems we have something going on every night. We've spent a lot of time in July looking for a new place to live. We've spent a lot of nights going out to look at houses for rent. We haven't nailed anything down yet, but hopefully we will this week. (If you are so inclined, please pray that we will know something definite by the end of the week). Our projected moving date is September 1st, so it would be nice to know something very soon. Even though we don't know for sure where we're going, I've also spent a lot of July packing stuff up. We know we're going somewhere, and I figure the less I have to do at the last minute (when I'm 37 weeks pregnant) the better off we'll all be.
August looks like it will be just as busy. Right now, I think all of our weekends are booked and our time during the week we'll be spent getting ready for the weekend activities, tutoring, and more packing.
Some things I'm looking forward to in August:

• Visiting my parents in NH for a weekend
• Knowing where we'll be moving
• At least one more day trip to the beach
• Going away with just Matt for an anniversary trip/'babymoon'
• Celebrating our 4th anniversary
• Spending time with really good friends before we move a little farther from them

Enjoy your summer!!